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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
As with all series this is both a review of the last book and the series as a whole.
Book 3.5 stars.
The action was good. The ending was :/ ?fine? It ended a book that ended a series that I mostly liked. I didn’t think it was amazing. This book went back to the roots of “The Fall of Hyperion” and offered more questions than it answered. I liked the philosophy and poetry of the first book and a little bit the later books. This one delved much more into religion and it didn’t work at all with me. I found it to either be boring or irritating.
Series 3.5 stars
This series probably suffers from expectations. I had it on my radar to read for decades. When I first heard about it I also read quite a bit more scifi than I do these days.
I enjoyed the series while also feeling more frustration out of books than I’m looking for. Each book was interesting enough to make me continue to the next one.
Book one was really great for the actual way the book was written. I liked the roughly connected, but quite different, stories. I hated nearly every character in the book, but the format kept me going.
Book two was closer to what I expected when I first heard of the story. I liked that it was an epic scifi; and the action was fun. It was too sprawling, it offered a lot of questions that I didn’t have enough interested in without the answer, the book, too often, didn’t give those answers.
Book three was a fresh start. The characters significantly more likable. The action good enough, the story held my attention and made me want to finish it.
All that being said, the story was good, books 1 and 3 were good independent of other problems. The series is worth a read because the mythos is interested, the story is well enough told, the philosophy was in general better than a lot of “Philosophy in Space” 60-80’s scifi suffers from.
Book 3.5 stars.
The action was good. The ending was :/ ?fine? It ended a book that ended a series that I mostly liked. I didn’t think it was amazing. This book went back to the roots of “The Fall of Hyperion” and offered more questions than it answered. I liked the philosophy and poetry of the first book and a little bit the later books. This one delved much more into religion and it didn’t work at all with me. I found it to either be boring or irritating.
Series 3.5 stars
This series probably suffers from expectations. I had it on my radar to read for decades. When I first heard about it I also read quite a bit more scifi than I do these days.
I enjoyed the series while also feeling more frustration out of books than I’m looking for. Each book was interesting enough to make me continue to the next one.
Book one was really great for the actual way the book was written. I liked the roughly connected, but quite different, stories. I hated nearly every character in the book, but the format kept me going.
Book two was closer to what I expected when I first heard of the story. I liked that it was an epic scifi; and the action was fun. It was too sprawling, it offered a lot of questions that I didn’t have enough interested in without the answer, the book, too often, didn’t give those answers.
Book three was a fresh start. The characters significantly more likable. The action good enough, the story held my attention and made me want to finish it.
All that being said, the story was good, books 1 and 3 were good independent of other problems. The series is worth a read because the mythos is interested, the story is well enough told, the philosophy was in general better than a lot of “Philosophy in Space” 60-80’s scifi suffers from.
This was such a let down after the first three books. The story started off a little slow, which isn't dissimilar to the others, and we join Raul and Anaea at the end of their tutelage with Frank Lloyd Wright in the desert.
Can we talk about that choice before I go on? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the decision that the messiah (denials aside, that's what she is) needed a marketable skill like that. Is it a crude, modern-day analogue to Jesus-the-carpenter: Anaea-the-architect? Because in the third book I was sure that the person she was seeking wasn't a literal architect and was more like a motivational speaker or creator of the universe or something. But no, instead we're traipsing through the desert digging shelters and making houses. And why Frank Lloyd Wright? Because Falling Water is cool? Because Simmons liked his backstory?
At this early point in the book I could already tell things were a little different than previous installments. Raul, who before was insecure and a bit of an everyman (with some bush skills) started getting whiny. Anaea became more and more aloof and hard to sympathise with. I pretty much agreed with Raul that it was hard to stomach the zen mysticisms and parables that came out of the mouth of one so young. Particularly when she cast everyone away - why exactly would it have been so dangerous for her to tell Raul that she could see the future in this way? To explain the plan that having so many farcasters be activated in such a small amount of time would make it hard to track which one her and her party had entered? Thinking about it in hindsight, Simmons probably wanted the reader to figure this out for themselves but for Raul it makes no sense. Nothing would be lost by him knowing this.
