I'm so impressed with how different the first three books of the Hyperion Cantos are. This installment was really an action/adventure story, set around 250 years after the events of the second book. This was full of great characters, including a protagonist I really enjoyed, and a prescient young girl (one of my favorite tropes is the prescient child trope), in a cat-and-mouse chase with a three dimensional antagonist. Throw in a great deal of interesting science fiction concepts introduced in the previous book and you get a really enjoyable book. Plus the Shrike, who is still one of my favorite mysterious characters I've met in literature.

Depending on how you see it, Dan Simmons is either an extremely versatile or a wildly inconsistent writer. After the Canterbury Tales inspired Hyperion came the outright space opera Fall Of Hyperion. Endymion, book three, scales everything back and becomes an interplanetary action-adventure story across alien wildernesses. Still a lot of fun.

One more now.

This was such a wild ride, I loved it! Compared to the first two books in the Hyperion Cantos, this was a much faster paced, easier to read, and thrilling story. I loved these characters, so full of heart and friendship, even the Pax crew were good, and I cannot wait to see what happens with them, and Aenea and A. Bettik. Hell, even the ship AI was a cool character and hope it's also in the next Rise of Endymion.

Відгук після другого прочитання в 2021 році
Це не найкращий роман Сіммонса. Але він не є він і найгіршим. Та й поганим його не назвеш. Він інший, причому цю іншість задають Гіперіон та Падіння Гіперіона. Так, без цих двох романів й "Ендіміон" не мав би сенсу. Але сам він написаний в настільки іншому стилі, що це збиває з пантелику.

По-перше, це не роман заради сюжету. Це роман заради персонажів. Якщо в "Гіперіоні" вони є доволі статичними (хоча треба перечитати), то тут вони розвиваються. Не просто розкриваються перед читачами чи читачками, а саме розвиваються. Перш за все, маю на увазі отця-капітана де Сойю.

По-друге, це роман з сюжетом, який маскує натяки, алюзії та цитати. Наче суперечить першому. Але це не так. В романі є сюжет - і він або видається простим, ледь не примітивним, або занадто динамічним (протягом останніх двохсот сторінок). Але насправді в ньому сховано багато підказок, які сполучають цей роман з "Падінням Гіперіона", а також - як я підозрюю - натякають на розвиток сюжету в "Сході Ендіміона".
Якщо чесно, то Сіммонс деколи дуже прямолінійний. А деколи - у своєму фірмовому стилі цитує класику американської літератури. Так, я під впливом Сіммонса (та Джозефа Конрада!) вирішив почитати Стівена Крейна Stephen Crane.

До речі, "Падіння Гіперіона" настільки забулося, що суперечностей вже аж так не бачу. А ті, що є, Сіммонс доволі правдоподібно пояснює. Що ж, це має сенс: між двома частинами "Пісень Гіперіона" має пройти часу: як Сіммонс писав їх з перервою, так і читати їх треба з перервою :)

І цього разу я отримав від роману задоволення. Тому сміливо рушаю до Схід Ендіміона!

П.С. От біда! виявив, що перечитував я роман протягом... року. Хоча було два періоди читання: 28.05.2020-15.06.2020 та 21.01.2021-22.05.2021. Місяць читання, 7 місяців перерви, 4 місяці читання. Що ж, не шкоду, що так вийшло. Бо перший місяць читання два 30% тексту, далі я здався, а потім... А потім роман стає жвавішим ;)

