This sequel to Hyperion and The Fall of
Hyperion is the story of Brawne Lamia's daughter; also, some
further antics of Martin Silenus, the Consul's ship, Lenar Hoyt in
his 9th incarnation as Pope Julius, and, of course, the Shrike. Or,
if you have not read Dan Simmons' earlier books, Endymion
tells the adventures of Raul and young Aenea, relentlessly pursued
across far-flung worlds by a Church which sees Aenea as a threat.
Endymion can boast sympathetic and intelligently crafted
characters; even deSoya, cast in the role of villain, is enticingly
likeable, and if Aenea seems too mature for her 12 years, at least
Simmons has not made the mistake of having her be unrealistically
childish. Simmons does have some problem with consistency, mostly
insignificant, if careless, points which do not interfere with the
otherwise strong plot.
Hyperion won a Hugo for Best Novel in 1990 and The Fall
of Hyperion was nominated for the same a year later. With this
background, Endymion, too, will probably at least be
nominated. But Endymion is that rare part of a series which
stands perfectly well on its own, needing neither the history that
came before nor the hinted-at sequel yet to come. All the same, we
can hope Simmons doesn't take too long to tell us "what happens
next."
Also by Dan Simmons:
Hyperion. Bantam Books, 1989
The Fall of Hyperion. Bantam Books, 1990
Endymion. Bantam Books, 1995
The Rise of Endymion. Bantam Books, 1997
This review copyright 1996 by Wendy Morris
Information last updated March 22, 1998