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Jack Ryan, Jr. #8
Under Fire
Tom Clancy's Under Fire is the latest breakneck Jack Ryan Jr. adventure novel from one of Clancy's most successful collaborators: Grant Blackwood.
***
On a routine intelligence gathering mission in Tehran Jack Ryan, Jr. has lunch with his oldest friend, Seth Gregory, an engineer overseeing a transcontinental railway project. As they part, Seth slips Jack a key, along with a perplexing message.
The next day Jack is summoned to an apartment where two men claim Seth has disappeared, gone to ground with funds for a vital intelligence operation. Jack's oldest friend has turned, they insist, leaving Jack with a warning: If you hear from Seth Gregory, call us immediately, and do not get involved. But they don't know Jack. He won't abandon a friend in need.
Joined by Seth's primary agent Ysabel, an enigmatic Iranian woman who is his only clue to Seth's whereabouts, Jack's pursuit of the truth leads him across Iran, through the war-torn Caucasus, and finally deep into territory coveted by the increasingly aggressive Russian Federation.
Jack soon finds himself lost in a maze of intrigue, lies, and betrayal where no one is who they seem to be - not even Seth. It seems Seth has a secret of his own. A secret that is driving him to the brink of treachery.
Racing against the clock, Jack must unravel the mystery: Who is friend and who is foe? Before it's over, Jack Ryan, Jr., may have to choose between his loyalty to his friend and his loyalty to his country.
****
About the author:
Thirty years ago, TOM CLANCY was a Maryland insurance broker with a passion for naval history. Years before, he had been an English major at Baltimore's Loyola College and had always dreamed of writing a novel. His first effort, The Hunt for Red October, sold briskly as a result of rave reviews, then catapulted on to the New York Times bestseller list after President Reagan pronounced it 'the perfect yarn'. From that day forward, Clancy established himself as an undisputed master at blending exceptional realism and authenticity, intricate plotting and razor-sharp suspense. He passed away in October 2013.
Grant Blackwood, a US Navy veteran, spent three years aboard a guided missile frigate as Operations Specialist and Pilot Rescue Swimmer. The Sunday Times bestselling author of the Briggs Tanner series, GRANT BLACKWOOD is also the co-author of the Sunday Times bestseller Dead or Alive with Tom Clancy. He lives in Colorado.
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506 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2015
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4061 people want to read
About the author
Grant Blackwood
48 books351 followersThe New York Times bestselling author of the Briggs Tanner series, (END OF ENEMIES, WALL OF NIGHT, and ECHO OF WAR) Grant Blackwood is also the co-author of the Fargo Adventure Series (SPARTAN GOLD, LOST EMPIRE, and THE KINGDOM) with Clive Cussler, as well as the co-author of the #1 NYT bestseller, DEAD OR ALIVE, with Tom Clancy, and the upcoming thriller, THE KILL SWITCH, with James Rollins.
A U. S. Navy veteran, Grant spent three years aboard a guided missile frigate as an Operations Specialist and a Pilot Rescue Swimmer.
Grant lives in Colorado, where he is working his own standalone series starring a new hero.
A U. S. Navy veteran, Grant spent three years aboard a guided missile frigate as an Operations Specialist and a Pilot Rescue Swimmer.
Grant lives in Colorado, where he is working his own standalone series starring a new hero.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews
December 1, 2015
Tom Clancy is gone. I know he had co-authors on the last several Ryan books, but this is the first that felt noticeably "different". In particular, many of the choices made by Jack Jr. were inconsistent with the charachter that had been built over the series. This felt like a different guy...more reckless and less capable. Had Jr. been consistent with the backstory, the absence of Clancy's traditionally tight intrigue would have been less jarring. To be fair, the book was entertaining, but just not what I'd come to expect, which, of course, makes sense. I guess it's time to lower my expectations.
July 20, 2015
The trouble with being a fan of the Tom Clancy “RyanVerse” is that you feel the need to read all the books as you have invested so much time in the characters. In fairness the previous Grant Blackwood dip into the world of Clancy wasn’t bad. This is his second offering and it didn’t work for me.
Ryan Junior (let us remember he is the son of the US President) is able to travel the world without Secret Service protection, without anyone recognising him, and by the way, he is an intelligence agent for the secret Campus organisation.
Anyway, Jack meets an old friend in Tehran who then disappears and this kicks off a story linked to the dullest coup in history. There was little to engage in, the characterisation was lacking, the plot uninteresting and lots of inconsistencies. One minute Jack has all the trade-craft, next the policy seems to be “trust your instincts. He is a key member of Campus yet it is a long time before he updates them and even longer before they send some help. You kind of know the norm would be to send a team over straight away, yet mainly Jack gets John Clark as some kind of remote helpline. Just felt wrong and not how the Campus would operate, especially given who Jack’s Dad is!
In essence this may have worked as a standard thriller and it felt like one that was just shoe-horned into the Clancy world and as such it does not deliver on the expectations of a Clancy style novel.
Ryan Junior (let us remember he is the son of the US President) is able to travel the world without Secret Service protection, without anyone recognising him, and by the way, he is an intelligence agent for the secret Campus organisation.
Anyway, Jack meets an old friend in Tehran who then disappears and this kicks off a story linked to the dullest coup in history. There was little to engage in, the characterisation was lacking, the plot uninteresting and lots of inconsistencies. One minute Jack has all the trade-craft, next the policy seems to be “trust your instincts. He is a key member of Campus yet it is a long time before he updates them and even longer before they send some help. You kind of know the norm would be to send a team over straight away, yet mainly Jack gets John Clark as some kind of remote helpline. Just felt wrong and not how the Campus would operate, especially given who Jack’s Dad is!
In essence this may have worked as a standard thriller and it felt like one that was just shoe-horned into the Clancy world and as such it does not deliver on the expectations of a Clancy style novel.
July 26, 2015
Tough one to finish. The plot's a little too convoluted and contrived to keep me hooked. Granted, this series takes a lot of suspended disbelief to start with, as in the president's son running around the world doing covert stuff and shooting it out with bad guys, but still I have my limits. Jack Jr. is hardly recognizable here and Isabel, the Iranian gunslinger, is one of those characters where I wonder if the author forgot to tell me more because I don't understand why she acts that way.
Was hoping for a better story after Threat Vector. But this didn't work for me.
Was hoping for a better story after Threat Vector. But this didn't work for me.
August 12, 2016
Grant Blackwood has co-authored novels with Tom Clancy, James Rollins and Clive Cussler. Under Fire is the first solo novel Mr. Blackwood has written for the late Tom Clancy franchise, and a fine one it is. Jack Ryan, Jr. is on his own in Tehren. He meets a friend for lunch. The friend hands him the key to his apartment and a cryptic message. Soon afterwards, the friend goes missing. Jack begins tracking him down, and is soon enmeshed in high-stakes intrigue involving various international agencies and a host of dangerous characters. How Jack navigates this hotbed of espionage, lethality, and duplicity makes for an engrossing story, and is sure to be a huge hit for all Tom Clancy fans. Grant Blackwood carries on the Clancy tradition with remarkable elan. I highly recommend this novel for fans of high-octane international intrigue drizzled throughout with an ever-present sense of danger. Five well-deserved stars!
