As terrorists conspire to draw the United States into war, President Jack Ryan faces his toughest challenge yet as commander-in-chief.
America is under attack in more ways than one. It all started when someone began selling classified information on the dark web. The information up for grabs included lengthy and detailed profiles of America’s highest-ranking military personnel and undercover operators.
Over tea in a courtyard, that information, which was discreetly purchased and verified, was shared with an ISIS official in control of numerous sleeper cells in America. Fully aware of the West’s reluctance to put boots on the ground to fight the terror group in Iraq and Syria, a plan was hatched to draw them into a war on their terms.
Rather than kill average, everyday American citizens, their new objective was to concentrate ISIS resources towards taking out targets worthy of getting the United States’ attention in a more high-profile way, hoping to force a response.
As the body count starts to pile up, President Jack Ryan does, indeed, respond. Surveying the political chess board, one of his first counter-moves is to deploy The Campus, an off-the-books government agency.
Run by John Clark, The Campus’ operators, including Jack Ryan Junior, are overworked and understaffed. But until they’re able to find additional help, they’re forced to play shorthanded (A fun side plot follows the recruitment of potential new agents, which provides excellent development for some of the story’s most colorful characters.)
Another side story shows the internal conflict of Jack Junior, who struggles to adapt to the life of a field operative. His desire to be in the field, while also understanding that he’s just as valuable as an analyst, is reminiscent of Jack Senior’s similar conundrum in the earlier Clancy novels.
As multiple plotlines are woven together, including the reveal of the terrorists’ master plan, Mark Greaney kicks things into hyperdrive and takes readers on an explosive, rip-roaring journey through Clancy’s vast universe as American intelligence agencies work around the clock to prevent the coming attacks.
Back in June, with the release of Grant Blackwood’s Tom Clancy Duty and Honor, I complained that the novels set in Clancy’s universe are too long and that nobody can sustain a steady pace writing that many pages.
Turns out, I was wrong.
Amazingly, Greaney has captured everything that fans loved about Tom Clancy while interjecting shots of suspense and energy that will have readers turning pages at a faster rate than ever before. For a book that comes in at just under eight hundred pages long, the pacing is surprisingly fast. An impressive display of top-notch writing on the author’s part, which deserves serious recognition.
Most of the usual cast is back, and Greaney stays true to what Clancy’s fans love about his books, but without any of the slow, overly technical down moments the late author was (at times) known for. The plot is smart and crisp, and, as always, Jack Ryan proves yet again why he’s one of the most iconic characters ever created.
True Faith And Allegiance is a fantastic, timely political thriller that has everything fans of the genre are looking for. Jack Ryan still has plenty of speed on his fastball, and, with Greaney at the helm, this is still one of the best franchises in print today.
A must-read for anyone who considers themselves a fan of thrillers.
Book Details
Author: Mark Greaney
Series: Jack Ryan Universe #22
Pages: 742 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 0399176810
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: December 6, 2016 (Order Now!)