Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert picks up about 12 years later after Paul Muad’Dib has led the Fremen in a galactic jihad. He has not only become the emporer, but also has become the religious central figure, along with his sister Alia. Officially married to the Princess Irulan, she functions more as his ettiquette and political advisor, while Chani, his Fremen concubine, is his love and true wife. He refuses to allow Irulan’s desire to be the mother of the imperial line, deferring that to Chani. The trouble is, Irulan isn’t the only one who want his genetic material, but the Bene Gesserits and the Bene Tleilaxu do, as well. The latter two want to make a kwisatz haderach that they can control. Irulan seems to want it out of pride.

Also going on is the declining appoval of the new world Muad’Dib has brought to the planet Dune, also called Arrakis. Fremen ways are passing, as water has become more abundant and the society is becoming more fragmented and people become more isolated. Really, it’s no surprise ot me, considering a second term president can go from a 60%+ approval rating before being re-elected and plummet to a less than 30% rating before leaving office.

Paul, too, has undergone change. He has become more sullen and feels trapped by his own mythology. He has known for a long time that no matter which way he turned, fanatics would take up his name as a banner in jihads, that they will worship him whether he is alive or dead, so he tried to pick the best of all the crap paths through his presience powers to lead them. Unfortunately, however, he’s become a bit of a despot, and he hates what he’s become.

So he has to figure out how he’s going to manage to ensure his child lives to carry on the emire without being under the thumb of either of the Bene schools, that he can escape the weight of being a living god, and somehow return the Fremen to their ways while still having his contributions of planetary changes remain.

I think one of the biggest reasons why those who loved Dune and hate Dune Messiah do so because this book shows Muad’Dib in a very human and flawed light. Pride, arrogance, and even cruelty at times are all part of who Paul is and he shows it. He goes on walks around the city after dark, despite council against it from Stilgar, his closest friend and advisor. He take in Hayt, the ghola (a reanimated corpse, or a clone of a dead person, not sure which) of Duncan Idaho, despite his warning to get rid of him, as well as his own feelings that Hayt’s meant to be a weapon and every advisor telling him it’s unnatural. In this second book, Paul is a bit less likeable than in the first.

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My favorite entry in the series. ( )

Book 2 in Frank Herbert's series, Dune Messiah follows a deified Paul Atredies through an inescapable path of events divined through his prescience. The story picks up after the jihad that followed his overthrow of the Corrino Emperor at the end of Dune. Some 65 billion people died in the wars, and numerous planets were sterilized. An amusing exchange compares this with the modest achievements of Genghis Khan and Adolf Hitler back on old Earth. Throughout the story, Paul is a pitiable character, he knows the unpleasant fate to come, but cannot change it. Other characters play their part, according to script. But the script runs its course...at the end, he no longer knows with certainty what is to come. The book ends with Paul wandering off into the desert, where he is destined to become the next Elvis -- seen everywhere although every knows he must be dead. ( )

An OK sequel to a great book, Dune. If I'd never read it, I wouldn't have missed much. It wasn't a complete waste of time, either, but I really think that "Dune" stands well enough on its own. This didn't seem nearly as well written or thought out. More of a reaction to a contract. ( )

Let me just say: I am one of those people who actually enjoyed the later Dune books written by Frank Herbert. I was hooked, addicted. I needed my fix.

I got it with Dune Messiah.

Dune Messiah takes place some 12 years after Dune. Paul is the Emperor, and has conquered most of the universe thanks to his crack team of Fremen, ready to embrace him as their messiah.

The Bene Gesserit, a group of space witches, however, do not wish to bend to readily to Paul's rule, and as such, team up with other fringe groups to dethrone Paul. Beware of Tleilaxu bearing gifts, Paul, as there is more to the Ghola (a sort of clone) of Duncan Idaho than meets the eye.

The universe is changed with all the conspirators, co-conspirators, and counter-conspirators conspiring against one another. Attempts at the life of Paul, his concubine Chani, and other members of the Atreides line are made.

This book doesn't give as much whiz as the first Dune, but is just as great for any who, like me, read Dune, and wanted more. ( )