I put off reading Endymion/Rise of for a long time, like several years.

This was because many people I knew didn't seem to think highly of them, and I wasn't overly impressed with Fall of Hyperion compared to the Chaucerian original.

However, the events in this book are a huge payoff for the abstract and confusing parts I remember from Fall of....

In a way, the long time span in my own reading parallels Simmons's elegant handling of this incredibly densely plotted 'four dimensional chess game' across the centuries that the entire tetralogy spans.

Endymion itself was quite good, a bit more action-oriented and perhaps lacking some of the metatextual depth I appreciate in Simmons's other novels. But I did like seeing the long-term impact of the classic Priest's Tale from Hyperion.

In any case, Rise really delivers for the whole series and will stay with me for a long time.

In arguing for Aenea's not-quite-Messianic message for humanity and the true nature of the 'Void Which Binds,' Simmons strikes a perfect balance of logically and intuitively convincing the reader of their philosophical impact.

Aenea and Raul's relationship is developed well over the 10-year time span of these two novels, and is particularly beautifully written in the latter half of this one.

There are moments where the action scenes are a bit predictable, and with so much time-jumping in the series, there are certain foregone conclusions that take a bit too long to reach, despite interesting twists along the way. But for me, the aforementioned aspects of the book far outweigh these issues, and I know I'll be thinking about this book for quite a while.

This is the fourth and final volume of Hyperion Cantos. I read it as part of the monthly reading for July 2024 in the Hugo & Nebula Awards: Best Novels group. The book was nominated for the Hugo in 1998 but unfortunately lost to Forever Peace.

The book serves as a solid finale for this great series. However, if considered on its own, in my humble opinion, it is the weakest in the series. The author attempted to paint a grand final picture, but it is simply too vast. The audio version lasts almost 30 hours (compared to the first book, Hyperion, which was only 21 hours). The story picks up where the previous one, Endymion, left off. The protagonist-narrator, Raul Endymion, is still under a death sentence in a capsule in space, composing his memories. He embarks on a new mission to bring the Consul’s ship to Aenea. This quest doesn't consume much of his personal time, but in the'real' time, he has to travel on the spaceship to the pre-arranged destination. There, he reunites with Aenea, who has grown from a girl into a woman in these 5 years, and their romance, which was initially hinted at in the very beginning of the third book, is finally consummated. Meanwhile, both Pax and Core agents are hunting for Aenea and destroying the Outsiders.

The final book answers some questions, such as the parasitic nature of the TechnoCore and the origins of the Shrike. It also'masterfully' overthrows some earlier canon established in the first two books.

It is difficult not to include emotions in the description of a series and generally a book that you really liked. I loved this series from the very beginning. I am aware of some of its flaws, aware of all its strengths, and I loved it and enjoyed it from the start.

This was a long journey of 2536 pages. Finally, it was the turn of the finale of the tetralogy.

The Rise of Endymion has the most pages in the series. I would be lying if I said that I enjoyed every page equally. There were, in my opinion, insignificant details, contradictory facts, and in many places, difficult and overly long names that were repeated. In one part, Simmons grated on my nerves with the description of the planet where Aenea and Raul are working on the temple. Otherwise, I like beautiful and longer descriptions, but here Simmons literally turned into a geography professor, which bored me and forced me to take breaks.

Apart from that, I had no other complaints. At least I can't remember them now that I have finished reading. I enjoyed the rest of the action. There were many tense parts, mysteries, some of which I correctly interpreted and anticipated the background, while I did not even imagine the solution to some in my scenario. Simmons once again amazed with the plot of everything and the ending. The ending, of course, hurt me a lot. Those last 60 or so pages were painful, but I also enjoyed them.

"You're gonna suffer but you're gonna be happy about it" in the literal sense. So, I suffered because of many details, but I still enjoyed the story.

This is undoubtedly an authentic, unique series with great, original ideas. I note that for The Rise of Endymion, a greater dose of concentration is also required so that the strong events can be arranged in their place and so that the many scientific and futuristic concepts and the action that Simmons explains can be understood. There are countless strong messages, moral and philosophical reflections that may touch you. At least I hope they will prompt you to think, if nothing else. There is also love - the driving force of everything and the strongest force in the universe. Omnipresent love that we see every day and give, but perhaps we are not even aware of it. Love for family, for a partner, an animal, a word, one's country, a friend, a dear place, for a film or a song... All of this is love in different forms.

