Tom Clancy Power and Empire

Marc Cameron

Nov 2017 · A Jack Ryan Novel Book 17 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

As mounting tensions between China and the United States push the world’s two great powers to the brink of war, it falls to President Jack Ryan to identify the lethal chess master behind the scenes in this thriller in Tom Clancy's #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Jack Ryan is dealing with an aggresive challenge from the Chinese government as the G20 Summit approaches. Pawns are being moved around a global chessboard: an attack on an oil platform in Africa, a terrorist strike on an American destroyer and a storm tossed American spy ship that may fall into Chinese hands. It seems that Premier Zhao is determined to limit Ryan's choices in the upcoming negotiations.

But there are hints that there's even more going on. A routine traffic stop in rural Texas leads to a shocking discovery—a link to a Chinese spy who may have intelligence that lays bare an unexpected revelation. John Clark and the members of the Campus are in close pursuit, but can they get the information in time?

Ratings and reviews

This book has it all. Great characters, good story. USA vs China political drama. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I only have one complaint. Everything came to a climax at the end, but it felt so rushed and unfulfilling. It was like the authors realized they only had 10 pages left and "oh time to end the book". Hits you like a brick wall. Very untypical Clancy ending. Heck, I almost would have preferred a cliff hanger ending. A teenager in middle school would have given the ending more depth.

A really enjoyable read and a worthy addition to the Ryan universe. After a well-textured and intricate build up I was a bit disappointed by what felt like a hasty ending to both the criminal and international intrigue plotlines (no spoilers). That said, maybe i'm just pouting because I'd love another hundred pages or so to enjoy. The location details were wonderfully researched and add a sense of authenticity throughout, with one glaring error - In Davao City the language on the street would be Visayan, not Tagalog. 4.5 stars, rounded down for the reasons above, but Marc Cameron has won me as a fan and I will be exploring his other works. I can't wait for the next Ryan installment!

Plot a little more simple than the typical 'Clancy' novel. Not too thrilled with the 'new Clancy's writer. Hope Green returns for future installments.

About the author

A little more than 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 onto 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.

A native of Texas, Marc Cameron spent twenty-nine years in law enforcement. He served as a uniformed police officer, mounted (horse patrol) officer, SWAT officer, and a US Marshal. Cameron is conversant in Japanese, and travels extensively researching his New York Times bestselling Jericho Quinn novels.