Eric Stone
At first I was like... Now I'm like...
On paper, Armada has every element I want in a book: video games, high-stakes sci-fi, and a heavy dose of "Dad stuff." It’s a fun, engaging story, and I’m still stoked on the overall concept. But the execution left me with some serious questions about the pacing.
I found myself repeatedly thinking, “Okay, I guess this is happening now.” Things that we as an audience know are coming - the inevitable story beats - arrived much earlier than they should have. Instead of a slow build that earns the payoff, it felt like the plot was in a rush to get to the finish line.
Cline still manages to hold onto the element of surprise, but unfortunately, those twists often feel more like a lack of technique than a purposeful subversion of the genre. It’s a great "guilty pleasure" read, but it leaves you wondering how much better it could have been with a bit more room to breathe.
At first I was like... Now I'm like...
On paper, Armada has every element I want in a book: video games, high-stakes sci-fi, and a heavy dose of "Dad stuff." It’s a fun, engaging story, and I’m still stoked on the overall concept. But the execution left me with some serious questions about the pacing.
I found myself repeatedly thinking, “Okay, I guess this is happening now.” Things that we as an audience know are coming - the inevitable story beats - arrived much earlier than they should have. Instead of a slow build that earns the payoff, it felt like the plot was in a rush to get to the finish line.
Cline still manages to hold onto the element of surprise, but unfortunately, those twists often feel more like a lack of technique than a purposeful subversion of the genre. It’s a great "guilty pleasure" read, but it leaves you wondering how much better it could have been with a bit more room to breathe.
