The Admiral series is a sprawling space opera telling the story of a man with a secret so dangerous that the fate of an empire hinges on his actions. He has the power to change everything but the past.
He tells people what he needs them to hear and he never does anything without a reason. It’s clear that the Admiral has a plan, but the odds of him surviving long enough to see it through are getting worse by the second. History is at a crossroads, and only he knows where his loyalties lie.
If he has any left.
This page has all the books, but there’s also a dramatic, somewhat spoiler-free recap video.
ADMIRAL
The war is over.
Bound for their prestigious first duty station, three imperial trainees wake up aboard an enemy ship. The vessel is crippled, and the crew is missing. The only other living person aboard is a man appearing to be their superior, but he’s much too young to hold the rank he claims. When sabotage becomes evident, paranoia and suspicions run high, but this mysterious admiral could be the least of their worries.
It’s a dead ship on a dead planet; the freighter itself is sitting on ground that could give way at any moment, entombing them all. With no way to call for help, and quickly running out of air and options, their only chance is to embark on a perilous trek across the planet’s surface to reach an enemy colony that may not even be there. With dark questions lingering, they set out – but the planet isn’t as lifeless as it seems, and the war hasn’t ended for everyone.
Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and everywhere else.
ALMAYER STATION
Before the Admiral’s story resumes in Free Space, Almayer Station follows Lieutenant Deilani on her next assignment after the events of Admiral. The description:
Lieutenant Deilani already had trust issues.
Now she has an appalling new assignment to inspect an independent mining station in territory that’s been recently annexed. The Demenis System might have become Evagardian space, but it’s populated by the Free Traders who got there first, all chafing at suddenly having to comply with quaint things like laws and taxes.
Deilani’s a doctor, not a cop. She doesn’t care what these degenerates are doing as long as they’re doing it in compliance with Evagardian regulations, but it’s not that simple. She can handle dangerous people, but her training hasn’t prepared her to question the laws of physics or reality itself. The edge of space isn’t as lonely as she thought it would be; there’s something else out there with them, something no one understands. Time’s running out, and she’s on her own. There’s no one to trust, no rescue coming, and no way out.
Available in paperback and ebook, and also as a free, downloadable ebook.
FREE SPACE
Free Space picks up where Admiral leaves off, continuing the Admiral’s main story.
It’s a dangerous time after the destruction of the Ganraen capital, but the ceasefire is holding and the peace talks are getting closer. Meanwhile, the Admiral has planned a romantic getaway with Tessa Salmagard in a lawless system outside imperial space, only that’s not going very well thanks to a pair of kidnappers who aren’t fond of Evagardians.
The Admiral has too much left to do to let things like slavers, kingpins, black holes, or the galactic authorities get between him and his work, but now his date is the only one with a chance of keeping him alive, and that comes with a price. Salmagard is an elite bodyguard, but no one ever warned her she might have to chase the Admiral to the seediest corners of the galaxy.
Or protect him from her own government.
Available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and everywhere else.
THE GLORY OF THE EMPRESS
Before the events of Admiral, an experimental Evagardian warship is sent into newly-annexed space on a trial mission. The crew expects a simple tour of hunting soft targets that will make it easy to prove the Imperium’s absolute technological superiority, but what they find is a new mission that will pit them against impossible choices and unbeatable odds. Worse, there’s something else out here at the edges of regulated space, something that nobody’s seen and lived long enough to talk about, and it’s spreading.
Available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and anywhere else that you get ebooks. Note there is no print version of this book; you’ll have to take that up with Penguin.
INNOCENCE
Picking up immediately after Free Space, no one’s sure if the Admiral is a hero or a monster, but there’s no question that he’s locked up in the most brutal penitentiary in regulated space. This isn’t just a prison, it’s entertainment: everything that goes on here is for the enjoyment of the fans whose subscriptions keep the place running.
He’s come a long way to get here, but he’s just getting started. The whole galaxy is watching his every move and listening to every word he says, so the only safe place is his mind. That isn’t very reassuring.
Innocence is available in paperback and kindle versions.
SNOWBLIND
While the Admiral raises hell as a prisoner in New Brittia, Salmagard is back to work aboard the Evagardian Flagship with Nils and Deilani. She hasn’t been the same since the incident at Shangri La, and she has been ruled unfit for duty. She has only twenty-four hours to redeem herself and revive her career, and the Admiral’s sudden appearance in the Galactic news is a distraction she doesn’t need.
The Empress’ peace talks will happen soon, and the Admiral isn’t the only one trying to turn the galaxy upside down. Danger waits for her in unexpected places, and she is starting to realize that Evagard may not be what she thought.
Snowblind is available in paperback and kindle versions.
SONS OF EVAGARD
The destruction of Little Norwich is the most monstrous war crime in galactic history, and the Imperium is desperate to clear its name. Evagard needs the Admiral to disappear for there to be peace, but he’s in the one place they can’t get to him: Baykara City.
Meanwhile, Tessa Salmagard’s career is over. Her heroics during the Sterling Station Attack mean nothing beside the suspicion surrounding her dealings with the Admiral. She’s a prisoner of the Evagardian task force in charge of damage control, chasing the man who ended the war and ruined her life.
The Admiral struggles to keep his dream alive in front of the whole galaxy while his own people will stop at nothing to see him silenced.
Sons of Evagard is available in paperback and Kindle.
HIGHEST HOPES
The Admiral is on the loose with Griffith Karlson, a dangerous New Unity terrorist. Evagard is determined to stop them at any cost.
Tessa Salmagard is also on the run, disgraced and suspected of treason because of her dealings with the Admiral. Her friends are gone, and her family is out of reach. All she has left are unanswered questions. What really happened to Little Norwich? Was Evagard behind it, or is the Admiral really the monster everyone says he is? She’s ready to do whatever it takes to find out, and she has nothing left to lose.
Tensions are high and the Peace Talks seem doomed to fail. Salmagard, the Admiral, and the Empress are on a collision course, and there’s no time left.
Highest Hopes is available in paperback and Kindle.
CLEAR SKY
Directly follows the events of Highest Hopes, although Negotiations at Logos takes place before Clear Sky.
Tessa Salmagard knows too much.
She saw a simple computer program used to ram a battlecruiser into a space station, killing millions. Then she saw her own government develop a weapon capable of genocide on an even greater scale.
Her military career is over, but Tessa still has a mission: to ensure that weapons like that can never be used again.
No uniform, no flag, and no rules.
Sean Danker + Science Fiction 