I read the first half of the book more slowly, while I "swallowed" the second. I admit that at the beginning I was skeptical about the quality of the last book. From the very beginning, it did not inspire me with hope that it would be as good as the previous ones, but in the end, I was also satisfied with it. True, it did not arouse such deep emotions and admiration as the previous ones, but it exceeded my initial expectations.

To conclude, I am once again amazed by Simmons' overall idea and this tetralogy. Truly one of the best science fiction and fantasy series in general. I warn you that it will not be to everyone's taste. For those of you who are still thinking about whether to read it, I wish you to do so as soon as possible. Start your journey through the past, present, and future today, passing through countless worlds and galaxies.

The Hyperion series, which began with such great promise, unfortunately comes to a rather disappointing end. As was mentioned in a review of a previous book, a significant portion of my dislike for this particular installment stems from the unlikable characters of Raul and Aenea. Their one-dimensional nature and the fact that they are often simply annoying make it difficult to engage with them on a deeper level.

This book takes this issue to new extremes. Raul, who was initially cast in the role of the thirty-two-year-old protector and surrogate big brother to sixteen-year-old Aenea, undergoes a rather jarring transformation. After experiencing two different kinds of time debt, when Aenea is twenty and twenty-two respectively, Raul becomes her lover. Setting aside the large age difference, the ease with which Raul switches between these roles, without any internal debate or struggle, is frankly quite disgusting. It gives the impression of a predatory, sleazy, and creepy relationship, much like that of a creepy older man preying on younger women who have just graduated from college in a bar. The fact that he still calls her "kiddo" after they become lovers only serves to compound this negative perception.
In addition to the character issues, the book also fails to bring many of the past themes to a reasonable conclusion. The concept of the Void Which Binds, which is essentially just memories and emotions, with love being considered a physical element of the universe like gravity, feels underdeveloped and somewhat contrived. The Shrike, which was once such an impressive and powerful entity, is once again cheapened. In this book, it is engaged in a fight with Core-related constructs that are on par with it, despite the Shrike's supposed temporal and physical capabilities that should enable it to easily dispatch these creatures. And, in a typical example of deus ex machina, Nemes' powers are deactivated during the fight, yet somehow, despite her superhuman strength and abilities, she still loses to Raul Endymion, the plucky typical protagonist who always manages to come out on top despite all odds.
Finally, the book's attempt to convey a meaningful message about why the Pax and Core must be stopped falls flat. The idea that genetic and cultural diversity is good is a valid one, but the way it is presented, with people suddenly being able to teleport by taking Aenea's blood to communicate with the Void Which Binds, feels forced and unconvincing. While there are some good parts in the book, such as the encounter with the Ousters, overall it is a hodgepodge of themes and events from previous books, some of which are awkwardly forced into place, like the reappearance of Het Maseen and Kassad. The book ultimately disappoints with an underwhelming conclusion to what started out as a great series with the first book.

Perfection

This series is just utter perfection. Every single aspect of it seems to be meticulously crafted to reach the highest level of excellence. The storylines are engaging, filled with twists and turns that keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. The characters are well-developed, with their own unique personalities and motives that make them relatable and interesting. The acting is superb, with the actors bringing the characters to life in a way that is truly captivating. The production values are top-notch, with beautiful cinematography, stunning visuals, and a great soundtrack that adds to the overall atmosphere of the series. It's no wonder that this series has received so much praise and has become a favorite among viewers. It truly is a masterpiece that sets a new standard for quality television.

Finally, I have completed the cycle of Hyperion Cantos, which is overall very beautiful. However, I cannot agree with those who find the second part even better. For me, it is decidedly less surprising and less interesting than the first part (and I was really counting on a new surprise or an ultimate acme). As already anticipated in the comment on the third book, the religious derivation (context) does not attract me and I don't like it. I hoped that the fourth book would have an ending that would convince me more. Instead, the Christological figure of Aenea seemed excessive to me, although the final explanations work well despite exceeding logic. And the ending, although it gratifies me for its cathartic efficacy, has been too predictable for a long time, despite at least a couple of pages being still moving. The protagonist is colorless and ineffective until the end, and his awakening is nothing special: he is likeable, but, without expecting heroism, he is really more of a narrative sleight of hand than a literary character. The whole thing is also excessively long, considering that it does not have a growing ending, but only a tying up of all the loose ends.

