Rating: 
Summary: The best Dune book of them all!
Review: Many would disagree with the statement that Heretics of Dune is the greatest Dune book in the series, but after having read each book three times, I am certain that Heretics of Dune is the perfect balance of philosophy, plot and action that I am sure Herbert always strove for. He creates characters we can care for (Odrade, Sheanna, Teg, Idaho) and those we can hate, including the "whores"--Honored Matres, made all the more terrifying because they remain faceless enemies in the shadows. Many authors flounder and refuse to consider their main characters expendable; Herbert does not view this as anathema, as is evinced by the events surrounding Mother Superior Taraza. This marks him as a consummate writer not afraid to harm characters to further plot. The philosophical digressions were well-orchestrated and thought-provoking as ever (especially his discussions of religion as a control factor for the masses), and the action of the storyline has matured since the adolescent-feeling action sequences of the original Dune. All in all, Heretics of Dune strikes the perfect balance between philosophy and plot. Highly reccommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Better the second time
Review: 5 years ago I plowed through the 6 Dune books and I seem to remember book 5 (Heretics) as the hardest book to finish. The second time through though I was very surprised to find out that this book is one of my favorites in the series. Unfortunately, it says something that after 5 years of staying away from Dune, I completely forgot the plot of this book so it was like reading it for the first time again. Things I liked about this book: More of a perspective from the Bene Gesserit and the Bene Tliexu (hope I spelled those right). The first 4 books are generally written from the point of view of Paul or the preachy Leto, so this was a great change of pace. Miles Teg is a great character as well. Things I did not like about this book: Seems like between book 4 and book 5 EVERY planet and major city was re-named. Adds to some confusion and really doesn't add to the story at all. Duncan gholas are getting old. Too much emphasis on breeding programs, but hey, I didn't write the book. Honored Matres are underdeveloped characters in this book. A good read nonetheless, come back to it later if you don't like it the first time... Josh
Rating:
Summary: 5th in the series
Review: Heretics of Dune is the 5th title in the Dune series and takes place several thousand years after the events of God Emperor of Dune. It takes as its protagonists several members of the Bene Gesserit as they confront the Bene Tleilax and the Honored Matres- a religous order from the Scattering that took place after the death of Leto II .
Herbert's writing continues to improve, and this is the most accessible book yet in the series, although it still not an easy read.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting continuation of the series, very enjoyable
Review: Heretics of Dune continues the saga of the Dune Chronicles, after some 1500 years have passed since God Emperor of Dune's story. We meet several new characters with a new Duncan Idaho ghola bringing a familiar face to the crowd. Another Duncan you ask?! Well yes, and at first I was somewhat dismayed, but in truth his innocent eyes allow the reader a good insight into the story, and Duncan becomes quite interesting as the book progresses.
However, there are other stars of this story. Characters are at the center here, set to a complex scheme in the same flavor as Dune Messiah and Gode Emperor of Dune. My favorite character is Miles Teg, military mastermind, strong-willed father figure, and living weapon. At first he seems to be in the background, but as your interest in him grows, so does his role. Strong characters are the hallmark of this book, and the momentum, as usual, starts slow but builds to a crescendo.
If you've read books 1-4 in the Dune series, the don't stop, check this one out :)
Rating:
Summary: Finest SF Ever
Review: This is the BEST science fiction novel EVER & the BEST Dune novel. If Herbert had finished Dune 7 I'd recommend starting here *however* he died and left the door open for his opportunist son Brian & his hack friend Ken J(stands for jerk) Anderson to crap all over what Dune 7 might have been. *alas* At any rate, HOD has better characters, a better plot and takes place in a more interesting universe than the first Dune novel. It is brilliant. I read the Dune series (1-6) every year. Heck I read it twice last year! Do yourself a favor and check out this masterpiece of science fiction & modern mythology.
Rating:
Summary: Great story, just loses a little of that Dune touch.
Review: It doesn't quite have the same flair to it that God Emperor of Dune had, but it is not worth missing. It is a great story that will lead to right into Chapterhouse Dune readily. I actually reached a point where I think I know Duncan better tha n I know Paul Atreides now, something unthinkable to anyone who only reads the first book.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: God Emperor was the start of a new direction in Dune, breaking completely away from the original into a new style. Unfortunately it was slow getting started. Heretics finally gets it moving at warp speed, and while still not the original Dune by any means, it's a wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: Time passes...
