Reviews

Children of Dune by Frank Herbert

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babelbard's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

randee25's review

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3.75

It could be painful at times to get through some chapters but I found other parts very interesting. Now that I'm done with the trilogy I like the story as a whole. The writing was just a bit too complicated at times for me .

sebastianletts's review against another edition

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4.5

4.5 stars

This book was absolutely incredible. I has had me in constant reevaluation of what the true ethos of the Dune series is, but as an end to a trilogy, this works perfectly. I do love how this series seems to have various jumping off points, and all of them seem to work. I love how Alia is treated in this story as so similar to Paul in the way that all seemed to crumble around her because of external forces she couldn't control. This is particularly poignant as Alia, like Paul is presented as such a powerful individual, impervious to anything as a near godlike figure. I loved the way The Golden Path was treated and how Leto feels bound to this fate. His relationship to Ghanima is layered, as is his relationship to all the characters in this story.

I also liked how this book further delved into the idea that Arrakis is the true protagonist of the story. The book isn't titled Atreides, or anything of the sort. It is very interesting to see how the evolving nature of Dune influences perception, how it has changed the Fremen and all other involved parties. The universe revolves around this planet, and the way we see this transform throughout is incredibly thought provoking. This is particularly intriguing to see through two characters, Stilgar, as an old Naib that has witnessed the change of the planet, deadset on maintaining Fremen tradition, and Jessica, as a person who has left Arrakis for a long time, and returns to see how much the people have changed. The civil war engulfing the planet in turmoil is indicative of how Jessica sees the planet now, after the ideals of the Jihad and Muad'Dib continue to implode upon themselves, following what is established in [b:Dune Messiah|44492285|Dune Messiah (Dune, #2)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577043824l/44492285._SY75_.jpg|3634570]. This is greatly exemplified by The Preacher, which such an intriguing addition to this story, as the mystery isn't really who he might be, but more so where he stands in this massive narrative.

My only complaints remain the same I had from the past book. I wanted more Irulan! It's almost ironic that the most we get from Irulan in these books are the epigraphs of the first installment. I think she is such an interesting political figure, and seeing more of her and her opinions concerning Farad'n would have been extremely interesting. I would have loved to see more of her character, as well as Ghanima's. Ghanima is such an interesting character as she is condemned to submitting to the Golden Path, forced to act at the behest of said path, sacrificing all free will. This, combined with a force like "Abomination" which further threaten her liberty make for a harrowing experience, as the reader yearns for her to have a normal life. In a way, this mirrors Alia's view in Messiah, where she resents her mother for the burden she carries while understanding the amount of power she has been given. I only wish I could have seen more of her, as I almost felt like I knew more about characters like Tyekanik in this book. I know it is a lot to ask in such an expansive book, to add complexity to even more perspectives, but I do believe these are very relevant to the material.

This book is so great because it leads to this. So much reflection as there is so much to explore. Can Herbert be a little over-ambitious about the themes he tries to explore? Absolutely, but there is no denying a certain satisfaction to decoding everything he's built here.

paintedtigers's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

joblo's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Wild and wacky stuff!!

It seems like Herbert reveals information as we need it (like, a character will do something and he’ll briefly explain why that’s actually an ancient riddle or benne Gesserit technique or something) but the universe is so massive that I get why it’s necessary.

Looking forward to the next ones but definitely taking a break with something less serious first.

taylorhathcock's review

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4.0

“Power attracts the psychotics. Always. That’s what we have to avoid within ourselves.”

In this one we get another time jump and the twins are now nine although in reality they seem much older. I think it was often hard to forget that they were only nine until someone referred to them as a child. Once you read this one I think Dune Messiah makes more sense and can be appreciated just a little bit more. In this one we start to see just how far Paul's religion has failed and how complacent the Fremen are starting to become. The twins have come up with a rather intense plan that I have to admit I didn't understand at all until the very end when it was explained but holy cow. Alia's storyline in this one was interesting I think just because we got to see a bit of what could happen to those who are preborn like the twins.

The Preacher was an interesting addition in this story because he went against all of the things that Paul taught. He didn't feel like a super important character for most of the story though in my opinion at least not until the end. We get Lady Jessica back in the story as an active participant this time. She seems to be back to her Bene Gesserit roots in this one and she returns to Arrakis! We also get some new House Corrino members who are wanting the throne back. We also get some old favorites who seem to be a bit different which connects to all the various changes happening around them.

I think I really loved how much this one felt like Dune with all the political scheming. I mean like every single character is working some angle. I loved how much we weren't told until the end. I also enjoyed all the plots within plots. We had spies and double agents. I honestly think this one was really engaging. I wish the twins were older characters just because they act older and sometimes it confuses me. I loved that we start to see how a religion can begin to unravel so easily once it's in the wrong hands. I mean without Paul around things have gone so far to the extreme and the Fremen have become so different.

The twins have a plot to fix things and I wasn't expecting it to be honest. However, it does make perfect sense once it begins to be explained. I loved seeing just how different Ghani and Leto became as they encountered different journeys in this book. I look forward to seeing how the scheming plays out in the next book. I love that this series has consumed me so completely when it's not something I would normally read. It's been a wild ride and honestly it's an amazing story if you are willing to let yourself get immersed in the characters and the world. It can at times be a bit overwhelming and confusing but it always becomes clear in the end.