In any case, Simmons leads the donkey to the threshing floor, but he does it with great skill and great elegance, so the final consideration is widely positive.

Holy shitballs! I'm finally done with this book and this series!

So, this is precisely why I read science fiction. It has everything one could possibly desire. Well, these last two books have been lacking the humor of the first two, mainly because the foul-mouthed poet Martin Silenus was pushed to a background role. But he was there a little at the beginning of the last book and at the beginning and end of this one, so there was a touch of humor. Seriously, everything else is here.

You have your hard science to satisfy the deep nerds, your mystically enhanced science for those like me who enjoy spiritual mumbo-jumbo. There are fuckin' giant flying squids and telepathic amoeboids on a planet made entirely of gas. There's religion (both in support of and deconstructing), humanism, socialism, Buddhism, classism (ALL THE ISMS), an epic time and space-defying romance, and a fuckin' SPACE POPE!

I could keep listing things. Time travel, homages to classic literature and poetry, epic bloody and disgusting fights between men and fearsome artificially intelligent creatures, a biosphere the size of a fuckin' solar system curated by hard vacuum-adapted humans, messiahs, daring escapes, discussions of philosophy and economics, teleportation, planets of all shapes and sizes (water planets, gas planets, mountain planets where everyone travels on ziplines, planets where the trees are made of lightning), devices that can bring back people from the dead, and nanotech up the wazoo.

THE MOTHERFUCKING SHRIKE!

I'll stop listing things now.

Dudes, I'm just so glad I read this series. Overall, it's pretty much a science fiction/space opera masterpiece. That's not to say it doesn't have its flaws, especially in the last two volumes, which take place 300 years after the first two and feature Raul Endymion as the first-person narrator as he battles to complete his mission: to keep Aenea "The One Who Teaches" safe, end the threat of the Pax (the Roman Catholic church gone crazy with power - it's complicated), find Old Earth and return it to its former home, and ensure the future of humanity. The way it all plays out, both in terms of the story and the characters, was really satisfying. In some places, Simmons' writing creaks and groans under the weight of its own cheese (especially in the love scenes - and I don't just mean sex, but when the two main characters express love, it's often cheesy as hell). Some of the exposition scenes are deliberately obtuse, but it all works out in the end.

Probably the biggest adjustment you have to make is that the first two books were so deliberately full of characters and criss-crossing storylines, so having a relatively simplified narrative arc (although the average reader will by no means think this book is simple) is a bit of a letdown at first. Raul is a decent enough narrator, but as he admits himself, he's not the brightest guy. In the first book especially, we had six different main characters and six different stories, and the fact that it was a deliberate homage to The Canterbury Tales was an immediate draw. The first two books also had the advantage of presenting us with a galactic-sized mystery, which was very enticing. These two books had the task of solving the mystery, which is always a risky thing in these types of books.

As I recently wrote in my review of the last Unwritten book, when you solve a mystery as a storyteller, the ideal is to replace that mystery with enlightenment, with a denouement that makes your readers feel as if a light bulb has gone off over their heads. They should reach that moment and FEEL something. And if you fail at that, the whole story can end up feeling ruined. (This is why so many people hate the Lost finale, because the enlightenment path that show took only works for about half of the viewers - the other half wanted concrete answers.) Luckily, Simmons absolutely nails it. (My only complaint about the "ending" is that he telegraphs a major plot point of the ending a little too strongly, and I predicted it very early on. I wish it had been more of a surprise for me.)

In conclusion, if you like science fiction, READ THIS SERIES. If you're curious about what science fiction can do and it doesn't sound too intimidating, READ THIS SERIES.

I'm already looking forward to my inevitable re-read several years from now.

[4.5 stars]

The end of the Hyperion Cantos is truly a remarkable achievement for the reader.

We are privileged to witness Aenea and Raul embark on their final and most momentous journey.

The story contains elements of hard science fiction that are characteristic of the mind-boggling concepts we have encountered throughout this odyssey with Simmons.

Moreover, it provides explanations for some of the more mysterious and peculiarly described things that were only briefly touched upon in the approximately 1800 pages and 3 previous books, and miraculously, it all coheres.

I was particularly enamored with the idea of the star-trees and felt a sense of closure with many of the characters and concepts that had been left unresolved at the conclusion of the previous installments.

I first read Hyperion by Dan Simmons about 7 years ago and its sequel around 3 years ago. I devoured both the Endymion books in just two weeks due to their excellent writing and thrilling nature.