Mark Rubinstein
Mark Rubinstein
June 19, 2015
I have loved the Jack Ryan, Jr. and The Campus novels. They have been excellent works in the Tom Clancy fashion. I have felt that Grant Blackwood has been a great asset to the Clancy stable of writers, as I have noted in my other reviews of his work.
BUT, this novel didn't really work for me. My first problem is that it really only had Jack Jr. in the story until about 70% of the way through, then finally Dom Caruso shows up in the field. That misses the mark of what The Campus is about. It is not about lone wolf characters acting on their own and not giving The Campus the full story. So, either Jack Jr. has fallen far from the family tree or he is thinking that he can be the lone wolf hero of political events and spy activities.
Jack Jr. meets with an old friend and finds that he has stepped into a problem in a country that is going to be facing a Coup in the next couple of weeks. Jack Jr. has to figure out what is happening and who the bad guys are and who the good guys are. His friend Seth appears to be having a bit of a break with reality, or is he?
Bottom line, The CIA, British Intelligence and Russian Elite Forces are going to be playing a game of political chicken as the country of Dagestan goes through the upheaval of a political coup as the Minster of Interior takes steps to wrestle control of the country from the President of Dagestan.
Jack Jr. will find himself on the side of the Minister of Interior and will not be sure that this is truly a wise move. Jack Jr. comes off looking tentative at times and not as decisive as his old man would have been in a similar situation.
Jack Jr. will use The Campus assets but not in the way that they should have been used or were used in previous works.
I liked the story, I liked the complex situation with many different intelligence agencies involved, I just didn't like Blackwood taking Jack Jr. and making him a lone wolf on this case.
Next time lets stick with the whole team and get them back involved as they should be.
BUT, this novel didn't really work for me. My first problem is that it really only had Jack Jr. in the story until about 70% of the way through, then finally Dom Caruso shows up in the field. That misses the mark of what The Campus is about. It is not about lone wolf characters acting on their own and not giving The Campus the full story. So, either Jack Jr. has fallen far from the family tree or he is thinking that he can be the lone wolf hero of political events and spy activities.
Jack Jr. meets with an old friend and finds that he has stepped into a problem in a country that is going to be facing a Coup in the next couple of weeks. Jack Jr. has to figure out what is happening and who the bad guys are and who the good guys are. His friend Seth appears to be having a bit of a break with reality, or is he?
Bottom line, The CIA, British Intelligence and Russian Elite Forces are going to be playing a game of political chicken as the country of Dagestan goes through the upheaval of a political coup as the Minster of Interior takes steps to wrestle control of the country from the President of Dagestan.
Jack Jr. will find himself on the side of the Minister of Interior and will not be sure that this is truly a wise move. Jack Jr. comes off looking tentative at times and not as decisive as his old man would have been in a similar situation.
Jack Jr. will use The Campus assets but not in the way that they should have been used or were used in previous works.
I liked the story, I liked the complex situation with many different intelligence agencies involved, I just didn't like Blackwood taking Jack Jr. and making him a lone wolf on this case.
Next time lets stick with the whole team and get them back involved as they should be.
July 23, 2015
If you like Tom Clancy, you will enjoy this one! Grant Blackwood is an excellent writer and I am looking forward to his new thriller series he is working on. Very exciting from start to finish!
November 23, 2015
UNDER FIRE is the latest in the line of posthumous Ryanverse novels in which previous Tom Clancy collaborators and co-writers stake out on their own. I guess it should be noted that one's enjoyment of these works would be dependent on their acceptance of Clancy as a franchise and franchise-generator, rather than as an individual author of unique works. For quite a while now, Clancy's name has adorned work in which he either co-wrote (DEAD OR ALIVE, COMMAND AUTHORITY) or developed the premise (OP CENTER, SPLINTER CELL), or, more recently, as the progenitor of characters and concepts revolving around Jack Ryan, Jack Ryan Jr. and the secret organization known as The Campus, that other writers, namely Mark Greaney and Grant Blackwood, have inherited.
UNDER FIRE, of course, falls squarely in this latter category, so Clancy purists are likely to have a bit of a conniption fit. For whatever it's worth, I have little problem with authors continuing on in Clancy's world and using his characters for officially licensed purposes; as long as the work is good, I'll keep buying. Like I said, the man has grown into more of a franchise staple over the years than anything else, so whoever is actually writing these things is usually secondary to the presence of all the familiar faces and series staples. Now, that said, I've found Greaney to be a much more natural fit, perhaps thanks to his being a more constant companion to Clancy's big name header over the last few years.
Blackwood strikes me as a little less sure footed, and his first solo effort leaves a lot to be desired. But, it's also been a while since he's worked in this world - his last effort was 2012's co-written title DEAD OR ALIVE. Taking the reins single-handedly now, we find Jack Ryan Jr. chasing after a missing friend who may have stolen some money from the CIA operating account, and becomes enmeshed with a coup within the Dagestani government.
What we end up with is a perfectly fine, middle of the road thriller that, unfortunately, lacks much in the way of thrills. This is not a bad book, at least in my own estimation, but it's not particularly good either. It's readable and a decent enough time killer, but it lacks the page-turning drive of your usual Clancy books or the thrills and fast-paced nature of Greaney's works. It's also not as bad as some of Clancy's own solo efforts (I'm looking right at you, RED RABBIT), but it certainly never reaches the pinnacle of Clancy at his best (PATRIOT GAMES, EXECUTIVE ORDERS). If anything, this book might be the perfect example of a Goodreads two-star "It's OK" rating.
Blackwood is clearly trying to hit all the right notes - there's some technical lingo, spies, multinational chicanery, etc. The main problem is that it all feels so small-scale in comparison to what we've been getting previously that it comes across as a rather lightweight affair. The finale strives for the big military blowout between rival nations, but Blackwood doesn't seem to know how to make it all gel and turns toward a more personal touch with a swing back toward spy-vs-spy stuff. Sadly, UNDER FIRE closes out with a gasping whimper instead of a bang.
Clancy is a franchise, and that's never been more clear than in the time since his death. In a world of franchises, this latest effort is a bit more of a plain burger, hold the cheese and ketchup and skip the fries, OK, just give me a fucking salad instead but with a nice thick dressing, standing up against a handful of Baconators. It's OK, but only OK, and you know there's so many other tastier, greasier options for you out there.
The good news is, Greaney will be back soon with COMMANDER IN CHIEF, which I've got high hopes for.
UNDER FIRE, of course, falls squarely in this latter category, so Clancy purists are likely to have a bit of a conniption fit. For whatever it's worth, I have little problem with authors continuing on in Clancy's world and using his characters for officially licensed purposes; as long as the work is good, I'll keep buying. Like I said, the man has grown into more of a franchise staple over the years than anything else, so whoever is actually writing these things is usually secondary to the presence of all the familiar faces and series staples. Now, that said, I've found Greaney to be a much more natural fit, perhaps thanks to his being a more constant companion to Clancy's big name header over the last few years.
Blackwood strikes me as a little less sure footed, and his first solo effort leaves a lot to be desired. But, it's also been a while since he's worked in this world - his last effort was 2012's co-written title DEAD OR ALIVE. Taking the reins single-handedly now, we find Jack Ryan Jr. chasing after a missing friend who may have stolen some money from the CIA operating account, and becomes enmeshed with a coup within the Dagestani government.
