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astrochem's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lauradameron's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
crickedcactus's review
3.0
The first book promised so much, and the second book didn't really deliver. I wanted this book to be so much more. (SPOILERS AHEAD)
The first half of FoH was amazing. I could see all the piezes moving together, and i was trying hard to figure out where they were going. We get some closure on some stuff from the first book, but then we get a lot more questions that remain unresolved. I thought the first two books went together, so I was expecting to have a proper closure.
I didn't like the deus ex machina at the end. I like it when books are puzzles that the reader is able to put together, not when piezes just come up from nowhere.
For example, John Keats uses an erg to snatch the baby of the Shriek at the end. I don't think we are ever explained what an erg does or how it works exactly, and it plays such an important role in the plot that I wish we had been told from the beginning of its potential so that when this happened I could have said " aaah smart! well played!" Instead it just feels like it came from nowhere. I felt the same way with Shriek turning into glass, which is just so random and so convenient.
A lot of the characters seem pretty irrelevant to the story ie Het Masteen, Silenus... even Kassad! His fighting scenes were entertaining but nothing else came out of them. I thought their roles would be a lot more important and instead they were just... meh. :(
The first half of FoH was amazing. I could see all the piezes moving together, and i was trying hard to figure out where they were going. We get some closure on some stuff from the first book, but then we get a lot more questions that remain unresolved. I thought the first two books went together, so I was expecting to have a proper closure.
I didn't like the deus ex machina at the end. I like it when books are puzzles that the reader is able to put together, not when piezes just come up from nowhere.
For example, John Keats uses an erg to snatch the baby of the Shriek at the end. I don't think we are ever explained what an erg does or how it works exactly, and it plays such an important role in the plot that I wish we had been told from the beginning of its potential so that when this happened I could have said " aaah smart! well played!" Instead it just feels like it came from nowhere. I felt the same way with Shriek turning into glass, which is just so random and so convenient.
A lot of the characters seem pretty irrelevant to the story ie Het Masteen, Silenus... even Kassad! His fighting scenes were entertaining but nothing else came out of them. I thought their roles would be a lot more important and instead they were just... meh. :(
encre's review
4.0
Slow at times. Good twists. A lot of religious imagery and references. A large cast of characters but not all super interesting
timgrubbs's review
3.0
The time tombs await…and eventually they will get to them…
The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons is the second book in the series…those more focused narratively as it expands the world.
I feel this book drew upon elements I didn’t like about Hyperion. There’s way too much new scifi jargon and world building, and the large amount of time that doesn’t deal with the pilgrims (who we got to know personally in Hyperion) is a detriment. Far too much focus is given to the seeming galactic battle happened in and around Hyperion, and that’s easily the least interesting part of the book since it’s similar to other space battles you can picture in your head from many different scifi stories.
Meanwhile, the mythology and world of the books is significantly expanded with a lot of focus on Ai and its dangers (as hinted at in the first book with the ever present Shrike threat), but I guess they still let limited Ai be a part of the society even though they have no reason not to be cautious.
It’s just a weird conflicting world…that seems to hint as reasons for things but then goes against those reasons.
I’d have liked it more if the story just focused on the not unified pilgrims (after an unrelated prologue similar to Hyperion), but instead I got this.
Oh well…
The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons is the second book in the series…those more focused narratively as it expands the world.
I feel this book drew upon elements I didn’t like about Hyperion. There’s way too much new scifi jargon and world building, and the large amount of time that doesn’t deal with the pilgrims (who we got to know personally in Hyperion) is a detriment. Far too much focus is given to the seeming galactic battle happened in and around Hyperion, and that’s easily the least interesting part of the book since it’s similar to other space battles you can picture in your head from many different scifi stories.
Meanwhile, the mythology and world of the books is significantly expanded with a lot of focus on Ai and its dangers (as hinted at in the first book with the ever present Shrike threat), but I guess they still let limited Ai be a part of the society even though they have no reason not to be cautious.
It’s just a weird conflicting world…that seems to hint as reasons for things but then goes against those reasons.
I’d have liked it more if the story just focused on the not unified pilgrims (after an unrelated prologue similar to Hyperion), but instead I got this.
Oh well…
pouline's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
umbranrealness's review
4.0
This took me A WHILE to get into. Realistically, I should've read something between Hyperion and this because going from a very pacey narrative where you're hearing mini stories from different characters all the time, to a slower space war vibe was a big shift.
That said, once you're into this book you're *into it*. I especially loved the last quarter of the book and seeing things starting to slot into place that have been set up for ages. Really, really good.
That said, once you're into this book you're *into it*. I especially loved the last quarter of the book and seeing things starting to slot into place that have been set up for ages. Really, really good.
djurdjas's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.25