sanjica's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
A poor ending to a great series, making the previous books, and particularly the very unique Hyperion, worse by unnecessarily retconing plot elements.
Three things I particularly disliked:
Three things I particularly disliked:
- Our protagonist is a crybaby, and too many pages are spent on him being aggressively jealous of other people in his beloved child-bride's life (trigger warning:
who he still calls kiddo while having sex with her?!? ), which bring me to... - Aenea - the prophet, the teacher, and the plot-device. There is nothing to be said about her character as, in the end, none of her "teachings" matter at all. She could've been a magical blood bucket and the whole plot would remain the same (but with less whining from Raul).
- Speaking of, the plot of the book meanders and could've been edited down significantly without losing anything of importance. Example: author often wastes pages on naming every single elaborately-named character in a scene, even when 30+ characters are present.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, and Torture
Moderate: War and Genocide
Minor: Religious bigotry and Xenophobia
The central relationship of the book would very much be considered grooming.traa's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Gore, Drug use, Death of parent, Torture, Religious bigotry, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Classism
Moderate: Infidelity, Cancer, Body horror, Blood, and Pedophilia
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Infertility, Ableism, and Pregnancy
sammelito's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A satisfying conclusion to the series. An epic with complex themes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Torture
Moderate: Vomit and War
zerobot's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
The most insufferable science fiction book I have read since “Stranger in a Strange Land.” So long and so full of characters and names that are impossible to keep straight or at least who are not described well enough to stick in the brain. It’s possible that “Hyperion” was so good that Simmons just couldn’t possible end the story and those of us that read the series this far have to suffer for it.
Also, if the relationship between Raul and Aenea (couldn’t have a normal name for the ethereally perfect messiah pixie dream girl, could you?) wasn’t semi-pedophiliac enough, his calling her “kiddo” all the time really hits the nail on the head.
Also, if the relationship between Raul and Aenea (couldn’t have a normal name for the ethereally perfect messiah pixie dream girl, could you?) wasn’t semi-pedophiliac enough, his calling her “kiddo” all the time really hits the nail on the head.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
More...