Tom Clancy Defense Protocol

Katie Ryan made a name for herself not because she’s the president’s daughter, but because she has an uncanny ability to predict an enemy’s next move.  Just like her father.  As much as she would like to work a job behind a desk as an analyst, her skill and persuasive ability has her back out on the front lines – this time in the Pacific.  With the full resources of the US Navy, the Seals, and several covert ops groups, Katie has to prevent Chinese war games from turning into a real invasion of Taiwan and rescue CIA assets from the government they are desperate to shut down.

Tom Clancy Defense Protocol is Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson’s second addition to the Jack Ryan series and the legacy of Tom Clancy.  Following Ryan’s daughter through life and death situations, these writers have brought new life and energy to the Ryanverse.  A female lead has attracted a new audience, but the writers stay true to the military thriller theme made main stream by Clancy.  This is a book about trusting your network and the danger ever-present for Americans overseas.

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I give Tom Clancy Defense Protocol 4 out of 5 stars.  If this plot seems a bit familiar, it is.  Much like the first addition by these authors Act of Defiance echoes back to Clancy’s original release The Hunt for the Red October, this novel echoes back to Clancy’s third release in this series The Cardinal of the Kremlin.  Recycling plots has been come more mainstream with many movies and TV shows revisiting beloved favorites of yesteryear.  However, I am surprised to find it happen here.  I appreciate the way the authors bring in the cast of supporting characters we have grown to love over the years, but some of the action felt unnecessary and gratuitous.  Further, the ending felt anticlimactic.  They spent so much time building up a story around several cast members only to barely discuss them at the end. 

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With discussions of war, violence, and murder, this book would be best directed to more mature audiences over 16.  If you enjoy military thrillers or political fiction, you will love this book.  This would be a great book for someone new to the Ryanverse – while reading at least the next previous book would be beneficial to understand a few references in the story, it could be a standalone read for someone new.  However, if you have read the Jack Ryan books extensively and are a purest, this novel may irk you for how similar yet how different these authors approach this storyline.

I was excited to see this novel available on Netgalley – I’ve been able to read a few of the recent Ryan releases through this program.  I appreciate the attempt to make Katie the star of the show in Andrews & Wilson’s version of the Ryanverse.  It’s great to see a new up and comer, plus the daughter, take on a leading role!

 

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: The Book of Lost Names, Kristin Harmel
• Current audio book: The Burning of Washington, Anthony S. Pitch
• Book I’m most looking forward to: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry