The Rise of Endymion

By: Dan Simmons

Narrated by: Victor Bevine

Length: 29 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

In the stunning continuation of the epic adventure begun in Hyperion, Simmons returns us to a far future resplendent with drama and invention. On the world of Hyperion, the mysterious Time Tombs are opening. And the secrets they contain mean that nothing - nothing anywhere in the universe - will ever be the same.

©1997 Dan Simmons (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

The Set Up to the Final Novel in the Seriees

Where does The Rise of Endymion rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Fantastic. I love Hyperion Series and this is consistent with the other books in terms of pace, detail and style.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Raul. I mean he is a reluctant hero and protagonist, but one that the entire series resolution can be viewed through.

Which character – as performed by Victor Bevine – was your favorite?

It would be difficult not to say Aenea. She is one of the strongest characters in the series and Victor does her justice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The opening segment grabs your interest and the rest of the book does not disappoint.

Any additional comments?

I wish Audible would get additional titles by Simmons, he is a unique and terrific writer.

4 hours of action, packed into 30 hours!

This is a hard book to review, considering I have more than 4 straight days of listening time invested in the series (Something like 97 hours total?)... But I came away from 'The Rise Of Endymion' with a strong sense of '4 hours of action inside of 30 hours of book'... it's very... wordy.

Not saying it's not worth listening to, it's very well worth the time, but some long parts of it are dragged way out (hours)... I feel like I attended Earth Day at a 'Running Man' festival, held on the home-site of a commune, with the 28+ year old hero being dragged around emotionally (and physically) by a 12 year old girl, for no real reason, while having The Wizard Of Oz banged into my head as we tool around in a flying Kayak after leaving the Hippies, while the author tries to convince me that he's really a master poet disguising his work in far flung Sci-Fi...

If that sounds confusing, you're getting my point. I see the deep symbolism the author is trying to convey, but not quite pulling off believably, due, among other things, to the strange lurches in technology. Once you've demonstrated the miraculous medical abilities of a culture, it's hard to listen to an hour of detailed descriptions of the hero being laid low by Kidney Stones. That sort of thing, combined with obvious points were the author seems to have abruptly trimmed long 'side-adventures' from the original text, really dampened my enjoyment and the flow of the book (Trimming the side-adventures was wise, but it was kind of abrupt just mentioning that you 'wanted to tell about them, but decided not to'). I also kinda dislike books that waste a lot of time by having the same events told from the point of view of each different character, one after another, in excruciating detail.

I guess I gave the 'series' a '4' overall, when I probably would have given this book in the series a 3 as a standalone book. When this happens in other series' I always feel like someone said, "Heh, just toss whatever into it, they've invested this much time in the series, so they'll buy this book in the series too'. I feel like this book contained an excellent Sci-Fi idea, but got 'fleshed out' way too much with the mundane. I'm not trying to be flippant when I say that the abridged version of this book is probably a real nail-biter.

Fantastic Series!!!

I loved all three. This one ties everything up nicely. A worthy listen and it's understandable why they are award winners.

Perfect

Everything about this series Is perfect. wonderful ending, expansive futurism, sci-fi at its best. The narrator nails the performance with some of the widest range of expression I've heard. This may be my most favorite series I've read and I cannot recommend it enough.

Simmons' writing makes you feel like you are there, a silent observer witnessing true events. I feel that the best books convince me absolutely that what I'm reading is true instead of fiction and I had that feeling deeply throughout the series.

There is so much depth and intrigue within the philosophies explored that I feel I must re read the series soon. I cannot believe I considered myself a well read Sci-fi enthusiast before I got ahold of these books.

Sci-fi messiah

Dan Simmons' The Rise of Endymion is the fourth and final installment in his Hyperion Cantos and takes up where book 3 ended with Raul and Aenea on Earth. Meanwhile, the collusion between the Church and the Technocore becomes more obvious, while the Technocore's end game is revealed. The Church is becoming more ruthless with pogroms against other religions and anyone else who will not accept the cruciform. Eventually, Raul and Aenea leave Earth separately and follow convoluted paths that eventually has them converge and travel to Pachem where Aenea confronts the Pope. Both are captured and the basis for Raul's detention in the Schrodinger box is revealed. Aenea is tortured to get her to farcast so the Core can study the process (which has been their goal). Raul eventually escapes and puts the band back together to return to Martin Silenus and check off all the old poet's bucket list laid down in book 1.

