Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book Pertinent to Our Times
Review: God Emperor of Dune continues millennia after Children of Dune, after monumental changes to the government and life of humankind; Leto II, still alive after 3500 years, is not quite human but something far beyond it, and his reign sits between the conservative rule before his day and the great forces of change promised after. As a whole, not a lot happens in the story, but it richly explores the mind of the God Emperor and the reactions of those he tells his thoughts to. Full of philosophy and analysis, this story is ahead of its time (1981)in that it carries a lot of value in our post-9/11 world, especially in regard to the effects of war and the threat of it, and the values of people in leadership positions. Keep your eyes open to his thoughts on people like those responsible for the Enron and WorldCom disasters (he would describe them as "bad administrators") and the struggle of those who wish to shake off a power they believe tyrranizes them. All in all, a very good and deep story that builds a bridge between the first trilogy (Dune, Messiah, Children) and the second--as yet unfinished--trilogy (Heretics, Chapterhouse and the upcoming Dune 7).
Rating: 
Summary: DULL!
Review: The worm's-eye view of the DUNE universe. Herbert generates a little emotion at the end of this 1, when Leto the worm-emperor & His Only Love plunge from Leto's royal cart hundreds of feet down into a rapid lying underneath a high bridge -- a death Leto has seen coming 4 years & which he in part helped bring about (4 the betterment of humanity).
The rest is just DULL, all talk, 400 pages worth. DUNE is 1 of the best science-fiction novels ever; THIS is 1 of the worst SF novels by NE major SF author. This series should've ended after CHILDREN OF DUNE (4 stars) -- if U read this book, U'll wish it HAD....
Rating: 
Summary: Characters, not action.
Review: First, let me get this out of the way. If youwere annoyed by some of the abstruse and occasionally pretentious dialogue in the first three books (esoecially the third) then you won't like this book in all probability. If you love action and excitement and an intense plot, and thats what youre looking for, you won't like this book in all probabilty.That said, this book is easily the best book in the Dune series (only the first can compete; and that is because it sets up the world). The setting is a quantum leap from the first one; there is virtually no connection to the petty feuding world of Dune, with the intense Fremen and their intense culture. This book revolves around 5 characters: Hwi Noree, Siona, Moneo, Leto II and Duncan Idaho, the ever present ghola. The idea of Duncan Idaho being constantly resurrected struck me as as an interesting conceit, and it played well into the story (Leto's psychological analysis of Duncan based on his resurrections is also interesting). Of these five characters, Moneo and Leto are easily the most interesting. They form a perfect foil- Leto, so intelligent and so far beyond the normal human awareness that his thoughts cant help being nearly incomprehensible, and Moneo, the former rebel who was converted by his visions of the Golden Path and is now staid in his duty and unquestioning in his belief. Figuring out what exactly the Golden Path is- the path that Maud'Dib could not bring himself to contemplate and that Leto took upon himself in place of Ghanima- is a tussle. It is an immensely enjoyable tussle, however. Leto seems to be saying, by being the ultimate power-holder and despot of this universe, I accomplish too things. First, I am freeing humanity of the craving for authority and reinforcing free will and action- I am showing people that despotism, even peaceful despotism, automatically creates tension and disturbance. Secondly, I am showing people that enforced peace leads to degeneration of the soul. God Emperor of Dune is a complex book, one that needs to be reread many times in order to draw the juices of interpretation and understanding from it. Its about government, power, love, humanity. It also has the most interesting and one of the most complex characters created in sciencefiction. And that alone justifies reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Read it more than once!
Review: What I believe is that "God Emperor of Dune" is the closest look you can get into the philosophy of Frank Herbert. In his title character "Leto" he has imagined someone with the highest level of awareness that humankind can reach. And rather than let us imagine this "god's" great thoughts with pseudo-profundity or letting us fill in the blanks of hollow dialogue, he actually lets Leto speak his philosophy, giving us insight into a mind that is filled with revelations on the definition of mankind. True--in this book you won't find action as much as intrigue. And some of the passages can seem long-winded. I had to re-read the chapters many times before I came to fully appreciate the value of what Frank Herbert had created. But I see within this book Frank Herbert's treatise on the future of mankind: a glimpse into his vision of what we must evolve into, and more importantly his ideas about what kind of animal we are.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Many Words, Not Enough Content
Review: This novel was extremely disappointing. Leto II is one of the most tiresome characters I have ever seen. While talking to his close friends like Moneo and Duncan, he rambles on and on without actually saying anything. What a normal person can accomplish in a mere sentence takes Leto an entire paragraph. Midway through the book, I lost all incentive for finishing it. Most of the other characters in the book aren't much better. Hwi Noree continually breaks into tears whenever Leto talks about his "awesome sacrifice", and Moneo always seems to be encouraging Leto in his never-ending speeches by asking dumb questions like "How, Lord?". The only characters I can actually stand are Duncan Idaho and Siona. They are the only ones with enough common sense not to blindly follow Leto in his "Golden Path". Reading this book is a waste of time. I would recommend skipping this book entirely and going on to the next.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely not the best in the series
Review: I really didn't like this book. Not much happened and it just consisted of Leto II preaching to EVERYONE. The 3 books before this one were MUCH better and I've mostly through the 5th and it is also better. Basically, read this one just so you can move on in the series. Be prepared for lots and lots of empty dialogue.
Rating:
Summary: Herbert's big Comeback
Review:
'God Emperor' represents Herbert's big comeback in the Dune series. Messiah and Children were both pretty good, but this one is as good as Dune itself. Mind-blowing concepts and an incredible main character are the highlights of this one. Worth your time and or money.
-- JJ Timmins
Rating: 
Summary: Glad there was a Dune 5!
Review: It was just a very strange book. Hard to explain. It made me depressed and very anxious to get to Books 5 and 6. Maybe that was exactly what it was meant to do.
And now, I find Dune 5 to be a very rich new beginning, almost as good as the First Dune. All in all, a worthy bridge to Books 5 and 6.
Rating:
Summary: another great book in the series
Review: Times have really changed for Dune. The planet is nothing like it was (and neither is Leto). This new world makes for an interesting read. Leto tends to play with words, which leads to some humorous dialoges with the mortals. There is action, there is mystic, and there are several plots unfolding at once. Turn the TV off and start reading!
Rating:
Summary: It's a part of the whole story
Review: Action, action, action! Please, as if we don't get enough action in popular books, movies and in our day to day lives. I won't go into the plot since many other reviews covered it pretty well. But this book has a different kind of action, I couldn't turn my mind or my emotions off after I read the book. I ached after. Writing is an art and art is supposed to make us feel. There is a lot of dialogue, but that's one way we communicate our ideas and concepts. And boy does this book cover a lot, I admit it did make me dizzy now and then. I felt as if I didn't get every concept, but I don't mind (I love to read books over and over again, when I get the chance). It took me a little longer to get into the first half, Perhaps if I was familiar with history, and how politics work, I would get some of the concepts Herbert tries to communicate. I can see how some would say the ending was weak, I pretty much guessed the ending, no surprises there. But its part of the story. Don't let comparing this book with the others cloud over the experience of reading the book, just read it and take it for what it is.
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