Threat Vector

By: Tom Clancy, Mark Greaney

Narrated by: Lou Diamond Phillips

Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

Jack Ryan has only just moved back into the Oval Office when he is faced with a new international threat. An aborted coup in the People's Republic of China has left President Wei Zhen Lin with no choice but to agree with the expansionist policies of General Su Ke Quiang. They have declared the South China Sea a protectorate and are planning an invasion of Taiwan. The Ryan administration is determined to thwart China’s ambitions, but the stakes are dangerously high as a new breed of powerful Chinese anti-ship missiles endanger the US Navy's plans to protect the island.

Meanwhile, Chinese cyber-warfare experts have launched a devastating attack on American infrastructure. It's a new combat arena, but it’s every bit as deadly as any that has gone before. Jack Ryan, Jr., and his colleagues at the Campus may be just the wild card that his father needs to stack the deck. There's just one problem: someone knows about the off-the-books intelligence agency and threatens to blow their cover sky high.

©2012 Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

The Clancy that gave us Clear & Present...

This was the most intriguing Clancy novel in a long time. The very real threat of the Chinese, (see yesterday's headlines of Japan and China) and cyber warfare is as fascinating as it is threatening. No one researches better than Clancy and few know military operations and capabilities more than him.

Better still, the suspense in this novel is top rate, on the same level as his earlier novels. Lou Diamond Phillips is the perfect choice for this work. His characterizations are spot on.

In his recent works, Clancy has been criticized for his politics. This is not the case with this book at all.

32 of 34 people found this review helpful

Spies and a counter espionage

This book is packed with suspense and action including sea, land and air battles. The major part of the book is based on cyber warfare. Even though this is fiction it should act as a warning of what could happen. Lou Diamond Phillips did a great job narrating this story. Jack Ryan Sr is back as President and Jack Jr is off chasing the cyber spy "center". His girlfriend is spying on him for the FBI. War heats up in the South China Sea as China tries to increase it's territory. Great air battles--felt like I was in the plane with the pilot. Clancy sure can write a good suspense military story. Looking forward to his next one.

21 of 24 people found this review helpful

If you like action, you can do no better!

Would you consider the audio edition of Threat Vector to be better than the print version?

Absolutely, Lou Diamond Philips is a masterful narrator, his performances never disappoint. The material within these pages is so action packed and the stakes are so high that listening to the story from someone with directed intention elevates the material to an amazing height.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is a silly question, Jack Jr. Is the perfect American hero. He is a perfect melding of Jack Ryan, Mitch Rap, and the Gray Man (Mark Greaney's breakout action character). He is a selfless hero that is willing to risk everything in order to protect his country and he doesn't leave men behind.

What about Lou Diamond Phillips’s performance did you like?

Everything, LDP is an amazing actor (See Southland for a recent role) and he is able to turn his skill into amazing narration.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book is adrenaline pumping, I felt excited! I finished this book 12/5/12, 24hrs after it was released. I couldn't put it down!

Any additional comments?

If you are on the fence about this book, let me explain my tastes so that you can gauge if we share common literary tastes for this genre.

I love:
Mitch Rap (Vince Flynn)
Dewey Andreas (Ben Coes)
Court Gentry (Mark Greaney)
Jack Reacher (Lee Child)
Tommy Carmellini (Stephen Coonts)
Carlos Guillermo Castillo (W. E. B. Griffin)

Ok, so those are some of my favorite action series that are in this similar espionage action genre. I found this book in particular to really mirror some of W. E. B. Griffin's early work melded with Flynn. That said, there is the signature Clancy storytelling in this book that jumps between several stories. I do not particularly enjoy the earlier Clancy novels that pertain to the elder Ryan, I found them amazingly slow and complicated with relatively low reward. This book mimics the same storytelling style but doesn't pull any punches when it comes to action.

I found myself wanting to spend more time with particular portions of the story and characters but the pacing was well thought out and I was never disappointed when prospective shifted. I have detected some of the Stephen Coont's syndrome, the seeming inability to set aside older characters and allow new ones to flourish but I think that Greaney's influence on this new series is helping breathe valuable life into the Clancy novels.

Jack Jr. is an amazing character, more lovable that Mitch Rapp and far more whole than Greaney's earlier two dimensional characters. This new younger Ryan is deposited brilliantly in a deep and rich fiction that creates a vivid backdrop.

I would strongly recommend that you start this cycle of the Jack Ryan Junior novels at their beginning, this story moves at a swift pace and you will love all of the returning characters so much more for your previous experiences with them!

On a side note, I want to tell you that I try to consume media that is character driven, not story driven! This particular genre has a tenancy to be heavily story driven but I think that this novel and series does a wonderful job of focusing on the characters! If you are looking for a quick action read this can satisfy you but it it is heavily enriched by knowledge of the characters. For example, if you aren't familiar with Tom Clancy's earlier "The Teeth of the Tiger" you might not have the richest or fullest appreciation for Haney and Associates and its remaining founders. Not a major issue but one that clearly supports a rich character development that honors faithful readers.

This is one of the good ones, they are few and far between and you should not hesitate to read this book immediately, or place it in your wishlist for your next credit!

46 of 55 people found this review helpful

An easy to read book for Clancy

Lou Diamond Phillips is getting better with each book he nararates. He does an excellent job with this one. It must have been quite difficult, especially with all the Chinese names and voices. He did it very well. The story was very believable and scary, because I think what Clancy portrays, is Very close to how this scenario would actually play out. It is not as complicated with multiple stories as most Clancy novels. If you like espionage and clancy novels, you will love this one.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Huge Mark Greaney fan

Any additional comments?

