A review by samtherat17
God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have conflicting feelings about God Emperor of Dune. Taking place 3500 years after Children of Dune, a transformed Arrakis is ruled by Leto II, who continues on in his Golden Path. The majority of the book revolves around him and the struggles which come with his unique body and mind.
Seeing how Leto's Golden Path has changed Arrakis and its society is very interesting, however what really makes this book is the character study of Leto. The struggles of being a one-of-a-kind human/sandworm God Emperor are the focal point of this book and really make Leto a very intriguing and layered character.
While the philosophy and the themes in this book are fascinating, I feel that it comes at the cost of the story/plot being sidelined. Leto II and his journey is very throught-provoking but after finishing this book I realised that not a lot happens in it. And while yes, I appreciate what Frank Herbert is trying to convey, I think the book could have had a better balance of Leto's long philosophical musings and the plot. Another problem is the pacing. I think this book really drags in the middle and could have been shorter. Also, this book contains some problematic depictions of sexuality and a few truly cringe-worthy scenes relating to it.
God Emperor of Dune has its fair share of pros and cons, however I do think it accomplishes what it set out to do. I just think it could have been executed better. The main problem in the Dune series is that in my opinion, none of the sequels have been able to live up to the first book, at least till here. Personally, I would recommend reading them, but I think you should not expect them to be as good as the first novel.
Seeing how Leto's Golden Path has changed Arrakis and its society is very interesting, however what really makes this book is the character study of Leto. The struggles of being a one-of-a-kind human/sandworm God Emperor are the focal point of this book and really make Leto a very intriguing and layered character.
While the philosophy and the themes in this book are fascinating, I feel that it comes at the cost of the story/plot being sidelined. Leto II and his journey is very throught-provoking but after finishing this book I realised that not a lot happens in it. And while yes, I appreciate what Frank Herbert is trying to convey, I think the book could have had a better balance of Leto's long philosophical musings and the plot. Another problem is the pacing. I think this book really drags in the middle and could have been shorter. Also, this book contains some problematic depictions of sexuality and a few truly cringe-worthy scenes relating to it.
God Emperor of Dune has its fair share of pros and cons, however I do think it accomplishes what it set out to do. I just think it could have been executed better. The main problem in the Dune series is that in my opinion, none of the sequels have been able to live up to the first book, at least till here. Personally, I would recommend reading them, but I think you should not expect them to be as good as the first novel.