Endymion

Terrific! The third of four in the Hyperion Cantos, Endymion is a good read.

Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion are the backstory for Endymion, but I think one could enjoy Endymion without having read the Hyperion books. Hyperion was good and so was The Fall of Hyperion - both very well written good books - but heavy. I found the Shrike in Hyperion and especially in The Fall of Hyperion to be inexplicable - one never really knows what the Shrike is or why it is there. In Endymion that consternation isn't there. The Shrike plays a role, not a plot central mysterious menace/monster but rather deus ex machina. I've read a number of reviews saying that the Endymion pair are not as good as the Hyperion pair. I find myself among the dissenting minority. As good as the Hyperion books are, Endymion is even better. I could hardly put it down.

Endymion is a great pursuit and escape story, with one adventure after another. If you read and enjoyed Hyperion and Fall, you really should read Endymion. I can't wait to get started on The Rise of Endymion to finish the quatro.