Armada by Ernest Cline

Ernest Cline was the author of Ready Player One. His second novel, Armada, feels very similar to the first novel, although it is not a sequel in any sense of the word. 

In Armada, Zack, a gamer in high school witnesses something he did not expect one day, and his life changes completely. The story follows from there, and goes into some well-thought through directions.

A lot of the novel reads like a standard geek’s wish fulfillment, and like Ready Player One, it is filled with 80s and 90s geek references. Some of the references feel a bit forced, as the writing falls over itself trying to sound clever.

The characters in Armada exists solely to move the story along. They are likeable enough, but they lack depth, and come across as fairly cliched, given just enough personality to keep from getting too annoying.

While an enjoyable read, and the plot has some interesting ideas to offer, the book suffers somewhat due to the week characterisation.