"God Emperor or Dune" by Frank Herbert

I have been on a tear with the Dune series, in part, because they are so hard to put down. The chapter sizes, pacing of the action, and swiftness of story make these books quick reads, relative to their length. Leto II has evolved into a sandworm with the face of a man. He is now over 3000 years old and he lives as a god and as emperor of the universe. Almost all principal figures from the original trilogy are now historical figures, discussed as ancient figures of great consequence, primarily by their lineage. Only Duncan Idaho remains, though in his most current iterations. As a ghoula, he is replaced by a newly cloned version of himself as Leto's military leader. Yet again, as is the expectation with Herbert's writing, allegory and metaphor assail the reader at every turn. Religious visions and leaders, climactic change, fate vs. freewill, aristocracy, eugenics, love vs. duty, all these themes flow through the pages. I can't wait to get the next books from this series and devour them as well.