Відгук після першого прочитання в 2019 році
Критики казали, що тут дуже заплутаний сюжет. Заплутаним він стає на останніх 150 сторінках. До того все просто: поганці переслідують головних героїв. Головні герої ж мандрують космосом на кораблі, річкою на плоті... Інтриги в цьому жодної, бо щоразу, як їх наздоганяють поганці, вони втікають. І лише наприкінці роману Сіммонс закручує сюжет - в стилі "Падіння Гіперіона". До того ж текст нагадує дуже тонко розмазаний шар подій по кількості тексту. Але й на останок Сіммонс не втримується, щоб не зіпсувати жвавий сюжет - і починає надихатися "Термінатором 2": ті самі твісти, той же ж термінатор, що вміє міняти форму, зокрема - перетворювати руки на ножі. Та Сіммонс навіть відтворює сцену з рукою термінатора, що стирчить з розплавленого металу (в Сіммонса - розжареної лави). Це вже несмак, як на мене: Сіммонс вміє цитувати тонше і стьобніше.
Але найбільше дратує те, що Сіммонс раптом починає заперечувати "Падіння Гіперіона". Мовляв, там було так? А то все Мартін Силен переплутав - і хибно переказав. Гаразд, приймаємо. Але ще ж було і так. Сіммонс: а насправді ні, але я не поясню, чому я так все змінив. Точніше, ми знаємо чому: щоб розгортати сюжет "Ендіміона". І так разів чотири протягом тексту - в ключових речах.
Десь від половини роману я вже почав співпереживати поганцям і вболівати, щоб їхня місія вдалася... Тим більше, що в поганців хоч характери більш прописані.
Підсумовуючи, Сіммонс написав слабкий роман. Особливо порівнюючи з "Падінням Гіперіона". І я не розумію, чому "Падіння" майже не отримало нагород, а "Ендіміон" оцінили на рівні з "Гіперіоном"...

this might just be my favourite book in the series?

deviating from the sci-fi / horror genre fusion of the first two instalments in the hyperion cantos, ‘endymion’ is a fun adventure story that is primarily an exploration of this universe. our new hero, raul endymion, is tasked with an almost impossible quest of finding and protecting aenea, the future messiah. it involves toppling corrupt religious empires, time-bending aliens, and a tonne of other fun sci-fi things

the general consensus on goodreads is that ‘endymion’ doesn’t live up to the first two books within this series - i both agree and disagree. i don’t think that ‘endymion’ is as well-written as the first two books, but it is certainly the most enjoyable book in this series. where ‘hyperion’ is arguably simmons’ magnum opus, a complex piece that explores a range of artistic, theological, philosophical topics, ‘endymion’ is just a tonne of fun. it’s meta, it’s funny, it’s almost a love story?? it’s just a good time. that’s not to say it’s lacking in discussions - this instalment expands on the themes introduced at the start of this series - from religious fanaticism, to critiques on empire and colonisation, as well as an emphasis on the importance and value of art and culture within society

furthermore, i loved how diverse this book is. as endymion and aenea traverse the universe, we meet a range of peoples from indigenous to muslim planets. i love that this book actually represents humanity, and not just the western portion of the world

i do think the first half was better than the second (pace could’ve been better, there were a lot of moments that dragged for me), and i feel very uncomfortable about the romance introduced in here. it’s questionable, to say the least. but i’m still excited to see how everything unravels in the final book!!

overall, yes the first two books have more to offer, but this one was much more enjoyable to read, in my opinion

The level of coincidence plus the foreknowledge of the messiah in this story, coupled with the incompetence at the side of the authorities (not to speak of the near unlimited power of the Shrike) make this book of travelling an interplanetary river surprisingly dull
Once again we ignored common sense

Endymion nearly got me into a reading slump in terms of all the attention for inventory, fleets, troops, weapons and logistics Dan Simmons has. And titular Endymion is not only boring and not very observant/sharp, but most of the times clueless and kind of useless as well...

Basically the premise of the book, focussing on a messiah and with a narrator locked up (and so clearly alive despite all the adventures) already takes a lot of tension away. Overtones of Dune with the understanding of the future (not to speak of the fat is evil in chapter 2) are also clear.

The world itself is interesting, after the events of the Hyperion books the Church has taken over the role of great power in the interstellar human empire, powered by resurrection Cruciforms. Salvation is real and physical, and with that the Church has a near endless grasp on its subjects, since this sacrament can be withheld. Still I do wonder why you execute people if they can be resurrected anyways. Note that death is still a hassle, comparable to heavy jetlag, with resurrection also sometimes failing.
Technological development has basically stalled (I didn’t recognize the tune, but it sounded classical, maybe 26th century), with a centuries old flying carpet having a central role. Still there rages a war with genetically enhanced Ousters on the fringes of space.

