Endymion (Hyperion) Mass Market Paperback – November 1, 1996

Mind blowing, stunning, astonishing, heart in throat suspense, radical plot action. I read the first two volumes and reluctantly started the third, doubting that anything could be as good. It’s as good! I couldn’t put it down but the suspense and excitement were hard to take.

Grand storytelling. Not as great as the first two books unfortunately

I really liked the first two books. Easily some of my favorite scifi. I was curious how this third one would be because I don’t think I had seen the same positive reviews I had for the previous. But this book does not disappoint. It’s a page turner from start to finish.You know what the best part about this book is? A choice that makes me just love this author? We have a giant space adventure, over a dozen planets light years apart…and it all takes place on a crappy wooden raft. Our heroes are escaping like they’re Huck Finn while their pursuers are in advanced spaceships. It’s such a wild contrast and a real sign of how special this book is.And the structure of this book is similar to that of a movie, this is one of those stories that I don’t think could be fully captured for the screen. At least not in one movie alone. It’s so much more fun as a book and in the imagination. So many far off places of ice and vast oceans, old abandoned cities. Large ships, giant battles. I would never want to see this as a film.This third part of the Hyperion series teases some wild revelations about its universe and so I am very much looking forward to the next book - and have decided to read many more Dan Simmons books as well.

This is the 3rd of the 4 book cantos. The first 2 were very well written stories, great character development. Despite growing to hundreds of billions of people scattered on many worlds in the galaxy, Humanity is on the brink of extinction. The enemy's is hidden. The time tombs are opening. What will emerge? It depends on who built the time tombs.

Simmons is literarily ambitious and delivers on it! He paints the picture of multiple worlds in a journey that is as much about the transcendent nature of humanity.

My Rating - Put it on your listLevel - Easy, long (just over 500 pages)SummaryAlmost 300 years after the Fall of Hyperion, we do not know the fate of the Pilgrims, and apparently never will. This story focuses in a young man, Rual Endymion, who, after being convicted of murder, is sent on a quest to rescue a young girl from the Time Tombs, destroy the Pax, stop the TechnoCore, find Earth, and then reunite the old man with the girl to see Earth again. The story is written from the perspective of Rual, who has already been caught, tried, and sentenced by the Pax. He recounts the story from his imprisonment. The memoir style adventure includes rescuing the girl, escaping Hyperion, and running from the Pax by sailing down the old Hegemony river through multiple worlds, before the book ends half way through their journey. My ThoughtsThe opening page starts with the statement of reasons why not to read this book. Included among them was to find out what happened to the Pilgrims, that is to say, if you want to read a sequel to Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion. My first thought was, what the hell? that is exactly why I bought this book, and its sequel. In many ways, this is not really a sequel to those previous books. It is more a completely new story, but that is built in the same world as the prior, but only relates in that the world(galaxy) has changed and it was all due to what happened in the prior books. So, in that way, it is a little frustrating. However, it is still a great story, once you sift your mind away from the previous books in the Cantos. Like the previous books, it is written with quick, engaging action and solid, relatable characters. While the prior books were an ensemble cast, this one is mostly on Endymion, especially as he serves as the narrator, but there are several other characters on which the book focuses, that are not directly in his orbit. Again, Simmons uses varies story threads, one chapter focusing on Endymion, then the next one of their pursuers, then the next yet another antagonist, then back to him in the next. Overall, if you like sci-fi you are going to enjoy this book. If you have read the previous two, you could probably pick it up. Simmons writes the book with references to the prior books, but has Endymion or other characters explain bits (or expand and create new aspects that didn't exist), almost as if they are trying to remember. Even without reading the Cantos so far, this book is one to put on your list, but if you've already read them and are familiar with the universe, it is a must read. This particular book leaves too much hanging, leaving feeling a little wanting, but the final book in the series ties (to some extent) it all back together. So, read this one, then finish the Cantos and you'll have gone through one of the great, especially for how little known, works of far future science fiction out there. More review - MondayMorningTheologian.com

Endymion is another 5 star sci fi novel by the master Dan Simmons. It takes place 247 years after The Fall of Hyperion ( 4 1/2 stars see my review).Hyperion was 5 stars ( see my review). Together they are a sci fi classic.Endymion is a great part of the saga. The characters are fantastic and the various worlds our 3 heroes escape to are richly described.I wont ruin the story for you but give you something that is going on.We see the PAX Catholic church with much power and in control of many worlds but they feel threatened by a 12 year old girl Aenea who passes through the time tombs. PAX considered her an abomination as she had a Cyborg father with connections to the evil AI core. PAX knows the girl powers will increase as she gets older and plans to kill her now. An ex solder/duck hunting guide is railroaded into a death sentence but escapes with help of a thousand year old poet who is the girl's uncle. With the Poets blue skinned synthetic manservant they team together to find the girl and try to bring her safely to the old Uncle Poet before the PAX can kill her. The monstrous huge killing machine/creature Shrike and a hell/woman Nemes creature do battle as the Shrike trys to protect the girl from the hell woman who wants the girls head to take back to PAX. A Father/Space ship Captain de Soya and crew are set out to apprehend the girl or so they think but the hell woman creature Nemes is with them and she only wants death.99.99% of the book was great. The very very end INMO was kind of limp. I would of preferred a stronger ending. I highly recommend this book of non stop action,and adventure. I gained empathy with the characters. Another great book by Dan Simmons....5 stars. I ordered The Rise of Endymion and look forward to reading it. Some of the other reviewers did not like it but I'll review it.