Admiral by Sean Danker
Friday, July 15, 2016 at 9:37AM 
Published by Roc (Berkley Group) on May 3, 2016
Four people wake up in the sleeping pods on a ship. The ship has crashed on a creepy planet. One of the survivors is wearing an Admiral’s uniform. He claims to be an honorary admiral but the others are suspicious. The ship’s only two crew members have burned to death in an airlock.
A harrowing escape from a perilous situation is followed by a series of harrowing escapes. In between escapes the four characters get to know each other.
Characterization isn’t bad, but Admiral is ultimately a “humans chased around by alien monsters” novel. I’ve read enough novels (and seen enough movies) with that plot to last a lifetime. The intriguing background (which involves a couple of recently warring groups) is more interesting than the action story that follows the setup.
I liked parts of the novel but was indifferent to most of it, so my recommendation is filled with reservations. The most interesting part of the story -- the Admiral’s identity and mission -- is too far removed from the alien monster story. Unfortunately, by the time the story reveals which side the Admiral is on, I no longer cared. Had the novel’s focus been on the backstory that is told in the last pages rather than alien monsters, Admiral might have been more engaging.
RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS