Review: A long read comes to an end
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 6, 2012
This series has been a wonderful exploration of a complex and vibrant world.  David Birkenhead is a colorful character with some real troubles and heartaches.  So finding out how his life turns out proves to be a great way to close out the series.Sadly, this is not the best story in the series.  The earlier books, Ship's Boy, Midshipment and Lieutenant have far more character growth and action than Admiral, which in some ways plays out a bit like a victory lap for David.  Yes, there is still some political intrigue and he has to lead the naval forces of the Kingdom in forcing the Empire to surrender, but the sharp decisive actions from the earlier books is gone, replaced by dinner meetings and whispered discussions.This has been a great series.  I have to admit I'm going to miss visiting with David and his friends and seeing how he fights his way through life.  In the end a very good tale was spun from a simple premise and a character who proved to be a lot more than the simple Ship's Boy he was in the first book.