"Dune Messiah (Dune #2)" by Frank Herbert
The continuation of an epic story…
Of which I regret having high hopes for.
Read Review Below
I absolutely loved the first book of the series “Dune” by Frank Herbert. I even listed it as my second favorite read of 2020. The immense space world-building and introduction to such powerful characters and ideas felt like getting a big, warm hug from the Science Fiction genre. I had heard that the second book was even better, so I obviously had high hopes for Dune Messiah.
There are a few surprise events, but the second book in this series focuses mainly on character development. The focal point is Paul Atreides (Muad’dib), but there is also plenty of focus on supporting characters from the first book . They also introduce a few new people/aliens: a face dancer (now I see what inspired Games of Thrones’ Faceless Men) and this gross fish guy that seemed to replace the disgusting factor Baron Harkonnen brought us in the first installment. Does Herbert have a gross character in each of his books?
Overall, Dune Messiah didn’t vibe well with me. I didn’t dislike it - it was okay. Again, I had high hopes for this book. What’s more is that the heroes I adored in Dune had their weaknesses flaunted in Messiah and I undoubtedly had a hard time accepting that. This won’t stop me from continuing the series - I didn’t enjoy Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but my favorite book of the series was the third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Perhaps I’ll have the same experience with Dune?
| Pub Date: October 1969 | Page Count: 337 Pages | ISBN:9780593098233 |