Nick Perzacki’s Reviews > Heretics of Dune > Status Update

Hilarious that Duncan the sex god got his super ghola memories awoken amidst losing his virginity, and that his sex god status is so strong his mere existence is a threat to the Honored Matres, whose whole thing is being the best at sex. Getting a lot of answers has been satisfying, like what the axolotl tanks are & Duncan’s secret programming, and the purpose the Scattering serves is progressively becoming clearer

Lucilla witnesses two of the funniest things in the series so far in the span of like 3 pages: two Tleilaxu Masters pulling a Little-Rascals-in-a-trench-coat to blend in with normal height humans; some brooding street vendor whose product is a toke off of his “hypnobong”

When reading the first Dune book, I don’t think I’d ever have expected book 5 to have a significant argument that boils down to “You (a Reverend Mother) may need to bang someone; you’d better do it expertly, but not too expertly, or he’ll get suspicious.” The perspective shifting to present tense for the first time in the series (I think) to show Teg’s awakening was a fun way to toy with the narration.

Leto makes a semi-appearance in the form of a thousand year old message on a wall just to rage bait a Reverend Mother hard enough for her to question all of her beliefs and desire independence. The escape attempt from the no-globe lowkey feels like the last few chapters of For Whom the Bell Tolls but with lasers. All things considered, I’m having a blast.

Duncan’s most consistent character trait throughout the whole series is that he’s a sex god but only 100% directed where he wants it to be; people are constantly telling him he must or mustn’t fuck somebody and he never listens - he’s nobody’s stud! Also, I stand by this should be called Assassination Attempts of Dune.

I’m convinced this is a comedic masterpiece: every scene between Waff & a Bene Gesserit is 25% him thinking “They can’t possibly know about this secret we’ve kept for millennia” and then she will immediately say “so about that secret you thought you kept for millennia…”, then he gets his arms shattered; Taraza admitting Sisterhood records are unintelligible; Teg slapping the memories back into Duncan.

Taraza made Waff look like an absolute chump, she’s right the Honored Matres don’t appear remotely comparable to the Bene Gesserit. Odrade watching a full-on riot with several deaths happen directly below her like it was a concert was kinda hilarious. Honestly, so far, the post-Paul books have been comedy gold, often intentionally but occasionally just on the sheer absurdity of the situation.

This book should be titled Assassination Attempts of Dune. Also, Miles Teg sewing his own uniform repairs is such a cute little character trait to add. Really enjoyed the conversation between Sheeana and Odrade, they’ve finally found someone who can hold back some of the sass

The entire Rakis part of the story is pure comedy gold - Sheeana purposefully seeking out the questions that make the priests most uncomfortable; the priests themselves arguing over her holiness; the clear distortions in their history that they seem totally unaware of - it’s *chef’s kiss*. Of the Bene Gesserit I’m most intrigued by the Mother Superior Taraza and recently-revealed-to-be-Teg’s-daughter Odrade

Plans within plans within plans within plans… good lord it is hard to keep up. I love Sheeana continuing to take advantage of her power over the Rakian priesthood, it’s very funny to read them try and make sense of her within the confines of their religion. Also, Miles Teg was cold as fuck threatening to blow himself up with the soldier from the Scattering - that man has dedication.