All these workings of the Pax and Church were for me actually quite interesting, but couldn't save the overall story in my view. Maybe it is also because Simmons his writing in this book is not as tight as I remember it from Ilum and Hyperion, with him using the word gossamer every other chapter. Also the level of coincidence plus foreknowledge of Anea combined with the seeming total incompetence at the side of the Pax authorities (not to speak of the near unlimited power of the Shrike who just pops up at seemingly random) make it hard to be invested in the river Tethys journey of the motley crew.

Also the size difference fixation of Endymion in comparison with Aenea (not to speak of the fact that there is a 15 year age difference and that the girl is 12) is rather icky.
Endymion realization every few chapters that he is a hero is also tiring. This is further compounded by the many what ifs and plan explanations, before events unfold, whereby the reader sees some things from three different angles, and sometimes even an additional flashback.

Somewhere Endymion thinks to himself: It’s easy to do, to rush this tale but Simmons clearly disagrees.

Near the end the pope turns out to be psychic and has visions, which he conveniently could have had earlier? On the same note, why wasn’t the ultra killer not been released earlier?
This all builds up in a rather weak plot twist at the end of this volume, with an underutilized kind of terminator and A. Bettik the android who has more emotional depth than our narrator Endymion.

Sorely disappointing and a lack of usage of interesting settings and worlds.

4.5 Stars

For a Simmons it is 4 Stars, cause it can not reach the epic quality and awesome structure of the first Hyperion book. Compared to some other SF books I gave 4 stars to, it is a 5 star read (not the first time I wished for ca more detailed rating system here)

For most part of the book the tone felt lighter in this third installation of the Hyperion Cantos. The multiple POV of the prequels is reduced to mainly two: the hero by chance, Raul Endymion, a former shepherd (among other) who sees himself suddenly confronted to take over the role of a hero by saving the girl, saving the world and destroying evil (well, kind of). The self-depracating tone of his POVs is refreshing and made me instantly like him. The twelve year old girl Aenea he tries to protect, though she clearly is much more in command of most situations than he is, too, was an immediate fav of mine. Their journey along the river Tethys towards a goal they don't really know read as a delightful adventure decorated with the elaborate world building the first books already excelled in.

Their parts are confronted with the POVs of a priest-captain whose goal it is to stop the girl, cause she will bring much harm to the church based cosmic order. Simmons does an excellent job in describing this Papal State. They are not the baddies, on the contrary, most of the characters there are quite likeable. The confrontation is between two world views and not between good and bad. Always the best and highest form of building suspension and driving a story.

One more of those books I could not lay down once I started reading. Simmons always gets me. I wonder if there is a novel of his that's not the least short of awesome. I've got some BRs coming up, and after them I will pick up the last part. I'm so excited to see how this plays out.

Not unreadable, but a whole lot of dull after the depth, complexity, and scope of the first two books. Reads like 563 pages of largely uneventful prelude to the final installment. By the time Nemes enters the picture (a tantalizing yet ultimately under-used and anti-climatic inclusion), the book is all but over. And then it is over. And one wonders why about 500 extra pages were needed to set up the galaxy post-Fall, the role of the Church and it's connection to the TechnoCore (evident almost immediately for anyone with half a brain who devoted even a quarter of their diminutive gray matter to the previous book), and the foundation of our protagonists' relationship.

Not to mention the ill-used Shrike, once such a formidable force, even in threat, reduced to a handful of clumsy deus ex machina cameos. At least Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion made clever and even conscious use of such convenient plot interruptions.

Another thing that finally began to wear on me was Simmons' penchant for jumping between character perspectives. Done right, it's a fabulous tactic. Done as it is in this book, it's overkill. I approached the eye-rolling, sigh-inducing point toward the end of the book as I realized again and again that I was starting a new chapter only to re-hash the scene from the trio's perspective, say, or to relive the moment as viewed in fasttime by Nemes.

