Dune Messiah

Not quite the awe and wonder that the first book was, but a basically necessary reckoning with what occurs in the book. It's a little messy, but the prose is still beautiful and the characters compelling. He introduces a few too many new aspects to this world that don't make sense not to have been mentioned in the first book, but still, the essential exploration of human nature and complex political statecraft is just as strong here. Herbert is still a master.