From Paul’s fall came a conflict that shaped the nature of Arrakis, and “Children of Dune” portrayed how that conflict led to a new era for humanity. After Paul walked into the desert, his children, Leto II, and Ghanima Atreides, struggled in a tense political atmosphere and conquered many foes to rise and take on a challenge their father abandoned.
“Children of Dune” begins nine years after Paul walks into the desert after a stone burner blinds him. Realizing that if he left his children unprotected, they would be in grave danger, Paul puts his sister, Alia, as regent of the Padishah Empire. After he walks into the desert, the power struggle begins, and Alia succumbs to the Abomination.
With Alia ruling Arrakis, a rapid transformation of the planet begins as the once-dry world becomes lush and hospitable. Unknown to her followers, the ego memory of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen possesses her as she fully enters Abomination. Meanwhile, Jessica returns to Arrakis and discovers her daughter has succumbed to the curse of the Water of Life.
Alia was a far better ruler than her brother. Paul failed to change Arrakis like his sister, even with prescience. Alia’s actions were later held in a negative light by her nephew, and she fell into Abomination; this caused her to change radically for the worse.
With Vladimir controlling her thoughts, Alia’s mind darkens, and she despises her nephew and niece, Leto II and Ghanima Atreides. Unknown to the Atreides, House Corrino begins plotting to regain power in the shadows, with Princess Wensicia leading their plans.
The rising action begins when Leto II Atreides discovers Alia’s actions on Arrakis would destroy all the sandworms and starts planning a way to save the most crucial animals in the universe. Meanwhile, a preacher arises from the desert and becomes a thorn in Alia’s flesh as he starts preaching against her and those who follow the Muad’Dib. Alia tries to kill her mother, Jessica, but she escapes with Duncan’s help.
The blind preacher travels to Selusa Secundus and meets Farad’n, Princess Wensicia’s son. He promises to turn Duncan into an agent for House Corrino.
The conflict starts when Leto II and Ghanima evade an assassination attempt from Princess Wensicia using their foresight. After the assassination attempt, Leto II Atreides leaves and seeks out the blind preacher. To prevent anyone from interrogating and learning the truth, Ghanima hypnotizes herself into believing the assassin tiger killed her brother.
After escaping death, Jessica and Duncan arrive at Selusa Secundus. On the planet, Jessica mentors Farad’n and pits him against his family. Eventually, he seizes power from his mother and becomes the leader of House Corrino. Farad’n joins forces with the Bene Gesserit after they promise to give him Ghanima as his wife.
There was one person Alia Atriedes hated the most, Jessica. Her hatred was justified because her mother was responsible for sending her into Abomination. Jessica took the Water of Life while pregnant with her daughter, and this started her myriad of problems. However, one primary reason Alia hated her mother was the abandonment she felt. Jessica failed at being a mother to her daughter as she abandoned her and left her to traverse the dangers of life alone.
After fleeing into the desert, Leto II Atreides is captured by a group of Fremen outlaws, and unknown to him, Gurney Halleck disguises himself as one of them. With orders from Jessica, Gurney persuades the outlaws to force Leto II into a spice trance. After entering a spice trance, Leto II sees the terrible future that awaits humanity if it remains on the wrong path; this makes him formulate the Golden Path.
The climax starts when Leto II escapes his captors and fuses himself with a school of sand trout in the desert; this turns him into a sandworm-humanoid creature with super abilities. He finally meets the preacher and discovers that it is his father, Paul Atreides. Leto II questions Paul about why he abandoned the Golden Path since he had also seen it.
The idea of the Golden Path in “Children of Dune” seems ironic because the premise of saving humanity was to brutalize it so that it forcefully entered an unchanging direction where it would never face extinction. One question that pops into my mind is why humanity needed salvation with an iron fist. Why was saving the human race so special and unique to “Dune’s” plot? Frank Herbert always wanted to sound the alarm of doom, but his idea of the Golden Path contradicts the doom he was trying to warn about. “Children of Dune” raised many questions and provided few answers.
Duncan Idaho develops a plan to pit Alia against the Fremen. He challenges her secret lover, Javid, to a fight on the neutral ground of Sietch Tabr and kills him. He then insults Stilgar to the point the leader of the Sietch Tabr kills him. Stilgar runs away with Ghanima after ending Duncan’s life. His actions also sour Alia’s relationship with the Fremen. Alia plans her marriage with Farad’n and hopes to kill him as revenge for her nephew’s death.
The falling action begins when Paul and his son, Leto II Atreides, return to the capital to face Alia in the confrontation. Paul confronts his sister and mocks the Muad’Dib’s faith. Though she does not wish to kill her brother, as she realizes his true identity, Baron Vladimir’s ego memory torments and forces Alia to order her priests to end the preacher’s life.
The resolution begins when Leto II displays his strength and reveals himself, making Ghanima regain her memories. Leto II discovers his maternal great-grandfather’s ego, Baron Harkonnen, has possessed his aunt. He offers her the Trial of Possession, but she refuses and commits suicide by throwing herself off the building.
Alia’s life in “Children of Dune” is tragic. She never wanted any problem, and her downfall resulted from a situation out of her hands. She told Duncan in “Dune Messiah” that she wanted a happy life but could not have one as her brother’s glory forced her into a position of reverence. In the end, she could not stop her grandfather’s ego memory from forcing her to order her beloved brother’s death.
The turning point begins when Leto II Atreides declares himself Emperor and tells Farad’n to give him the Sardaukar. After promising him Ghanima, Farad’n hands over the Sardaukar.
In the end, Leto II marries his sister and becomes the God Emperor, and Farad’n becomes her consort.
“Children of Dune” tells a story of tragedy, regret, love, power, and politics. It shows a world post-Paul Atreides and tells a story of characters trying to find their way through life’s downturns. Every person featured in the story had a unique ideology they strived to achieve. Paul Atreides’s legacy eventually ended, and a new era began for humanity.
