The ending of Dune Messiah was so weak, the complete opposite of the ending of Dune. However, the tone on this was much darker than Dune, and it wasn’t inspiring. As with Dune, I could pick something up new each time reading Dune Messiah. The audiobook had an entire cast of characters, and it was such a rich experience. The book was definitely entertaining though. Alia is boy crazy, and Irulan and Chani are only focused on Paul and producing an heir. Also, the depiction of women is just horrible. In contrast, Dune Messiah is more political and emotional. Further, Dune had a bunch of very strong female characters. Dune was filled with adventure and hope, the entire group working, willing to die, to transform the environment. In the introduction to the version that I read, Brian Herbert (the author’s son) wrote that one magazine labeled this book as the “disappointment of the year.” However, he explained the book is supposed to show how absolute power can corrupt leaders including Paul Atreides.ĭune Messiah has a completely different tone than Dune. However, Dune #2 starts up 12 years later. Dune #1 leaves us in a complete cliffhanger.

Dune book 2 audiobook