The Admiral and the Assistant [STUB]

Information

Status

Ongoing

Year

2024

Author

Whisker the Mad

• Whisker the Mad? More Like Whisker the Dumb...
  Apr 4, 2026
• What's Next?
  Oct 25, 2025
• 3 - Insectoids Attack!
  Nov 3, 2024
• 2 - The Admiral's Desk
  Nov 2, 2024
• 1 - Kinnit's New Assignment
  Nov 1, 2024

Reviews

Community Reviews(9)

• shrewdRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  I have to say, The Admiral and The Assistant is off to a really good start and seems like it’ll become one of those rare gems that really grabs you and doesn’t let go. From the very beginning, you’re drawn into a world of complex characters and compelling dynamics, and I’ve personally found it impossible to not get invested in the journey.
  The relationship between the Admiral and Kinnit is at the heart of this story, and it’s truly something special. You can feel the growth in their partnership as the story unfolds, and there’s a depth to their characters that’s hard to find in many stories especially this early in, and it’s this emotional core and authentic feeling that really elevates the plot.
  And a cherry on top the Author’s done an incredible job of making the military setting and battles feel authentic and exciting without getting bogged down in technical jargon, and the action sequences are intense, but the real appeal I’ve found is in how the characters handle them.
  There’s a lot of heart in this story, and it’s clear that a lot of thought and effort has been put into the story, from the pacing to the character interactions. If you enjoy stories with strong character development, emotional moments, and a bit of good old military strategy thrown in, The Admiral and The Assistant is absolutely worth your time.
  I can’t wait to see where it goes next!
  And may our lovable and friendly eldritch horrors never run out of intriguing puzzles to solve.
• MagpiegriffinRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Read everything in one go and now I want more. I look forward to se how the romantic sub plot works out. I like the main characters and the bad guys have their own hopes and dreams wich make it more realistic than most books I have read here. I hope this contiues at a fast pace because I need more of this book. I have no more to say.
• ManyaRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  It's a well done story, a space opera with a romance sub-plot.
  The author knows how to write so reading is smooth, the main characters are interesting and likable, while the plot is developing apace. This is especially relevant here on RR, where the posting schedules can make any single plot point stretch unpleasantly over weeks.
  The villains too have believable motivations and interactions. They do seem somewhat deranged, yet from what we get to see of the wider world, quite believable.
  And finally, there are our lovable friendly Eldritch Horrors, may they never run out of intriguing puzzles to solve.
• The DobbleRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  This one is a well-paced, sci-fi romance. It will keep you reading until the end, wondering what's going to happen next! The characters are strong and diverse, and there is just enough detail to visualize without cluttering. The story is interesting, fun, and well-written. You won't regret reading this one!
  And of course, the customary salute to our own local friendly eldritch horrors. May your psychic stink never falter!
  Now that I've gotten to the epilogue, I'd like to update this. It's very sweet, but packed full of action and suspense! There's never a dull moment, and the ending is satisfying. Thanks to the author for writing this!
• Donut.Royal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  In a website filled with LitRPGs and fantasy, The Admiral and the Assistant is a breath of fresh air. This is a more traditional sci-fi space opera, diving deep into the politics and conflicts between different factions and species, and also the interactions between individual characters. The author does a fantastic job of painting that picture.
  The world-building is deep, rich, and logical. The author makes it easy to learn about the different species and their unique cultures without overwhelming the reader.
  As the title suggests, the story primarily focuses on the admiral and the assistant. Both characters are well-developed, with distinct and fitting personalities that complement each other perfectly. They’re engaging, likable, and their interactions will leave you wanting more.
  The tactical and political elements are also well-crafted and executed with care, adding depth to the story. As a sci-fi novel, the technology and its applications make sense, despite the soft sci-fi tag the author included.
  The author is clearly experienced in writing techniques and posses a good amount of vocabulary. There were as far as I can tell, no noticeable grammer mistakes.
  Overall, this is a must-read for any sci-fi fan looking for a well-written space opera that balances both personal interactions and large-scale political and tactical decisions.
• HalfliteRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  As of writing, I've only finished reading through the first volume.
  A sci-fi opera story that is easily digestible, which in and of itself is worthy of commendation. Besides that, the characters are the crowning jewel of the story, they are a joy to follow. None of the character motivations and conflicts feel contrived, and Kinnit is a treasure. Pacing always seems to be handled quite well.
  A few complaints. Sometimes the cast can be a bit dense so that certain events can happen. At least in the first volume, the cryptographers feel a bit like a deus ex machina when they provide Stonefist with the information he needs. The Imperium sometimes feels short-staffed/weak for an empire that is supposed to control an entire galaxy, this also seems to be for the sake of plot events happening.
• InterestingLadRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  This is a fluffy romantic comedy set in a space opera that is very light on hard science. The writing is good, especially since the author's comments suggest it is very much a first draft that is slated for further editing.
  The female main character is Kinnit, a "kobold" -- which is a "subservient species" in the Imperium, more on  that later -- who is one of the first of her species to venture out into the Imperium after discovery. She graduated from the Academy and, though she cannot be an officer due to her species' status, she is assigned as an Assistant to the renowned Admiral of the Ninth Fleet, Grimthorne Stonefist.
  On the surface, it's a story about a relentlessly optimistic, happy, and charming  (but also very competent) female who disrupts the jaded rut and ultimately wins the heart of the honorable hero.
  And, this story is very much surface. There are challenges and threats, but they are regularly dealt with rapidly by our protagonists. Occasionally, there are consequences, but even then, the reader is shielded from the emotional impact and the story quickly moves to the actions of the protagonists to catch the perpetrators. There apparently was one chapter that went a little darker than the prevailing tone (based on comments), but the author responded to feedback and it had been modified by the time I read it. I had no problem with it as now written.
  The challenges faced by the protagonists do create an overall story arc which adds to the interest, but the real story is clearly the charming romance. Think Sound of Music (without the singing and set in space combat) where the charming and innocent Maria wins over the older and closed off Captain Von Trapp. The slow burn reveal is well done, though there are some trite moments, such as when the Admiral tells his old mentor that, "She makes me want to be a better man."
  When I say the science is light, I'm mean very light. So light that a slingshot maneuver around a black hole happens in what from the story
• Sir elderockRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  Great story I love what was done the people are well written though is does seem to suffer from the main characters being a bit to powerful at times. Though I will say that in some ways is part of the charm it makes it a lot lighter of a story. But in other ways some times the characters feel like they cannot do anything wrong and do not have flaws especially the kobold though later she does become a little more complex, but I do not see much in the ways of character flaws from her. Don't get me wrong the characters are still well written and I likely would not change it. I find the world fascinating and I love the characters they all act well together poor emperor sitting there waiting for company. And poor cryptographers they are some of the best characters and yet they are naturally feared, some one get them a billion peice 4d puzzle where peices must be connected at the right times and order and must be moved so they will fit the right way in some strange shape, stat the puzzle people must puzzle. And as a short kobold would say "hail to the imperium".
• ShyBoyRoyal Road

