If I had just looked a further down my TBR pile, I would have realized that we are indeed getting more books featuring Katie Ryan. Even so, I'm thrilled and a little shocked that we got 2 in the same year.

Again, this book hit all the right points for me. I love Katie as a character on her own, but it is really great to also see her interactions with her dad President Ryan.

Now that we have Katie who is taking up the role that Jack Ryan originally had in the series (an intelligence analyst), I wonder if we are starting to see the end of the great Jack Ryan.

Even though time seems to move slower in the Ryan Universe than it does in real life, eventually Jack will leave the Oval Office as he is already in his second term, and then what will be left for him to do? Will he be a special consultant to the CIA?

And then there is the fact that he isn't a young man. Though I feel like they could go on forever with Jack (maybe dig up some older stories from his past that haven't been told), it isn't realistic for him to live forever. I'm starting to think as a fan, that I need to start preparing myself for the eventual death of Jack Ryan, Sr. If we are lucky that won't be any time soon.

But I do think Katie brings something fresh to the series even though there are several parallels to Jack's career and adventures. I hope in later books, she starts to become more of her own character.

I enjoyed that this story focused on China and Tawain as this feels like new territory. I think this is an untapped area for espionage novels and hope we delve into this front more in the future.

I'm looking forward to more books in this series.

My review will be published at Girl Whio Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/12/theres-new-ryan-in-tom-clancys-jack.html

Tom Clancy Defense Protocol
Brian Andrews; Jeffrey Wilson
Blackstone Publishing
12/03/2024

Andrews & Wilson has brought a new fire to the Jack Ryan series. In Defense Protocol, the President of China wants to take back Taiwan no matter the cost. In this case, it means firing on their own troops from a battery island outside of Taiwan to make it look like Taiwan is hostile and China must act.

In true Tom Clancy fashion, there are a couple of sub plots inside of this story that keeps this moving at a lightening fast pace. Alternating chapters go between (1) the Night Spider and the Chinese Defense Secretary must go underground to (2) between China and the US President’s Office and (3) Lt. Commander Katie Ryan and her latest assignment.

This series takes a little longer to get through because we have multiple generations of readers enjoying it. Some listen to the audible version, some read it and then we all discuss it. The current question – Will Katie Ryan be the next President?

Andrews and Wilson once again give us a great Jack Ryan addition with a plausible premise. Once again it focuses more on Katie Ryan instead of Jack, but that is just fine, great action and drama! Really enjoyed this book and look forward to their next installment in the ongoing series!

I've been a Tom Clancy fan since Red October. Andrews and Wilson are doing an excellent job of carrying on Clancy's crafting of thrillers that drew fans from all over the world. Jack Ryan has carried the fight to the worst of the bad guys and now, as POTUS, he's determined to protect the citizens of Taiwan. DEFENSE PROTOCOL features Katie Ryan, President's daughter and force of nature herself. The Ryans as a team are unstoppable. A plot line that keeps the story moving quickly as the tension builds until the American supporter's are safe and the Chinese agressors dial down. I'd recommend this book to those who love military thrillers but truthfully, these thrillers are great reads for everyone.

What an excellent book. Katie keeps rising as a very important character in this series and I can see her having her own Clancy legacy in the near future. Full of action. A fast paced page turner.

TOM CLANCY DEFENSE PROTOCOL - Another enjoyable, entertaining, fast paced military novel. Several of the characters were outstanding in their roles and personalities, which increased my enjoyment. Good story lines, good saves, good characters, etc., making it difficult to put the book down for any reason. Source: Netgalley. 5*

TOM CLANCY ACT OF DEFIANCE - I read The Hunt For Red October by Tom Clancy when it first was released and later, enjoyed the movie. Serendipitously, I discovered TC AoD. I stopped reading Clancy's books a few years after Red October and was not aware of this series with TC AoD being 24th book. There is no difference between these two books in terms of writing style, story lines, characters, dialog, intrigue, suspense, etc. There is a link and parallels between the two books that makes for an immersing read. I will be starting with the first book of this series to see if the rest of the series holds a candle to TC AoD. Source: Netgalley. 5*

After reading several of these books, the Jack Ryan family - Jack Sr., his wife Cathy, and children Jack Jr. and Katie - almost feel like family to me (and it doesn't hurt that I'm married to a guy of the same name). But I look forward to reading them because they never fail to disappoint - and this one's no exception. Actually, Jack Jr. doesn't enter the fray here except in the occasional mention of his name - he's got his own series going now - but rising Navy officer Katie sure does. It's fun to watch as she starts to sound and act more like her father - now the President of the United States - every single day.

