The nature of ‘Dune Messiah’s’ story inversion to ‘Dune’ creates a feeling of both closure and curiosity. It provides closure to Paul Atreides’s story and makes its reader curious about the future of Paul’s children, Leto II and Ghanima.

Story

‘Dune Messiah’ has a great story that follows its layout instead of relying on its prequel for story support. The book made its main character an anti-hero. After Paul successfully defeats the Sardaukar and Harkonnen army in ‘Dune,’ he becomes this invincible God worshipped by the Fremen and feared by everyone. However, ‘Dune Messiah’ showed that though Paul had prescient powers and was the most powerful emperor in the known universe, he was still a human with flesh and blood.

Frank Herbert used the story of ‘Dune Messiah’ to not only talk about the dangers of governments and religion but also used the story to talk about how humans immortalize and worship other humans. Frank Herbert used the story of ‘Dune Messiah’ to show that no one is a God and that worshipping a person as a God only creates a stage for doom and destruction.

Characters

‘Dune Messiah’ is a dynamic story that changes aspects of its characters’ nature. From the dual nature of Scytale to the change in Paul’s character, the book showed the effect of time on the behavior and ideologies of its characters. In ‘Dune Messiah,’ Paul changed from a young inexperienced boy to a messiah emperor who leads a bloody jihad in his name. The story showed that Paul’s powers changed him to the point that the line between good and evil became non-existent and got replaced with his future purpose for humanity.

Other characters like Hayt and Alia also discovered their hidden sides. For Alia, she experienced love for the first time, and Hayt fought himself to resurrect the part of him that cared about Paul. With its introduction of new characters like Scytale, Edric, and Princess Irulan, ‘Dune Messiah’ inclined to the politics of the empire rather than to the evolution of its main character.

Dialogue

The dialogues in ‘Dune Messiah’ amplify the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the characters in the story. From dialogues showing regret to those showing hate and conspiracy, the book uses a third-person point of view to propel its dialogues. The natural tone used by dialogues in ‘Dune Messiah’ creates a feeling of humanity that resonates with the reader making the story realistically natural.

Writing Style and Conclusion

The writing of ‘Dune Messiah’ has a fundamentally unique style that sets it apart from other books. From its unique vocabulary to a keen attention to detail, ‘Dune Messiah’ goes beyond the constraints of its genre and imbibes the elements of other genres, making it one of the most refreshing stories to read. Using a resigned tone, ‘Dune Messiah’ captures the attention of its reader with each sentence, drawing its reader into its world.

The ending of ‘Dune Messiah’ creates a feeling of melancholy with the fall of Paul Atreides. Though the book made Paul an anti-hero, it does not shy away from the fact that Paul was also its hero and a man plagues with loss and suffering; this makes the ending melancholic but promising at the same time. With its great story, excellent characters, and intricately appeasing dialogues, ‘Dune Messiah’ is a story worth reading.

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