Heretics of Dune takes place fifteen centuries after the reign of the God Emperor. Humanity has scattered and returned, and the desert planet Arrakis, now called Rakis, is home to a new religion and powerful priesthood. Several groups, including the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, struggle to shape what comes next.
A gifted young girl named Sheeana, who can command the great sandworms, becomes a focus of their schemes. The novel mixes political maneuvering, hidden histories and threats from beyond known space, continuing the series' interest in religion, breeding and power.