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A review by dnietoperafan
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked up this book right after Dune... and I'm thinking I might've been a bit hasty to do so.
This short instalment is good, don't get me wrong, but Dune Messiah just doesn't have that 'real life' feel that made Dune so attractive to me. Character development / decline goes way too quickly to really enjoy the quirks of human nature, and women were even worse caricatures and more disposable than in the first instalment.
Apart from those flaws, I found it to be a cool set up for the rest of the series. Herbert tied off all the themes he explored in Dune, and managed to set new questions to answer in further books. I also really enjoyed how we got to see inside the minds of new characters: Alia, Hayt, Scytale, and others.
It was a short read, so I would recommend it to people who want to read the rest of the series. But for people who just want a 'satisfying' ending to Paul's reign, I would stop at Dune.
This short instalment is good, don't get me wrong, but Dune Messiah just doesn't have that 'real life' feel that made Dune so attractive to me. Character development / decline goes way too quickly to really enjoy the quirks of human nature, and women were even worse caricatures and more disposable than in the first instalment.
Apart from those flaws, I found it to be a cool set up for the rest of the series. Herbert tied off all the themes he explored in Dune, and managed to set new questions to answer in further books. I also really enjoyed how we got to see inside the minds of new characters: Alia, Hayt, Scytale, and others.
It was a short read, so I would recommend it to people who want to read the rest of the series. But for people who just want a 'satisfying' ending to Paul's reign, I would stop at Dune.