Rating: 
Summary: WHAT IS THE PROBLEM!?!
Review: First off let me say that of course theis wasn't as good as the first Dune nothing ever would be.
-But that doesn't mean it's not woth reading. If every book you have to read has to be a masterpice like Dune!
-The charector development was good i loved seeing the problems Paul Artrdies actions, and how he is disgued with what he created, It was overal, avery short but good read, and i highly recomend it to anyone who liked the first book.
Rating:
Summary: A little short, but worth the read
Review: The book is too short, true. It starts too abruptly and cuts out too quickly, without any closure, but by this point Herbert realized that Children of Dune was coming. It really isn't anything outstanding, but it plays the part of both epilogue for Dune and Prelude of Children of Dune, and therefore must be read.
Rating: 
Summary: The end of Dune
Review: Sometime in this book Dune ended. It wasn't that the following books are bad, or that I don't count them as canon. They are still great, they just lost the sheer awe of Dune, the feel was different, more scifi and less spiritual. This book (and to some extend COD) tie them together, comining the two styles. Saying goodbye to one thing, and hello to something new.
Rating: 
Summary: More Personal, Intimate Experience of Arrakis
Review: Frank Herbert's 1969 novel, "Dune Messiah," like its predecessor novel, "Dune," is really much less about action and adventure than it is about the personal effects of power. Actually, "Dune Messiah" has no real action, no real excitement - unless you find mental trauma, philosophical quandaries, and musings on the relationships between government and religion exciting; fortunately, I do. Even the novel's title is a mental excerise in irony - one of the questions that permeates this book, as it did toward the end of "Dune" is can one young man balance the unbelievable burdens of being a man of the people, an emperor, and a god while trying to be an individual and a husband? Can Paul Muad'dib, reputed savior, save even himself?From its beginnings, "Dune Messiah" really concerns a plot between the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, the Spacing Guild, and the Bene Tleilax, to find a way to compromise the theocracy of Muad'dib, whose Jihad and its adherents have been sweeping the universe during the 12 years since the overthrow of House Corrino's Emperor Shaddam IV depicted at the end of "Dune." The Bene Gesserit want to regain control of Paul Muad'dib's bloodline for their breeding program, the Spacing Guild want easier access to Spice, produced only on Arrakis, and the Bene Tleilax want a piece of Muad'dib - literally - to clone and control their own Kwisatz Haderach. As in the first novel, there are plots within plots, and the conspiracy is only ever a loose confederacy, each party with their own competing interests. Further, these parties seek to manipulate an increasing sense of dissent amongst the native Fremen on Arrakis, many of whom feel left out or disenchanted by the changes in their lives since the beginning of the Jihad, particularly with their unsatisfying movement from the margins of the empire they helped depose, to the margins of an empire they helped to create. The Bene Tleilax initiate the action of the novel, goading the dissident Fremen and presenting Muad'dib with a clone, or ghola, of his slain teacher, Duncan Idaho, who at the appropriate moment, is to murder Muad'dib. Muad'dib, meanwhile, has his own problems - he remains, for good and ill, the melancholy, self-absorbed, confused young man that he was at the end of "Dune." He is prepossessed, throughout the novel, with the feeling that his knowledge of the future utterly controls him. While he longs for a normal, secluded life with his concubine, Chani, and the chance to have and raise children, his daily involvement with the myth that has sprung up around him gives him an ever-increasing sense of isolation and alienation from his humanity. He has become almost unbearably fatalistic as he is forced to embrace as he shrinks from his role as deified Messiah and from his visions of the future. Indeed, the problem and potential of vision is a preoccupation of the novel - from the metal eyes of the ghola to Muad'dib's eventual physical blindness. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Muad'dib's journey is out of his own hands, and wisely, rather than subject the reader to hundreds of pages of Muad'dib lamenting his fate, Herbert turns his focus to other characters - specifically the ghola Duncan Idaho and Muad'dib's pre-born sister Alia - and their struggles. Indeed, the ghola is the most intriguing character in "Dune Messiah" as he attempts to discover the latent memories of his former life and to fight against his own Tleilaxu programming. The Tleilaxu contingent overall form the most consistently interesting figures in the novel. From the conspirator Scytale, a Tleilaxu Face Dancer (shape-shifter) to the gholas - Hayt/Duncan Idaho, and the dwarf Bijaz - the Tleilaxu, with their use of technology to change themselves and to effect change in others is a sinister contrast to Muad'dib's Fremen efforts to alter the ecology of Arrakis and the structures of power in the universe. What "Dune Messiah" lacks is a sense of scope and urgency. "Dune" gave us a new universe, one which hinted at compelling connections to our own, but which "Messiah" does not take any pains to develop. The personal, internal struggles of Herbert's characters in "Messiah" are almost too self-involved - we lose touch to a great extent, with larger issues, with the epic feel of the original novel. Finally, Alia's degeneration into Abomination is not really chronicled in any satisfactory detail. These criticisms aside, "Dune Messiah" is a good, but not a really fitting sequel to "Dune" - worth reading certainly, but no match for the power, originality, and depth of its predecessor.