The second odyssey of Raul is just as entertaining as the first from book 3, and it's also here that the adventures of De Soya et. al. start to pick up a bit more. Unfortunately I found the colorful world very dull after Raul gets injured and his escape quite drawn out. Little did I know what was to come. For the worst portion of the book is the last 70% of it, i.e. the majority.
In this last part of the quartet Simmons lays out his story, finally putting into play the epic conclusion to the story he's set up over the last 1.5k pages. Except... nothing feels new. Anaea's preaching her gospel of buddism to the Dalai Lama, Raul's frustrated with the lack of direction (as am I) and I'm really still left with a lot of fundamental questions, such as:
Can we also talk about how Raul is generally being a bit of a douche in this book too? Like he sometimes finds himself physically shaking Anaea and shoving her because she won't tell him the future (although, to be fair, it is a bit odd since she keeps telling everyone else). He's also dating someone he helped raise. This is foreshadowed in book 3 of course but I was hoping Simmons would make it less creepy, not more: why is he always calling her kiddo? ugh.
I did love the way that the core and the church came together, but really we've known about that since early in book 3, possibly even book 2.
So, in general, a very disappointing end to a what has been a fantastic series. Simmons lost the plot in the last book but I'll still be recommending the first 3!
Can we talk about that choice before I go on? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the decision that the messiah (denials aside, that's what she is) needed a marketable skill like that. Is it a crude, modern-day analogue to Jesus-the-carpenter: Anaea-the-architect? Because in the third book I was sure that the person she was seeking wasn't a literal architect and was more like a motivational speaker or creator of the universe or something. But no, instead we're traipsing through the desert digging shelters and making houses. And why Frank Lloyd Wright? Because Falling Water is cool? Because Simmons liked his backstory?
At this early point in the book I could already tell things were a little different than previous installments. Raul, who before was insecure and a bit of an everyman (with some bush skills) started getting whiny. Anaea became more and more aloof and hard to sympathise with. I pretty much agreed with Raul that it was hard to stomach the zen mysticisms and parables that came out of the mouth of one so young. Particularly when she cast everyone away - why exactly would it have been so dangerous for her to tell Raul that she could see the future in this way? To explain the plan that having so many farcasters be activated in such a small amount of time would make it hard to track which one her and her party had entered? Thinking about it in hindsight, Simmons probably wanted the reader to figure this out for themselves but for Raul it makes no sense. Nothing would be lost by him knowing this.
The second odyssey of Raul is just as entertaining as the first from book 3, and it's also here that the adventures of De Soya et. al. start to pick up a bit more. Unfortunately I found the colorful world very dull after Raul gets injured and his escape quite drawn out. Little did I know what was to come. For the worst portion of the book is the last 70% of it, i.e. the majority.
In this last part of the quartet Simmons lays out his story, finally putting into play the epic conclusion to the story he's set up over the last 1.5k pages. Except... nothing feels new. Anaea's preaching her gospel of buddism to the Dalai Lama, Raul's frustrated with the lack of direction (as am I) and I'm really still left with a lot of fundamental questions, such as:
Spoiler
Do I understand any better now what the void is? Who the lions and tigers and bears are? Are you telling me that human consciousness is a beacon that allows us to manipulate time and space? Why is the nanotech to do this necessary if the answer is love? Who made it? Why is the shrike alive? Why are the time tombs just that, tombs? Why is the shrike so crazy in the first 2 books if it is a glorified bodyguard near the end?Can we also talk about how Raul is generally being a bit of a douche in this book too? Like he sometimes finds himself physically shaking Anaea and shoving her because she won't tell him the future (although, to be fair, it is a bit odd since she keeps telling everyone else). He's also dating someone he helped raise. This is foreshadowed in book 3 of course but I was hoping Simmons would make it less creepy, not more: why is he always calling her kiddo? ugh.
