Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The U.S. Navy has always owned the seas, above the water and below it. For years, nothing the Russians did went unnoticed. But now Russia has a bold new plan way up above the Arctic Circle, one that could tip the balance of power for good. President Jack Ryan is out of easy answers, and every move he can make carries a huge risk. Can he stop Russia before the coldest war turns hot?
Jack Ryan is back, with a new author at the helm. The Coldest War is the latest Tom Clancy Jack Ryan novel and M. P. Woodward’s first entry in the Jack Ryan Sr. series, following three New York Times bestselling Jack Ryan Jr. books: Shadow State, Line of Demarcation, and Terminal Velocity. Woodward is a former U.S. naval intelligence officer who wrote war-game scenarios and served alongside Special Forces, the CIA, and the NSA—experience that lends the novel’s military strategy and intelligence work a convincing sense of detail. This time, a Russian plan to open a strategic passage above the Arctic Circle threatens to shift the global balance of power, placing both the United States and President Jack Ryan’s family in the crosshairs. The Arctic setting gives the familiar Ryanverse conflict a fresh urgency, where geography, diplomacy, and military readiness are equally important.
I give The Coldest War 5 out of 5 stars. Fresh from reading The Sum of All Fears, I especially enjoyed this modern take on the possible reemergence of Cold War tensions. Woodward balances the series’ familiar geopolitical stakes with contemporary concerns, making the conflict feel timely without losing the strategic complexity readers expect from the Ryanverse. I have appreciated his portrayal of Katie Ryan across several books, and it is fantastic to see the officer move beyond analyzing intelligence and take a more direct role in the action. Her choices show how much she shares with her father and oldest brother while also allowing her to establish her own identity in a field many still consider a man’s world. The novel also offers an engaging glimpse into NATO and the cooperation required among member nations, both politically and militarily. Even with a five-star rating, however, the book was not flawless for me. I was frustrated that Woodward moved past the battle’s resolution and directly into the “happily ever after” scene at the end. That choice leaves out key information that could have added depth to Katie’s development and clarified the consequences of the final confrontation. The book also includes an element that often makes me stop reading: animal cruelty. I can handle hunting, particularly when it occurs off the page as it does here, but the gruesome deaths of the dogs were almost too much for me and may be upsetting for other readers.
If you have enjoyed Woodward’s other Ryanverse novels, you will likely find The Coldest War entertaining and easy to recommend. Longtime Tom Clancy readers should appreciate its blend of intelligence work, military action, political maneuvering, and high-stakes family connections, while the Arctic setting gives the story a distinctive atmosphere. I would also recommend it to readers who enjoyed Cold Zero by Brad Thor and Ward Larsen—another Ryanverse author—because of the similarities in location and geopolitical implications. Although familiarity with the larger series adds context, the central conflict is compelling enough to keep the plot moving on its own. However, the novel includes warfare, death, and the animal cruelty mentioned above, so it may not be the right choice for every reader. Those sensitive to harm involving animals should approach it with caution.
The Coldest War will release November 24th. You can pre-order your copy today on our Bookshop.org page!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
- Current audio book: The Sundown Motel, Simone St. James
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Murmuration, TJ Klune
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