Admiral Hardcover – May 3, 2016

I really enjoyed this novel, which follows the classic survival-horror genre. If you've ever seen the movie "Pitch Black" then you will feel right at home here, which similarly has the main characters deserted on an increasingly hostile planet. The whole book is one tight moment after another as the characters struggle to survive. Meanwhile, amidst the turmoil, the backdrop is laid for the over-arching story, which is about a recent war between the Evagardian Empire and the Gaeran Commonwealth.One of the fascinating parts about this story is the main character himself, who never gets a name (purposely). Instead, he's just considered the Admiral. We see the story from his first-person view, and its intriguing because even though we see the story through his eyes, we don't know who he is. We are as in the dark about his background as the other crewmembers stranded on the planet. It rapidly becomes apparent that he's not your typical soldier. Gradually hints get dropped, more and more gets revealed about who he really is, but I like how it kept me guessing. By halfway through the novel I had more or less worked out who he was, and I loved it. What a character. The novel left me very intrigued on how his story would continue, which is good considering this is supposed to be the start of a series.True to the survival-horror genre, this isn't the kind of book you read for heavy plot or deep characters. You do gradually get to know the other characters and their backstories, but nothing too exciting there. This is the kind of story where the setting itself is its own character, though. This deserted, unnamed planet came alive throughout the novel, as mystery upon mystery surrounded the main characters and horror after horror was revealed. Very much appreciated this thrilling story, and very curious what the sequel will be like--another survival novel, or maybe something with more action? Looking forward to seeing how this universe expands.

Excellent book, stayed up all night to read it the first time I got it. A thriller by way of Alien and a dash of The Martian. I don't get much in hardcover because actually keeping track of physical copies is such a hassle, but this (book and series) is one I wanted for my shelf.

I came across the paperback "Free Space" at a retail store and it looked intriguing. Realizing it was a sequel to this novel, I grabbed the first book on Kindle.Couldn't put it down!I'm not saying that all the elements are original, I could probably take each plot point or scene or situation and tell you which book or movie I've seen it in before. But what story is 100% original these days?I gave this 5 stars because it's not 100% a derivative from elsewhere and best of all... it was well-written.The characters are engaging, the situations are edge of your seat suspenseful, the words aren't poetic, but they aren't utilitarian either. It was a good story, told with an intelligent voice, and with an engaging viewpoint.I definitely look forward to reading my paperback sequel later today. I can only hope it lives up to this one. Because I enjoyed this very, very much!

Its an interesting premise, an Admiral that wakes up from deep sleep with three talented crewmen. The characters are real and very well thought out. The story is a testament to how careful thinking and taking risks can accomplish even the most unlikely of goals. In the end I really appreciated the authors attention to detail and how the story slowly got more and more exciting as the it wound up to its climax. I loved all the characters and the universe that Danker creates. The mystery elements of this Sci-Fi novel were also great and well paced throughout the entire book. Can't wait to see if there are more stories with these characters and it seems that the author is off to an awesome start to his career.

I really liked this book. The writing was good, the characters were interesting, and the action was well written with good pace. I wish I could give 1/2 stars- if so I'd rate this 4.5. I'd like to read more of this author's work and I was interested throughout.

Goodreads recommended this book and it was quite a delight. The mystery aspect of the novel is very nice and I thought resolved well.The pacing is great. A real page turner .

A very readable action story - fast paced and keeps-you-guessing, along the lines of some of CJ Cherryh's space stories - but without her flair and inventiveness.There are some jarring technical errors, some odd sequences where sentences seem to be missing, and rather too much withheld information.

The novel starts off well, stumbles a bit in the middle with repetitive fights but ends very strongly. The ending does a solid and rewarding job of explaining the details the reader has come to suspect. Actually much better than a "surprise" ending it just ends completely yet leaving the reader with a desire for more.

That was a cracking read.The alien planet makes no and I mean NO sense biologically but gives good monster and I don't think you're supposed to think too deeply about it - all the fun is in the 'how will they get of this mess' and it was a lot of fun.I'd be interested to see if the human societies that were being very broad brush described would hold up for future novels and I'd definitely read more work by Danker.

I’ve been waiting for this book ever since I saw it on the upcoming release lists months ago! It was plugged as “The Martian meets Bourne” both of which I loved.So, I wouldn’t call this book that exactly. I think that gives you expectations of actions that aren’t in this book at all. Yes, it takes place on a planet other than earth, and yes, there is some mystery and problem-solving, by a main character to survive, but that’s about as close as it gets to the Martian. If I had to pick something similar to compare that part of the book to- I think it would be the movie, Aliens 2.The story moves along, as the crew try to unravel what happened to them (they were supposed to be headed to new positions aboard another ship) and the colony (they found abandoned on the planet where their transport freighter ended up), while facing life threatening obstacles along the way. We still get to see some problem-solving, as they figure their way out of this predicament, but most of it occurs on the fly, and there is not a lot of talking us through what is available to use, and how it could or couldn’t work. It just happens. This style keeps the pace up at a good clip, and the author writes action very well- fast and easy to follow.Now… this a total matter of personal taste, but this has the annoying (to me) ‘‘everything about me is a secret’’ trope. Not a favourite of mine- especially when it has to do with the main pov and keeps me from really connecting to the character. And you’re probably wondering, “How can she like Bourne and not this trope?” Well, the answer is easy. Bourne is a secret to himself as well. We learn about him as he does-so we connect to him on that level. Anyway… I will say, that this author handled this trope waaaay better than the last time I read a book (that wasn't Bourne) that tried this approach.There are hints of an interesting society that would be neat to see more of in future books. Some cool tech- I quite liked the suits that formed up to your body. And despite not knowing much about the Admiral (including his name), The Big Reveal, made me really want the story that led up to this book, and also, to see where he goes from here.Overall the book was a good fun read with what looks to be a promising start to a series.C/p from my goodreads

A dead ship and a mysterious protagonist launch a shockingly addictive read. It’s one part Pandorum, two parts The Martian, with a heavy salting of spy drama and murder mystery. An excellent diverting read, full of brilliant people facing impossible odds with wit and not much more. Recommended.