Frank Herbert

Book Five in the Magnificent Dune Chronicles--the Bestselling Science Fiction Adventure of All Time Leto Atreides, the God Emperor of Dune, is dead. In the fifteen hundred years since his passing, the Empire has fallen into ruin. The great Scattering saw millions abandon the crumbling civilization and spread out beyond the reaches of known space. The planet Arrakis--now called Rakis--has reverted to its desert climate, and its great sandworms are dying. Now the Lost Ones are returning home in pursuit of power. And as these factions vie for control over the remnants of the Empire, a girl named Sheeana rises to prominence in the wastelands of Rakis, sending religious fervor throughout the galaxy. For she possesses the abilities of the Fremen sandriders--fulfilling a prophecy foretold by the late God Emperor....

Heretics of Dune

Quinn Tenorio

I enjoy any of Herbert's Dune books, and this is no exception. The focus on the Bene Gesserit this book is a great follow up to God Emperor. Without spoiling anything, the main plot line on Rakis seems to lack in the importance of the overall story. Additionally, it seemed like Herbert got caught up in fleshing out the story that the last few chapters are full of the resolutions for each thread of the story. As a result, the pacing at the end suffered but not enough for me to enjoy the book. Characters are particularly great in this book. I already look forward to Chapterhouse.

Brianna

“Noble purpose” was, after all, an untranslatable experience. But when she looked down at the rough, heat-immune hide of that worm from the Rakian desert, Odrade knew what she saw: the visible evidence of noble purpose. Softly, she called down to him: “Hey! Old worm! Was this your design?”

Dune is one of those series I love with all my heart but also honestly don’t follow 60% of the time. I supplement this gap with podcasts and Youtube videos that break some events down and go into detail about various aspects of the Duneverse (and I’m already aching to reread the series and get a better grasp with the help of this further understanding). Bit of a strange studying for fun method of reading but it’s so rewarding and is part of my falling more and more in love with these books. 

Further thoughts I’m too lazy to expand upon

• I will always say Shai-Hulud because I am sandworm OBSESSED
• I want to be a Fremen
• Sheeana can control the worms and is who I want to be
• The same things are said about Bene Gesserit as Aes Sedai in Wheel of Time except its untrue in the case of Aes Sedai and painfully true of the Bene Gesserit.

Fraser Simons

This was quite hard to rate because there’s some pretty cool stuff in the plot that really pushes the saga forward in a way that the previous books do not. They all seem more like small little reboots that are continually stuck in a rut, where as this is like okay, this went somewhere and obviously sets up a finale—which is great. 

A large damper on my excitement over the larger plot beats and developments, however, is the damn gender essentialist ideas in this that just never seem to cease. There are major issues with empowerment for women in these books, where their established agency usually ends up being their exact downfall. It reads like Herbert read a 70s paper on the differences between the sexes, internalized it—though all those notions are very much debunked—and just creates a through line in every major character that’s a woman. Always trying to control people through sex and these wildly antiquated ideas about gender and sexuality. Its hard to believe and not to be offended by, and because large movements of the plot hinge on them, it’s inescapable to have this cold water splashed on you right when interesting things are happening. 

It’s just too bad they’re so antiquated in areas where they matter so much. It doesn’t feel like the future either, when hundreds and hundreds of years have passed since the original and yet cultures generally remain the same. Only factions rise and fall. Yet ecologies have completely changed but the ways of people don’t. It’s hard to suspend your disbelief around sometimes. 

Between the plot and the philosophy I still manage to enjoy the series. It can be quite deft at intrigue and plays into fun tropes better than most; perhaps even been the progenitor of some? The setting is still fascinating and the tension of the golden path having been built over the course of so many books is palpable now. I can empathize with people who love the series and can’t stand it, to be honest. Which is why it probably ends up being middling fun for me with most every book.

The Fifth Dune Novel

sage

This book was so good and for what? Probably one of my favs in the dune series. I loved how you see the plans laid out in God Emperor take formation, and Im a huge fan of Miles Teg (arent we all). I think this one had the perfect balance of politics, philosophy, scifi, and action. Was very engaged throughout. Also i think all the murakami ive read has desensitised me to the honoured matres and their abilities. Also the ending?!! Can we talk about the ending… felt a bit rushed and glossed over but then again most big impact events in dune are. 

Thousands of years after the death of God Emperor Leto II, the Bene Gesserit and the Bene Tleilax struggle to direct the future of Dune, now called Rakis

Abbas Mashayekh

I must say, I really enjoyed this book. Plot twists, characters, places, settings, everything had a touch of novelty even with the book being the fifth in the original series. The ending took me by surprise though! I wasn’t ready and it felt kind of abrupt, but it was as soft as it could get, too.

The Bene Gesserit have always been Herbert’s favorite symbol for evolution of humanity, and although he’s punished them and oppressed them in previous books, he’s now entrusting the Golden Path to them, as they are faced by the imminent threat of the Honored Matrès and people from the Scattering.

Iris

Brook

Stavros Kosmas

nda and

Ashley

Manuel Grabowski

Sarah Sammis

Dimi

Aayush

Eugene

Tanvir Singh

Mark Aaron Agron

Nate Niederkorn

hileahrious

Bulkan Evcimen

Cece Page

From Dune to Rakis to Dune, the wheel turns full circle. From burning desert to green and fertile land and on again to burning desert ... the cycle is complete. The people of the Scattering are returning. Amongst them, mysterious and threatening, are the women who call themselves the Honoured Matres, adepts of an ecstatic cult. And on Rakis, become Dune, an ancient prophecy is fulfilled with the coming of the she-sheer, Sheeana ...

Heretics of Dune

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