Review: Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

Dune Messiah
by Frank Herbert

This is the second book in the Dune series and I recommend you read the first one, Dune, before you read this one. Dune Messiah is quite a bit shorter, less action based, and generally a little slower paced than Dune. We see Paul Atreides as a new Emperor preforming his duties as political, military and religious leader, as well as his sister Alia who has her own responsibilities and roles. As is better explained in the last book, Paul is also a Kwisatz Haderach, meaning among other skills he is capable of seeing bits of the future; he is only human but was a result of a centuries long breeding program to become a person with these abilities. Throughout the book his responsibilities and powers grate on him, wearing him down during his wife’s/significant other’s pregnancy (it’s a little complicated, he’s married to a Princess, but does not consider her his wife, while the woman he cares for most is not his wife but is considered as such). He foresees the birth of his child will be his wife’s death, which he is unable prevent and keeps as a secret to himself. It a pretty sad story full of doom, frustration, sorrow, and longing to know normalcy. It has it’s twists and surprises like the first book and is worth reading if you’ve read Dune and enjoyed it.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Dune, by Frank Herbert.] [ official Frank Herbert page on the official Dune Novels web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!