Many people dislike Dune Messiah (it was named most disappointing book of the year when it first came out), but respectfully, those people are wrong. Messiah is such a perfect follow up to the powerhouse that is the first book. It develops everything laid out in the first book, and adds some of the most interesting new characters to the universe. It is short and to the point, and never overstays its welcome. I enjoyed how Herbert focused on the development of Alia as a character (a teenager who is as old as Paul was at the start of the first book, but is miles different from Paul), and chooses to have Jessica stay out of the way for this book (she didn't need to be there, and I'm fine with it). He brings back a character from the previous book, which at first I thought was strange, but as the series progressed, I find to be an even more interesting choice. The ending is also so iconic, and I find myself thinking about it quite often. To top it off, there are many moments where you can practically hear the soundtrack of the book swelling in the background, and it's incredible. The plot is more on the basic side, but it does not need to be complex for the story that's at hand.