The Rise of Endymion - Dan Simmons

The San Francisco Chronicle Book Review named this novel a Best Bet of '97, and hailed it as a rousing, affecting conclusion, revealing the fates of Aenea, the teenage messiah; her lover, Raul Endymion; and their fearsome protector, the Shrike. A glorious finale to the Hyperion series, this bestseller will thrill Simmons' loyal readers, and capture scores of new fans drawn by the rave reviews for this book. nThe magnificent conclusion to one of the greatest science fiction sagas of our time nThe time of reckoning has arrived.

As a final genocidal Crusade threatens to enslave humanity forever, a new messiah has come of age. She is Aenea and she has undergone a strange apprenticeship to those known as the Others. Now her protector, Raul Endymion, one-time shepherd and convicted murderer, must help her deliver her startling message to her growing army of disciples.

n nBut first they must embark on a final spectacular mission to discover the underlying meaning of the universe itself. They have been followed on their journey by the mysterious Shrike--monster, angel, killing machine--who is about to reveal the long-held secret of its origin and purpose. And on the planet of Hyperion, where the story first began, the final revelation will be delivered--an apocalyptic message that unlocks the secrets of existence and the fate of humankind in the galaxy.n