Book review: God Emperor of Dune

Book: God Emperor of Dune

How to start with this book... Well, first of all, beware the spoilers, as it is impossible to provide a review without speaking about the previous books and a bit of what happens in the current one.

So, on with it: At the end of the previous book, Leto Atreides fused with a sandworm. Thousands of years later (around 3500), he is a huge speaking worm, keeping only tiny arms and the face from his human past. He seems to have even more acute senses, be almost prescient of any future event, maybe even mind-reading, and apparently impervious to any damage (like laser weapons). He also seems to have become a despotic emperor, a strict ruler that maintains peace over the universe by fear as much as by being strategic.

Arrakis also has been terraformed, with the sandworms and thus the spice nowhere to be seen. It is now almost full of vegetation, and water is abundant, but the people seem not to be overly happy, although nobody would dare to mention it. "He who controls the spice controls the universe" (they say in the 1984's David Lynch movie adaptation), and indeed by keeping the remains hidden and deciding who gets how much, he now controls everyone: The Ixians, the Spacing Guild, the Bene Gesserit, and other houses (who have also become smaller and weak). Leto also has a special army of women soldiers, fanatically loyal to him. He also keeps asking for Duncan Idaho's new gholas (clones), and seems to be easily angered and dangerous when it happens.

But a descentant from the Atreides, Siona, seems not to care at all, breaking as many rules as possible to try to find a way to end the reign of this god emperor.

As you can imagine from the previous paragraphs, this book is way more into science-fiction than previous Dune titles. And similarly happens with it being "Dune"... Same as the terraformed Arrakis, at times it feels like Dune, but mostly it is vastly different from the past (books). The emperor is so powerful and capable, everything is so transformed and under control, that everything is... different, lesser than it was before. From the Fremen, to the Bene Gesserit, they all look weak and a shadow of the past. And this is my main issue, that it is a curious science ficton reading, but not a good Dune book.

While I was intrigued about how all this crazy setting would end, I don't think that it is a good Dune book. But it does make for a very different sci-fi one!