Rating: 
Summary: So-so
Review: I was a huge fan of the original "Rendezvous with Rama". It presented the reader with an incredible scenario and allowed him/her to simply explore it along with the characters- not getting bogged down in cliched details or unrealistically large personalities. At all times it felt like anything could happen, and it was one of the rare instances in which I literally couldn't put the book down.
This book, and the two that follow it, are almost completely opposite of the original in every way. This is a story all about the characters- more so than their mission. I was still interested in returning to the world of Rama and possibly discovering more, and this book didn't disappoint in that regard. However, there were so many cliches and naked plot-devices that it really detracted from my enjoyment. I was especially disdainful of the somewhat hokey "mysticism" with regard to the character of Nicole des-Jardins. That part seemed far more in the realm of fantasy than serious science-fiction.
However, I have read the succeeding books, which I thoroughly enjoyed (though not as much as the original), and "Rama II" is a required read before delving into the third and fourth installments. One must bear in mind that the three sequels are, basically, a separate series from the first book.
Rating: 
Summary: It Is A Dirty Rotten Shame
Review: At some point in the last 10-15 years it became fashionable for well-known and somewhat less well-known authors to co-write novels.I can only speak for sci-fi novels because that's what I primarily read but, BAD IDEA! I routinely leave novels untouched on the bookstore shelves when I see they have been co-authored. Nothing done by a committee, even a committee of two, is EVER as good as the original thought and personality of a single great author. In this case the great author is Clarke. Why oh why, did he ever agree to this (please tell me he was not blinded by the almighty Dollar - or in this case the almighty Rupee). It would have been better if it had never been written! I tried reading and skimming, and reading a few lines from each paragraph, and turning pages hoping it would kick in, but it just continued to wallow in it's own mire. I stopped dead reading the book at Chapter 5, first paragraph, when I came across this line: "The catalyst for the relatively rapid collapse of the existing institutional infrastructure was the market crash and subsequent breakdown of the global financial system; however, these events would not have been sufficient, by themselves, to......" On and on, Blah, Blah, Blah. Gentry Lee would be hired instantly for a job writing federal government publications. Does this even remotely come close to the tight, succinct writing in Rendezvous with Rama? (albeit short on characterization - but, WHO CARES when it's Clarke) It's sad, very very sad. I wanted so badly to read more Rama. Instead I get Rama-dama-ding-dong. Clarke states in this book's introduction: "I filled floppy disks (for Gentry Lee) with concepts, characters, backgrounds, plots - anything which seemed even remotely useful to the story.... " They collaborated by making frequent phone calls, says Clarke. I'd say they had a really... bad.... connection.... and/or the floppies got corrupted in transit. Please, please do not read this book - you'll hate yourself afterward for the wasted time. I know you want to experience more Rama, but this is not the way. Wait a few years and re-read Rendezvous.
Rating: 
Summary: Really, It's Pretty Good...
Review: I love Arthur C. Clarke, most of the time. I loved "Rendevouz", but felt that it was a little too austere. The sequels went the other way and I welcomed the change. I think blending a good character developer like Gentry Lee with a high concept genius like Clarke gives us the best of both worlds. I can't give it five stars because it isn't the best SF I've ever read, that goes to Kim Stanley Robinson's "Mars Trilogy". That probably tells you something about my biases.
Rating:
Summary: Rama 2 is garbage
Review: This book is *not* written by Arthur C Clarke, it was written by Gentry Lee alone. The promotion of the book as an ACC book is highly misleading. Gentry Lee belongs on the slushpile. His writing is full of magic and fantasy rather than science fiction. This book contains lengthy, irrelevant asides. The SF component is trivial; the book is basically a large character study. It is astonishing how bad this book is by comparison to the excellent, simple narrative "Rendezvous with Rama"
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining sci-fi intrigue, but doesn't stand on its own
Review: In the year 2200, a second of the alien spacecrafts designated "Rama" enters our solar system, sparking another expedition to try to learn the secrets of its mysterious purpose and origin. This book is the sequel to Arthur C. Clarke's landmark First Contact novel Rendezvous with Rama, that showed an intrepid team of Earthmen exploring an apparently abandoned alien spacecraft that passes through our system. This is the second book in a series that will continue with The Gardens of Rama, and Rama Revealed. This time around Clarke is writing with NASA scientist Gentry Lee, whose knowledge of space engineering adds some details that the first novel had missed. The first half of the book is fairly interesting, showing how the beautiful, ambitious, unscrupulous newscaster Francesca Sabatini manipulates the decision-makers who are nominally in charge of the racially, religiously, and nationally diverse expedition. Squared off against her is the heroine, Nicole des Jardins, the French-African Life Sciences Officer, who has secrets of her own. Once underway, a deadly accident causes a shift in the expedition's power structure. Then, once the remaining crew is aboard the Rama spacecraft, Clarke and Lee's scientific skills come to the fore, describing the peculiar features of this enormous vessel, and the seemingly inexplicable activities of the creatures (?) found within. The second half functions as a more straightforward space adventure story, featuring Nicole des Jardins' perils aboard the Rama. All the intrigue gets lost in the excitement of wondering how Nicole will escape her doom on Rama, and while the resolution may be satisfactory enough for some, perhaps, it does require a good stretch of the imagination. Unfortunately, this book's ultimate conclusion really cuts the entire first half adrift, and the whole is less than satisfying. Perhaps the next volume, The Gardens of Rama, will once again pick up the plot threads that are left dangling in Rama II. One can hope so, at least, and the three-star rating reflects that expectation to a considerable extent, because without any further resolution this book would be very weak indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Sadly, Absolute Trash
Review: Exploring the original Rama was an quietly stunning experience of wonder; the dark, cold, sterile environment; watching as the alien world awoke. The Ramans completely ignored our explorers, considering them merely trash to be swept away by their bots. The central sea was mysterious and fascinating when frozen, it was mysterious and fascinating when the lights came on and the sea began to melt, the unexplored metal buildings were fascinating, the bots were fascinating. The exploration of Rama was stark, quiet, and beautiful. Now, take these wonderful things, remove them from the story, add some obnoxious characters whom you will hate, study every aspect of the obnoxious characters in painful detail, and call it a sequel. The contrast between this and the original leaves me at a loss for words. Terribly disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: So-so
Review: I was a huge fan of the original "Rendezvous with Rama". It presented the reader with an incredible scenario and allowed him/her to simply explore it along with the characters- not getting bogged down in cliched details or unrealistically large personalities. At all times it felt like anything could happen, and it was one of the rare instances in which I literally couldn't put the book down.
