I had been putting Threat Vector off for months because it seemed like such a daunting read at over 700 pages. I chide myself for it now because every single page of this electrifying grand scale adventure is worth the challenge. It’s classic Tom Clancy with the perfect adrenaline boost we’ve come to love from Mark Greaney’s fast-paced writing style.
The thriller came out in 2012 but if I hadn’t looked it up, I’d be hard pressed to say it didn’t come out any earlier than a year ago based on its prophetic storyline. When members of the Chinese government decide to strengthen the nation’s economy with a high-risk audacious plan involving a systematic attack on America’s cybersecurity before kickstarting a full-blown war with its allies, it’s up to President Jack Ryan and the operatives of The Campus to navigate the tricky waters of global politics and shadowy espionage in order to prevent World War 3. If that’s not dangerous enough, The Campus is in big trouble from a mysterious syndicate that just might be the biggest threat vector (pun-intended) they’ve faced yet.
Tom Clancy’s famous attention to details and technical knowledge of the weapons systems and equipment plays a heavy and warranted role in setting up an authentic experience to satisfy even the most hardcore of action thriller fans, while steering an epic politics and espionage laden narrative the likes of which are associated with the Clancy name. Adding to Tom Clancy’s firepower is Mark Greaney’s stellar on-location research and the cinematic action vibe that goes hand in hand with Clancy’s technical combat sequences. The major highlights in the action department for me were the aviation sequences, involving F/A-18 Super Hornets in beautifully realistic dogfights that strap you in the cockpit to face the tight and hard-hitting G-force turns.
The combat takes place on land, at sea, in air, and uniquely on a new battlefield; cyberspace. China’s cyber warfare skills are described with spectacular realism that spoke to the computer scientist in me about coding viruses and hacking measures that feel horrifyingly in tune with what I’ve learned in the classrooms.
If you’ve read the most recent Target Acquired by Don Bentley, you’ll want to go back and take a look at the previous escapades of Jack Ryan Jr., for which Threat Vector is the perfect choice. A finely crafted geopolitical story with wonderfully written fan favorite characters from older Clancy works and a big stepping stone for Jack Ryan Jr. into the superb protagonist we have seen in the latest books of the long running series. Threat Vector is the genius result of two masters of the espionage action thriller genre coming together to churn out brilliant stories of stellar caliber.
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