Rating: 
Summary: the spawns of Muad'dib [no spoilers]
Review: "Children of Dune" is the third novel in the "Dune Chronicles" resuming nine years after the previous book. The writing style returns to the comprehensive detail of the opening chronicle with its strength in grammar and vocabulary.
The storyline focuses on Ghanima and Leto II, the twins by Chani and Paul Muad'dib, and Paul's sister Alia, regent after Muad'dib left his empire into the desert as per Fremen tradition due to his blindness. Having left Arrakis over twelve years ago, the controversial Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica makes an appearance under questionable motives to participate in the twin's development. The mysterious Preacher addressing the masses against the current political situations creates vast intrigue since no one else would dare oppose the highly religious government abandoned by Paul Muad'dib. Duncan Idaho participates throughout, adding depth to a character briefly featured in the original and strongly suspected in the second book. Leto II tackles the prescience talent, undergoing major philosophical dialogue that is meticulous yet a very interesting point of view.
Using the Fremen Language generates a sluggish time of reading. Personally, I would prefer a statement of "says in Fremen" as opposed to the actual gibberish then the translation. No appendixes conclude the novel but still a glossary would have sufficed. As with just about every film-based novel, I would suggestion at least not watching the movie prior to reading the book if not forgoing the movies thereby leaving the series entirely to the imagination.
I highly recommend the series to any fan of the science fiction genre.
Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Dune Sequel
Review: After first reading Dune (book 1) I was excited to start on the sequels, but then so many people told me to skip the sequels because they thought they were boring. That was 10 years ago and I am ashamed to say that I listened to them. But after Dune: The Children of Dune the movie came out, and after reading good reviews here on Amazon, I decided to ignore them and read the sequels anyways (after re-reading the first).
In the end, I'm very glad I did. The second book was a bit slow, but the third book really picked up again. Don't get me wrong, this is not as fast paced or exciting as the first book, but I still found it an interesting and provocative read.
In the third book, we get to know the twins of Muad'dib who we saw as babies in the second book but have grown up a bit (mentally by decades but physically by 9 years). Still present is Alia, Paul's sister. Paul's mother returns along with many others from the first two books.
There is a plot underway to assassinate the twins and return power to House Corrino. There is also something going on with Alia, who appears to be possessed by her grandfather, the terrible Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. And there is also a strange preacher who preaches against the empire and religion set up by Muad'dib and ran by Alia.
As with all of the Dune books, there are plots within plots within plots. You do need to pay close attention to keep track of them and who is involved.
If you love a great epic with a smart plot, unforgettable characters, and from the mind of a fantastic imagination then this book, as well as the other books in the Dune series, are highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: It held my attention
Review: As a precursor, I would have assigned three and a half stars were it possible. Children of Dune is an average piece of work. It doesn't really break any new ground. It strikes me as an interesting hybrid of Dune and Dune Messiah, in that it possesses a semblance of Dune's action, mystery, and political intrigue while also being somewhat bogged down in Dune Messiah's slow pace. Don't feel compelled to read this unless you're interested in reading the rest of the series. This book does not add to the first two books, in my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: Audrey Billeaud's Review
Review: Children of Dune by Frank Hebert is a perfect addition to the Dune series. This book has an ideal combination of action, love, and deception. Frank Herbert uses a simple writing style. What makes his writing style so impressive is the fact that he makes the story seem so real. He has thought into every detail to make his future universe come to life. He has a glossary for the words and objects he has made up for this series. Though it is a Sci-Fi novel there are no aliens and the way Frank Hebert writes one does not feel as though they are reading a Sci-Fi novel. The planet that the novel is set on is a desert planet known as Arrakis. The efforts of a messiah, Paul Atreides, helped Arrakis begin to have plant life. This plant life symbolizes the Imperium moving the throne to Arrakis and the change that came over the government. There are many references to witches throughout the novel. The Bene Gesserit are like a coven of witches who dress in black and are very secretive. There are many allusions to Hitler and Earth's wars. The overall theme of this novel is the continuation of Paul Atreides' work throughout the universe in an effort to better mankind.
