Armada by Ernest Cline

Armada by Ernest Cline

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As with others who've read this one after absolutely loving Ready Player One, I must say this one is a step down. It feels rushed or under edited in places (not full of errors, but not as polished as I was hoping).

I did like the premise of Armada. The main character sees a spaceship from a game he's been playing, then finds out the game is based on real life. And then, in a nod to The Last Starfighter, he's recruited to battle against the unstoppable enemy. As with Ready Player One, there are a lot of these nods, but they don't as easily fit into this story as they did in that one.

I also thought some of the connections between the characters and the ease of some of the reunions were a bit too easy to be believable. I read the bit from the author at the end and it seems to imply this might become a movie. I think it might translate well to the screen, and perhaps that intent is why the book doesn't dive as deep as it could, only enough to prove the concept for the movie makers.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it isn't the amaze-fest I experienced upon reading Ready Player One for the first time. Fans of the 80s, and of video gamers using their skills to save humanity in particular, might enjoy this, but they shouldn't try to measure it with the same stick they used for Ready Player One lest they be disappointed.

I borrowed the audiobook from the library.



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