Dune Messiah Paperback – June 4, 2019

Frank Herbert is something else. While reading this book my mind is drawn and quartered a thousand times. It is pushed and pulled this way and that. I am like a child grasping for meaning, knowing it is there but just out of reach. On the edge of understanding, I sit, in awe of what might be on the other side. Comprehension, just out of reach and yet in the back of my mind, it has been there the whole time. The words are new but they make sense, like some dream that tries to incorporate elements that seem, at first, to be disconnected, only to discover later, maybe after a day or two of contemplation, that the meaning was there amidst the confusion. Then, he brings you back. Frank Herbert, the man that sent you down the rabbit hole is there holding your hand and makes everything clear.Dune Messiah is the second in the Dune series and it is a wonderful rollercoaster. One minute I'm trying to follow the story and figure out what is happening, what might happen, and then the next minute I'm lost in the jargon and intrigue of a world I barely know. The internal ruminations of the characters, the dialogue, and the world that Frank Herbert created is so thoroughly it's own that it is like turning on a documentary from an alien world at an alien time. As much as it is unfamiliar it is just familiar enough to cause a fury of excitement and suspense. The intrigue is palpable and enticing. It keeps you going and gives you hope.In this, the second story about the desert planet known as Dune, we take up the story of Paul Atreides, AKA Muad 'Dib AKA Usul, AKA the ruler of the known universe. The book starts about twelve years after the end of the first Dune book. We find that with the help of violence, religious ideology, his prescient sister Alia, his Fremen soldiers, and his monopoly over the invaluable resource known as melange, Paul has brought his form of justice and leadership to all. He is known by some as a god and by others as a devil. He is not unaware of this duality and is plagued by his own doubt about the legacy that he is creating.Paul tackles internal and external threats to his dynasty but with his powers of foresight, he seems to be one step ahead of his enemies. While he attempts to root out the spies in his midst he is also dealing with the matter of his succession plan. Chani, his concubine and true love, is pregnant and there are many who want to take advantage of her vulnerability and Paul's potential weakness toward her. He knows who to trust but he doesn't always know if he can trust himself and by the end, the true plot is revealed. Will Paul fall to the wiles of his enemies or will he continue his violent conquest? Read to find out!

I’m interested to see what kind of movie can be made from this one. It was a strange plot and even stranger characters, but the story and the way it ends are compelling and interesting.

Great read

Dune Messiah is an inevitability. It is the necessary byproduct of the swirling events of the original novel. It is the ruin bred of the marrying of religion and government under one mythic, all-seeing leader. Muad'dib's Jihad is a thing of recent memory; it raged under the Atreides black and green for twelve years. The Jihad is past, but its effects are not. When destiny meets terrible purpose. When myth meets man and all is swept away in the name of righteousness. When the future reveals itself to you.. can you change it? Can you do anything when the eddies of Time grip you, other than cling for dear life and hope the path you've chosen was the right one?Twelve years after the Jihad began, it comes to an end. But rampant unrest throughout the universal Empire is just beginning to brew. Concealed conspiracies against the deified Muad'dib.. there are those who crave the old days, the old ways of the desert.Dune Messiah is a worthy successor. From the very first chapter the feeling of the novel is instilled in the reader; plans within plans within plans. Right away we are witness to pieces of Herbert's universe that we have never seen, or were perhaps only mentioned in the first novel. Guild Navigators. Tleilaxu Face Dancers. Wallach IX. There is a heady sense that there is much more to discover here; that we can go deeper. And I think at least part of the reason I enjoyed this read so much was that I already knew and was accepting of the fact that do not witness Paul's Jihad. It's a skipped piece of story. Knowing this ahead of time, I was no longer so put off by its absence. I was able to enjoy the sequel for what it is, rather than what I though it should have been. It's a brilliant piece of writing. Frank's prowess is on full display in all sorts of conversational interplay, merciless statecraft, and deep, insightful characterization. Herbert's characters are phenomenal; be the new ones like Scytale, or old like Paul and Alia. Paul's development in Dune Messiah is every bit as interesting as in Dune, as he wrestles internally with all that his Empire, and his Oracle, has wrought.

A good successor to the first Dune book. Absolutely worth a read.

Libro de muy buena calidad con ilustraciones al inicio y fin y un poster.

Inte samma kvalité som första boken men sen var förväntningarna skyhöga. Men väl läsvärd.

Da mir die Dune-Filme sehr gut gefallen haben, wollte ich die Bücher auch lesen und habe mich für diese Version hier entschieden.Das Buch kam genauso an, wie beschrieben und der Inhalt ist natürlich top! Bis auf eine kleine "Delle" oben am Rand bin ich mit der Qualität des Buches sehr zufrieden.Klare Leseempfehlung

I have one regret.That unfortunately the children of dune book isn't in a similar format available.as a result I might make this a present to one of my nieces and buy the 3book deluxe boxed set.