Rating: 
Summary: Disappointment
Review: I would have to agree with the comments of the reviewer who said "another serious run into the ground." Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion are two of my favorite SF books ever. The next two in the series just completely fail to live up to the standard. Many things bother me about the second half of this series, primarily the fact that Simmons belittles the story and events which happened in the first half. The characters are completely uninteresting -- the Anea/Raul-as-foil dialog became increasingly more annoying with every turn of the page. The constant deus ex machina-character ruined any feeling of suspense. There is more potential for engaging narrative in an episode of the A*Team than in this book because the reader knows exactly how every conflict will be won.Instead of reading this book, go back and read the first two again.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfection
Review: Perfection is the one and only word which i believe can accurately describe this incredible masterpiece of scienc fiction literature. Not only is the plot of this book riveting, with twists and turns that are impossible to foresee, but the philosophical side of it is absolutley awe-inspiring in its perception of the universe. The conciseness of not only the meaning of life, but the meaning of the universe, time and space are shearly genius. Through reading this book, I experienced countless epiphonies as to the way the world works. I believe that this book has achieved, in only a few hundred pages, what men and women have been striving to achieve for countless aeons: understanding. Though there are many resaons to read this book, one of the most prominent being pleasure, i believe that it is a necessary book for all people to read because it changes one's outlook on life in general; it gives the world and the universe more of a "meaning" that is clearly definable. Truly, this book is more than a book: it is divine.
Rating:
Summary: A great finish to the hyperion series!
Review: I really expected Simmons to win the Hugo Award for the finish to this spectacular series. After reading the entire series in the past several months, I thought that the award was deserved for the scope and creativeness of the entire series. (Yes, I know that Simmons won a Hugo for Hyperion, the first book in the series). I agree with several reviewers that this series is right there with The Foundation Series, Heinlein's Future History, etc. What I haven't seen in other reviews is Simmon's use of Keat's poetry and life threaded throughout the series. Simmons is obviously a fan of Keats and uses Keat's writings effectively from the title of the series to his weaving of the Keats personality into the story. In addition to the emotional appeal of the ending of Rise of Endymion (some readers have admitted to a few tears, including this one), this series has motivated me to re-read Keats poetry, thereby bringing back another wonderful person of words into my reading life. Thanks, Dan for the 10 years you spent writing this series - it is great work in every respect!
Rating:
Summary: Will I finish it?
Review: I guess I will, eventually. I'm already at p.400+ . But, after Hyperion + the Fall, the Endymion books comes off as overlong. It's an endless "road-movie" book of Endymion, Aena, and not much of interest. Too many pages to say too little. Where is the brilliant world-building of Hyperion 1 + 2? Or the plots of Simmon's earlier works, such as Carrion Comfort or Song of Kali? Eh, who knows, maybe it'll improve by the end of the book? Hope so...
Rating:
Summary: another great sci-fi series
Review: simmons is definitely the asimov of his time. (maybe even a little better) this fourth book in the series neatly completes the story of aenea and raul. in this book, the real reason for the cruciforms is revealed, as well as the forces vying for the soul of humanity. even people who are not overly religious will admit that simmons gives us all something to think about, as he succintly weaves the tale about the corruption of the church, and it's eventual new beginning. great reading
Rating: 
Summary: A satisfying conclusion to the Hyperion saga
Review: Simmons has satisfyingly brought to closure one of the most gripping sci-fi sagas ever. The only downside I found was in some of the descriptive passages he used to provide the reader with a feel for the character's environment. These passages were too wordy by half. Other than that, the heartfelt characterizations and the successful taking of the "First Step" symbolizing humanity's evolution make this book worth reading. I wonder where Simmons will go from here?
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful writing again... but he drives it too far
Review: Alright, this book is fast-paced, filled with wonderful ideas and very, very entertaining. The universe in which it's set ist one of the most vivid I've ever read about. But the story... ...where is the story? The over-powerful Aena and Raul travel here and there, do this and that... ...as in Endymion (Book 3 in the series) the story is too weak to hold it all together. A history book about the Hyperion/Endymion background would be more fun to read.
Rating:
Summary: A firework of intelligence and true story-telling genius
Review: "The Rise of Endymion" concludes Dan Simmons science fiction quartet. This is a book for those who appreciate the beauty and strength of a soaring spirit capable of creating worlds within worlds with audacity and sureness. Dan Simmons also possesses to a remarkable degree, the capacity for building characters. This book stands apart like a white star, and Dan Simmon is, in my opinion, the Atlas of science fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Entropy catches up with the Hyperion series
Review: To be sure, following up "Hyperion," one of the best SF books ever written, would be a daunting task for anyone, so it's hard to blame Simmons for the let-down. "Fall of Hyperion," while excellent, lacked the drama of its predecessor, and while "Endymion" introduced some intriguing ideas, it also painted Simmons into a corner which from which he (or, rather, Raul & Aenea) couldn't escape without sone magic and deus ex machina. "The Rise of Endymion" is disappointing on several accounts. The reader can predict, 200 pages before Raul does, the resolution of several major plot points, such as the identity of the Outsiders and the nature of Aenea's "missing two years." (The first of those turns out to be meaningless, plot-wise, such it's unclear why Simmons builds it up so much.) After a strong start, the plot disintegrates into a weird amalgam of Olaf Stapledon's "The Star Maker," Frank Herbert's "Du! ne," and Clarke's "Childhood's End." Cliches such as "love is the ultimate power" abound, and Simmons also succumbs to a Heinlein-like need to insert brief, meaningless cameos of characters from previous books, and, unlike his previous books, all of the characters are decidedly more one-dimensional. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this book is how casually Simmons dismisses the "truths" revealed in the other books in this series, rewriting the past in such a way that the main characters can get out of the corner into which they'd been painted. To be sure, the news is not all bad: Simmons's wonderful, lyrical style of writing and description, matched only by Guy Gavriel Kay these days, can be seen throughout the book (though not continuously), and he certainly is able to guide his readers into the appropriate reactions to passages of bliss and horror. From any other author, this would be a very good book. From Simmons, though, I ! expect a bit more.
Rating:
Summary: Get Comfortable its best read in one sitting
Review: In this fourth installment, Dan Simmons again reveals why he is one of the "greats". His writing style is captivating and engrossing. If you are prone to crying hysterically, a box of tissues is reccomended for the last 3 chapters. Enjoy!
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