I made best thing at the moment post for Hyperion books. Now I have to say it only applies to first two book. Ones which have Hyperion in name. I managed to get to end of third book Endymion. It is not on level of first two books mainly for one big reason. I won’t go into spoilers. The problem was introduced right at the beginning of the book.
Endymion happens 274 years after events of Hyperion books. World is quite different after what happened in Hyperion books but it feels like natural development. You don’t need to read Hyperion books before this one. But you should because they are better. Series seem to reinvent itself for each books. Like in Millennium tv series it works for first two books but third is bit disappointing after two really good books. Based on how this book ended there might not be reinventing on next one. I hope there is because it needs it.
The problem. Endymion is mostly flashback. I know so is Hyperion. Difference is Hyperion had many short stories told as flashbacks. Each was short enough, different enough and interesting enough. While most of the book is flashback they were moving towards something interesting whole time. It is not only flashbacks. Something is happening in real time. In the end Hyperion is just long prologue to The Fall of Hyperion.
Endymion tries to repeat this. Problem is it tells too much at the beginning. Whole book is guy sitting in cell waiting for execution and telling his story. He tells at the beginning where heroes ended up before this moment. This could have worked if it served some sort of mystery. It doesn’t. The story is adventure where heroes barely escape their hunters. This is not a spoiler because it is told right at the beginning they will survive and do great things. That is the problem. Book is written like we should fear for our heroes when it tells right at the beginning they will make it. Book tries really hard to make it look like they won’t survive. It is in vain. We know they will make it. Only question is how they will make it. It is not that interesting.
I would have liked the book better if everything happening in cell was removed and this was told as it happened. Story is told from perspectives of the hunter and the hunted. Sometimes Hunter’s perspective is told first trying to convince something bad happened to Hunted. Then we get Hunted’s perspective showing how heroes made it. This was well written but book already told at the beginning they will make it.
It is not problem on first third but then the hunt starts to drag on. First third is good. It introduces the characters and world. Escaping is still interesting because we learn something all the time. After first third story becomes adventure with narrow escapes. I didn’t care how narrowly they escaped. I knew they will make it. Most of between first third and last tenth felt filler. I had to have long break and then force myself to listen the rest of the book. I didn’t have this problem with Hyperion books. I continued to The Fall of Hyperion right after Hyperion. Now I don’t feel like continuing to next one without a break. I might listen something shorter before getting in to last book of the series.