What we end up with is a perfectly fine, middle of the road thriller that, unfortunately, lacks much in the way of thrills. This is not a bad book, at least in my own estimation, but it's not particularly good either. It's readable and a decent enough time killer, but it lacks the page-turning drive of your usual Clancy books or the thrills and fast-paced nature of Greaney's works. It's also not as bad as some of Clancy's own solo efforts (I'm looking right at you, RED RABBIT), but it certainly never reaches the pinnacle of Clancy at his best (PATRIOT GAMES, EXECUTIVE ORDERS). If anything, this book might be the perfect example of a Goodreads two-star "It's OK" rating.
Blackwood is clearly trying to hit all the right notes - there's some technical lingo, spies, multinational chicanery, etc. The main problem is that it all feels so small-scale in comparison to what we've been getting previously that it comes across as a rather lightweight affair. The finale strives for the big military blowout between rival nations, but Blackwood doesn't seem to know how to make it all gel and turns toward a more personal touch with a swing back toward spy-vs-spy stuff. Sadly, UNDER FIRE closes out with a gasping whimper instead of a bang.
Clancy is a franchise, and that's never been more clear than in the time since his death. In a world of franchises, this latest effort is a bit more of a plain burger, hold the cheese and ketchup and skip the fries, OK, just give me a fucking salad instead but with a nice thick dressing, standing up against a handful of Baconators. It's OK, but only OK, and you know there's so many other tastier, greasier options for you out there.
The good news is, Greaney will be back soon with COMMANDER IN CHIEF, which I've got high hopes for.
July 4, 2015
On a routine mission to Tehran Jack Ryan Jr has lunch with
his oldest friend Seth Gregory who is an engineer overseeing a
transcontinental railway project. The next day Jack is summoned
to an apartment where two men tell him that Seth has skipped out
with the funds for a vital intelligence operation. He soon joins
up with Ysabel Kashani an Iranian woman who has the only clue to
Seth's whereabouts. Jack soon finds himself in a maze of intrigue,
lies and betrayals. No one seems to be who they are including Seth.
Racing against the clock Jack must unravel who is friend and who
is foe. Before it's over Jack may have to choose between his loyalty
to Seth or to his country. It is very hard to tell that Tom Clancy
did not write this book.Grant Blackwood did an excellent job and he
writes very similar to Clancy. Iv'e read all of Clancy's novels and
given them all a 5. I gave Blackwood a 5 hoping that he will write
another book.
his oldest friend Seth Gregory who is an engineer overseeing a
transcontinental railway project. The next day Jack is summoned
to an apartment where two men tell him that Seth has skipped out
with the funds for a vital intelligence operation. He soon joins
up with Ysabel Kashani an Iranian woman who has the only clue to
Seth's whereabouts. Jack soon finds himself in a maze of intrigue,
lies and betrayals. No one seems to be who they are including Seth.
Racing against the clock Jack must unravel who is friend and who
is foe. Before it's over Jack may have to choose between his loyalty
to Seth or to his country. It is very hard to tell that Tom Clancy
did not write this book.Grant Blackwood did an excellent job and he
writes very similar to Clancy. Iv'e read all of Clancy's novels and
given them all a 5. I gave Blackwood a 5 hoping that he will write
another book.
August 11, 2015
The 8th book using Clancy's name, the 3rd since his death, is not written by Mark Greaney (he wrote 5 of them so far with a 6th on the way), but instead Grant Blackwood takes his second shot. Whoo boy, is it awful. The story takes off so quickly I could barely keep up. The first 1/3 of the story is a mystery tale, with so many clues and names I lost track of who was who. The last 2/3 tries to tell a story of an attempted coup in one of the -stans near Russia, but it is all over the place. Blackwood tries to turn Jack Ryan Jr. into Ethan Hunt from Mission: Impossible, and it doesn't work. I could not wait for this book to be finished.
July 8, 2015
I'll start by saying this: Clancy was one of the greatest authors of his genre, and to expect anyone to perfectly fill his shoes now that he is gone is a discredit to a great man.
Having said that, we have two notable successors to the franchise he created, Blackwood being one of them. I have to say that even though I didn't expect this to read like an actual Clancy book, I felt that the writing didn't live up to his standards. The story is relevant to current events and the characters are familiar, but the writing style is dull and the dialogue feels forced. Suspension of disbelief is common in military thrillers but there are countless occurrences in this book where the reader has to ask himself "what would REALLY happen here?"
That's not to say the story isn't worth reading. To Blackwood's credit this story would be a great read if the characters were his own and the Clancy name weren't involved, but with that name comes an expectation and this story doesn't deliver it for me.
Having said that, we have two notable successors to the franchise he created, Blackwood being one of them. I have to say that even though I didn't expect this to read like an actual Clancy book, I felt that the writing didn't live up to his standards. The story is relevant to current events and the characters are familiar, but the writing style is dull and the dialogue feels forced. Suspension of disbelief is common in military thrillers but there are countless occurrences in this book where the reader has to ask himself "what would REALLY happen here?"
That's not to say the story isn't worth reading. To Blackwood's credit this story would be a great read if the characters were his own and the Clancy name weren't involved, but with that name comes an expectation and this story doesn't deliver it for me.
March 24, 2016
The plotting was convoluted at times but the characters were engaging enough for me to keep going with the audio. I doubt I would have done so with the novel.
Scott Brick, the narrator, did a respectable job with all of the voices and accents.
OVERALL GRADE: C plus to B minus.
Scott Brick, the narrator, did a respectable job with all of the voices and accents.
OVERALL GRADE: C plus to B minus.
June 11, 2016
Dumb but sorta entertaining. 2.5 stars rounded up.
Ultimately the issue with this book is that I'm not sure why we should care about the overall plot. I'm not sure we're given enough in the book to care about overall plot. I think the reasoning is all external to the book; a small Russian Republic wants to breakaway from Moscow; and in your head you know how its generally gone before. Therefore you automatically side with the small republic. And that can work but I think you also have to give the reader reasons within the book to care about the plot, and I'm not convinced Blackwood accomplishes that. Seth, the good guy, turned bad guy, turned good guy isn't really enough. Rebaz, our besieged Russian leader, is not exactly charming.
Its been a while since I've read a recent Tom Clancy book but my memory of them generally they are characterized by a couple of things first whatever the plot there is something on the line for America and second there is plenty of, for lack of a better term, weapons porn; long detailed descriptions of various weapons or weapon systems and how they operate. Clancy, in later books, may have done way with the second, but I'm pretty sure the first held firm.
This book doesn't really have either. The second is forgivable, Clancy wrote numerous nonfiction books about the branches of the American military. I would assume that gave him a unparalleled depth and breadth of knowledge about US military weapons systems. Mr. Blackwood can be forgiven for not having that same extensive background.
I can't explain why the first went away.
The next issue is with the plot. Mr Blackwood writes a few good set pieces, but the plot kinda meanders. However much Blackwood tries to convey it, there is no ticking clock; there is no urgency until about the last hundred pages. Maybe Mr. Blackwood had it planned out, from page one, (or page one hundred), but the lack of urgency in the plot gave me the feeling Mr. Blackwood didn't have it planned out, and cobbled together the plot as he was writing it. It also gives the book the sense that Mr. Blackwood may be trying to fill out the page count. A snappier plot the book would have been three hundred, three hundred fifty pages; this plot that meanders and takes its time runs longer.
Theres also one goofy (practically fatal) logic flaw in the book. Seth, when he finally turns good guy again (pro wrestlers have fewer good guy bad guys turns in a career than Seth has in about two hundred pages), and lays out the premise of the rest of the book, he has been running this entire operation rogue without the oversight or approval of, essentially, the US Goverment and don't tell Washington. It's probably not twenty pages before Jack Ryan Jr. is laying out most of whats going on for his people in the US Government. Um, guys?
That flaw exposes a basic problem with the plot, and strengthens the argument Blackwood didn't have it planned out in advance. The whole "this op is rogue and Washington doesn't know, please don't tell" comes a little less than halfway through the book. At that point, the plot either needs to be Ryan Jr. pulls off a black op, making the previous 200 pages worth something. Or conversely, if Blackwood goes the way he did, it looks like all Seth needed was Ryan Jr. to call Washington and explain the situation, and he'd be in the clear. Making the previous two hundred pages and fairly large waste of time, and leaves the reader asking "Could the previous two hundred pages have been done in say, one hundred and twenty five pages, maybe? A hundred pages?"
If Blackwood was writing a tighter paced story, I'd be more inclined to forgive the flaw.
(I didn't read this in a day, like I've lied to GR. I don't note the days I start books. I put this down for weeks on end. I can't even guess how long it took me.)
Ultimately the issue with this book is that I'm not sure why we should care about the overall plot. I'm not sure we're given enough in the book to care about overall plot. I think the reasoning is all external to the book; a small Russian Republic wants to breakaway from Moscow; and in your head you know how its generally gone before. Therefore you automatically side with the small republic. And that can work but I think you also have to give the reader reasons within the book to care about the plot, and I'm not convinced Blackwood accomplishes that. Seth, the good guy, turned bad guy, turned good guy isn't really enough. Rebaz, our besieged Russian leader, is not exactly charming.
Its been a while since I've read a recent Tom Clancy book but my memory of them generally they are characterized by a couple of things first whatever the plot there is something on the line for America and second there is plenty of, for lack of a better term, weapons porn; long detailed descriptions of various weapons or weapon systems and how they operate. Clancy, in later books, may have done way with the second, but I'm pretty sure the first held firm.
This book doesn't really have either. The second is forgivable, Clancy wrote numerous nonfiction books about the branches of the American military. I would assume that gave him a unparalleled depth and breadth of knowledge about US military weapons systems. Mr. Blackwood can be forgiven for not having that same extensive background.
I can't explain why the first went away.
The next issue is with the plot. Mr Blackwood writes a few good set pieces, but the plot kinda meanders. However much Blackwood tries to convey it, there is no ticking clock; there is no urgency until about the last hundred pages. Maybe Mr. Blackwood had it planned out, from page one, (or page one hundred), but the lack of urgency in the plot gave me the feeling Mr. Blackwood didn't have it planned out, and cobbled together the plot as he was writing it. It also gives the book the sense that Mr. Blackwood may be trying to fill out the page count. A snappier plot the book would have been three hundred, three hundred fifty pages; this plot that meanders and takes its time runs longer.
Theres also one goofy (practically fatal) logic flaw in the book. Seth, when he finally turns good guy again (pro wrestlers have fewer good guy bad guys turns in a career than Seth has in about two hundred pages), and lays out the premise of the rest of the book, he has been running this entire operation rogue without the oversight or approval of, essentially, the US Goverment and don't tell Washington. It's probably not twenty pages before Jack Ryan Jr. is laying out most of whats going on for his people in the US Government. Um, guys?
That flaw exposes a basic problem with the plot, and strengthens the argument Blackwood didn't have it planned out in advance. The whole "this op is rogue and Washington doesn't know, please don't tell" comes a little less than halfway through the book. At that point, the plot either needs to be Ryan Jr. pulls off a black op, making the previous 200 pages worth something. Or conversely, if Blackwood goes the way he did, it looks like all Seth needed was Ryan Jr. to call Washington and explain the situation, and he'd be in the clear. Making the previous two hundred pages and fairly large waste of time, and leaves the reader asking "Could the previous two hundred pages have been done in say, one hundred and twenty five pages, maybe? A hundred pages?"
If Blackwood was writing a tighter paced story, I'd be more inclined to forgive the flaw.
(I didn't read this in a day, like I've lied to GR. I don't note the days I start books. I put this down for weeks on end. I can't even guess how long it took me.)
August 2, 2015
I know that Tom Clancy is not the primary writer on this, but the feel of the story is the same as that which captured my admiration when I read my first Tom Clancy novel over thirty years ago. The attention to detail and the time spent on character development as well as character interaction make it almost easy to stomach the wait between new books.
July 4, 2015
I enjoyed this book, and yet...
Since I've read all of Clancy's books I've come to expect a level of detail that was missing here. Jack, Jr. way too casually brings people into the Campus circle. And the CIA operatives go along with everything Jack suggests without question. Sure, at the beginning they think he's just a business and finance guy, but within short order he's leading the team. Not terribly realistic.
Also, there is a disconnect from other books in the series that didn't exist when Clancy was alive. I think that it must be because we now have two authors taking up the mantle. Blackwood and Greaney are each good authors, but it seems pretty obvious that they are not calibrating on what the Clancy universe should look like. Greaney has written or co-authored five books since Blackwood's last entry in the cannon, but there is no acknowledgement of anything that happened in those books. I would like a tighter connection to the series.
Still, it's hard not to enjoy reading about characters I've come to know and love.
Since I've read all of Clancy's books I've come to expect a level of detail that was missing here. Jack, Jr. way too casually brings people into the Campus circle. And the CIA operatives go along with everything Jack suggests without question. Sure, at the beginning they think he's just a business and finance guy, but within short order he's leading the team. Not terribly realistic.
Also, there is a disconnect from other books in the series that didn't exist when Clancy was alive. I think that it must be because we now have two authors taking up the mantle. Blackwood and Greaney are each good authors, but it seems pretty obvious that they are not calibrating on what the Clancy universe should look like. Greaney has written or co-authored five books since Blackwood's last entry in the cannon, but there is no acknowledgement of anything that happened in those books. I would like a tighter connection to the series.
Still, it's hard not to enjoy reading about characters I've come to know and love.
December 14, 2017
The worst thing for me is I have no idea is if this is Book 1 in a New Jack Ryan Jr. series, or like, Book 7 in the continuing Jack Ryan Jr. series. Just depends what site you look at for information.
Thing is, I always wanted to enjoy reading Tom Clancy novels. Problem was whenever I tried, I lost track of which character was which --all the names sounded the same. All of the names sounded Russian. There was always so much detail --for me-- that it bogged down the story,
Two things happened to (re)spark my interest.First I saw that John Krasinski would be staring in a new Jack Ryan TV show exclusively on Hulu, and then I stumbled onto the Jack Ryan Jr. series. Like all these signs telling "okay, let's give this another go."
I am thrilled that I did. I loved Under Fire by Grant Blackwood. Jack Ryan's son works for the Hendly Associates, an arbitrage firm. They buy and sell securities among other things. To a select few the Hendly Associates also goes by another name. The Campus. Jack, Jr. also does this and that for The Campus. It is the This and That could get him killed.