Simmons utilizes most of the technology previously outlined in books 1 - 3. In addition, he provides a rationale for the ability of the Church to utilize the cruciform for resurrection that relies on the Technocore; basically, the storage capacity necessary for a fully functional human being is beyond any single cruciform and so the Technocore provides that storage capacity. There is also discussion of an energy source that is tapped by farcasting and fat lining that derives from the "void that binds" which is wrecking havoc with the broader universe (the lions, and tigers, and bears) and appears to be a representation of zero point fields. Lastly all the extended travelogues that Raul and Aenea experience actually have a purpose.

Much of the tale draws parallels with Aenea and Jesus Christ: Aenea learns architecture(like carpentry), and gradually accumulate an entourage of apostles and disciples who receive her gift which is a genetic resistance to the cruciform by drinking her blood (viral transmission). Finally, her closest associates are tortured for their allegiance and she sacrifices herself in order to ignite the spark that overthrows the Church.

The narration is simply outstanding with excellent character distinction in spite of the large cast. Pacing is deliberate and the mood is tailored to the constantly shifting action versus tender moments as well as frequent introspective scenes.

Amazing end to a fantastic series.

While Simmons include significant amount more romance and I was expecting, I found myself pining more and relating more to this book then any of the others in the series. At first glance, it would seem as though some of the technical aspects of this series or lowered, however,that is only at first glance. Highly recommend as a finish to one of my favorite science-fiction series of all time.

Amazing. Solid. Satisfying.

If you could sum up The Rise of Endymion in three words, what would they be?

Amazing. Solid. Satisfying.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Shrike, of course. It's a terrifying, mysterious character that keeps you guessing as to it's purpose until very near the end. It's not even clear if the creature represents the interests of the protagonists or antagonists, or a 3rd, impartial party.

What about Victor Bevine’s performance did you like?

Victor Bevine is one of the best narrator's I've ever heard. It's not the voices, it's the delivery of the lines. It's like he understands the story as well as the author. I've heard narrators do great voices but even a spot-on accent can't compare to a properly delivered dialog. He is second only to the late Frank Muller.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are so many moving parts; so many revelations, tragedies and triumphs. It feels like it would be impossible to pick one moment. If I could pick a type of moment, it would have to be the reunions of characters that happen throughout the 4 books. A close second would be the appearances of the Shrike.

Any additional comments?

This review is meant to cover all 4 books in the series (Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion.) While not completely necessary to understand the second two, reading the Hyperion omnibus roots you in the characters' struggles and makes all the events in the Endymion omnibus that much more meaningful. The main character in the series is the universe that Simmons created itself. Although you feel a deep connection to the characters, I find myself more attached to the story, events and settings as a whole, more than any one character. That may be because you end up caring about all the characters, even the ones that only appear in a few short sections. From reading the first two books, one definitely comes away with the feeling of an incomplete story and the narrator even hints that the fates of the characters in the first two books won't be revealed by his stating, "if you are reading this to find out the fates of the characters, you are reading this for the wrong reason." I won't give anything away but suffice it to say, there is no lack of satisfaction in any part of this amazing series. I have never read, watched or listened to a more complete, compelling, thought provoking, thrilling, intricately woven and solid tale in my life.

Amazingly built story, plot and poetry...

... I see Hyperion Cantos books will still be recognized as so one thousand years from now. I'm grateful to author and narration team for my well spent time reading and listening to this timeless adventure.

Great series of books.

Great series of books. Very few plot holes in the story. Loved the mix of poetry and SxiFi

An exceptional conclusion to a classic series

A fitting final book in a series certain to stay in the science fiction cannon for years to come. The ever effective interweaving of adventure, philosophical reflection, and heart pounding action continues through this final chapter to the Hyperion cantos. Dan Simmons high technology and philosophy of love are wrapped into a satisfying finale, with a sound feeling of closure for the many epic threads of this riviting marrative. Victor Bevine continues his well suited pacing and emotional performance, suiting the story well and never distracting from the essence of the narrative.