Rating: 
Summary: The best conclusion I've ever read. Ever.
Review: After the dismal third installation of the series, I was a bit concerned, however impelled to read on. I'm very glad I did, because this final book is a celebration of everything that made the first two so great. It answers questions left untouched earlier (like, what in heavens is the Shrike?), and deepens your understanding of the universe that Simmons has painted. You will be surprised at what you learn -- maybe even uncomfortable (I was... the discussions of the Void Which Binds are profoundly creepy) -- and you will finally come to love the characters which bored you to tears in the previous book.A sci-fi series is a dangerous thing for a reader. It is very easy to fall in love with the world you've been visiting. And it is very easy for the author to ruin the whole thing in the closing move (I still wish I'd left the final Dune novel on the shelf... the last chapter all but ruins the whole damn series). But Simmons comes through like a champ, with a fitting, surprising, and flat-out wonderful finale. Please, with all your might, fight the urge to "peek" at the last page. As much as I loved the series, I did not expect to have the last sentence make me cry -- but I did. Yeah, I'm a goof. Read this book. Now. Go!
Rating: 
Summary: Hyperion saga goes out with a whimper
Review: Dan Simmon's Hyperion saga has been one of the great series of modern SF. The original two books, Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion, offered the reader stunning ideas, well realized characters and interesting plotting. Endymion followed on with developments several hundred years after the end of the first duology. Rise of Endymion finally ends the series. While still a good book, it left me very disappointed on several fronts. Most I can't go into without major spoilers, but I'll try to summarize. RoE is a big, long book. Too long: an agressive editor could have made it 100 pages shorter and not lose any essential plot. The long expositions by the heroine and the descriptions of absolutely every detail drag after a while. An editor could have also fixed the small but glaring errors. (For example, one of the labyrinth worlds in RoE is barely hostile, yet in Hyperion the labyrinth worlds are described as all very Earthlike.) The book lacks consistancy on a larger scale with the prequel as well. The Shrike's capabilities in relation to those of Nemes change radically between the two books, but no explanation is ever given as to why. The ending is rather unsatisfying as well. An enormous deus ex machina makes everything change, but doesn't really seem to require the previous 900+ pages to be accomplished. RoE also commits the worst sin for a sequel: it goes back and changes some of what happened in the first book. Without major spoilers, let's just say that some of the revelations about Fedman Kassad are simply bizarre. Despite all this, I stil rate it as a seven. The ideas are still wonderful, and much of the action is interesting. It's just not what I had hoped for.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow... this is bad...
Review: I read and liked "Illium" by Dan Simmons and liked it, so I bought "Hyperion" which was also really good. I then read "Fall of Hyperion" which was still pretty good. Then "Endymion" was not so good but still worth reading. But this book, I mean really, is bad. I only gave it a 2 because the first 2 books were really good. Mr. Simmons rambles on and on and on about nothing at all. It's hard to read! At one point I spent 5 pages reading about the main character walking around a mountain side for no reason at all. He describes, in depth, how he finds rocks and whatnot on the way... Then he basically says that the first 2 books (the good ones I remind you) where all lies concocted by the old poet. I mean, really, he apparently decided he was Buddhist and wanted to push the Buddhist philosophy. The only way he could do that was to re-write the first 2 books. Here are the points he tried to push in the book:
1. There is no God
2. Jesus was confused
3. Death is inevitable and important for evolution
4. The only true happiness happens when you are you are having sex with someone you 'love' Be prepared for him to tell you this OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER... He'll tell you through long boring conversations between people. He'll tell you through long boring speeches given by the "Non-Messiah". He'll tell you through long boring dream sequences of the main character. He'll tell you through the "unpredictable" yet inevitable series of events that is the "future". And all of these things happen over and over and over again. The Speeches are in the dozens... the conversations are in the hundreds. Entire chapters are just 2 people sitting there talking about the same stuff over and over again. (...) I recommend reading the first 2 books and not reading the last 2. Endymion was alright but you can't read it without having to read this one and this one is BAD.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely incredible -- this is how a series should end!