After meeting with Seth Gregory, an old friend, for lunch, Jack Jr. is brought in for questioning. The British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and the C.I.A. want some answers. Seth is into something and the men from the agencies need to find him. Seth was working on something for them. He took their money and vanished. They believe Jr. knows where Seth might have gone.
Jr. has no idea where Seth went. But he thinks he knows how to start tracking him. Thing is, he isn't going to do it for the agencies asking. He starts looking for Seth because he can't imagine how a simple engineer for Shell working on drilling for oil could be caught up with anything that has to do with the S.I.S. and the C.I.A.
Russia is in unrest. They have made many aggressive moves across nearby borders. The Dagestanis do not realize it, but they are a chess piece now in play. A coup is in the works. AGreeing governments might be behind the staging of the political take-over. For things to go as planned, a lot has got to happen in a specific order, and with specific results.
I've tried planning a shopping list before going to the store and messed up getting what needed buying . . . Just saying.
And now Jr. and his friends at The Campus, along with some others find themselves in the middle of a country's chaos. With kidnappings, and death threats, presidents, and body guards, Jack Ryan Jr has no idea to who he can trust. There is know telling who is loyal to who(m).
What Jr. does know is that time is running out. The game is in play. The coup is going to happen. There could be deadly riots and absolute anarchy
Under Fire was a fast. (Still a thousand names. Thankfully, not all Russian)! The pacing was tight, and fast. Like Tom Clancy there is plenty of detail, and specifics, but I did not find them overbearing and was able to keep my head above water while reading with minimal effort.
Phillip Tomasso
author of Absolute Zero
and Damn the Dead
Thing is, I always wanted to enjoy reading Tom Clancy novels. Problem was whenever I tried, I lost track of which character was which --all the names sounded the same. All of the names sounded Russian. There was always so much detail --for me-- that it bogged down the story,
Two things happened to (re)spark my interest.First I saw that John Krasinski would be staring in a new Jack Ryan TV show exclusively on Hulu, and then I stumbled onto the Jack Ryan Jr. series. Like all these signs telling "okay, let's give this another go."
I am thrilled that I did. I loved Under Fire by Grant Blackwood. Jack Ryan's son works for the Hendly Associates, an arbitrage firm. They buy and sell securities among other things. To a select few the Hendly Associates also goes by another name. The Campus. Jack, Jr. also does this and that for The Campus. It is the This and That could get him killed.
After meeting with Seth Gregory, an old friend, for lunch, Jack Jr. is brought in for questioning. The British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and the C.I.A. want some answers. Seth is into something and the men from the agencies need to find him. Seth was working on something for them. He took their money and vanished. They believe Jr. knows where Seth might have gone.
Jr. has no idea where Seth went. But he thinks he knows how to start tracking him. Thing is, he isn't going to do it for the agencies asking. He starts looking for Seth because he can't imagine how a simple engineer for Shell working on drilling for oil could be caught up with anything that has to do with the S.I.S. and the C.I.A.
Russia is in unrest. They have made many aggressive moves across nearby borders. The Dagestanis do not realize it, but they are a chess piece now in play. A coup is in the works. AGreeing governments might be behind the staging of the political take-over. For things to go as planned, a lot has got to happen in a specific order, and with specific results.
I've tried planning a shopping list before going to the store and messed up getting what needed buying . . . Just saying.
And now Jr. and his friends at The Campus, along with some others find themselves in the middle of a country's chaos. With kidnappings, and death threats, presidents, and body guards, Jack Ryan Jr has no idea to who he can trust. There is know telling who is loyal to who(m).
What Jr. does know is that time is running out. The game is in play. The coup is going to happen. There could be deadly riots and absolute anarchy
Under Fire was a fast. (Still a thousand names. Thankfully, not all Russian)! The pacing was tight, and fast. Like Tom Clancy there is plenty of detail, and specifics, but I did not find them overbearing and was able to keep my head above water while reading with minimal effort.
Phillip Tomasso
author of Absolute Zero
and Damn the Dead
August 4, 2015
Solid action thriller, but definitely not in the same ballpark as Clancy. It's better to just think of it as it's own book and not connected to the earlier Clancy masterpieces. Jack Ryan Jr. is now essentially a full-fledged military black-ops type field agent, and there's very little actual spy analysis or tradecraft in this novel.
May 22, 2021
Che fatica! Non c'è una traduzione italiana. Me lo sono letto in inglese.
è la prima volta che leggo un libro intero in inglese ma non volevo interrompere la serie.
Ho perso sicuramente dei passaggi importanti ma il senso della storia l'ho seguito quasi da cima a fondo.
Vedremo se Y. sarà ancora nei prossimi racconti
è la prima volta che leggo un libro intero in inglese ma non volevo interrompere la serie.
Ho perso sicuramente dei passaggi importanti ma il senso della storia l'ho seguito quasi da cima a fondo.
Vedremo se Y. sarà ancora nei prossimi racconti
May 1, 2017
#19 in the Jack Ryan series continues and is another exciting fast read, this time take place in Dagestan, a former Soviet republic.
August 28, 2023
This is the second Grant Blackwood writing under the Tom Clancy banner and I wont be reading his third, not a great fan of many of Clancy's earlier books as to many boring passages that add little to the story I find Mr Blackwood mimicking early Clancy- funny enough I find its the same from Stephen King's horror novels (take out 200 pages to make it fast and pacey. Flat and lacks pace of many of the other writers so stands out for me as a low satisfying half baked lump of dough. Shame as I do enjoy the Clancy World with some excellent writers.
August 25, 2015
SUBJECTIVE READER REVIEW FOLLOWS:
The entire time I was writing this review the Righteous Brothers' song lyrics, 'you've lost that love and feeling' kept playing in my mind. Sorry Grant Blackwood, you can collaborate with Clancy pretty well as proven in 'Dead or Alive' but creating Clancy was a failure in my humble opinion with 'Under Fire.' It would seem that Mark Greaney, 'Full Force & Effect' was truer to the faith with the North Korean rare earth minerals story. As inaccessible as North Korea is, Blackwood did his best by taking the reader on a trip through northwest Iran, then Georgia, barely missing Armenia but not Azerbaijan before winding up in Dagestan, which is still part of Russia. At best, the cross country motoring got me tuned in to the fact that the western shore of the Caspian Sea is one of Russia's prime oil fields, if nothing else. The believability of the storyline is another question mark, but that's not what got the Righteous Brothers stirring. The whole text just doesn't feel like Jack Ryan Jr and the Campus. It's sort of like they cut the boy free with the barest of lifelines. Sure, Dom Chavez shows up late in Dagestan to help Jack single handedly hold off the Russian Bear, but come on, really? Vlad Putin would never put up with such; I mean, Chechnya is right next door and the Russians have committed divisions of soldiers to quell that Islamic jihadist uprising over the past twenty years! The only lifeline Blackwood threw jack is the mysterious Iranian hottie Ysabel Kashani, and other than being Seth Gregory's former squeeze we ain't gotta clue whose side she's on. So Jack Jr. gets laid, almost as a passing fancy, but the reader's left holding the bag on this one. Recommended reading only if you can borrow the book.
