Dune Messiah (1969)

Author: Frank Herbert
Publisher: Ace

Synopsis:
Trapped in the web of his own prescience, the duties of Emperor, and the cult that has been formed around him, Paul tries to exploit a plot against him to avoid greater tragedy.

Impressions:
A lot time sequels struggle with the story of what comes next after the hero's grand victory, often leading to the reset button being pressed and just a rehash of earlier adventures. This book, however, does a great job of portraying how all aspects of Paul's victory have ensnared him. There is a sort of fatalism tied to his prescience, even with all the various paths he sees, none of them accomplish what he wants. The title of Emperor feels rather hollow as whatever agency he has is overwhelmed by the forces on a galactic scale moving around him. And then there is the cult of Muad'Dib and the horrors of the Jihad that go with it. Paul may be the inspiration for the movement, but it's grown far beyond something he can do much of anything about. In the midst of all this, we have all the disenfranchised powers plotting against him, Irulan and Chani's rivalry, Alia's growing recklessness, and so on and so forth.

Hayt is perhaps the most interesting element. The concept of the ghola is going to become a major feature in the series from the fourth book on. Hayt struggles with what he is, what he was, and the programming he has been given. His dynamic with Paul and with Alia are the main highlight if you ask me.

In the first book, we had a glossary for terms and other such reference material that's absent here. Without any reference, a lot of the prose can end up sounding like gobbledygook. I imagine this will be a turnoff for the layman, but I rather looked at it as a sort of puzzle to solve and found that aspect of it interesting. It almost feels like Herbert uses obtuse language to evoke the sense of alien mysticism to the world. It's not for everyone, but if you were into the first book, you should be fine.

There's a lot to like here and though it's not something everyone will enjoy, I can easily recommend adding it to your collection.

Rating:
Own It