“Heretics of Dune”, by Frank Herbert

471 pages, Berkley Books, ISBN-13: 978-0425087329

After the bottom-of-the-Atlantic-Trench-deep God Emperor of Dune, what was one to expect from Dune book #5, Heretics of Dune? Glad you asked. It’s been 1500 years since the death of Leto II, and his fall marked the beginning of the “Famine Times”, prompting many to leave the known universe to go…somewhere else. Now, the descendants of that Scattering have returned, in numbers that dwarf the empire they left behind. Only the Bene Gesserit stand against them, buying time while their plan comes to fruition. Once more the fate of mankind hinges on two special children: one is a young Duncan Idaho (enough with Duncan friggin’ Idaho, already!), the latest in a long line of gholas, artificially created humans; the other is a child of the desert, Sheena, who has the power to command the worms of Rakis, what Arrakis is now called in this era. Thus, Heretics of Dune has everything fans have come to expect from a Dune book: a young protagonist groomed for a specific role; a strong female who challenges authority; and a plethora of complex ideas, ranging from the nature of power and strength, to the unavoidable inequality created by social hierarchies. And yet…something is missing.

What, exactly? Throughout the story there are numerous references to a looming threat on the horizon (or rather, the next book), but within the scenes themselves there’s little sense of urgency. Dialogue dominates every scene, a mix of heated debates that hint at a grand plan and intellectual discussions that blatantly state the underlying ideas instead of quietly hinting at them. Flashbacks and summaries break up the monotony with warm memories that help to personalize each character. Unfortunately, it’s the characters themselves that create the biggest problem: most stories begin with a disruption, and spend the rest of the story trying to restore order, but the Bene Gesserit, who dominate the story, have all passed through their trials. They are stable, strong, and implacable; in every situation they know exactly what to do, and they never hesitate. Against such opponents the antagonists struggle to keep up, engaging in brief skirmishes that quickly fizzle out, before finally mounting a proper offensive at the two-thirds mark. This forces the protagonists out of their secure routines; creating opportunities for younger, more dynamic characters to take center stage. The last quarter is as strong as anything in the Dune series, with an ending that feels fitting, if incomplete. Overall, Heretics of Dune reads more like a prologue than an actual story, a necessary precursor to the real story, Chapterhouse: Dune.