The main story arc is about a pilgrimage to a distant planet to visit the Time Tombs. This book kicks off the series in fine style and keeps you interested right up until the very bizarro ending. Enter the Time Tombs, Audible listener, and be judged!Įxcellent start to a series that finds religion.ĭan Simmons creates an amazing future with interesting technology where man's impact on the universe has some pretty significant ramifications for their own survival. All in all, this is an audiobook that you'll like.

So, 'good' is high praise coming from me. The narration team does a good job to bring this audiobook to life - If you read my other reviews, you know I'm BRUTAL on narrators. These various stories and their perspectives come together to create a great tale, and you'll definitely want more. And of course, they all seek the Shrike, a man-shaped judge and jury covered in blades, riding the currents of the time tombs, bringing death to most, and life to some. A spacefaring horde, soon to arrive in the known space of man, to conquer and enslave the billions that fear their arrival. A drunken writer seeks the final and ultimate story. A virtual reality-trained military leader seeks the love of a woman haunting him in his computer-driven landscape. A undying priest carries a nightmarish secret from an abandoned zombie-like congregation, a woman becomes younger each day, and races to beat the clock, literally. Knights Templar traveling across the galaxy in living trees. What's it all about, you ask? Again, Audible listener, I give only hints in reviews, neither plots nor spoilers here. One that makes you want to listen to it again, in case you missed something important, and that's quite possible, with this fantastic scifi audiobook. If you want pulp scifi, go listen to Heinlein - This one's for those hungry for a story with meat on its bones, one that makes you want more. This is THOUGHTFUL scifi, with tremendous respect for the reader's/listener's time, intellect, and maturity.

Each character has purpose and propels the story along, often in unexpected ways. As in the mentioned comparison, this is complex storytelling that makes you consider as you listen.

It reminds me of 'The Mote In God's Eye,' in its depth, solid character backstories and various perspectives. I read this series back in its first published hardcovers, so I look at this book with a judgmental eye - Is it a worthy listen, and its subsequent writings? Here's my take on this audiobook.

Hyperion cantos series