Rating: 
Summary: Misunderstood genius
Review: One of the problems with a sequel is that it must contend with the preconceptions of readers, who have ideas about where the plot should go. Never mind what the author thinks, thank you very much. In this case, the handicap is what we think Should Happen to Paul after all he's gone through in Dune. Isn't this the time for them to ride off into the sunset? It would be really great to think that he is a wonderful guy, marries Chani and lives happily ever after. A lot of the reviews of this second volume in the encyclopedic Dune series seem to yearn for it. Sorry, we have to disappoint you.Imagine for a moment that you are the son of a pretty influential guy, that you are pretty happy in your present home, and dad's boss sends him on a wild goose chase after a fortune, hoping, no Planning, that you fail, in order that he can secure a fortune, kill your whole family, and discredit your name forever. Now imagine that you narrowly escape, head off to exile where you are treated with suspicion, alternately an outsider and then as a god. In taking your revenge, you acquire the most important commodity in the universe, and you acquire the status of cult hero living god and emperor of the universe. Do you really think that you would be Mr. Nice Guy after all that? If one looks at Dune in this light, what happens in this sequel, Dune Messiah seems right. Your relcuctant bride, Irulan, is sure to be bitter, and want only to be the bearer of the next emperor. If you are Bene Geserit, you would do anything to interfere with Paul. If you are from one of the conquered worlds, you very likely not be happy about this bitter guy being emperor. If you are of the spacing guild you won't be happy about him having control of the spice. If you are a Paul disciple, you are going to die for him and the heck with anyone else. Thus the fight card is set: Paul and his cult vs. all his detractors, virtually everyone in the universe. Mr. Herbert gives us the blow-by-blow in a relatively compact synopsis. Perhaps the above is a bit too obtuse. Suffice it to say that if you expect to find Mr. Wonderful hero in this, you should look elsewhere. Likewise if you need a warm and fuzzy romance or a shootemup space opera, you may not want to venture here. But if you want to explore the logical consequences of the price of power, and the bitterness it generates, this is just the ticket. I have read and reread this series at different times of my life, and each time am amazed at what I find new in each reading. Mr. Herbert holds up well beside so-called "legitimate" authors, and is head and shoulders above most of our current fantasy crop. Read this book and the rest of the series with an open mind and be amazed.
Rating:
Summary: Less Action Than the First One?
Review: Sequel of Dune. If you think Dune has not enough action, wait until you read this one. 95% dialogues, I would say. Still, I like the book because it attempts to depict what Paul is thinking and why he did certain things. I recommend this if you like the first book and don't think it is boring.
Rating:
Summary: Not exactly what every Science Fiction fan is looking for...
Review: The introduction I had to 'Dune Messiah' was from a friend of mine, "It's atrocious...don't read it...there's no mindless blood and guts(if you want that, read Lord of the Rings)...it's nothing like the rest of the series." Well, I would completely dissagree with the blatantly shallow comment that Dune Messiah is atrocious. But, I would not dissagree with the notion that it is completely different from the rest of the series...and that is a good thing. Often times, I grow weary of series' that drone on with the same stylistic format, especially in sci-fi/fantasy. Take for instance, Lord of the Rings. I love the story, the plot, etc. But because of the style and the fact that the three books are actually one single book, it causes one of the sections to lag. That particular section is 'The Two Towers.' Sure, it has plenty of action and blood, but there is absolutely no thought or depth in it. It, literally, is just a bridge from one good book to the last, nothing more. This is where 'Dune Messiah' succeeds. It's not simply a continuation of 'Dune.' The book is a thought-provoking analysis of Paul and his religious Jihad. As 'Dune' concludes that Paul is a Jesus figure, 'Dune Messiah' concludes that one should decide objectively whether Paul is Jesus or Adolf Hilter.
