Actually I would be most interested in hearing those opinions even if they are tangental. BTW your taste in SF authors is very similar to my own.

If you do intend to continue on with Dune novels here is a spoiler free heads up about what to expect:

Dune Messiah The shortest of the Dune novels and the easiest to read. Downside is that it gets progressively grim

Children of Dune: The most cerebral of the series. So much so it comes across as pedantic at times.

God Emperor of Dune: Longest of the books. Often described as being a love it or hate it book. My opinion is oxymoronically a mixture of both.

Heretics of Dune: It is easier to read than the prior book. There is some interesting world building but that can't make up for the lack of genuinely interesting characters.

Chapterhouse: Dune: Has many of the same problems and after a while starts to seem pointless