I did love the way that the core and the church came together, but really we've known about that since early in book 3, possibly even book 2.
So, in general, a very disappointing end to a what has been a fantastic series. Simmons lost the plot in the last book but I'll still be recommending the first 3!
Holy Eff-a-molee. This was a great conclusion. There were circles within circles. The tree star and the tiny glimpse we had into it's being. The Ousters and the tiny glimpses we had into their being. The time we had with everyone on T'ien Shan.
I almost didn't read Endymion and Rise of Endymion because I am dense and trusted the opinions of a couple underwhelming reviews on Goodreads. But... Because of those underwhelming reviews I took a 4 year break from the Cantos, and I think that 4 year break let me relive a lot of the flashbacks in Endymion (to both the first and second books).
Endymion was an epic adventure with only a few main characters. This is all over the place with political drama, another awkward romance, more flashbacks, action chases, religious apologetics. And it's all worth it. On top of all of the craziness going on, I think Simmons nails the denouement. Prove me wrong if you don't agree. Hah!
I almost didn't read Endymion and Rise of Endymion because I am dense and trusted the opinions of a couple underwhelming reviews on Goodreads. But... Because of those underwhelming reviews I took a 4 year break from the Cantos, and I think that 4 year break let me relive a lot of the flashbacks in Endymion (to both the first and second books).
Endymion was an epic adventure with only a few main characters. This is all over the place with political drama, another awkward romance, more flashbacks, action chases, religious apologetics. And it's all worth it. On top of all of the craziness going on, I think Simmons nails the denouement. Prove me wrong if you don't agree. Hah!
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's a difficult job to end a story as spectacular as this, which is why so many writers of a prolific series never seem to finish the final book.
In this way, Dan Simmons must be commended. He finished the Cantos.
The series is truly incredible, but the last book is my least favorite. Perhaps, it's the mystery of the first three that make them so enticing? To be clear, the fourth installment is by no means bad. Some of the scenes and descriptions will live in your head for the rest of your life. However, there are some parts that are much slower than the preceding three books which can make it difficult to get through. There's a lot of side characters who come up and are named and you wonder why it's so important to name all of them. It does become more clear in the end. Also, there's a lot more romance in this book than the previous three. In many ways, the 4th book is a love story. Also, there's a mystery that's so obviously solved in the last 50 pages, it's pretty incredible that Raul doesn't figure it out until the last 5. There is this acknowledgement that Raul is often the last to know or realize things, but he's not an idiot. This one really smacks you in the face.
One thing I do really love is that there is still some mystery left at the end of the story. Still some ideas left to ponder... some concepts that are left a bit open-ended like a gift from the author.
In this way, Dan Simmons must be commended. He finished the Cantos.
The series is truly incredible, but the last book is my least favorite. Perhaps, it's the mystery of the first three that make them so enticing? To be clear, the fourth installment is by no means bad. Some of the scenes and descriptions will live in your head for the rest of your life. However, there are some parts that are much slower than the preceding three books which can make it difficult to get through. There's a lot of side characters who come up and are named and you wonder why it's so important to name all of them. It does become more clear in the end. Also, there's a lot more romance in this book than the previous three. In many ways, the 4th book is a love story. Also, there's a mystery that's so obviously solved in the last 50 pages, it's pretty incredible that Raul doesn't figure it out until the last 5. There is this acknowledgement that Raul is often the last to know or realize things, but he's not an idiot. This one really smacks you in the face.
One thing I do really love is that there is still some mystery left at the end of the story. Still some ideas left to ponder... some concepts that are left a bit open-ended like a gift from the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Grief
Minor: Vomit
I do not think this is a worthy follow-up to Hyperiona and the Fall of Hyperion.