SPOILER PLOT SUMMARY (ATTEMPT) FOLLOWS:
Adventure on the Caspian. Jack Ryan Jr. ventures to Tehran to test the waters so to speak following the election of the new moderate President Kamran Farahani. While there he lunches with his old high school mate Seth Gregory who leaves Jack with a harrowingly strange parting message; left you the key and steaks in the freezer. At the same time, a hit team is operating in Edinburg, Scotland, casing a university student for capture and smuggling back to Dagestan. The hit team is under the direction of Russian SVR officer Oleg Pechkin, but Jack knows little about his intentions. Meanwhile things start sliding sideways in Tehran as Jack tries but fails to locate Seth via phone but can gets texts from him, warning him of imminent danger. Soon Jack is kidnapped by men speaking English, manages to escape and is rescued by a strange but attractive Iranian woman Ysabel Kashani, who takes him in and protects Jack while he unhatches the conspiracy. Seth had claimed to be a ringer for Shell Oil's drilling operations along the western shore of the Caspian Sea, but finds himself in a seeming tug of war between the CIA and MI6. With Ysabel now as his guardian/partner, they follow Seth's trail as it leads up through northwestern Iran to Tbilisi, Georgia then across Azerbaijan to Baku. There Jack and Ysabel finally have a spirited conversation with the CIA officer Matt Spellman, who is in league with Seth trying to facilitate the coup d'état planned by Dagestani General cum politico Rebaz Medzhid. When they learn of the plan to snatch Rebaz' daughter Aminet in Edinburg Jack and Ysabel fly there, roust the hit team and find a lead back to Dagestan when they rescue Amy. Arrested in Dagestan when they travel to give the hit team's leader's husband a last video, they manage to be released after invoking Medzhid's name. Arriving in Makhachkala, they learn of the very well-planned coup Seth and Spellman have hatched for Medzhid, only to learn that rogue MI6 officer Ray Wellesley is in league with SVR officer Oleg Pechkin to unravel and defeat Medzhid's plans. If Medzhid succeeds, he plans on steering Dagestan towards freedom from Russian as did Georgia and Azerbaijan previously. Although Seth has planned for high tech warfare, with alternate Wi-Fi hotspots to transmit Medzhid's messages, the Russians are aware and bring in military grade jamming and web override equipment in heavy combat vehicles. Constantly in touch with the Campus, Dom Chavez comes into town to help, only to find the Russians plan on bringing in thousands of soldiers if necessary to quell the rebellion. Using determination and luck, Dom and Jack manage to locate a ship borne signal triangulator, disable it and sink it in the harbor. One of Rebaz' own security staff is a traitor, shoots Rebaz and Seth, killing Seth but only wounding Medzhid. Having survived the worst of the opposition, Medzhid is free to carry on his fight to defeat the incumbent Dagestan President and position them for possible freedom from Russia. Having survived the battle, Jack and Ysabel retreat for a sex filled vacation.
The entire time I was writing this review the Righteous Brothers' song lyrics, 'you've lost that love and feeling' kept playing in my mind. Sorry Grant Blackwood, you can collaborate with Clancy pretty well as proven in 'Dead or Alive' but creating Clancy was a failure in my humble opinion with 'Under Fire.' It would seem that Mark Greaney, 'Full Force & Effect' was truer to the faith with the North Korean rare earth minerals story. As inaccessible as North Korea is, Blackwood did his best by taking the reader on a trip through northwest Iran, then Georgia, barely missing Armenia but not Azerbaijan before winding up in Dagestan, which is still part of Russia. At best, the cross country motoring got me tuned in to the fact that the western shore of the Caspian Sea is one of Russia's prime oil fields, if nothing else. The believability of the storyline is another question mark, but that's not what got the Righteous Brothers stirring. The whole text just doesn't feel like Jack Ryan Jr and the Campus. It's sort of like they cut the boy free with the barest of lifelines. Sure, Dom Chavez shows up late in Dagestan to help Jack single handedly hold off the Russian Bear, but come on, really? Vlad Putin would never put up with such; I mean, Chechnya is right next door and the Russians have committed divisions of soldiers to quell that Islamic jihadist uprising over the past twenty years! The only lifeline Blackwood threw jack is the mysterious Iranian hottie Ysabel Kashani, and other than being Seth Gregory's former squeeze we ain't gotta clue whose side she's on. So Jack Jr. gets laid, almost as a passing fancy, but the reader's left holding the bag on this one. Recommended reading only if you can borrow the book.
SPOILER PLOT SUMMARY (ATTEMPT) FOLLOWS:
Adventure on the Caspian. Jack Ryan Jr. ventures to Tehran to test the waters so to speak following the election of the new moderate President Kamran Farahani. While there he lunches with his old high school mate Seth Gregory who leaves Jack with a harrowingly strange parting message; left you the key and steaks in the freezer. At the same time, a hit team is operating in Edinburg, Scotland, casing a university student for capture and smuggling back to Dagestan. The hit team is under the direction of Russian SVR officer Oleg Pechkin, but Jack knows little about his intentions. Meanwhile things start sliding sideways in Tehran as Jack tries but fails to locate Seth via phone but can gets texts from him, warning him of imminent danger. Soon Jack is kidnapped by men speaking English, manages to escape and is rescued by a strange but attractive Iranian woman Ysabel Kashani, who takes him in and protects Jack while he unhatches the conspiracy. Seth had claimed to be a ringer for Shell Oil's drilling operations along the western shore of the Caspian Sea, but finds himself in a seeming tug of war between the CIA and MI6. With Ysabel now as his guardian/partner, they follow Seth's trail as it leads up through northwestern Iran to Tbilisi, Georgia then across Azerbaijan to Baku. There Jack and Ysabel finally have a spirited conversation with the CIA officer Matt Spellman, who is in league with Seth trying to facilitate the coup d'état planned by Dagestani General cum politico Rebaz Medzhid. When they learn of the plan to snatch Rebaz' daughter Aminet in Edinburg Jack and Ysabel fly there, roust the hit team and find a lead back to Dagestan when they rescue Amy. Arrested in Dagestan when they travel to give the hit team's leader's husband a last video, they manage to be released after invoking Medzhid's name. Arriving in Makhachkala, they learn of the very well-planned coup Seth and Spellman have hatched for Medzhid, only to learn that rogue MI6 officer Ray Wellesley is in league with SVR officer Oleg Pechkin to unravel and defeat Medzhid's plans. If Medzhid succeeds, he plans on steering Dagestan towards freedom from Russian as did Georgia and Azerbaijan previously. Although Seth has planned for high tech warfare, with alternate Wi-Fi hotspots to transmit Medzhid's messages, the Russians are aware and bring in military grade jamming and web override equipment in heavy combat vehicles. Constantly in touch with the Campus, Dom Chavez comes into town to help, only to find the Russians plan on bringing in thousands of soldiers if necessary to quell the rebellion. Using determination and luck, Dom and Jack manage to locate a ship borne signal triangulator, disable it and sink it in the harbor. One of Rebaz' own security staff is a traitor, shoots Rebaz and Seth, killing Seth but only wounding Medzhid. Having survived the worst of the opposition, Medzhid is free to carry on his fight to defeat the incumbent Dagestan President and position them for possible freedom from Russia. Having survived the battle, Jack and Ysabel retreat for a sex filled vacation.
