Heretics of Dune Leaves Something to be Desired

In many ways Frank Herbert's Dune saga is a tragedy, in the sense that the series just keeps getting worse as it goes. Heretics of Dune might have been a slight improvement from its predecessor (God Emperor of Dune) but not by much. 

    It's a shame, because Herbert seemingly set up the fifth book in the series to redeem the broader storyline: there were more interesting characters, plenty of conflicts to resolve, and a substantial amount of action (especially in comparison to the painfully-philosophical God Emperor). Instead of crafting a captivating tale however Herbert led readers down a rabbit hole of a story with no real resolution or explanation of character motives and behavior. The latter portion of this book especially felt like a fever dream, and I am arguably the least satisfied with the ending of Heretics of Dune than I was with any of the previous books of the series. 

    Book five of the Dune series takes place 1,500 years after the end of God Emperor of Dune (another insane time jump that feels wholly unnecessary and unrealistic given the context of the story), where vying factions compete for political power over the universe. While these groups go head-to-head in interplanetary conflict, there are also internal divisions to be reckoned with that threaten the delicate balance of power in some of the galaxy's oldest institutions.

    As alluded to earlier, my biggest qualm with this book is the lack of explanation of major plot points and overall failed character development. Many interesting characters are introduced in this book, only to be cast aside abruptly with no real resolution to their storylines. What's more, a vast majority of the plot developments in the novel occur somewhat spontaneously, and don't seem to tie together in a cohesive storyline. Things "just happen" and readers are left to infer why and what caused such events to transpire. This truthfully made the book quite exhausting and at times even defeating to read, and halfway through I more or less gave up trying to make sense of what was going on. It's a shame, because I feel as though this specific book in the series had so much potential to standout and redeem the storyline, but instead it felt as if Herbert presented a half-baked tale that didn't take into account the audience that would be trying to navigate it.

    Plot and character development aside (or lack thereof), the entire book is incredibly sexist. Several female-only groups vie for dominance in the story, but all of their "power" is sexual in nature, as if that is the only kind of power and influence women are capable of wielding. I expected better from a writer like Herbert who seemingly cares so deeply about social and political issues. Perhaps it was meant to be satirical, but it certainly didn't read that way and I was deeply disappointed by the overall representation of female characters throughout the book, who were also often hyper-sexualized.

    Despite the book's many flaws, there was of course as with all the previous books in the series some impactful moments of political and philosophical commentary. The title of the book represents a central theme ingrained throughout the story, speaking to the controlling nature of power-wielding entities, not just over those they rule but also those within their very ranks. Influential political and social groups often demand complete allegiance from those in their orbit, almost to a religious degree. Those who dare question or break the status-quo of these groups are often deemed as "heretics" of sorts, and this is as true in the fictional universe of Dune as it is in our very world today.

    While the Dune series has only continued to disappoint me after the second book in the series, Dune Messiah, I still want to see the storyline out, and because of that I will soon embark on reading the sixth and (thankfully) final book in the series, Chapterhouse: Dune. Wish me luck.