Review: I first read Heretics of Dune when it was released in '84 and have so enjoyed going back and reading it again. Time has passed since Leto's passing. His pearls of self remain in the worms that once again inhabit Arrakis (Rakis). A new cast of characters, and an old friend in Duncan Idaho populate this new story that sets the stage for the last book in the Dune series. The time that's passed between this first time I read this story and the present, it doesn't diminish my enjoyment in returning to Dune.
Rating:
Summary: Return to Greatness
Review: Just as "Dune" and "Dune Messiah" were two books which comprised one story, "Heretics of Dune" and "Chapterhouse Dune" make up a two book story. It is 1500 years after the Tyrant, Leto II was killed. Arrakis, now called Rakis, which Leto had transformed into a lush paradise (and thus killed the worms that supplied Spice) is turning back to a desert, complete with sandworms. Following Leto's death, humankind went to the four corners of the universe, in something called "The Scattering". Now, some of them are returning, in the form of the Honored Matres, wild women who practice sexual enslavement of men, and seem intent on destroying, utterly, anyone who opposes them. The only ones who have any hope of opposing them are the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood who are involved in a project, raising yet another ghola of Duncan Idaho on the planet of Gammu. "Heretics" is an exciting story which focuses on the Bene Gesserits, giving a far more sympathetic portrayal of them than we have yet seen. Two of my favorite characters are introduced in this book: Miles Teg, the sisterhood's military advisor, and Darwi Odrade, a reverend mother who is somewhat of a heretic in the Sisterhood because of her refusal to fully abandon love and sentiment, which are strongly discouraged by the Bene Gesserits. This book recaptures some of the adventure seen in "Dune" and "Children of Dune," and has many warm, interesting, and compelling characters. Herbert tries to portray more of what everyday life is like in the Dune universe, trying hard to depict several cities, and how "average" people go about their lives. Perhaps it is because I am not used to seeing such depictions in his books, but I don't think these worked entirely, and I had a hard time envisioning what he described. The Honored Matres, on the other hand, I had no trouble visualizing. What great villains! They are sinister and genuinely menacing villains, the likes of which we have not seen since the House Harkkonen in the original "Dune." The ending of the book was too rushed, for my tastes, Herbert glossed over most of the actual battles with the Honored Matres. There was something of a cliffhanger ending, at the end, which is sad, because the book's sequal, "Chapterhouse Dune" was very disappointing, capturing almost none of this book's appeal.
Rating:
Summary: The Penultimate Dune
Review: In Heretics of Dune, Frank Herbert takes us fifteen hundred years after the previous book and well over four thousand years beyond the original trilogy. The God Emperor is gone, the Atreides clan has faded from its former prominence, and, as always, there are a number of groups struggling for dominance. With so many specialized types of humans and prolonged lifespans, it is not overly surprising that civilization has not undergone any truly drastic changes since Leto II's transformation. This book focuses on the Bene Gesserit, the sisterhood who have grand designs for humanity. Among others jockeying for power are the Tleilaxu who have mastered biology in other fashions. More dangerous still are the Honored Matres, a powerful organization that is a dark doppleganger of the Bene Gesserit. Of course, there is another Duncan Idaho who is a pawn in all this scheming, but the most interesting characters are Miles Teg - a master warrior called out of retirement to mentor Duncan - and Sheeanna, a young girl who can command the sand worms of Rakis (the former Arrakis). Sheanna is probably the most refreshing character this series has had in a while; she behaves like a real child, and isn't a grand schemer unlike every other character. This is still good science fiction. Dune/Rakis/Arrakis is not as central as in previous books, and the role of sex is much more important, at times even overshadowing the spice. At first, the story is a bit disorienting - there are no familiar characters until Duncan appears - but things pick up quickly enough. All the Dune books conclude with a new order imposed on the galaxy and this book is no exception. What that new order is, however, is for the reader to find out. The Dune series is not always easy to read, but it is a complex and worthwhile classic of science fiction. For those who have enjoyed the previous books, this book will continue the pleasure.
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