A review by goldenluck
Dune by Frank Herbert

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Dune is a classic, and its spot on every sci-fi fan's shelf is well earned. The writing is dense but compelling, sucking you in like the whirlpools of the deserts of Arrakis. Every writing decision in here that I could critique I understand the reasoning behind it. The time skip between parts 2 and 3 is off-putting (and a personal pet peeve), but understandable. Walking through all those 3 long years would have extended the book unnecessarily and made it go from slow-paced to downright molasses-like. The switching between internal thoughts can be difficult to keep track, however it does add to the tension of the novel, and best explains the political maneuvering without being blunt about it. 

Honestly, if you have any curiosity about this book at all, I recommend you pick it up. If you're a fan of fantasy political novels, I also recommend picking this up, as I would call it more science fantasy with a dash of hard science. It is, in a word, fantastic. 
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