Doesn't hold a candle to "Ready Player One", but it's still a fun, pulpy kind of read. I like the underlying concept and could easily see this as a Star Trek plot or other fun little sci-fi romp. ( )

This book is fun and silly and completely predictable. Like Ready Player One its full of 80s references. If that is OK with you, please read. If that's going to bug you, steer clear.

I totally enjoyed it but got a little bored with the endless action scenes even though they were important to the plot. I'd rather have had the timeline expanded a bit with more character development/story than pure action but I understand why it was the way it was.





( )

I hate everything this book chose to be. Maybe I'll right more later, but it must be said this book is one of the worst things I've read in quite awhile! ( )

Story: 5 / 10
Characters: 7
Setting: 7
Prose: 6

Cline asks two questions with this book:
1. Can you retell another, famous story and make it worthwhile?
2. Why are popular culture book and movie references taboo in storytelling?

Though I enjoyed the book, my answers are very encouraging:
1. I always thought you could effectively "remix" a book by changing the story in fundamental ways. In fact, I was eager to have a few authors all explore variations of the same book at the same time, creating 3 or more separate, standalone works. However, while I enjoyed "ARMADA", everything previously covered in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" was effectively boring: I'd certainly heard it all before. I'm not convinced.

2. Could I have enjoyed the book more if it didn't explicitly say it was a remix of Ender's Game? Most likely. When another story, like Star Trek, is mentioned, the world of the book (diegesis) is suddenly interrupted and possibly merged with a very different fictional setting. It is unnecessarily distracting and I believe strongly that it is taboo. Nevertheless, if Cline didn't mention Ender in Armada, that could be considered a more serious crime (stealing). ( )

Fairly predictable plot, but I don't actually mind that. Filled with references to things I love, which had me smiling even at tense moments in the book. I didn't really feel like I got to know the main character as well as in Ready Player One, and the setup didn't feel quite as fleshed out, either. Overall I enjoyed it, but didn't have the same can't-put-it-down reaction that I had to Ready Player One. ( )