A review by ryanwhitley
Rama II by Gentry Lee, Arthur C. Clarke

mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is hard but I want to rate this book only on its own merit and not in comparison to RENDEZVOUS, as it would not be a fair comparison. 

There are parts of RAMA II I really enjoyed, but much more of it I found uninteresting. It took far too long for the book to get us to space. The character focus didn’t work for me. I found some of the exploration scenes tense and exciting, and the ending sequence was very interesting. But the rest bloated what is really a fairly simple story. 

I think my biggest mistake was reading this immediately after RENDEZVOUS. Don’t do that if you can help it. All in all this was a serviceable but ultimately forgettable sci fi novel. RENDEZVOUS, however, will always stick with me.