HERETICS OF DUNE

by Frank Herbert ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 16, 1984

Fifth in the monumental Dune series: another uneven entry, slow to start and hastily, rather abruptly concluded--but more exciting and adventurous than any since the original Dune, with a gratifying influx of new ideas. 1500 years after the fall of the God Emperor Leto II, the empire has endured a vast famine followed by a great scattering of peoples. So Dune's deadliest power-struggle to date is shaping up. The Tleilaxu genetic engineers make their long-delayed bid for dominance; the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, political manipulators and heirs to Leto's human breeding program, hope to break Lis' continuing grip on human destiny by destroying Dune and dispersing the sandworms (the worms encapsulate undying pearls of Leto's awareness); there's another resurrected Duncan Idaho, into whom the Tleilaxu have built dangerous new abilities. Moreover: the vicious, arrogant Honored Matres (twisted Bene Gesserits) are bent on conquering the old empire--using an amplified sexual response to enslave men. Will Leto's grand design continue despite the multifarious efforts of the combatants? That's the teasing question underlying the gripping intrigues and struggles. And, despite an overlarge, under-drawn cast of major characters, Herbert has lost none of his skill in keeping readers off-balance and fascinated throughout.

Pub Date: April 16, 1984

ISBN: 0441016774

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1984

Categories: FICTION