I believe that a reread of the first ones will ultimately be necessary, and I wholeheartedly recommend that readers begin with the first book and persevere all the way to the end, as it is a truly rewarding quest.

I think I will need to carefully consider some of the more religious and philosophical ideas presented in this last book, as Simmons seems to have a great deal to say about organized religion (much of it critical), but I am uncertain whether the Lions, Tigers, and Bears are god or gods or God.

Epic series! Simmons continues to impress.

This particular installment was a little on the bloated side, but it was still definitely worthwhile.

I listened to it on Audible, and Victor Bevine's performance was excellent.

However, it was a hefty 29 hours of listening, even at 1.25 speed.

Despite the length, Simmons manages to keep the story engaging and full of twists and turns.

The characters are well-developed and the world-building is top-notch.

If you're a fan of the series, you won't be disappointed.

Even if you're new to Simmons' work, this is a great place to start.

Just be prepared to invest some time in it.

Overall, I would highly recommend this audiobook.

It's a great addition to the series and a must-listen for any science fiction fan.

4+ Stars!

This is the last book of Simmons' Hyperion Cantos and arguably, it is the most moving.

Raul, Aenea, and A. Bettik have settled on Old Earth for the past four years. However, young Aenea realizes that it is time to leave and they must part ways. Raul is dispatched on a mission to retrieve the Consul's old spaceship, which is probably one of my favorite "characters" in the entire series. Meanwhile, Aenea and A. Bettik embark on a journey so that the girl can spread her wisdom, so to speak, and continue constructing her architectural wonders on numerous different worlds. The Pax is still in hot pursuit, and eventually, matters reach a climax, and Aenea, Raul, and many others must face their fates.

While reading this novel, I was pleasantly astounded by the depth and richness of the story. Dan Simmons must have spent years devising this fantasy of far-future science fiction, incorporating elements of quantum physics, morality, religion, love, architecture, geography, history, and more. Nevertheless, this particular book primarily focuses on the necessity of humankind's ability to evolve. In short, DS's message is: change is good. It is assumed that eventually, mankind will travel to and even inhabit other planets. In this book, you witness that people have mastered space travel but only to make the planets conform to Earth standards. What's wrong with that, you might ask? Well, look at the mess we've made of the one planet we have so far. Since evolving to homo erectus, man hasn't changed in a millennium. We've merely used our intelligence to make our planet suit our needs. It's a disturbing thought. As Aenea says, "choose again." We should all feel the urge, the desire, the need to be more, to be different, and most importantly, to respect and change with nature.

All preaching aside, the love story in this novel touched me deeply. Raul and Aenea are connected beyond the boundaries of time and distance. They are soulmates in the truest sense of the word, and their story is indescribably beautiful.

The conclusion of this once brilliant series is nearly insufferable.

With a competent editor, books three and four could have been merged into a concise and captivating 400 pages.

Fascinating characters like de Soya are treated unfairly to accommodate countless pages of detailed explanations piled on top of tedious minutiae.

For example, a dozen or more pages are devoted to describing the pain Raul endured while passing a kidney stone.

If I weren't such a stubborn completionist, I would have abandoned Endymion months ago.

It's a shame that what could have been a great conclusion has been marred by excessive verbosity and a lack of focus.

The potential of the series was squandered, leaving readers disappointed and frustrated.

Perhaps with a more streamlined approach and a better sense of pacing, the final books could have lived up to the promise of the earlier installments.

As it stands, however, Endymion is a letdown that will likely leave a sour taste in the mouths of fans.

When I first delved into Hyperion, a tinge of sadness crept in. I thought it would be an absolute impossibility, or perhaps I should say highly improbable, that the remainder of the series could uphold that astonishing standard. However, upon reading this final installment, I am left in awe.

It is, without a doubt, the best sci-fi series I've ever had the pleasure of reading by a long shot! It's a rollercoaster of highs and lows, filled with moments that bring laughter and tears, and it chronicles the beginnings and endings.

As we follow the path and stories of Raoul Endymion, Aenea, their friends, the Crusade, and mankind itself, we are reading a book that will stand the test of time.

My recommendation is simple: read this series. It's a ceiling-shattering five-star read - an 11 out of 12, to be exact!

I'm eagerly looking forward to rereading this series in a few years. Armed with all the knowledge I have now, I firmly believe that the series will read and feel even better. No kidding!

2018 read