Traveling in sleeper pods to their first assignment on the Imperial flagship, new recruits Deilani, Salmagard, and Nils wake to find themselves on a strange, dying ship.

Written from the first person point of view,[1] Admiral combines military science fiction with elements of mystery and horror.

[2] Matt Stagg of Suvudu wrote, "With its warring empires and mix of aristocrat officers, fixers, scientists, and low-born grunts, Admiral reminded me of an earlier wave of science-fiction," citing authors like Larry Niven, Isaac Asimov, and Harry Harrison, as well as the role-playing game Traveller.

"[4] Writing for Nerd Much, Elizabeth Bernstein explained, "The tension mounts throughout the book as the characters continually solve one problem, only to be immediately faced with something more dire.

"[1] Though noting that Admiral's "workmanlike quality shows skill", Publishers Weekly criticized the novel's lack of character development, calling it "flat and unremarkable".