September 17, 2018
Not even close to the standard set by Tom Clancy or Mark Greany. Was hard to get through.
June 12, 2017
I usually love these books but this time I felt it was pretty average. There's a lot of stuff I didn't enjoy and some of it was hard to keep up.
The story is about a friend that Jack Ryan Jr grew up with who's gone against the grain and is trying to help someone plan a coup against a Russian territory so it can claim its independence. Jack is coerced into helping along with a woman named Isabelle, who was a short term love interest of Jack's friend Seth, who only did it to get her intrigued enough to help out. Along the way there are many dangers, kidnappings, and a lot of people are killed and almost killed, along with a British spy leading a group that's trying to thwart the coup in the background. That's all I'm going to give away of most of the story.
My problems are many. There's a lot of things I couldn't keep up with and I'm not sure if most of it is real or not, especially some of the electronic weapons employed in the story.
The biggest plot hole for me is Jack Ryan Jr is the president's son. In my way of thinking, all the British spy had to do was get the word out that the son of the American president was behind the coup attempt and it would have shut everything down. That it wasn't even a small consideration by this guy, who's built up to be a genius, makes absolutely no sense.
With that said, there were enough plot twists to keep me interested until the end... which is a bit anticlimactic. That's why I'm only giving it 3 out of 5... though if it were possibly I'd have increased it to 3 1/2.
The story is about a friend that Jack Ryan Jr grew up with who's gone against the grain and is trying to help someone plan a coup against a Russian territory so it can claim its independence. Jack is coerced into helping along with a woman named Isabelle, who was a short term love interest of Jack's friend Seth, who only did it to get her intrigued enough to help out. Along the way there are many dangers, kidnappings, and a lot of people are killed and almost killed, along with a British spy leading a group that's trying to thwart the coup in the background. That's all I'm going to give away of most of the story.
My problems are many. There's a lot of things I couldn't keep up with and I'm not sure if most of it is real or not, especially some of the electronic weapons employed in the story.
The biggest plot hole for me is Jack Ryan Jr is the president's son. In my way of thinking, all the British spy had to do was get the word out that the son of the American president was behind the coup attempt and it would have shut everything down. That it wasn't even a small consideration by this guy, who's built up to be a genius, makes absolutely no sense.
With that said, there were enough plot twists to keep me interested until the end... which is a bit anticlimactic. That's why I'm only giving it 3 out of 5... though if it were possibly I'd have increased it to 3 1/2.
December 31, 2018
My review is 4.5 stars for complete series to Jack Ryan Universe.
"Jack Ryan", this is not a name but it has many meaning. I have not read Tom Clancy's any work since I watched the TV series Jack Ryan, although I have seen many movies on Jack Ryan over the years, but frankly TV series overshadowed all the work and when I finally decided to read the book, it overshadowed all the screen show, whether movies or the TV series.
Writing a SPY-THRILLER story is not easy because it will have so much twist and turns and there are also lots and lots of chances when things can go wrong anytime. In my view, TOM CLANCY is the master of the suspense-mystery-spy-thriller books. In his whole Jack Ryan series there is so much to read and almost throughout the series I was reading like having my hearts in my mouth because the way Tom wrote the stories they are superb, majestic and completely mind gobbling.
I got everything in the series, there was so much funny moments, so much thrilling ones that I burnt myself many times while sipping coffee. The mysteries are very peculiarly written and the finesse is quite fantastic. Characters are complementing each other. The story is wow and the flow is quite like water.
NO CONFUSION!!! NO DILEMMA!!! NOTHING AT ALL!!!
Tom's novels are actually institution in themselves and everyone who are willing to go and write some spy-thriller stuff must read TOM's work to have some inspiration and see what standards TOM has set for the genre.
WOW!!!
FANTASTIC!!!
MIND-BLOWING!!!
"Jack Ryan", this is not a name but it has many meaning. I have not read Tom Clancy's any work since I watched the TV series Jack Ryan, although I have seen many movies on Jack Ryan over the years, but frankly TV series overshadowed all the work and when I finally decided to read the book, it overshadowed all the screen show, whether movies or the TV series.
Writing a SPY-THRILLER story is not easy because it will have so much twist and turns and there are also lots and lots of chances when things can go wrong anytime. In my view, TOM CLANCY is the master of the suspense-mystery-spy-thriller books. In his whole Jack Ryan series there is so much to read and almost throughout the series I was reading like having my hearts in my mouth because the way Tom wrote the stories they are superb, majestic and completely mind gobbling.
I got everything in the series, there was so much funny moments, so much thrilling ones that I burnt myself many times while sipping coffee. The mysteries are very peculiarly written and the finesse is quite fantastic. Characters are complementing each other. The story is wow and the flow is quite like water.
NO CONFUSION!!! NO DILEMMA!!! NOTHING AT ALL!!!
Tom's novels are actually institution in themselves and everyone who are willing to go and write some spy-thriller stuff must read TOM's work to have some inspiration and see what standards TOM has set for the genre.
WOW!!!
FANTASTIC!!!
MIND-BLOWING!!!
August 16, 2020
This one took a little while to really get rolling for me. During the first third of the book I did not really feel like I was in the Clancy universe and, as one of the characters states early on, it read more like an early Ludlum thriller. In fact, part of that baggage never gets shaken off as there is an addition to the cast, Ysabel, that never really makes sense to me. Her abilities and involvement never really jell with the rest of the ensemble. I almost feel like I skipped a chapter or two providing her back story. Additionally, I never totally bought into Jack Jr.'s involvement in the overall plot. Regardless, once over that opening hurdle, events begin to click into place and the story throttles forward with reckless abandon.
This novel becomes a bit of a mystery/thriller hybrid as Jack, with assistance from the Campus, helps a coalition brought together to perhaps overthrow a Russian pawn government. It is difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys here and that keeps the tension ratcheted up. Once the excitement starts it keeps on going but most of it involves small arms fire and only a little bit of incidental military tech. There are a couple of good plot twists and the romance, never a plus for me in stories like this, is dealt with fairly and quickly.
While not the best entry in this series, Grant Blackwood takes a journeyman approach to the material and throws out a solid tale. This did not need to be a Clancy book as it was rather generic in that regard, however if you like this type of espionage thriller, you will have a good time.
This novel becomes a bit of a mystery/thriller hybrid as Jack, with assistance from the Campus, helps a coalition brought together to perhaps overthrow a Russian pawn government. It is difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys here and that keeps the tension ratcheted up. Once the excitement starts it keeps on going but most of it involves small arms fire and only a little bit of incidental military tech. There are a couple of good plot twists and the romance, never a plus for me in stories like this, is dealt with fairly and quickly.
While not the best entry in this series, Grant Blackwood takes a journeyman approach to the material and throws out a solid tale. This did not need to be a Clancy book as it was rather generic in that regard, however if you like this type of espionage thriller, you will have a good time.
August 10, 2015
For the genre, and Tom Clancy' Jack Ryan world, this rates as an average B movie. Something to pass the time and enjoy as long as you don't question the plot (very convoluted but not in the good way of Tom Clancy's earlier books) or characters.
Speaking of the characters we have a number of new ones but Ysabel is the one that shoguns best. However she, like all the rest, doesn't get much character development.