This time out, the story involves an attempt by the greedy and corrupt leader of China to attack and take over Taiwan - a headline ripper if there ever was one. But of course, it can't be seen as an outright act of war; the Chinese need to pass the blame on to someone else and have concocted an elaborate plan to accomplish that. But early on, Chinese defense minister Qin Haiyu realizes the damage such an act will cause to their own people - a fact the current leader is choosing to ignore - and surreptitiously passes a message to an American ambassador to sound the alert (silently, of course). It's an act of courage that easily could backfire if if the ambassador doesn't realize what's going on or believes it's some kind of scam - and heaven help him if he's caught. But the man has put his very life on the line, as well as those of his wife and two children, who are enjoying a vacation in the Maldives.

The message was received, but the intent wasn't very clear until Katie offers her insights - demonstrated to be spot-on in a previous book, the powers that be in the United States - including the President and his trusted director of national security, Mary Pat Foley - buy in. Collectively, they lock into the need to get Qin out of China and his family out of the Maldives - as quickly as possible. Given China's nearly impenetrable internal defense systems, accomplishing that is next to impossible; exfiltrating all four puts the U.S. teams in nearly unsurmountable danger. Without help from an internal spy - a woman known as the Night Spider - either or both missions likely will end in failure. But first, they have to get a message to her - and doing that alone could get everyone, including her, very dead.

The rest of the book centers on the details of both exfiltrations, with chapters shifting from China to the President's office to Katie's latest assignments as well as the Chinese efforts to run up a false flag in the Taiwan takeover effort. As always, it's all very exciting - holding my attention from beginning to end. Also as always, the devil is in the details, but those you'll have to read for yourself. I'll just thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy. Well done once again!

Andrews & Wilson has returned the intrigue to the Jack Ryan Series. One thing I loved about the original Clancy Novels was the many moving parts. Andrews & Wilson don’t have as many moving parts, but their book isn’t a 1000 pages either. What they have done is write a thriller that keeps your attention until the end. The drama doesn’t stop!

Another Clancy detail they captured is writing about a possibility that could very well happen in our world. Taiwan is a crucible waiting to be broken and put our world at war. Andrews & Wilson crafted their novel with details and real time scenarios that are sure to be a part of Pentagon’s Game Theory. Tom Clancy would be happy with this book.

Another home run thriller by Andrews & Wilson with the President of China trying a false flag op. to take over Taiwan.
Great cast of characters(military, agencies, political), an intense plot, and a whole lot of action.
Highly recommend reading this and any other book by Andrews & Wilson...they are the Dream Team of authors.
Thanks to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC of this fantastic thriller.

Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson return to the Jack Ryan world with Defense Protocol, but make no mistake; this is a Katie Ryan book.

I wrote about their last foray into Clancy’s Jack Ryan world last April. Although it may have been sold as a Jack Ryan book, it’s about Katie Ryan.

This book leans heavily into the stakes of what-ifs. What if China decided they wanted to take Taiwan and decided to make it look like it was a defensive operation?

I won’t get into the details because I hate spoiling things. What I wrote about is not a spoiler. I’m sure the DoD has war-gamed this one, as Taiwan has.

The book's idea is basic, but Andrews and Wilson take it to another level with their writing.

China has long claimed that Taiwan is part of China. The rest of the world is waiting for them to make a move. The move is essential. China relies on the rest of the world to buy its products. To take Taiwan, they would have to do something similar to this book. The worldwide repercussions on their economy and the world’s would be intense. This topic is brought up numerous times throughout the book.

I read this in two days, which isn’t a big deal.

The back and forth, especially in the later parts of the book, was masterful, which is why I’ve loved Clancy’s books since Tom wrote them. The new class of writers scribbling these stories is fantastic, and I return to this world often. They’re almost a comfort read for me.

The in-depth discussions in the halls of the Chinese Government, to Oval Office discussions, and aboard various ships as Katie Ryan makes her way to the theater of operations are intense at times and heartfelt at others.

I thoroughly enjoyed the cat and mouse of certain parts of the book.

This belongs to some of the best of Clancy’s books. Certain aspects reminded me of Cardinal of the Kremlin, my favorite Clancy book.

I look forward to reading more books with Katie Ryan and the next one by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson.

Intense, action-packed and politically charged, Tom Clancy Defense Protocol is a high-stakes chess match between world powers on the brink of war. Andrews and Wilson deliver a smashing hit of a story filled with intrigue, suspense and non-stop tension.

Chinese President Li Jian Jun has ordered a military operation that will secure his legacy – reuniting Taiwan with mainland China. The plan is audacious, dangerous and Minister of Defense Qin Haiyu believes it to be disastrous for China. Risking everything, Qin reaches out to the Americans in an effort to protect the country he loves from becoming a global pariah. While President Jack Ryan works the diplomacy angle and prepares for war with his cabinet, John Clark is tasked with forming an international team similar to Rainbow Six to extract Qin and the American asset hiding him. Simultaneously, Navy Commander Katie Ryan, the president’s daughter, is deployed to Taiwan to collect intelligence and find a way for the US to thwart the Chinese President’s plans. Tensions are high and rising, and it’ll take everyone working together – and a little luck – to stop a bloody war from commencing.

Defense Protocol is told from the point of view of various individuals under extreme pressure, providing multiple perspectives that coalesce around a single narrative of attempting to avert a catastrophic war. Giving the reader insight into the thinking of people at all levels – from the President of the United States and the Chinese Defense Minister at the top end, to US and Chinese Naval ship Captains in the middle of the action, to John Clark and a Chinese CIA asset in the shadows, to Katie Ryan and her team gathering intelligence and figuring out what the other side is going to do. Every single person plays a vital role in the story and by highlighting each of their voices and actions the narrative is enhanced, making for a propulsive read that’s hard to put down.

Andrews and Wilson have absolutely crushed their first two Jack Ryan books. Both are modern and exciting while honoring the classic elements of what made Clancy novels so compelling. Looking forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves for the next one. No doubt it’ll be another must read.

Thank you to net galley, Penguin publishing, Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson for allowing me to read this book before the publishing date.
I have to say I haven't read a Tom Clancy book since he died this is the first one and I was pleasantly surprised by how similar it was to his books.
They have made him proud.
This book gets you from the very beginning and it's on a subject that we all think may come at some time in the future, war with China. The book includes Katie Ryan as an analyst that has an uncanny ability to foretell moves that the enemy may make And how to defend them.
With the help of several Seal teams, C I a, and other covert operatives, Katie and her group try and prevent a war with China being led by a President that has lost his way.
It illustrates when those in power lose their way and those that report to those in power have to make a decision on whether to tow the line or do the right thing.
As with any Clancy book it's very detailed in military Operations, equipment, warships, battles and the abilities of those countries that are superpowers.
I definitely recommend this book to any Clancy fans and I'm going to make a point of going back and reading any other books that have been produced since Mr. Clancy died.

Andrews and Wilson deliver again on their second attempt at storytelling within the Jack Ryan Universe. Chinese President Li is devising a plan to reunite Taiwan with mainland China making the Taiwanese look the like aggressors allowing him to attack. He believes President Jack Ryan and the United States have no stomach for war with China and will allow this to happen. The Chinese Defense Minister disagrees and decides to defect bringing along the plans of the invasion. With limited resources in China, it will be up to a long time undercover agent and the Campus to lead the Defense Minister out of China. Meanwhile, Katie Ryan is back in the thick of action and is on the frontlines as she tries to determine the Chinese plan, and prevent it before World War III can start.

This book is everything you want in a Jack Ryan thriller. The scope of the plot covers the world and there are a wide variety of characters that play major roles within the book. The book spends a good amount of time dealing with both the Chinese and America governments as well as following the campus’ race to get out the Chinese Defense Minister and the exploits of Katie Ryan. Long time Tom Clancy fans will appreciate the amount of detail provided to all the military ships, subs, and weapons involved. If you are like me and that isn’t as important to you, don’t worry. The technical detail does not drag or slow down the story at all.

Katie Ryan, President Ryan’s daughter, is back, and is proving to be a chip off the old block. While Jack Jr seems more apt to act, Katie is a good mixture of thought and action, just like her dad. I hope she continues her prominent role in the series as she is a very strong character. My only disappointment in this move, is it looks like Jack Ryan Jr has been cast off to stand alone novels. Hopefully in the future we can see a novel with both Jack Jr and Katie playing major roles.