Things I loved about this book (and Endymion):
- A. Bettik
- Aenea
- The raft
- The ice world
- The cable and slideways of the Mountains of Heaven
- Freecasting
- The Void That Binds
- The Thunderbolt Sow
Things that really ruined both books:
- Raul
- The weirdass relationship between Raul and Aenea
- The killing of Raul's dog at the beginning of Endymion so that we like Raul.
I remember while reading the book the first time explaining away the weird relationship that was forming between Aenea and Raul. But this time around, it's just ... weird. And not good. AND NOT NEEDED. The love story between Aenea and Raul could have been told in many other more meaningful and healthy ways. The start of their relationship when she is a child and he is a grown adult adds little to nothing to the overall story. His continued use of "kiddo" after they get together is ... creepy? Since time travel is a Thing in these books, it could have been handled better and in a more interesting less sketchy kinda creepy old guy young woman way.
And in a lot of ways, Aenea's insistence that Raul is her person seems more like an amazing woman settling for a mediocre man for reasons I can't explain. I did not believe her interest or love of him because he did not inspire in me the same feelings, either by thought, word, or deed.
Sometimes re-reading things is disappointing.
Things I loved about this book (and Endymion):
- A. Bettik
- Aenea
- The raft
- The ice world
- The cable and slideways of the Mountains of Heaven
- Freecasting
- The Void That Binds
- The Thunderbolt Sow
Things that really ruined both books:
- Raul
- The weirdass relationship between Raul and Aenea
- The killing of Raul's dog at the beginning of Endymion so that we like Raul.
I remember while reading the book the first time explaining away the weird relationship that was forming between Aenea and Raul. But this time around, it's just ... weird. And not good. AND NOT NEEDED. The love story between Aenea and Raul could have been told in many other more meaningful and healthy ways. The start of their relationship when she is a child and he is a grown adult adds little to nothing to the overall story. His continued use of "kiddo" after they get together is ... creepy? Since time travel is a Thing in these books, it could have been handled better and in a more interesting less sketchy kinda creepy old guy young woman way.
And in a lot of ways, Aenea's insistence that Raul is her person seems more like an amazing woman settling for a mediocre man for reasons I can't explain. I did not believe her interest or love of him because he did not inspire in me the same feelings, either by thought, word, or deed.
Sometimes re-reading things is disappointing.
I... Am broken yet whole. What an absolutely incredible journey.
Learn the language of the dead, learn the language of the living, hear the music of the spheres, and take the first step through the Void Which Binds.
"Choose Again"
Learn the language of the dead, learn the language of the living, hear the music of the spheres, and take the first step through the Void Which Binds.
"Choose Again"
It almost lost me for a while in the middle, but I was well and truly won over again by the end.
- Spoiler Free Review -
I'll start by saying: I adored Hyperion. It's honestly one of the best books I've ever read and I can't praise it highly enough. I loved Fall of Hyperion, not quite as much as Hyperion, but it was still an easy five star read for me. Endymion fell off a little for me, but I still enjoyed it a lot and chose to reserve final judgement until I'd seen how some of the loose ends were resolved in the final book.
Well, I've now read the final book and it's time to pass judgement...
There were a lot of things about Rise of Endymion that I really loved, but there were also quite a few things that missed for me. The end result is a book I overall enjoyed a lot, but did have some issues with.
Let's start with things I loved:
Simmons' prose is truly beautiful. There are segments of this book (for example, describing the construction of a building, or an extended landscape description) which I feel like *should* be boring. But they're not. Something about the way that Simmons writes just sucks me into the pages and I feel like I could keep on reading for ever.
His worldbuilding is also remarkable. I love visiting all the strange, alien worlds alongside his characters. I love seeing all the bizarre creatures and outlandish cultures, the weird technology and the exotic landscapes. It almost feels like playing a really well thought through RPG - you're happy to ignore the main quest just so you can wander off and explore.
I also think Simmons does a good job at tying up the loose ends and completing the story in a satisfactory manner. Yes, I have one or two little gripes (both the time-travel elements and the appearances of the Shrike do start to have a whiff of the deux ex machina by the end), but, broadly, I think the book sticks the landing and I was happy with the way it ended.
