Reviews tagging 'Incest'

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

65 reviews

randirush's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

*3.5-3.75ish 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Death

Moderate: Genocide, War, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Incest, and Infertility

emma_lynn_writes's review against another edition

2.5

I've heard some say that they like Dune Messiah more than the first one. I'm not one of them. I hoped it would provide more insight into character motivations, but I found that it lacked not only that insight, but also grounded action. I was lost in the author's convoluted (though often beautiful) writing, and was left with more questions than answers.

What happened in the jihad? Why does Paul feel unable to change the future? What specific actions do others want him to take to improve things?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Minor: Incest

gremlingorl's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

They took my fucking eyes, Pooh

Saint Alia of the Knife, you will always be famous (to me).

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror and Pregnancy

Minor: Incest, Abortion, and Adult/minor relationship

laura_nel13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Violence, Infertility, Drug use, and War

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Genocide, Incest, and Death of parent

annikathereader's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicide, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Infertility, Incest, Grief, and Death

draven_deathcrush's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was kind of a bumpy ride for me, but I ended up completely loving it. You can really see how George Lucas made Star Wars at the end of this one haha.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, and Death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and Infertility

Minor: Ableism and Incest

trvs49's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a more philosophical, character-driven entry in the Dune series. The elements of adventure, new worlds, and sci-fi take a back seat to the intense character interactions, politics, and schemes. Paul's struggle for control over the universe and the events of the world is the main focus and is highly engaging throughout. Suspicions, schemes, plots within plots, and the reality of a universe ruled by Paul with his Sister at his side as pseudo-gods all culminate in a fantastic narrative with a satisfying end.

Paul's character development is impressive and genuinely satisfying, and it stays true to the character. However, where this book lacks is in the writing of the female characters, which is considerably weaker, although Alia does present as a really cool, complex character. The incest stuff and the age gap between her and some of the characters, as well as the stuff about her dad being her lover, are not necessary, in my opinion.

Also, Irulan just being super in love with Paul, although it is alluded to early in the book. I feel it doesn't get enough build-up and attention to make it understandable and believable, especially since she is supposed to be Bene Gesserit but throws away all her loyalties after he dies.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, War, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence

eemi42's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

We pick up 12 years after the events of Dune.

Just when I thought I had a handle on the Dune universe and its vocabulary, Frank Herbert throws a whole bunch of new terms into the mix. It turns out the Bene Gesserit are not the only Bene-s out there. There's the Bene Tleilax, who unlike the Bene Gesserit seek to influence genes through direct intervention by mutation. They also create these beings called ghola by taking a dead person's flesh and growing it into a person in axolotl tanks. Everybody finds the ghola unsettling.

Unsurprisingly given the way he came to power, forces seek to destroy Paul. Paul's refusal to let princess Irulan bear his heir leads her to participate in this conspiracy. Irulan has also been ensuring Chani can't get pregnant either. Desperate to preserve the Atreides genes, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohaim suggests a cross-breeding of brother and sister. And since the Bene Gesserit are against artificial methods, this is exactly as disturbing as it sounds. Thankfully it doesn't come to that.

The conspiracy sends Paul a ghola of Duncan Idaho. It's kind of unclear why they did that until the end.

In fact, this feels like a whole bunch of nothing until like 3/4 of the way through the book, but then it becomes mind-blowing, so don't give up!

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Incest

jelliclejules's review

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, War, Addiction, Medical trauma, Ableism, and Classism

Minor: Incest, Infertility, and Suicide

sarah_tani's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Violence, Suicide, Grief, War, Genocide, Death, Drug use, Infertility, and Pregnancy