Overall, I think Simmons' future post-Hyperion suffers from the sudden and conspicuous absence of the TechnoCore threat. Previously, the Miltonian weight of the issues at hand was palpable. Now, 247 years after the supposed triumph of humanity, in a universe where the Church has sold its soul in a massive, perverse bargain of Faustian proportion (which is so tantalizing a morsel I can't believe Simmons handled it so sloppily)...a reader is supposed to care about trip itineraries and how adept Aenea is at folding a microtent?

If this is supposed to be the figurative and literal "calm before the storm", I don't think 563 pages needed to be devoted to it.

And I only hope The Rise of Endymion makes something of the potential squandered here.

This third book in the Hyperion Cantos series takes places a few hundred years after the dramatic final events told in The Fall of Hyperion. With the large time lapse it is perhaps no surprise that only a few familiar faces from the first duology remain. This book focuses on the story of Aenea, the child of Brawne Lamia and the John Keats cybrid, and her traveling companions as she seeks to travel to an unknown destination and evade the capture of those who seek her end.

It was an entertaining enough story. Raul and Aenea both proved to be interesting and likable characters. I found Father De Soya to be a bit less likable a character, but his POV segments remained interesting. Simmons Hyperion Universe is a well crafted one and it was easy to slip right back into it and observe how things have changed and evolved over the course of the centuries between the second and third book. I was glad to see Simmons expand on some interesting aspects of the earlier books that I felt were underutilized.

This was an engaging read for the most part, but it did suffer from the odd dull spot. That said, I felt the first couple of books in the series suffered from similar dull spots. The plot was possible a little less layered and complex than the earlier novels, but there are plenty of hints that will change in the final book.

I've got to admit that some of the late happenings in this one only confirmed my suspicions that Dan Simmons is a massive fan of the Terminator movies!

Rating: 4 stars.

Audio Note: Victor Bevine again did a good job narrating the audio.

I like it...I think?

A tedious read with flat characters - one of them is this boring pedophile that yada yada through his narrative trying to convince us that he's not one all the while giving readers his observation of twelve years old bare flat chest and stuff-, uninteresting logistic listing and their cat and mouse space chase. Some sort of ace card pull by the end of the story that was supposed to knock one out but honestly just makes no sense. No tension, no mystery, nothing, basically a filler. Saving grace is the gorgeous architecture of River Tethys and the lavish worlds connected by it.

After having re-read the superlative original Hyperion Cantos recently, I was saddled with the thought that nothing afterward could possibly match the quality and lyricism or the sheer gorgeousness of story, worldbuilding, or character.

Alas, this still remains true after reading book three, taking place over 250 years after the events that irrevocably transformed the known universe at the end of Fall of Hyperion.

HOWEVER, this is not a lament for Endymion. Indeed, comparing it to just about any modern SF adventure, most will come up very short against the standards shown here. No, there is not a Canterbury Tales stylization. There is, however, a fabulous quest given to a new hero by the mentor Martin Selenus (the poet of old who wrote the original Cantos) that tasks Raul Endymion with nothing less than truly impossible tasks, such as helping a girl that is truly out of time, finding and returning the old destroyed Earth to its rightful place, and toppling the religious empire that has taken over the old hegemony with its promise of cruciform immortality.

Small tasks, those. And there's no reason to think he could ever accomplish one of them. The stakes are too high and the enemies amazingly implacable. Federico de Soya is one of the most amazing antagonists I've ever read, right up there with Captain Ahab, only that captain never had to undergo quite this much jellification.

Truly, no review can do this novel justice. It is an adventure, plain and simple, and is so rich with location, location, location, that it is a pure treat for the imagination. It revisits and deepens the events from the previous books, but more than builds upon them, too, painting pictures I will never unsee. Of course, the interesting chase through all the old worlds is done in very cool ways, both varied and clever, and I'll never forget how a twelve-year-old girl stands up to an entire fleet and outsmarts them not just one time, but several. The escapes are brilliant.


No, this book is not on the same ladder of brilliance as the two that came before it, but I'm proud to say that I LOVE it, anyway. It's a true work of the imagination and so exciting that I wish that I had a full SF tv-series with a huge special effects budget to do it justice.

Truly. It would be mind-blowingly awesome.