Rating:
Summary: Next to Dune, the best of the lot
Review: Children of Dune, the third book of the Dune chronicles, tells the story of the Atreides destiny after the disappearance of Muad'dib. The children of Muad'dib, Leto and Ghanima, now must take up the heavy burden left by their father. Old faces pop up, and there are many plot twists (but do we expect any less from Herbert's grand work?). The scope of this book is much broader than in Dune Messiah, which makes it a more enjoyable read. How can a series of books continue to produce, particularly under such heavy expectations? Who knows, but Children of Dune continues the rich tradition of the series
Rating:
Summary: Don't give up on Dune
Review: I can see how someone can get confused reading some of the reviews here. Some people love the politics and discussion of religion that dominates this book. Others are simply galled at the trudgingly slow plotline. I'll admit that after watching the plot grind slower and slower in the last book, Dune Messiah, I was looking for something that resembled Dune (book 1) in pacing. I didn't find it. After a few hundred pages I was so disenheartened with the book that I put it down and stopped reading it.
But wait, there's more. After more than a year, I picked the book up again and resumed reading it. At first, I was a little lost in all the names and foreign sounding words I hadn't bothered to remember. After a while, without the expectation of the action from the first book, I came to appreciate that this is a richly written, if slow at times, great story.
My advice is to read this book even if you get bored with it. It has a great ending that segues nicely into the next books. This is the main reason I am glad I finished Children of Dune, the next installments of the Dune series were fantastic (good action too), more than rivalling the original one. Read Children of Dune (even if you don't like it) for the rest of the series which you will like no matter whether you like this or not.
Rating: 
Summary: Book Great - Publisher Not
Review: I got this book as a present because my previous copy was tattered. However the way these books have been published is an insult to the series. The pages have such tiny margins on either side, it is impossible to hold the book without your thumb covering up part of the print. In fact the inner margin is so small that you have to flatten the book's spine in order to read it. The print is smaller than the previous edition, and the whole thing is so cheaply made that I returned it. Part of the enjoyment of reading a book is the actual physical presence of the book on your senses. If that is interrupted by poor publishing methods, it makes it difficult to enter the intangible realms that a book offers. Beware of this edition with this particular cover. Look for the earlier editions.
Rating:
Summary: lacks focus
Review: I started reading this book with a lot of hope. I knew a little bit about the return of Paul as the Preacher and the amazing transformation Leto II would undergo. But this initial excitement dwindled and I found myself plodding ahead and looking forward to the end. I cannot really say that I 'enjoyed' reading Children of Dune, although it contains several neat, exciting scenes. Personally, Leto's quest, the Preacher's teachings, and the adventures in the deep desert were the high points of the book.But all along, Ghanima and Leto feel like the core of the story, and so whenever they are offscreen, the action seems pointless and the story bogs down. You can just tell that whatever is going on with Leto is going to overwhelm the more minor manueverings of Alia, Jessica, Farad'n, etc... And that is exactly what happens. But Leto's journey is pretty amazing and sets the course for the future Dune books (which I have not read). My major complaint is not with the plot or characters of Children of Dune. It is with Herbert's style. He presents each character and each scene as supremely important, even when they are not. This becomes very tiresome and robs the author of credibility. Hindsight is 20/20, and with hindsight one can see that much of what occurred in Children of Dune is peripheral. (Consider: how would the ending of the book change if Duncan had not goaded Stilgar into killing him, if Alia had arrested and killed the Preacher, if Farad'n hadn't even existed?) This would be all right if these events were treated as peripheral, but they are not. Herbert brings the same grave seriousness to every single scene, and I lost interest in this seriousness about halfway through Book 2.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic story unlike the sci-fi of today!
Review: If you're used to the science fiction pumped out by no-name hacks today, feast you eyes upon the Dune series. It is a blend of sci-fi and fantasy that is almost unique in its field (the only other of such caliber being Piers Anthony's Apprentice Adept series). A must read series.
Rating:
Summary: Key element
Review: The book is a sad end to Paul Muad'Dib, however it is a key element for the following novels, introducing the character Leto Atreides. Read this book if you are going to continue the Dune saga.
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