Review: I've a strong propensity towards sci-fi series, rather than stand-alone novels, as they allow the reader to inhabit the world for longer, and derive more from it. Despite this, I'm generally disappointed after reading the final book... feeling cheated, or simply not liking the author's final thoughts on his own universe (this holds particularly true for the final installment of the otherwise brilliant Dune series.. the last paragraphs of book VI dragged the whole series down a few notches). None of this is true for The Rise of Endymion. I certainly never found it predictable (though I don't profess to be more than an idiot), and was awe-stricken throughout. If anything, it exceeded by light-years its predecessor, Endymion (which was an extended hide-and-go-seek game, with loads of narrated plot). Everything is tied up fabulously, including the plights of the six Hyperion pilgrims (despite warnings of reading for "the wrong reason..."), and the final section should leave even the coldest Shrike a bit misty-eyed. Brilliant. Read this book. But not before reading the other three.... you can only thank yourself afterwards.
Rating:
Summary: The conclusion of the Hyperion epic is simply the best.
Review: It is hard to describe the excitement, joy and pleasure you will get when you read The Rise of Endymion, the fourth and final book in the Hyperion series (Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion). There is nothing to compare in the scifi field. The future that is created by Simmons is completely believable, and it always makes sense. This is one of those series where the entire universe is explained, both the nature of man, the possibilities for artificial intelligence and who or what God is. The recommendation, though, is that you start with Hyperion - The Fall of Endymion will not make a whole lot of sense if you don't. However, you will find yourself unable to put all four of the books down. And even if the third, Endymion, seems to drag a bit, read it carefully, for it sets up the last, The Fall of Endymion, which is the best. The hope here is that Simmons writes more in the future. There is definitely an extremely satisfying conclusion to the story line, and all plot lines are covered, but more could be written about the future Raul, Aenea, Bettik, De Soya and the rest. I hope there is more.
Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly disappointed
Review: This book was a major disappointment. Throughout the entire book Simmons basically re-writes the first three books of this series and when he's not re-writing, he's rambling on to excess attempting to give vivid descriptions that last pages and pages and about plot items that really have nothing to do with the story at hand. It seems Simmons had discovered eastern religions (i.e. buddhism etc.) and had to tell us about in this book. It was unbearibly frustrating to read about how characters die, but maybe not depending on whatever plot device Simmons chooses to introduce completely arbitrarily. The book reminds me of some of the really bad episodes of the "X-Files" where the whole episode revolves around one line "what is the truth Mulder?" "I don't know. What is the truth Scully?". This series started off with so much promise and it just ends as a complete dud. Especially Raul and Aenea's relationship, ridiculous it was, the dialog between them. My recommendation is to stop reading after "Endymion", but I understand that you'll have to finish the series as I did, but it really disappointed me. I do understand the major themes of the book, but I only need to understand them once, you know like maybe in the first one hundred pages. I didn't need to be retold what they were over and over again in the next 600 pages.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Conclusion
Review: I have always been a huge fan of fantasy/sci-fi novels as well as novels that make you think. The Hyperion series is one of the best out there, right along with Dune. But the Hyperion series goes even farther into such thought provoking questions about immortality, intelligence, what makes something "human", evolution,religion, and, most thoroughly, time. Although the entire quintet is fascinating, The Rise of Endymion greatly surpasses all previous installments with a tremendous blend of action, philosophy, and a very well-done and tasteful love story. I highly recommend this book to any and all looking for a good read but aren't afraid to use their brain a little, or a lot. I warn you though, read the first three otherwise this will be one of the most confusing experiences of your life.
