This was a book that surprised me. I had read the reviews and listened to the opinions of others, and avoided this sharecropped sequel like many other sf fans of quality and discernment. Then, three or four years after publication, I found the US paperback remaindered in a shop here in the UK. I had a pound burning a hole in my pocket (for that was the price, I think) and I thought "Why not? Let's see how bad it really is."

I was in for a surprise. About a quarter of the way into the book, the author (whichever one it was) killed off someone who I thought was going to be a major character. And I was upset and shocked! I had begun to care about the characters!

This happened later on as well, well into the third sequel. I'll reserve major comments for my review of that book. All I'll say here is that this is not a book to be written off without thought. ( )

Nowhere near as good as Rendezvous with Rama, nowhere near as bad as the books that came after this one. Rama 2 follows a team sent to study the second Rama spacecraft that enter the solar system. The first time this happened we explored the ship and learned almost nothing. This time around we actually learn something about the Raman’s while still leaving quite a bit clouded in mystery. Rama 2 has more action, more well-rounded characters, and more revelations. Rama 2 loses the intrigue in its predecessor. One of the best things about Rendezvous with Rama was that it had nothing to do with humanity, we were just randomly in the way of this gigantic spaceship. This book takes that away, making Rama specifically about humanity, something the later novels will explore in detail. Not as good as the original, but not as bad as it will get. ( )

i skipped the first 100 pages of this book, it was really bad and the flash backs ugh but i stuck with it because i had already bought garden with rama & rama revealed, i thought it was ok ( )

I read this soon after it came out and enjoyed it well enough as a basic science fiction story. It borrows the setting of the original Rama novel but otherwise has a completely different style and tone. The book was obviously written by Gentry Lee with little if any contribution by Clarke. The series declines much further in the next volume. ( )

not as good as the first one. I liked the plot, but there was way too much character development and i don't think it really helped me appreaciate the characters anymore, they all seem pathetic and whiny. The begining and end of the book were ok, but the middle really drags on forever. I keep thinking "if i have to read one more stupid flash back!"That said, i do still want to read the next one, mainly cause i already bought it, but i do want to see what happens. But i'll have to read something a little more fun in between. ( )

Blecch. Lee took Clarke's masterful idea and turned it into a tawdry soap opera. ( )

iIf there's one thing I learend from Clake's "series" is that the first book or two are always brilliant and then someone co-authors the rest of the books and they become filler mishmash that isn't only a bad read but somehow manages to diminish the original work.
Rama II is a perfect example. The original Rama is a well written book of a mysterious object that passes through Earth's local space. It had all the elements to make the story gripping. It was artificial, huge, and it suprisingly could support human life.
The entire mission of getting there and discovering it was thrilling, interesting and somewhat plausible. Clarke did a great job sticking to the important elements and not being all over the place.
Rama II on the other hand was a filler that was trying to answer the bigger questions like why it was here and where does it go to and is it a manifestation of god. As with most books who try to dwell into this kind of revelations, the truth falls short and is not as intriguing as not actually knowing.
If you read Rama and loved it, stop there. Don't waste your time on this book ( )

lame ( )

Do not read this book: better to reread Rendezvous with Rama. If you do read it, avoid the mistake of thinking that the next one might be better. They only get worse.

great book ( )