The best thing about this book, and the whole Cantos is general, however, is the sheer scope of what Simmons has attempted. The themes that he explores and the symbolism he uses is incredibly profound - and I say that as someone who is pretty sure that a good number of things probably went straight over my head.
He tackles religion, philosophy, mortality, love and what it is that makes us human and makes life worth living. He explores corruption and salvation, selfishness and sacrifice, freedom and submission, empathy, trust and obedience. In most of these instances, he avoids stating the obvious and frames the issues around novel situations, or character choices. A particularly good example of this, for me, is Father Captain De Soya: a man who is, at heart, a faithful Catholic priest, but who is struggling with his conscience in the face of the corruption that he begins to perceive has taken root in the church he has devoted his life to.
Rise of Endymion, and the whole Hyperion Cantos, are books that have a huge amount of depth to them. They're books that stay in your head long after you've finished reading and I frequently find myself mulling over scenes or ideas that I found within their pages.
So, what didn't I love?
I'll start with the obvious one: the romance. Look, by the time it actually turns into a romance, thanks to a bit of sci-fi age manipulation, it wasn't anything like as bad as I was dreading. But it's still hard to get over the fact that these characters met when one was twelve and the other in his thirties... the relationship goes from something that seems very paternal, to something that... obviously isn't... and I just struggled to not feel a bit icky about the whole thing. Did it have some good moments? Absolutely it did! But there was always a small voice in the back of my head going 'you raised this kid, your nickname for her is still 'kiddo', doesn't that make this a bit weird?'
There was also a chunk, somewhere around half way through the book, where the pacing slowed down significantly - I'll identify it as 'the mountain section'. A huge list of new characters are introduced here, but we never really get chance to get to know any of them- they pretty much just remain a list of names. Simmons' prose is good enough that I wouldn't say I was bored, exactly, but I was starting to question the direction the book was going in and getting restless to move on.
I also think, in contrast to the earlier books in the Cantos, Simmons' worldbuilding can get a little info-dumpy here. There are pages and pages of Aenea's 'discussion groups' - which, in reality, are mostly just Aenea explaining some element of the worldbuilding in an extended monologue. Is it unpleasant to read? No. I would just say it's a much clumsier form of worldbuilding/exposition than what I've previously seen from Simmons.
Another minor gripe: Simmons contradicts some of the events/lore that he established in the first two books. Now, he always has an in-world (and technically plausible) explanation for this (e.g. someone lied here, or Martin Silenus made a mistake recording this part) but I really liked the first two books, so the retconning felt a bit annoying.
And one final negative: using some sci-fi magic (which I won't spoil) certain characters from the first two Hyperion books make brief cameo appearances in this book. The thing is, with one exception, I don't really see what the point was? I love the original characters and was initially very excited to see them again, but by the end of the book I was wishing they'd just been left alone. They don't really do much, or influence the plot in any way, and their presence ends up being more of a distraction and disappointment than an enhancement.
Now, I realise this sounds like rather a lot of complaints and would like to stress that each of these things was a pretty minor annoyance by itself. It's just that, added up, they made for a book that, while still enjoyable, was definitely my least favourite of the Cantos.
Overall, I'd say that I still had a good time reading this, I'm still glad I picked it up. I don't think the Endymion section of the Cantos is anything like as strong as the Hyperion section, however. Whether I'd recommend it is a bit hard to say... if you really loved the Hyperion books I think it's worth trying the Endymion ones as there is still a lot to like about them. If you were neutral, or liked but didn't love the Hyperion books? I think it's unlikely the Endymion books are going to blow your mind, although you'll probably still have a good time reading them - I certainly did!
I look forward to trying more books by Dan Simmons in the future!