Rating:
Summary: Literate Science Fiction
Review: Start with an appreciation of what Simmons is trying to do in this fourth book in the Hyperion Cantos: - He is finishing the story of a messiah-like heroine who has known from the day she was born the exact, gruesome manner, date and time of her death. - He is using - with full credit - the ideas of Tielhard de Chardin and John Keats and others, ideas and even writers of whom the majority of his readers are mostly unaware. - He is advocating the powers of humanity, and especially the power of love, over the powers of technology. In a science fiction novel. - He has chosen as one theme crucifixion: individual's crucifixion by the Shrike, humanity's crucifixion by the cruciform parasite, and Aenea's horrifying death. Crucifixion is at the heart of the West's most prominent religion. - Like any writer of a series, he is constrained by the myriad loose ends from the three earlier books. Simmons meets all of these challenges. He writes a suspenseful, emotionally engaging novel that takes all of these ideas and constraints and deals with them fairly, consistently and pretty completely. Not many writers have the wit and courage to attempt these ideas; only a fraction of those who have the wit and courage also have the talent to bring it off. Simmons not only makes the attempt; he mostly succeeds. The criticisms and negative reviews, it seems to me, stem from those who don't understand this is a novel of ideas, and those who give little credit to the breadth of what Simmons is trying to do. Aenea's final months and messy death is nothing less than a technologically rationalized replay of Christ's, recast and rethought in very impressive ways. Raul's rebirth is Saul's re-birth, isn't it? No, this isn't a sword and fur jockstrap story, or yet another "coming of age with a light saber" Hero's journey. This is a book that welcomes and rewards a thinking reader. I wish there were more examples in the genre. Well conceived, brilliantly written. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Number 4 of 4 -- A fantastic conclusion
Review: As I write this review I am completing my second read of the Hyperion series. This second exposure to the series has shown me a few things: 1) Dan Simmons has an incredible imagination. He obviously put a lot of thought into the many cultures that might exist in a far-future universe, apparently acquiring some of his descriptions from true life experiences. His description of the mountainous planet where much of the 4th book takes place seems inspired by a trip to Tibet. More than once, he devotes several pages to merely description. I am an impatient person, so I must admit I skimmed some of these passages the second time through, but this does not mean that I don't appreciate it. I do. 2) Simmons was trying to explain many of his views about religion and philosophy by describing them through fiction. Sorry if this isn't the case, Dan, but I couldn't help but wonder if you had recently experienced your own revelations about religion and you needed to write it down. I am certainly not offended, and I found both the story and ideas within it to be fascinating. 3) Despite the fact that Simmons is not officially trained in any of the sciences - from what I've read his background is English Literature - his use of the lingo and understanding of technical topics seems right on. There are marvelous ideas in this story: moving through time, morphing ship hulls, super strong "monofilament", and "doc-in-a-box" medical facilities on ships. Even if he doesn't understand why some of these things might be possible, he makes it sound like he does. 4) Despite minor inconsistencies (for instance, in one part of the story the nemesis Nemes approaches Raul and Aenea in a standoff, and she enters the scene wearing red, but later she is wearing black [?]) the story ties most of the series together quite well. There are some things left unexplained, but I feel this is totally excusable given that the entire series spans approximately 2000 pages. If anyone has ever attempted to write a genuine *book*, then he or she knows how difficult and confusing it can be at times. 5) I said it once before and I say it again: I am the Shrike's biggest fan. As mentioned in a previous review, something inconsitent happens between "Endymion" and "The Rise of Endymion", where the Shrike seems to become stronger. This goes unexplained, but I humbly justify this inconsistency as such: The Shrike is a product of evolving entities, and its battle with Nemes at the end of the 3rd book must have taught its makers a few lessons. For a "machine" that exists *through* time, it is undoubtedly true that it should adapt so that it is never obsolete. I therefore suspect that the Shrike learned to be a bit more tricky when dealing with these hellish vat-born creatures, and I'm happier that it did. Towards the end of the book, I find myself audibly cheering for the Shrike despite the fact that it is unknown whether it is good or bad. In addition, its name is cool. Go Shrike. EDIT: Upon finishing the book for the second time yesterday, I forgot how sad the ending is. It left me in a somber mood, and though there are potentially good things afoot, I found myself grieving at the end of the series. I wanted to read more. Hear that, Dan Simmons? Write another installment, please!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Climax
Review: In Rise of Endymion, Raul and Aenea are trying to save humanity. The characters are some of the most real I've read. The last chapter alone is worth reading the entire book. It is amazing.
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