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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
A pitiful ending to a could-have-been-better series,
By
This review is from: Rise of Endymion (Mass Market Paperback)
THE RISE OF ENDYMION is the fourth and final volume of Dan Simmons' Hyperion saga and the conclusion of the storyline begun in ENDYMION. I only plodded through that book because I wanted to reach the end, and with THE RISE OF ENDYMION even that motivation almost dried up.The problems are legion. The book is overlong, with huge sections that just serve no legitimate purpose, such as Raul's time in the Temple Hanging in Air. Simmons' extends his work as much as he can to give it an "epic" feel, but it ends up seeming boring and goofy. Raul's love for Aenea continues to border on pedophilia for the first few hundred pages of the work, and then it graduates to simple obsession, if only because she's grown up. This whole piece of the story, which is in fact a huge chunk of the story, is utterly unconvincing. If Aenea is the messiah, one would think Raul would have better things to do than get jealous over her past and feel all squishy inside whenever she's around. The resolution of the conflict is given a few scant pages, probably because Simmons spent too much time on high-faultin' philosophy and Raul's sexual tension. The book's structure is simply awful. Plus, Simmons causes the reader to have wasted reading the first two books in the series by dismissing the words of Ummon in THE FALL OF HYPERION as "a lie." Argh. This book is simply awful. I'd recommend the first two books in the Hyperion saga, but stay well away from ENDYMION and THE RISE OF ENDYMION.
5.0 out of 5 stars
My 100-word book review,
By A. J. Cull (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rise of Endymion (Mass Market Paperback)
Don't even think about starting The Rise of Endymion until you have read the three other Cantos novels in order. Simmons does his best to tie up the loose ends, and largely succeeds, concluding his epic series in fine style. This novel has plenty of action, breathtaking alien environments, pathos and humour; it also has its share of tragedy, although this story is ultimately life affirming. The characters are excellent, hardly ever stereotypical. Devout Catholics might be somewhat disturbed at the transformation of the Church into an evil empire; otherwise this is a terrific end to a superlative SF series.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Astoundingly Strong Finish,
By _ "jas09" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rise of Endymion (Mass Market Paperback)
As great as the three preceding novels in Dan Simmons' Hyperion series were, this final installment makes all of them pale in comparison. Here, at last, all of the loose ends, not just from Endymion, but from the Hyperion Cantos as well, are brought back together to form a conclusion that is riveting, heartbreaking, hopeful, and joyous in turn. And that's just the last half of the book.Throughout the first half, we again are treated to the fruit of Simmons' gifts for beautiful prose, incredible characterization, and well-conceived plot. It also shows us what's at the real heart of the series: Simmons' philosophy of Love, as embodied by Aenea. This last novel's style is, yet again, a fairly sharp departure from that of any of the rest of the series. We don't have the broad, sweeping "Canterbury Tales" feeling of the Hyperion Cantos, nor are we involved in an interstellar game of chase like Endymion. Instead, the book is much more thoughtful and deliberate. Simmons' directly addresses some of the nagging questions from the series, such as the relationship between the evil church and its not-necessarily evil religious roots and the fate of good people deceived into working towards detestable ends. While there is certainly plenty of action and fast paced adventure, Aenea's teachings are the focus, and that reflective tone permeates the novel. However, atop all of this thinking and philosophy, we still have an intricate plot to keep us entertained. We finally see the fruition of the Raul-Aenea romance foretold in Endymion, with all its accompanying emotional bumps, and naturally, the Church, along with its inhuman Core counterparts, is still out hunting for Aenea's head. Don't forget, Raul still has to somehow complete Martin Selinus' Herculean tasks. It all makes for an exciting ride, indeed. If you've read the other Hyperion novels, read this last part immediately. If you haven't, read them, then read this as soon as you can. And whatever you do, take the plot as it comes; there are some enormous twists towards the end, and you will hate yourself if you spoil them beforetime.
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