Nine years after Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides walked into the desert to die there, his children try to deal with being different.  Leto II and Ghanima are only the second and third people ever to be born fully aware, and with the memories of each and every one of their ancestors readily available.  Though their nine year old bodies that live in Vest Tabr require Stilgar's protection, their minds are old and wise enough to merit a seat in the Royal Council.

Their aunt Alia is acting as regent until they have the age to really rule the planet, and the universe.  Alia is the third person that was born with the memories and knowledge of all of her ancestors present, but she couldn't deal with them.  Baron Vladimir Harkonnen "helped" her deal with the thousands of personalities that each want some attention of her, and she noticed too late that his assistance was actually a take-over.  Harkonnen will plot and scheme to have his revenge on the Atreides.  Lady Jessica, returned after alomst a decade on her home planet, immediately notices the change in her daughter.  And as if that isn't enough the Corrino family will do what it takes to regain what they consider their rightful position: Empirial.

A mysterious Preacher comes out of the desert, and his words speak of what the priests did wrong with Muad'Dib's heritage, which is according to him almost everything.  Some claim that the blind man is Paul Atreides himself, and that thought worries Alia.  The presence of Lady Jessica worries her as well, so she orders her husband, Duncan Idaho, to have her kidnaped and make it look like a Corrino job.  The Corrinos are trying their own plot, against the life of Leto II and Ghanima.  But everyone underestimates the twin, and that includes the Corrino family...

The book picks up where Dune Messiah ended - with about a decade in between.  Dune Messiah showed a hesitating Paul Atreides, wondering what choice to make: in favor of himself or in favor of his people.  Children of Dune shows a similar choice for his children.  They know what he saw through their memories, they know hish choice, they know what he tried to avoid.  And they see what the only really way out is, an unpleasant route for one of them.

Dune was a fast-paced adventure, and Dune Messiah a slower intermezzo showing more of that inner struggle, of the uncertainty of Paul.  Children of Dune's pace is somewhat in between those.  By the end of the book the horrible choice the children had to make starts to become clear, and we have been able to follow both the plots within plots of many parties around them, and what they feel they have to do to bring some stability for mankind while avoiding those plots.  The novel sometimes balances between a psychological thriller and a plain adventure story.

This is the third part of the original trilogy.  It wraps up the loose ends here and there from previous happenings, yet it has more than enough to stand on its own.  A must for fans of the first two books, a teaser for those that are curious about Dune.