- Spoiler Free Review -
I'll start by saying: I adored Hyperion. It's honestly one of the best books I've ever read and I can't praise it highly enough. I loved Fall of Hyperion, not quite as much as Hyperion, but it was still an easy five star read for me. Endymion fell off a little for me, but I still enjoyed it a lot and chose to reserve final judgement until I'd seen how some of the loose ends were resolved in the final book.
Well, I've now read the final book and it's time to pass judgement...
There were a lot of things about Rise of Endymion that I really loved, but there were also quite a few things that missed for me. The end result is a book I overall enjoyed a lot, but did have some issues with.
Let's start with things I loved:
Simmons' prose is truly beautiful. There are segments of this book (for example, describing the construction of a building, or an extended landscape description) which I feel like *should* be boring. But they're not. Something about the way that Simmons writes just sucks me into the pages and I feel like I could keep on reading for ever.
His worldbuilding is also remarkable. I love visiting all the strange, alien worlds alongside his characters. I love seeing all the bizarre creatures and outlandish cultures, the weird technology and the exotic landscapes. It almost feels like playing a really well thought through RPG - you're happy to ignore the main quest just so you can wander off and explore.
I also think Simmons does a good job at tying up the loose ends and completing the story in a satisfactory manner. Yes, I have one or two little gripes (both the time-travel elements and the appearances of the Shrike do start to have a whiff of the deux ex machina by the end), but, broadly, I think the book sticks the landing and I was happy with the way it ended.
The best thing about this book, and the whole Cantos is general, however, is the sheer scope of what Simmons has attempted. The themes that he explores and the symbolism he uses is incredibly profound - and I say that as someone who is pretty sure that a good number of things probably went straight over my head.
He tackles religion, philosophy, mortality, love and what it is that makes us human and makes life worth living. He explores corruption and salvation, selfishness and sacrifice, freedom and submission, empathy, trust and obedience. In most of these instances, he avoids stating the obvious and frames the issues around novel situations, or character choices. A particularly good example of this, for me, is Father Captain De Soya: a man who is, at heart, a faithful Catholic priest, but who is struggling with his conscience in the face of the corruption that he begins to perceive has taken root in the church he has devoted his life to.
Rise of Endymion, and the whole Hyperion Cantos, are books that have a huge amount of depth to them. They're books that stay in your head long after you've finished reading and I frequently find myself mulling over scenes or ideas that I found within their pages.
So, what didn't I love?
I'll start with the obvious one: the romance. Look, by the time it actually turns into a romance, thanks to a bit of sci-fi age manipulation, it wasn't anything like as bad as I was dreading. But it's still hard to get over the fact that these characters met when one was twelve and the other in his thirties... the relationship goes from something that seems very paternal, to something that... obviously isn't... and I just struggled to not feel a bit icky about the whole thing. Did it have some good moments? Absolutely it did! But there was always a small voice in the back of my head going 'you raised this kid, your nickname for her is still 'kiddo', doesn't that make this a bit weird?'
There was also a chunk, somewhere around half way through the book, where the pacing slowed down significantly - I'll identify it as 'the mountain section'. A huge list of new characters are introduced here, but we never really get chance to get to know any of them- they pretty much just remain a list of names. Simmons' prose is good enough that I wouldn't say I was bored, exactly, but I was starting to question the direction the book was going in and getting restless to move on.
I also think, in contrast to the earlier books in the Cantos, Simmons' worldbuilding can get a little info-dumpy here. There are pages and pages of Aenea's 'discussion groups' - which, in reality, are mostly just Aenea explaining some element of the worldbuilding in an extended monologue. Is it unpleasant to read? No. I would just say it's a much clumsier form of worldbuilding/exposition than what I've previously seen from Simmons.
Another minor gripe: Simmons contradicts some of the events/lore that he established in the first two books. Now, he always has an in-world (and technically plausible) explanation for this (e.g. someone lied here, or Martin Silenus made a mistake recording this part) but I really liked the first two books, so the retconning felt a bit annoying.
