Rating: 
Summary: Muad'Dib
Review: This is my second most favorite novel in the Dune series.
The book brings the character of Muad'Dib to the table. Muad'Dib is Paul Atreides, the new emperor of planet Dune and a great many other ones. He is a strong, unforgettable persona, attaining the status of messiah.
A rich, unforgetable novel. A must read for the sci-fi fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Too little diamond, too much rough
Review: Paul Atreides, Muad'Dib, is effectively Emperor of the Universe, and he finds that his power is not a benign force. In order to keep control, he must be ruthless in the face of an alliance of treachery that extends into his own household. He tries desperately to find an answer to an impossible problem.
The Good and the Bad:
From Herbert, I've come to expect an almost fanatical obsession with language and culture that paints a detailed, but not always interesting, portrait. There's something so haughty about so many of the characters that eventually, the grand moments and dramatic speeches lose their power for their frequency. Some of the characters remain interesting, in particular the warrior-turned-mentat Duncan Idaho, who has been reanimated for the purpose of destroying Paul. But there's something limiting about a character who has prescience and has already learned that there is no favorable outcome to his solutions. Paul seems helpless in the face of the enormous forces that surround him, even though his will can be carried out. But the absolute power makes too much seem pointless-when there are tens of millions dying by your every word and command, the human stories lose their power, and the masses seem overwhelming.
However, Dune remains an engaging planet, and the "old guard vs. new bureaucrats" is always an interesting battle. As before, I found myself wading through a lot of boredom, but captivated by the occasional scene or image.
Rating:
Summary: It's worth reading for its conclusion
Review: Dune Messiah would be much better off as book four of the original Dune. If that were the case, the combined opus would be a mythical success. As a stand-alone book, however, Dune Messiah is weak. If you have come to care for any of the characters of Dune, especially Paul Atreides and/or Chani, the conclusion of this book will be very emotional for you, and is worth reading on those grounds alone. Up until the end, however, Dune Messiah is slow going. Interesting, but slow. Bottom Line: If you liked Dune and have become interested in its characters, read this book. Ideally, read Dune and Dune Messiah back-to-back. The overall effect will be much greater. Don't read this book if you haven't read the original Dune, or if you read it and didn't like it or its characters.
Rating:
Summary: Continuation...
Review: but strangely short--given the first book's gargantuan size. The book also seems as tho' it didn't have Herbert's full attention. He seemed tacitly to admit this once when he said that "parts of Children of Dune were written before Dune was finished." It also suffers from the fact that it was first serialized in a SF magazine. It seems as tho' it were "remixed" after the fact.Although Herbert continues to use the Prophet Mohammad's life as a scaffolding for his story, he departs widely from the Koran's account while still retaining an essentially Arab flavor to the story. (These books are, by the way, incredibly popular in the Muslim world.) Those minor criticims aside, the story continues towards its headlong conclusion in the Golden Path. To say much more would spoil it for the uninitiated. If you liked Dune, read this one just to get to "Children" and, the piece de resistance, "God Emperor of Dune" where Herbert's mastery becomes complete and the Golden Path is revealed to us in all its terrible majesty. The last two books before cancer and grief killed him were almost after thoughts. After Leto II, what was there to say?
Rating: 
Summary: What happened?
Review: Dune is a colossal work. Dune Messiah is a disappointing work. I don't understand how the same man could have written both books. Dune has strong characterization and a strong plot; Dune Messiah has neither. Dune Messiah substitutes characterization with psycho-babble. Half the dialogue in this book doesn't make any sense and doesn't further the plot. The ending is strong, but it doesn't make up for all the nonsense that Herbert subjected me to. (Don't let anyone try to tell you that this book is "deeper" than Dune because of all the confusing things the characters say. "Deep" only equals "confusing" for people who can't read.) All that said, Dune Messiah made me feel like I was reading Fanfic. It was mildly entertaining, but please don't confuse it with the real thing.
Rating:
Summary: A more personal look at the cast
Review: Sure, not much happens in the book in terms of war and political intrigue, but this book really tells you who the people actually are and how they think. I really felt sorry for Alia and Paul, and I learned how must it suck to have their powers. I loved it.
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