God Emperor of Dune is a Lesser Version of its Prequels

Imagine if a guy wearing Heidi Klum's worm costume was supreme ruler of the known universe for 3,000 years.

This is the premise of the fourth book in Frank Herbert's Dune series.

God Emperor of Dune picks up 3,000 years after Children of Dune ends. Paul "Maud-Dib" Atreides' son Leto II has transformed into a bizarre cross between a man and a sandworm, and reigns with an iron fist. While some question his authority to rule, most view him as a deity with supreme wisdom and abilities beyond human understanding. Despite having to deal with numerous rebellions, Leto manages to remain in power and preserve his self-proclaimed life mission of fulfilling humanity's "Golden Path" (an ideal plan for the future of the universe that is poorly explained throughout the book). 

God Emperor of Dune has earned its place as my least favorite book in the series. The plot is as odd and confusing as it sounds, and most of the book consists of poorly developed characters asking Leto questions which he only vaguely answers at best. While the previous Dune books contained the occasional philosophical ramble and were more plot driven, God Emperor of Dune was the exact opposite. This was by far the most dialogue heavy novel in the series, and it was oftentimes difficult to follow as a reader, as I was typically left to draw my own conclusions as to what points were being made. Here and there the novel offered some food for thought, but most of the dialogue was admittedly boring and repetitive. 

I appreciated how the previous books in the series provided an interesting glimpse into what it would be like if there was a ruler (Paul Atreides) who reigned almost as a deity, and to see how people would either worship this god-like figure or be oppressed under their rule. God Emperor simply took this concept to the next level, and admittedly did so quite poorly. This book overall just felt like a lesser repetition of Dune Messiah, and in my opinion was a wholly unnecessary addition to the series.

Will I still read the final two books in the series? Most likely yes. But I do hope Herbert finds a way to redeem the storyline as a whole.