When writing my mini-review of Artemis I starting thinking about how hard it must be to follow up a successful first book. Two of my favorite new sci-fi authors (Andy Weir/The Martian and Ernie Cline/Ready Player One) have done it recently, to varying levels of success.
I’d say Artemis was more enjoyable than Armada, but YMMV. Whichever you prefer, I think you’ll agree that neither of their follow up books were as good as their first.
Is it because they had many years to work on, polish, rewrite, and otherwise tweak the hell out of their first book and rushed the second one? Trying to get the next one out there to “stay relevant,” or to avoid having readers forget them, or to satisfy publishers hungry for more money content… Or whatever other reason you can invent to rush yourself into the next book?
Maybe the “sophomore slump” is a real thing. They’re just new and technically their second book is really their first book as a full-time author.
Well, whatever the reason I’ll still read their next books, whenever they may arrive – Hopefully only when they’re fully baked. :)