Reviews

he lost me a little towards the end ngl but he was kinda cooking at the beginning that shit was craaaazy. if the climax had been less drawn out this would've been four stars for me. what an amazing series

arockinsamsara's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

The epic space opera continues in great fashion. This picks up right where the first novel left off, but it expands the scope in an intense and immersive way. Our time is spent now between the various pilgrims as well as the political machinations happening in the capital, and by adding this political thriller aspect Simmons just manages to make the genre-mashing scope of this story even bigger.

Everything you love about the first novel is repeated here, with great writing that is dense and thoughtful, with an even greater emphasis on poetics, both in theme and style. There are heavier philosophical ideas explored here, and as these combine with highly evolved AI and time travel there are certainly some sections that definitely force the reader to tune in and pay attention. Even as the story grows it never feels like it gets away from Simmons, and it flows across worlds and modes of existence and through characters in a seamless and inviting way. The characters from the first novel become more interesting as they continue on their journeys, and at the same time we are introduced to a host of new characters who are equally compelling and fun. The story-telling device that Simmons uses to link the political story in the capital to the pilgrims’ journeys is genius and feels like it genuinely adds to the story instead of just being a convenient literary device.

I really appreciated the individual journeys, and the role that poetry, or art and aesthetics, plays in all of them. It isn’t always so literally discussed, but there is a sentimentality to each of the character’s journeys, an exploration of how each engages in ideas of beauty or honor or sacrifice as a way of ordering the universe and recognizing or simulating the divine. Simmons could have just been loosely inspired by Keats’s poems, borrowed their titles, and left it at that. Instead, he took grabs on Keats with both hands and brings him into the story, adding a poetic sensibility to this sci-fi epic that just makes it feel different, warmer and more personal, more embracing, than any sci-fi epic has any need to be. It serves as this wonderful connecting thread that adds this coherence or continuity across the expansive scope of this story.

I felt the ending was earned, and even though some of it was pretty clearly telegraphed early on it was still remarkably satisfying. This is an incredibly fitting complement to the first novel. Simmons is able to take what could have been unwieldy and shape it into this heartfelt, expansive epic that encourages exploration of faith, divinity, pride, family, honor, sacrifice, destiny, family, devotion, and colonialism/expansionism. In addition, it asks fundamental questions about over-reliance on technology and asks you to try and divine the line when dependence on technology stops being a benefit to the growth and expansion of humanity but instead a shackle. It manages to tackle these ideas and more with wonderful writing, dense and engaging world-building, and characters that you care about.

shreejitgangadharan's review against another edition

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5.0

The second and final part of the "Hyperion" series comes as a conclusion to the pilgrimage of the 7 chosen ones. There is a change in the narration of the story, being told by a central character other than the pilgrims.
Somehow even better than its predecessor, this book brings new levels of vivid description of deception, betrayal, love, war and difficult decisions in the "Hegemony" where emotions are strained and the whole galaxy is at the brink of war, but noone knows who they're really fighting. At a micro-scale, the pilgrims have to confront the Shrike to see that their wishes are fulfilled, but little do they know that they have been manipulated, and they are but pawns in a deception so great, that it spans space and time.
The writing style is amazingly descriptive of emotions, as well as brings into picture the fact that sentient alien lifeforms can be so similar to us, have human-like taste in art and culture, and yet have their own differences, both physical and cultural, from having lived and evolved in different circumstances. The tension of having to take decisions between the better of two paths, both of which lead to destruction, and having to live with the hate of generations of billions of citizens, who will never understand your sacrifice.
An epic adventure, brought to an epic conclusion.

katmosfeer's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

lizthescaredycat's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A great continuation of the series! I really liked how there was a new element with the first person perspective and how the stories of the original characters at Hyperion wove together and concluded.

I can’t wait for the next books

readingrainbow34's review against another edition

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4.0

If you read and liked Hyperion, you have to read this continuation, because it is really just Hyperion Part 2.

And it get's pretty bizarrely philosophical religious and complex. It can drag a little bit at times, but I liked it.

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