I really did have fun, but Frank needed an editor that wasn't afraid to cut the fat and trim this book down. We read parallel stories of Sheeana and Duncan that converge in the end. I really liked Duncan this time around until he gets his memories back. You really felt for him, essentially locked up with only semblances of parental figures and never really know what's going on. I liked the characters and the character work here, especially Odrade and her relationship with Miles Teg and Taraza. And the latter two's relationship with each other. It all made for great drama. 

A return to some of the fundamental story telling in previous Dune books found in Messiah, and Children, Heretics is a lot more character-based than the philosophy-heavy slog that God Emperor sometimes felt like. Despite Arrakis being recognizable again, aspects of Frank Herbert’s story telling doesn’t. The inclusion of sex-driven plot was the single most disruptive part of the entire series, and is a big factor in why I DNF the last book in the series, Chapterhouse: Dune.