And one final negative: using some sci-fi magic (which I won't spoil) certain characters from the first two Hyperion books make brief cameo appearances in this book. The thing is, with one exception, I don't really see what the point was? I love the original characters and was initially very excited to see them again, but by the end of the book I was wishing they'd just been left alone. They don't really do much, or influence the plot in any way, and their presence ends up being more of a distraction and disappointment than an enhancement.
Now, I realise this sounds like rather a lot of complaints and would like to stress that each of these things was a pretty minor annoyance by itself. It's just that, added up, they made for a book that, while still enjoyable, was definitely my least favourite of the Cantos.
Overall, I'd say that I still had a good time reading this, I'm still glad I picked it up. I don't think the Endymion section of the Cantos is anything like as strong as the Hyperion section, however. Whether I'd recommend it is a bit hard to say... if you really loved the Hyperion books I think it's worth trying the Endymion ones as there is still a lot to like about them. If you were neutral, or liked but didn't love the Hyperion books? I think it's unlikely the Endymion books are going to blow your mind, although you'll probably still have a good time reading them - I certainly did!
I look forward to trying more books by Dan Simmons in the future!
Choose Again !
Aenea
The Endymion novels are generally viewed as sub-standard to Hyperion, which is like complaining that not all Beethoven Symphonies are as outstanding as his ninth, even though they are all masterpieces.
Endymion is very much it's own work, even if it is set in the same universe as Hyperion and takes up from some of it's lose ends, primarily Brawne Lamia's pregnancy.
The majority of the novels are told retrospectively by Raul Endymion while he sits in his death cell waiting for the automatic execution, we follow his meeting with Martin Silenius and Aenea and their travels together, more or less chronological, with a few future appetizers thrown in once in a while.
Though their story we also get the full backstory of the history of the universe and the many worlds after the fall of the farcasters and fat-lines, the rise of the pax, the alliance with the techonocore and the resurrection cruciforms.
It's a book with very strong religious and philosophical notes, without ever becoming preaching, with Aenea cast as a clear messiah figure, embracing life in all aspects, diversity and changes contrary to uniformation and stagnation.
The conclusion is amazing and stunning even the the second time around, and a real treat for lovers of time travel and time paradox stories like me
Just like with my other favorite time travel romance [b:The Time Traveller's Wife|25848636|The Time Traveller's Wife|Audrey Niffenegger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436025478l/25848636._SX50_.jpg|2153746] there's a uncomfortable issue with people meeting their future lover as a child, in Endymion especially in a scene where Raul (Simmons) comments on a naked Aenea swimming. it nearly bumped it down to 4 stars
Aenea
The Endymion novels are generally viewed as sub-standard to Hyperion, which is like complaining that not all Beethoven Symphonies are as outstanding as his ninth, even though they are all masterpieces.
Endymion is very much it's own work, even if it is set in the same universe as Hyperion and takes up from some of it's lose ends, primarily Brawne Lamia's pregnancy.
The majority of the novels are told retrospectively by Raul Endymion while he sits in his death cell waiting for the automatic execution, we follow his meeting with Martin Silenius and Aenea and their travels together, more or less chronological, with a few future appetizers thrown in once in a while.
Though their story we also get the full backstory of the history of the universe and the many worlds after the fall of the farcasters and fat-lines, the rise of the pax, the alliance with the techonocore and the resurrection cruciforms.
It's a book with very strong religious and philosophical notes, without ever becoming preaching, with Aenea cast as a clear messiah figure
Spoiler
(dying to allow the rest of humanity to live)The conclusion is amazing and stunning even the the second time around,
Just like with my other favorite time travel romance [b:The Time Traveller's Wife|25848636|The Time Traveller's Wife|Audrey Niffenegger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436025478l/25848636._SX50_.jpg|2153746] there's a uncomfortable issue with people meeting their future lover as a child, in Endymion especially in a scene where Raul (Simmons) comments on a naked Aenea swimming. it nearly bumped it down to 4 stars