And now I have finally concluded the Hyperion series at long last with the fourth, and final, book "The Rise of Endymion"!
Aenea, the new messiah, has now come of age, and the reckoning has come with a final genocidal crusade that now threatens to enslave humanity forever. She had been apprentice to strange beings known as the others, and now, with her protector Raul Endymion, must deliver her message to her growing number of disciples.
But they must embark on one last mission so that they will discover the final meaning of the universe itself. And still they are followed by the Shrike, who is about to reveal the secret of its origin. And on Hyperion where the story all began, the final revelation is about to be delivered, a message that unlocks all the secrets of existence and humanity's fate in the galaxy.
"The Rise of Endymion" is much slower going, but it does has intense scenes to go along with the more introspective ones. The slower pacing I don't mind all that much, but for others it might be a bit of a slog to read. And it is much more philosophical, and I've noticed that both this and "Endymion" that the lean on the philosophical side, though with "Endymion" it's not heavily present, but it's there.
I think this one's pretty good too, but this final book is the least liked of the whole series, whether with how it ended or the slow pacing, or maybe both. But I still found a bit of satisfaction with the ending, and also in finishing the series after such a long wait. Not saying that it is a masterpiece, and it definitely isn't, but found it enjoyable anyways, flaws and everything!
by i-the-muso-1968