Rating: 
Summary: so bad, it must have been a contract obligation
Review: I have stopped reading the book at page 450. The only reason I made it through the first 100 was the greatness of the 1st two books in the series. Alas, Mr. Simmons failed to deliver; he should be embarrassed to have his name affixed to the title. Though I enjoyed the suspense of "Endymion" --book 3 of the tetralogy--, only the first 2 books of the series are great science fiction. I hate it when science fiction authors feel the need to explain away all the mystery of a previous book, tie in all the loose ends with unimaginative hack formulae --cf. Arthur Clarke"S 2010. Simmons is/was better than the hacks, but "Rise of Endymion" shows no restraint in exhibiting its lack of substance. In short, the plotting is dull, the metaphors mixed into a limp salad. The best moments are smugly laden with pedantic "discoveries" that underestimate the reader's intelligence. Mr Simmons' cursory knowledge of Asian culture and Religion promises, but fails to deliver the sadly missed defamiliarization of the 1st 2 books. That's enough time wasted reviewing this disappointing conclusion to the Hyperion series.
Rating: 
Summary: Wraps up a great series in splendid fashion
Review: Many book series only exist because once the first one or two become popular, the publishers and readers demand the rest. Often, however, the author burns up the best material in the beginning. Not so in Rise of Endymion. Simmons writes probably the best single title in the whole series, tying every small detail elegantly together in ways both satisfying and surprising. I was moved to tears on more than one moment in this masterpiece of modern Sci-Fi work.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much padding, too many problems.
Review: I, too, loved Hyperion and (to a lesser extent) The Fall of Hyperion. In comparison, the Endymion books are sad. Where the first books offered just about everything good science fiction can--mindbending situations, intricate world building, colorful characters, and thrilling adventure--the Endymion books substitute page upon page of padding, mundane chase plots with literally dozens of deus ex machinas, and gobs of unconvincing exposition to tie things up neatly at the end. There are also many sloppy plot points--like why does Aenea need to hanglide (for 50 pages!) to the far mountain if she can farcast anywhere.
Rating: 
Summary: need a good messiah, anyone?
Review: I'll admit the blatant sentimentality got me at the end. Ok. I'm adult, I can deal with it. And yes, I loved the book anyway. Again, intellectual snobbery aside, I thought it was fantastic. When you get so wound up in characters and stories like these, you can forgive wordiness and some of the other "sins" of a literary masterpiece. And while this book might be the weakest of the series, it is not by any means weak...quite the contrary...it completes a full cycle masterpiece.So ok. I've read the whole series and I have to say what a rush. It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of involving myself in such a tangible world. Fictional world, that is. Thank you, Mr. Simmons, for the gift of inspired emotion and thought. Life is a little richer for your contribution.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable conclusion to the Greatest story EVER written!!
Review: In my humble opinion - this is the best story I've ever read. I thought "Hyperion" and "Fall of Hyperion" created a complete story but with the addition of "Endymion" and "Rise Of Endymion" the story was richly enhanced. Amazingly Epic story - Highly recommended!!! I've read thousands of stories and this was definitely THE BEST!!! I'd give it 6 stars!
Rating:
Summary: Its worth reading to finish the series
Review: The strongest thing about this book are the three that came before it. It lacks the drive and interest of the first two books and seems to drag out the job of completing the third one (Endymion). On the other hand, it does complete the series without loose ends. I just wish the concepts were a little stronger. On the whole though, if you liked the Hyperion series, you wont be sorry you took the time to read this one, you just may not be thrilled.
Rating:
Summary: An awful end to an incredibly good series
Review: The first two Hyperion books are among the best science fiction ever written. They were intelligent, well thought out books with a complicated plot, good characters, and a fantastically described universe. Book 3 was fair. Book 4 was just plain bad. A dumb plot, a silly ending, and a series of annoying characters. I actually put the book down and stopped reading it for a few months because it was bad. It was a serious letdown from a fantastic beginning. I recommend reading the first two books only.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as "Endymion", but still a fairly good book
Review: This book starts out good, and ends good (althought the end is fairly depressing), but the middle of the book plods along much too slowly with descriptions of the world they are on, and there is just far too much discussion regarding architecture. Dan Simmons just strayed too far from the main story for most of this book.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: I loved the first two in the series. This was way too long and overdone. Although I liked it overall, the book was hurt by Aenea. She annoyed the hell out of me. Somehow, she knew everything taht ever happened. Also, the plot was a bit predictable. The First two aRe much better.
Rating:
Summary: The last "miracle" of Aenea
Review: The boring verbiage of Aenea, one's puerile speech of new Age messiah, one's aversion of spirituals things, one's monomaniac constancy to play the Last Supper again as soon as audience exceed three people, had annoyed me. Having said that, every one of us is free to express one's opinion, free to think the brain is only an incredible complex machine who produce the thought as the liver secrete the bile, but I think it's unjust to use thinkers or spirituals figures for illustrate this attitude of mind. Talking of that, the utilization of Pascal is dishonest and reducing, same thing for the word of Bouddha. I also find the Nemes creatures too human. Hate is the corollary of love, who don't know love and is vector, the empathy, don't know the hate. The cruelty, the pleasur in cruelty, is human characteristic only. Love and hate are irrationals by essence. When IA become irrational, we can remove "A". Paradoxically, the will of Aenea have something inhuman and contradictory. Doesn't she confess to Raul the difficulty to live when you know the time and condition of your own death (I admit that too), but impossible when you know the death of the one that you love? I wonder to know how this poor Raul, during the famous 1 year, 11 months, 1 week and 6 hours, can live then he kowns the tragic fate of his beloved ? Someone to ask themself the reason of five stars. Well, the reason is Aenea... The "miracle" so, always in inverted commas, so as not to irritate her. Yes, the reason, the only reason in one's love for Raul, his irrational love, heartbreaking, absolute and eternal love, his love's scream when she dies. Yes I know I'm stupid, but it's too late for a change. After to have dreamt to spank the maddening child, I would have liked to clasp the young wooman in one's arms. When she becomes symply human, miserable and naked, and however never so admirable, between the claws of his tortures. Even if some details of his martyr are useless, I must to admit to bave been upset by the last three chapters. When I admit that, and in spite of what I say above, I'm doing the greatest compliment to Simmons, to one's story-teller talent, and his fabulous imagination. One French writter said : "The imagination fly, but the words to walk". For Dan Simmons the imagination is endowed with wings, even perhaps Hawking propulstion. I don't know if Aenae will resurrect to his own hashes, curious this story of hasches, but finaly I believe I will supporte his spiritual's ramblings for more six hundred pages. Really, nothing make me more pleasure. One last thing, I find the cover of the americain edition of RoE, the representation of Shrike, one's attitude, really desappointing. My english is so far. I'm sorry for my style, I hope some turn of phrase are not too ridiculous. The impossibility to express exactly his own feeling is very frustrating. If any readers wants to speak whit me about this book, please, don't hesitate to e-mail me.
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