The book has an extremely thorough explanation of the inner-struggle of Paul's character that is only hinted at in 'Dune.' But, this book also gives the objective look at the opinions of priests, family members, heretics, newly-reiterated characters, and historians on Paul and his Imperial Jihad. Is what Paul is doing morally just? Or is it tyranny? The book leaves the reader with his/her own thoughts, but not without making the reader fully understand Paul.
I never thought that a Science Fiction book could have such enthrawling character developement. But Frank Herbert truly has revealed that he can do it as well as any literary figure in history....and the plot's not too shabby either!! The only thing it lacks is Lady Jessica. Well, luckily, we haven't seen the end of her...
Rating: 
Summary: THE BOOK THAT FAILED
Review: ...It has always boggled my mind as to how a writer who can write one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time can turn around and write shamefully crafted work. But Frank Herbert has succeeded at this. With flying colors. Not only is Dune Messiah one of the most static and lifeless works I have ever read by any author. There is tons of badly written science fiction out there of the commercial dumb character dumb plot type but at least they breath, they live, even in their patheticness. Dune Messiah is still-born, oxygen deprived. Set twelve years after Dune, Paul Atreides is now Emperor of the galaxy after legions of Fremen troops have conducted a holy jihad in his name. Even though his rule extends over many lightyears, we are still claustrophobically stuck on Arrakis with much the same power struggles. As in Dune, he who controls the spice also brings much danger to themselves because it is so important that others would kill to control it. A conspiracy composed of his greatest enemies arises to overthrow Paul. This book is set up more as "literature" than science fiction, with there being very little plot but a lot of soul searching and characterization. Unfortunately for us, the characters are not interesting enough to warrant this treatment. The characters are uninteresting because they all seem to be locked into their destiny and can do nothing about it. There is no surpise. No spontaneity. That leads me to another fact. This book is missing an element of adventure. By that, I mean the physical type and also the mental. The jacket says this is the "pivotal novel" of the Dune series. Well, if it's pivotal, the house has collapsed. This novel is more an epilogue to Dune than a novel in its own right. To me, it should've just been tacked onto the first book. The conspiracy goes on and on and on and everybody talks and talks and talks and nothing ever happens until maybe the last 50 pages or so... It's boring. It's dull. It frightens me from reading the next book... I don't know if I will go on with this series. It doesn't get one star simply because I've read some books worse than this. Not a lot, but some.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing Will Compare with Dune
Review: Dune Messiah: interesting story, continuation of Dune, good read. But nothing will compare to Dune. Dune Messiah needed an appendix in the back; I suppose the one in the back of Dune applies to this, but a reader will not refer to another book for meanings. The larger array of characters in Dune verses Dune Messiah, (along with the appendix of Dune), made Dune Messiah seem rather mediocre next to Dune. Dune needed absolutely nothing else. Paul seemed an entirely different character ... though I do suppose a twelve year holy war could do that to a religious and political leader. But I was somewhat disappointed in Paul's changes; his character in Dune was fine and needed no alterations. Despite the complaints, I would still recommend this, though not nearly so highly as Dune. Dune and all it's glory needed no more ... Dune Messiah is simply an unnecessary addition.