This book, and the two that follow it, are almost completely opposite of the original in every way. This is a story all about the characters- more so than their mission. I was still interested in returning to the world of Rama and possibly discovering more, and this book didn't disappoint in that regard. However, there were so many cliches and naked plot-devices that it really detracted from my enjoyment. I was especially disdainful of the somewhat hokey "mysticism" with regard to the character of Nicole des-Jardins. That part seemed far more in the realm of fantasy than serious science-fiction.
However, I have read the succeeding books, which I thoroughly enjoyed (though not as much as the original), and "Rama II" is a required read before delving into the third and fourth installments. One must bear in mind that the three sequels are, basically, a separate series from the first book.
Rating:
Summary: Really, It's Pretty Good...
Review: I love Arthur C. Clarke, most of the time. I loved "Rendevouz", but felt that it was a little too austere. The sequels went the other way and I welcomed the change. I think blending a good character developer like Gentry Lee with a high concept genius like Clarke gives us the best of both worlds. I can't give it five stars because it isn't the best SF I've ever read, that goes to Kim Stanley Robinson's "Mars Trilogy". That probably tells you something about my biases.
Rating:
Summary: Read book 1, but not the rest
Review: I loved "Rendezvous with Rama," and as a child, I'd spend time thinking about what it would be like to get left behind. I was excited to find this book - until I read it. It's not anything like book 1. The wonder, the focus on Rama itself is replaced by a focus on the characters - and most are flawed. In this and the next two books, humans come in and basically ruin everything. It's just depressing.
Rating:
Summary: The return of Rama
Review: This is the sequal to Rendezvous with Rama. It was written by Gentry Lee, based on Sir Arthur C. Clarke's ideas and editorial input. It is quite easy to tell, for those who are familiar with Clarke's style of writing, that this book was written by someone else. It is twice as long as the usual length of a novel by Clarke, there is a lot more detail and plot, and the characters are a lot more "fleshed out." Still, in essence it's quite reminiscent of Rendezvous, and the presence of Clarke's watchful eye as the story was developed is quite clear.
It must be said, however, that some of the main characters and some elements of the plot would seem more at home in your average soap opera, than in a "serious" science fiction novel, and some of the cliches are a little too heavy to swallow easily. There is intrigue and murder, plotting and scheming, a power-hungry femme fatale willing to go to any lengths to achieve her ambitions, and so on. And although the only African-American character in the story isn't quite the first one to get killed, he is, nevertheless, "well-equipped" for love-making.
The story, in short, is about a second Rama spaceship entering our solar system. This time Earth has had advance warning, and a carefully prepared mission, the hand-picked crew of which has been training and preparing for a long time, is sent to rendezvous. Almost immediately, however, things start to go to pieces. Also, it soon transires that this Rama is subtly different from its predecessor, and some surprising discoveries are made. The ending leaves the story open for the following sequal.
The text is generally well written (though there are places where a bit more proof-reading would have been advisable) and interesting. The story is at its best early on, when the mission is about to be launched and the characters are introduced, but then it gets weaker as it progresses, with an ending that is both abrupt and a bit forced. Also, some of the crew members are little more than ill-defined extras, although they are all supposed to be the cream of the crop and the very best Earth has to offer. One also wonders how it is possible to put together such a dysfunctional crew, after so much testing and preparing. Although I guess it's unintentionally symbolic that humanity's best would behave in such a way at the time of the most important space mission in the history of mankind.
You would, obviously, have to read Rendezvous before reading Rama II, otherwise it's difficult to understand some of what is going on. Predictably, some Clarke "purists" dislike the Rama sequals intensely, to which I can only say: it's their loss. Recommended for fans of sci-fi.
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