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Dec 21, 2012Keogh rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
Yet another disappointing Tom Clancy and company novel, all the more so because his older work was compelling. Jack Ryan Sr. is back in the White House again, confronting a crisis with an aggressive China trying to assert itself. Its tactics include military, economic, and cyber warfare, and the situation brings his son Jack Jr. and colleagues at the off the book group known as the Campus into the crossfire. Clancy continues to ignore his own continuity, something that he's been doing ever since Red Rabbit and Teeth of the Tiger. There are glitches and errors suggesting he and his co-writer don't care much about preserving that continuity, and instead put their emphasis into Clancy's new political stances, which have plagued the last few books. As usual, the book is too tech-heavy, with long descriptions of how things work, an obsession Clancy has always had. All in all, the new characters Clancy has developed in the last few books just aren't as interesting as those from older books, and his disregard for maintaining continuity is frustrating. He hasn't had a worthwhile book since The Bear And The Dragon, and that shows no sign of changing anytime soon.