Lisa of Troy's Reviews > Children of Dune

I think Congress should pass a law that would forbid any writer from ever making Dune 2.

Some books should just never have a sequel. For example… Walden 2 😒

Honest review, Lisa!

Dune #2 was okay, but Dune #3......it was so bad. If Herbert brought this alone to the publisher, they would have rejected it out of hand. It only was published because it trotted out the fan favorite characters but had little else to offer.

Thanks, Diane!

I love the original Dune movie characters, I’m glad I saw the movie first so I’ll know what everyone looks like when I finally read the book 🙂

i can't remember Dune 3; i think i did quit the series after the fourth book.
However i really liked the first two.

Thanks for the honest review. Doesn't sound like a good book.

I hated this one too!

Ugh, and why do you name to different characters the same name?

Why do people name their children after their parents and grandparents?

Oops, I encouraged myself to go till the end. Made it, but with mixed feelings. 😐

The second one fell short for me. Was hoping the third would be good. Sad news to hear.

I genuinely don't mean to be rude when I say this, but if you're complaining about things like this book had no heroes, I think you may have missed the entire point of the entire series, which Dune Messiah is very explicit about.

Herbert's whole work of Dune is how bad things like heroes are and speaks to the dangers of following them. Paul literally compares himself to Hitler in Messiah and how the needless deaths carried out in his name far outweigh those of even Hitler. There is even a quote by Kynes in the books that, iirc, is "the worst thing that could happen to this planet is a hero."

Dune only existed as the hero's journey in order for Messiah to tear it down and flip it on its head and how how terrible heroes, charismatic politicians, etc are.

Also *SPOILERS AHEAD*

how can you say there were no shocking deaths when Duncan Idaho was slain As far as no unexpected, surely Leto turning himself into a sandworm was unexpected?

>>no unexpected
SPOILER

I'm surprised you said that, I would be really impressed if you could expect the baron returning as a self aware genetic memory and asking to be his great granddaughter's advisor in exchange for her letting him have access to her physical senses when she's in bed with someone, or Leto II transforming into a four thousand year old human worm.

I have not even get past the book one :(((

I am glad that his son has proved to be more adept at storytelling, Lisa.

Definitely agree, Lisa! Boring, and yet the original book was phenomenal, and Dune Messiah is more of an Epilogue to Dune.

"Children of Dune is missing the elements that worked so well in Dune: no heroes, no unexpected, shocking deaths, no common goals, no building up of characters."

The original book if you read it is less of a book about Paul being a hero but more him coming to the horrible realization of a "terrible purpose" he becomes propped up as a messiah that ignites a jihad that sterilizes the universe killing billions of people Stilgar becomes a devout believer and Paul treats it as losing a friend as he slowly becomes a deity to a radical following of Fremen even if he were to die it would not stop the Jihad he's essentially stuck and is forced to see where the end of the road leads too

also I do think they built up characters like Stilgar becoming completely disillusioned by the religion and empire he helped prop up

Alia's abomination and those relationships she has with Duncan and the Lady Jessica
being the two characters that I say honestly suffer the most from Alia's possession Jessica being quite tormented and genuinely wanting to save her grandchildren if possible

Duncan is in my mind the most tragic his loved one becomes possessed into the thing he hates the most a Harkonenn and basically commits suicide

so forgive me if I don't quite understand your perspective

I do agree that by this point in the series the whole prescience and psychedelic and philosophical ramblings get quite hard to piece together but I do think that the narrative is still strong honestly I feel like that's what made Messiah really good is how it approaches the nuance and horror of being able to see the future as that future begins to trap every decision you make Paul can see whats happening but is helpless to stop it for fear of triggering a much worse future

I prefer to think of the series as the revelation of the quantum world interconnecting all. Humans, gods, any matter or thought in any dimension all made of the same substance. I think this was a very necessary book of passage. I also wish that reviews were not set forth as "carved in granite" facts instead of opinions. A multitude of things maybe should never have happened since this Universe was born. Apparently they all have had a purpose considering they did happen regardless, and so did this 3rd saga. Perhaps that is actually the point. This seiries is based in our Universe, not a totally fictional impossibility. Just try and accurately translate the use of "gestalten' even as a native speaker. The linguistics alone .....never fear, it's just an opinion