Annoying that Dom is used as just-another-henchman. This is part of the problem with the convoluted plot. There isn't enough depth anywhere. Too many of the characters feel more like cardboard cut outs.
The first discussion between Jack, Gerry, and John is, for me, the bit where my suspension of disbelief threw in the towel. Jack's desired course of action puts Hendley & Associates at risk with, at that time, not enough potential payoff to warrant such a risk. Gerry Hendley points this out, apparently with a softening voice, but John Clark (uber spy and master of all things discrete and deadly) argues in favour of letting the son of POTUS throw himself in greater danger, and put the whole organisation at risk. At this point I felt like Giant Eagles flying in to save the day by dropping tons of Kryptonite would have made as much sense.
As I said, very much like an average B movie. Good enough, barely, for a rainy day read, but then donate it back to the second hand bookshop you bought it from in the first place.
Speaking of the characters we have a number of new ones but Ysabel is the one that shoguns best. However she, like all the rest, doesn't get much character development.
Annoying that Dom is used as just-another-henchman. This is part of the problem with the convoluted plot. There isn't enough depth anywhere. Too many of the characters feel more like cardboard cut outs.
The first discussion between Jack, Gerry, and John is, for me, the bit where my suspension of disbelief threw in the towel. Jack's desired course of action puts Hendley & Associates at risk with, at that time, not enough potential payoff to warrant such a risk. Gerry Hendley points this out, apparently with a softening voice, but John Clark (uber spy and master of all things discrete and deadly) argues in favour of letting the son of POTUS throw himself in greater danger, and put the whole organisation at risk. At this point I felt like Giant Eagles flying in to save the day by dropping tons of Kryptonite would have made as much sense.
As I said, very much like an average B movie. Good enough, barely, for a rainy day read, but then donate it back to the second hand bookshop you bought it from in the first place.
March 2, 2018
Although this story seems like a stand-alone and there wasn't a lot of cooperation between the two authors writing the Jack Ryan universe, I thought it was well written, exciting, and the story was decent.
Summary: Jack Ryan Jr., now a full-fledged operational member of The Campus, visits his old college friend Seth. After a pleasant reunion, Seth abruptly ends their conversation and walks away, saying something cryptic. Jack goes to Seth's apartment where he is ambushed by a black ops team and kidnapped. Jack manages to escape with the help of Seth's former girlfriend. As Jack returns to the scene of the crime, he begins to understand the meaning of Seth's cryptic comment. He uncovers the fact that his old buddy, a mild-mannered hyperactive programmer, is in fact, an undercover agent attempting to jump-start a coup d'état, obtain revenge on the CIA for framing his father, and get a better understanding about who his father really was. Further complicating the issues at hand, the politician Seth needs to make the coup successful has a daughter who is kidnapped in an attempt to neutralize his position. Unlike previous missions, however, the other Campus operators Clark, Ding, and Dominic are unable to reach Jack in time, and Jack must rely on his training and wits to survive, rescue the politician's daughter, back the coup without leaving any tell tales that the CIA, The Campus, or the US was involved, and prevent a new World War.
Summary: Jack Ryan Jr., now a full-fledged operational member of The Campus, visits his old college friend Seth. After a pleasant reunion, Seth abruptly ends their conversation and walks away, saying something cryptic. Jack goes to Seth's apartment where he is ambushed by a black ops team and kidnapped. Jack manages to escape with the help of Seth's former girlfriend. As Jack returns to the scene of the crime, he begins to understand the meaning of Seth's cryptic comment. He uncovers the fact that his old buddy, a mild-mannered hyperactive programmer, is in fact, an undercover agent attempting to jump-start a coup d'état, obtain revenge on the CIA for framing his father, and get a better understanding about who his father really was. Further complicating the issues at hand, the politician Seth needs to make the coup successful has a daughter who is kidnapped in an attempt to neutralize his position. Unlike previous missions, however, the other Campus operators Clark, Ding, and Dominic are unable to reach Jack in time, and Jack must rely on his training and wits to survive, rescue the politician's daughter, back the coup without leaving any tell tales that the CIA, The Campus, or the US was involved, and prevent a new World War.
October 12, 2017
If memory serves me right, author Grant Blackwood and Tom Clancy co-authored the Jack Ryan novel Dead or Alive just a year before the latter’s untimely demise in October 2013. Blackwood has also co-authored several bestselling books with Clive Cussler, apart from a partnership with James Rollins for the book, The Kill Switch. Having worked in the shadows with three bestselling authors, Grant Blackwood undoubtedly finds himself at ease stepping into the big shoes of Tom Clancy in Under Fire.
Tom Clancy’s Under Fire by Grant Blackwood is a typical Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan thriller, albeit the main protagonist this time is Jack Ryan, Jr. The story is set in the Middle East where Jack is trapped in a case concerning the disappearance of a friend. Undeterred by the hostile environment Jack searches for his friend and soon uncovers a web of deceit, lies and conspiracy. With no one to trust except his gut instinct, he must tread cautiously if he hopes to survive but must act fast before things go out of hand.
Grant Blackwood has done a commendable job in writing a tight, taut and terrific thriller that will delight Clancy’s fans and also cement his own place as a solid writer in the mold of the late master storyteller.
Tom Clancy’s Under Fire by Grant Blackwood is a typical Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan thriller, albeit the main protagonist this time is Jack Ryan, Jr. The story is set in the Middle East where Jack is trapped in a case concerning the disappearance of a friend. Undeterred by the hostile environment Jack searches for his friend and soon uncovers a web of deceit, lies and conspiracy. With no one to trust except his gut instinct, he must tread cautiously if he hopes to survive but must act fast before things go out of hand.
Grant Blackwood has done a commendable job in writing a tight, taut and terrific thriller that will delight Clancy’s fans and also cement his own place as a solid writer in the mold of the late master storyteller.
October 8, 2018
Very good action espionage Tom Clancy novel! While on a routine mission to gather intel, Jack Jr. meets up with Seth, an old friend, and gets involved in a plot for a small country in the Russian Federation to become independent. Jack gets caught up in many plot twists and lies, though not unusual for a Clancy novel. There were enough good action scenes, gunfighting, technology, and human interest to keep the story very entertaining. Seth's primary agent Isabel provides a new love interest for Jack and is believable, however, Jack seemed to make a few more mistakes than is normally expected. There was limited interaction from many of the usual Hensley team, except Dom, and it seems like there should have been more backup though this mission was an independent one from Jack. The narration was excellent by Scott Brick for the audible version.
July 17, 2015
This one seemed to drag. I miss the early days of Clancy, where it was more techno thriller and political intrigue and less about hand to hand combat. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of techno crap in this one and politics, but it just doesn't feel the same as the old days. I remember the plot lines of all of the early books simply by their title, but since Clancy died, the books have just seemed to run together and I cannot tell one from the other... I guess it shows, you can never go home again.
May 1, 2019
Ryan jr in a new setting. Familiar characters but without Clancy of course. He is sorely missed since he always brought something extra to the table. His books are revered for a reason. This one feels close but somehow doesn't come quite together. It is riveting, fast, furious and does not let up until the epilogue. So to keep it going that long takes something, but the central guessing game of who's turned feels forced and accidental. I'll keep following the Clancy universe, there is too much there, but the days of old will not return I'm afraid.
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