What is the author's style in Children of Dune by Frank Herbert?

Frank Herbert narrates his novel, Children of Dune, in the third person past tense. In this novel, he uses far more dialog and narration than in the earlier novels, where he relies heavily on revealing their inner thoughts (in italics). As in the earlier volumes, Herbert opens new scenes by quoting epigrams in the manner of a historian. The source of the epigrams is far more diverse than in earlier volumes, perhaps because Princess Irulan is an integral part of the story in Children of Dune.

The saga picks up with the precocious Atreides twins, Leto II and Ghanima, newly born in Dune Messiah, during their ninth year. They understand that they posses the knowledge of all ages and worry that they, like Aunt Alia, the Regent, are possessed. Never one to share his thoughts on religion, politics, ecology, and various social issues, Herbert constructs a plot that allows him to range widely. It gradually grows clear that Paul-Muad'Dib has not died in the desert after being blinded and abdicating; he is living among smugglers and rebels and coming into town to goad the establishment as The Preacher. Leto sees the need to undeify his father, end the disastrous bloody jihad, and launch a 4,000-year Golden Path. This thread allows for considerable philosophical and metaphysical rumination. There are a few places when it seems like tidbits too interesting for Herbert to resist are tucked in as an afterthought.

Much attention is given to how the ecological transformation shown hopefully in the first earlier books is reaping unintended havoc and threatens to kill off the great sandworms - and with them the spice. Slowing the process is simple but planning a 4,000 reign of peace and prosperity is not. Herbert leaves himself plenty of material for another three sequels and a fourth he does not live to write.