Defense Protocol is a great addition to the series, and I recommend you pick up this book when it is published on December 3rd. It has the feel of a Tom Clancy book, and it is an easy read. Thank you to Netgalley, Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson, and Penguin Putnam Group for a free advance readers copy for an honest review.

This is set in the Jack Ryan world, but in this book he’s hardly mentioned, it’s more about his sister Katie. She works for Naval Intelligence and this is the second book featuring her. She has some new characters who round up the mission involving China and Taiwan. Great read!

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

This was another great book in the Ryan universe! It was fast paced, the plot kept me intrigued and had all the action that I look for when I go into this world. I was particularly interested in a new character that was introduced and hope to see more of that character in future books!

Katie Ryan made a name for herself not because she’s the president’s daughter, but because she has an uncanny ability to predict an enemy’s next move. Just like her father. As much as she would like to work a job behind a desk as an analyst, her skill and persuasive ability has her back out on the front lines – this time in the Pacific. With the full resources of the US Navy, the Seals, and several covert ops groups, Katie has to prevent Chinese war games from turning into a real invasion of Taiwan and rescue CIA assets from the government they are desperate to shut down.

Tom Clancy Defense Protocol is Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson’s second addition to the Jack Ryan series and the legacy of Tom Clancy. Following Ryan’s daughter through life and death situations, these writers have brought new life and energy to the Ryanverse. A female lead has attracted a new audience, but the writers stay true to the military thriller theme made main stream by Clancy. This is a book about trusting your network and the danger ever-present for Americans overseas.

I give Tom Clancy Defense Protocol 4 out of 5 stars. If this plot seems a bit familiar, it is. Much like the first addition by these authors Act of Defiance echoes back to Clancy’s original release The Hunt for the Red October, this novel echoes back to Clancy’s third release in this series The Cardinal of the Kremlin. Recycling plots has been come more mainstream with many movies and TV shows revisiting beloved favorites of yesteryear. However, I am surprised to find it happen here. I appreciate the way the authors bring in the cast of supporting characters we have grown to love over the years, but some of the action felt unnecessary and gratuitous. Further, the ending felt anticlimactic. They spent so much time building up a story around several cast members only to barely discuss them at the end.

With discussions of war, violence, and murder, this book would be best directed to more mature audiences over 16. If you enjoy military thrillers or political fiction, you will love this book. This would be a great book for someone new to the Ryanverse – while reading at least the next previous book would be beneficial to understand a few references in the story, it could be a standalone read for someone new. However, if you have read the Jack Ryan books extensively and are a purest, this novel may irk you for how similar yet how different these authors approach this storyline.

I was excited to see this novel available on Netgalley – I’ve been able to read a few of the recent Ryan releases through this program. I appreciate the attempt to make Katie the star of the show in Andrews & Wilson’s version of the Ryanverse. It’s great to see a new up and comer, plus the daughter, take on a leading role!

I’m a big fan of the Jack Ryan series and this one did not disappoint. President Jack Ryan is back with his daughter Katie. Andrews and Wilson did a great job with this newest title/story. This was hard to put down and I look forward to even more stories to come in the series. If you’re a fan of Jack Ryan, you won’t be disappointed in this latest book. Fast paced, action packed addition to the Clancy franchise.

An excellent read from Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson. Now at the 25th book in the franchise where Jack Ryan is president. This book again has President Jack Ryan along with his daughter Katie working as intelligence analyst. Story centers around current day issues with China and Taiwan. Clark is back again as well. A new character is introduced to the series, a Chinese woman working as an undercover asset. She will no doubt be in future books.

Great plot and addition to the series.

Great read by Andrews and Wilson! This felt like an old time Clancy book with plot build up. Highly recommend this to any Clancy fan and anyone who likes Action/Thriller books.

Looking forward to more books in the series.

I could not put this book down. It is an absolute thriller that is 100% worthy to carry on the Tom Clancy name. Andrews and Wilson have a cinematic writing style that is unique in that they split the plot into multiple distinctive threads but their writing is perfectly pared down so all various characters and plot subdivisions do not allow the story to get bogged down with too much detail. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to see where these characters go and how they grow.