  ★★★ 3.0

  Apparently my skill in reading between the lines isn't yet developed sufficiently: I read the glowing reviews, full of five-star ratings and dived right in, expecting... too much really. I should've ignored the stars and pondered some word choices in other reviews ALONE, disassociating the review content from its star rating entirely. Well, lesson learned.
  Not a bad story, just - shallow. Still can be a pleasure, but don't expect depth and try to weather number of irritating moments tearing down the setting, other characters, etc. I didn't weather 4 full chapters, but - as already established - I expected too much.
  This is akin to some academy rom-coms, perhaps some light harem anime (clarifying: the depth is similar, not the harem aspect). Personally, it reminded me of Love Hina: I could smile at how events unfolded, knowing full well the silliness of the story. This feels similar, but the silliness is on things surrounding the admiral, the ship, etc. I've selected some revealing moments, when lack of attention to details, to relationships, to how a person in this place, time, role should behave just brings the story down:
  1. MC is a vaunted hero, best admiral, much experienced, etc. etc. Yet... he doesn't have decent personnel? Every competent person I worked with, who had a leadership position, had some say in who they surrounded themselves with. They nearly always were building a competence centers around them. They actively or passively (or both!) drew talent. Military leaders are expected to train/build up their troops/forces. Yet, here we have an admiral who in 4 chapters doesn't have a single good subordinate. Of course it should be noted, that it's thanks to this our fresh-out-of-the academy newbie (honour student, ofc, top graduate, ofc!)  can jump right in and fills that void).
  And he's been leading for 20 years? Nobody he taught, mentored, schooled stayed? This CAN be explained, perhaps later even is, but this was weird. Skilled leaders, great tacticians