Rating:
Summary: A fine follow-up in the greatest sci-fi series of all-time
Review: In 1965, short-story author Frank Herbert hit it big with DUNE, the sci-fi masterpiece that went on to become a legend. With DUNE MESSIAH, Herbert continues the saga of Paul Atreides, also known as Muad'Dib, the man who saved a dying planet from destruction. Set 12 years after the first novel, DUNE MESSIAH centers around the fact that Paul is not immune to human emotions and is, as are we all, flawed. Now ruling the universe as Emperor, Paul is re-awakening the planet of Arrakis (or Dune) and continuing as he had planned; however, corruption still has it's effect. As Paul confronts his inner self, a group of conspirators have assembled who seek to dethrone the young leader. Old friends return and new enemies are made; the fitting conclusion sets the stage for the third book in the series, CHILDREN OF DUNE, which was published six years later. It is clear that author Herbert now feels more free to work with his ideas; the book's vocabulary level has decreased from the level of DUNE, while there is also a fair amount of sexuality thrown in - which was almost absent from the first book. The major flaw of the novel, however, is that Herbert's masterfully complex universe seen in DUNE now doesn't feel so realistic; it takes down the believability of the story a bit, whilst in DUNE you couldn't help but feel that the events of the story were sure to occur. On a closing note, DUNE MESSIAH is no doubt inferior to DUNE, but that doesn't mean it's a bad novel. It is still a fine follow-up in what is certainly the greatest sci-fi series ever written. ENDING THEME: May not be the messiah we're looking for, but still an engulfing piece of sci-fi history
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing. Supposedly great characters uninspiring
Review: Without the novelty of the original, there's not a lot to recommend this (first of many) sequels. For all the self-doubt & confusion of Paul, Alia, and Duncan's ghost, the characters are largely one dimensional. Herbert somewhat falls under the weight of his purportedly eon shaking majestic characters who rarely say or do anything clever or wise (particularly the Reverend Mothers here and in 'Dune', who are supposed to have the insight of millennia, but are essentially ineffective, even pathetic). While the plot does offer an interesting unifying twist, there's far too much irritating (cf. C.J. Cherryh, particularly 'Rusalka') vacillation about choices. We're meant to be carried along in the tide of mysticism, but it just becomes some vague hocus pocus to excuse any arbitrary action or excess of confused introspection. Some Messianic parallels: the disciples were, granted, confused when Jesus saw things so differently; Paul sees his destiny in sacrifice to save others, and is brave enough to do it. But we don't have the attractive wisdom and love of the real deal. Nor do we see the teaching result in good fruit; rather it's never even really addressed why Paul has this genocidal Jihad beyond his control - he's either not bright or not humanitarian enough to end it.
Rating:
Summary: Over sixty-one billion people have died in my name....
Review: The great cosmic Jihad has swept across the known universe. Everywhere the Fremen legions are victorious. The old corrupt order is gone or driven into the shadows. However, this has not been done without a cost: 61 billion dead, 20 planets sterilized, 500 planets totally broken and demoralised, the followers of 40 religions exterminated.... But the greatest tragedy, perhaps, is that Paul Muad'dib has been enthrowned and deified by the legions and the new priesthood. Blood rights are being practiced in his name. His sister, St. Alia of the knife, is also worshiped as a virtual battle goddess. For all his powers, Muad'dib knows that not even he can renounce godhood once bestowed. He also comes to realise that while his legions love him, he doesn't necessarily have total control of them or "his" priests. Yet, he also knows that it could have been even bloodier without his guidance. Indeed, if he flees into exile, or even dies, the future will become unimaginable worse- without someone with his superhuman powers to moderate the storm. He truly holds a tiger by the tail. Yet the old dark powers still exist in the galaxy. They plot and hunger to overthrow the new Emperor and his sister. Perhaps, such clever and ruthless enemies can be used to advantage....
Rating:
Summary: Key hole into the mind of a genius.
Review: In his 2nd installment of the Dune Chronicles Frank Herbert unleashes a cerebral beast. Though it doesn't have the original's griping action elements and fast paced plot, it takes you deeper into Herbert's contemplations of time, space, and prescience. While at the same time he creates and interesting world and story, he stimulates it with his philosophical, political, and sociological ponderings. Most of all--for those readers who can follow his thought progression, the world he creates seems far from fantasy and the scientific unknown which he traverses seems far from impossible. For those readers who enjoyed the speculative and heavy material which highlighted the original Dune, this is definately something you cannot miss. And for those who didn't really enjoy that part of the first, understand that this 2nd novel, while short and somewhat shallow in terms of action, thrusts the story of Arrakis and the Atreides foreward and bridges into Children of Dune--the third installment in which the action thickens and the more intellective material hangs in the background. Unfortunately, this is particular installment in largely underrated, misread, and overlooked in comparison with the rest of the series, and is completely unreadable to new users who haven't read the first. I hope I was able to sway some of the negative light which is too often shed on this wonderful little package. Yours,
R. R.
Rating:
Summary: A long setup for a triumphant conclusion
Review: I have just finished reading the second installment of the Dune series and I have to say I liked it. In a way it was short and sweet. However, the downfall of Messiah, despite the fact that it is more confusing, is that it provides maximum satisfaction only at the end. The whole story seemed like a long set up for the final few pages. It is as if the prophecy was unfolded in few seconds before our eyes after years of waiting for it. In short, the ending is what make Messiah worth reading, Shai-Hulud can shallow the rest. Messiah, doesn't have the same epic feel to it as Dune but is not a disappointing book in any way. It seems that Messiah serves as the next step for the progression to something greater. I'm going to start reading the next book right away.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy sequel.
Review: Frank Herbert had a lot to live up to when it came to writing a sequel to the greatest science-fiction epic of all time. In parts, he succeeded admirably. Sadly, pacing is not one of them. When I first read Dune: Messiah I had an idea of what was to come, Messianic Prophecy has a way of telegraphing the knockout punch, and I found myself longing for the end of this book and the resolution of Maud'Dib's journey. This is not to say that I did not enjoy the second chapter of this masterwork, but it does not live up to Dune, or the sequels for that matter. Still recommended reading if only to get to the next chapter of the Dune saga.
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