Rating:
Summary: Paul: Butcher, Incompetent, and Pathetic
Review: What a disappointment as a continuance of Dune, which was a truly great story and epic. My dislike of this book is not due to the fact that it is different in structure to the original. I enjoyed the change of pace and setting, as this book is dialogue oriented and takes MANY unexpected turns. While reading it, I couldn't put the book down. My dislike comes after having finished it - and of wondering what the point of this novel was in the first place. The ultimate flaw in this story is the total change in Paul, making the first novel irrelevant. Everything stems from this crucial fact. I'm not even going to bother with the other characters, who would have had to behave differently had Paul remained a strong character fighting the direction fate wants to pull him. The galaxy is not a better place after having suffered the terrible consequences of Paul's life. He admits to a "conservative estimate" of having killed 61 billion, sterilizing 90 planets, demoralizing hundreds of others, and wiping out 40 religions. While noble and admirable at the end of Dune, an atmosphere of degeneration, court rivalries, and intrigue is readily apparent in the beginning of Dune Messiah, which takes place about twelve years into Paul's reign. Paul has been helpless against fate and spends too much time feeling sorry for himself. In Dune he is determined to avoid the future Jihad, which takes place anyway. He is pathetic and useless in Dune Messiah. He suffers mood swings and is more interested in feeling the collective sociological movements of humanity in a melange-induced stupor than in making decisions. I mean, what has he been doing these past twelve years to avoid the Jihad? There's plenty he could have done! Why doesn't he act like the Messiah he is supposed to be?! What a wasted opportunity! This Messiah failed to change the galaxy in any positive way. His failure makes one wish for the triumph of the defeated Vladimir Harkonnen, who, while corrupt and self-serving, had a taste for ruling and decision-making. The materialistic Harkonnens were too small minded to have devastated the galaxy as did Paul, who is an inverted version of Hamlet - unable or unwilling to act but suffering melancholy after the fact, thus becoming even more useless. Despite all the carnage Paul has wrought, the true problems of galactic society continue to exist at the book's end. Manipulative secret organizations like the Bene Gessereit, Bene Tleilaxu, and who knows what else is out there, continue to pursue their own bizarre objectives. The Spacers' Guild, with its dominance in stellar transport, continues to be powerful and oppressive. By playing his ultimate trump card, as he threatened at the end of Dune, destruction of the spice on Arrakis, Paul could have simultaneously broken the backs of his enemies and avoided the Jihad. Sure, he would have plunged the galaxy into a Dark Age with the absence of spice destroying intergalactic travel. But would this have been worse than the death and destruction that he brought about anyway? Somehow someone would have eventually figured a way to get around the problem of spiceless navigation. A Messiah is someone who is to be a savior or liberator. Paul didn't save or liberate anything. Herbert ruined something great.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoy
Review: If you intend to continue on in the Dune series, I strongly suggest you do so in rapid succession. Dune Messiah, Children of Dune and God Emporer of Dune are really one continuous story. Read them too far apart and you break the flow. If you need a breather, take it before you start Heretics of Dune. Frank Herbert was a tricky man--he first blinded us with the brilliance of those with abilities difficult to understand and then proceeded to unweave this intricate tapestry of belief. Perhaps he wanted his readers to understand the ease with which people are cowed by that which they do not understand, and the inevitable costs of such self-deprecating behavior. Be prepared to take several small breaks to appreciate the philosophical musings intersperced throughout the book. It is a novel stimulating more for the actions it causes you to undertake as a spectator than for the actions of the players.
Rating:
Summary: Great story, but no match for the original.
Review: Dune Messiah is a much less ambitious book that its predecessor, but that doesn't mean it comes short as one of the greatest sci-fi books ever. Much shorter than "Dune", this sequel focuses on just a couple of storylines at a time, and basically serves its purpose: present the outcome of Paul Muadib as ruler of the universe and prepare us for the coming of his children, whose actions, narrated on the forecoming novels, are the real juice of the saga. Anyway, Dune Messiah has a simple, entertaining story, but you certainly can't stop there. In order to find out what's the destiny of the universe, you need to read the ones that follow this sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: The Saga continues
Review: This is a lot shorter then Dune. Parts of it are very enjoyable but they never give you enough time to sink your teeth into to enjoy it. I felt it was written on a much more of a "Kids level," but hey if you like this book then more power to you. Ever great serise has its lack-luster member and this is it for the Dune books.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good Dune novel
Review:
A bit shorter than Dune, but no less interesting. It continues the intrigue and high-minded politics of the first book. It didn't pan to the audience or lose the integrity and grit of the Dune story. It also deals with Paul's inability to escape his own forsight. Basically, you're not going to be buying this book if you haven't read Dune, and if you haven't read Dune, then go read it and then read this one.
-- JJ Timmins
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