I'm a huge Mark Greaney fan and since the first Jack Ryan books I listened to were read by Scott Brick and after seeing how many reviewers were not fans of Lou Diamond Phillips' performance I had only purchased the Scott Brick books. Then I read a review that identified Lou Diamond Phillips as a character on Longmire. I quickly googled Longmire to see which one he was and he's Standing Bear. I immediately bought a Jack Ryan book that he performed and while, having just listened to 4 books that Scott Brick performed, it was a major change. A few chapters into the book I was hooked. Now I'm listening to the third one Lou Diamond Phillips performed. The book and he are excellent.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

OK, I'm OSW (Officially Scared Witless)

A longstanding extragovernmental agency in China has, over several years, secretly hacked into all the important American defense and intelligence networks. Not only are U.S. military communications and intelligence agents compromised, now the Chinese military is able to hijack satellite-guided drones and missiles--meaning that the U.S. must completely shut down all such gadgetry ("kill the hostages," in cyberspeak) as the Chinese begin their military move to take over territories in the South China Sea.

There's a lot of other stuff going on in this novel, but given recent events the cyber hacking was the scariest, and all too believable. Never fear, however--the supersecret U.S. extragovernmental agency The Campus, which over the last few years has secretly hacked into all important American defense and intelligence networks, has become aware of the threat. It's a thrill ride right to the end, with exciting battles fought on land, sea, and air, and even more interesting battles of nerve and wits. Guess which side wins.

I enjoyed this book, which brings closure to several storylines that form a loose trilogy of Clancy's final collaborations, "Dead or Alive," "Locked On," and now "Threat Vector."

Unless you are a superfan of military and espionage thrillers, I think the abridged version of Threat Vector would work just as well as the sometimes tedious full version. And finally, narrator Lou Diamond Phillips is great. With due respect to seasoned professional Scott Brick, I was disappointed to note his return as narrator after several Clancy entries performed by LDP.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Needs an Editor

Went on vacation with my wife. We both like to listen to books, but have different tastes. She is a huge Clancy fan and I am ok with him. She has read all the Clancy books written, I have just read "Hunt For Red October". She said this was not Clancy's best, but she would give it four stars. I found it a little too long, sometimes boring, but very informative. we both agreed that an editor was needed.

Once a writer gets as famous as Clancy if he writes about pigs farting then an editor is scared to say anything and pigs farting gets published and probably becomes a best seller. In this book are some scenes that just go on and on and on. For instance there is a scene that involves a gun fight in a strip bar. It takes up about 2 hours of listening and four or five chapters. Some Clancy fans may love this, but I thought it went on too long.

As someone who easily gets confused by different characters, who they are and what they are doing in the story, I found I had none of that as a problem. Clancy builds his characters well enough that you know who they are even if you don't hear from them for hours or chapters. I enjoyed the China politics where my wife thought that was boring. I am more of a political junkie then she is. Some may think this story of computer hacking by different countries may not be realistic, while I believe it is happening as we speak. I seem to remember stories about it during the Clinton Presidency.

While I had no problem knowing who the different characters were, I did get a little confused on the whole story and all the in's and out's of all the back stabbing, spying, twist and turns, while my wife had no problem keeping up, even though she fell asleep during some of it. She was tired, and does not travel well.

I don't believe you must read any of the other books to follow this story, but my wife enjoyed knowing what certain characters did in previous books. Unless this is on sale, I would suggest you read them in order for a slightly more pleasurable experience.

LDP is a good narrator, I was surprised.

26 of 32 people found this review helpful

Clancy does it again....

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this book is easily recommended for any of Clancy's fans. I have enjoyed the next chapter in the Jack Ryan and Jack Ryan Jr. books. I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who doesn't know any of Clancy's previous book, but instead would recommend they start with either the book just before this or at least with "No Remorse" or "Rainbow Six" in order to know some of the back story.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the way Clancy has taken some of the recent history of our nation and still been able to create a other universe in which his characters can blossom without running into issue of political or historical events. By creating a slightly altered universe allows Clancy to bring important events into the story without the story following along with history, ie readers already knowing the outcome of what has or will happen in the story because they know what has happened alreay in real life.

Have you listened to any of Lou Diamond Phillips’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love Lou Diamond Phillips narratoring books. I have listened to several and I think he rocks as a narrator. I will pick up and listen to any book in a normally read genre of mine that he narrators because he brings so much to the story beyond the words being spoken.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Too many areas to remember - Clancy does a great job of putting in laughter in the middle of his suspense related story.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

A Step Forward for Jack Ryan Jr.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot is more Clancy than recent novels, with more twists and sweeping story lines. Unlike other collaborations, this one feels more like Mr. Clancy actually showed up for the writing. The quality of research and the accuracy of the depiction of cyberwar was very well done. I found the Ryan Jr character more like able and less two dimensional than in previous books.

What about Lou Diamond Phillips’s performance did you like?

I've neverr heard Mr. Phillips as a reader before and I was very impressed. His pacing is great and he is always clear and easy to understand. He's not overly emotional but he very much fit the story. I look forward to hearing him again.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wouldn't say I wanted to listen n one sitting but I also never felt a need to step away for a few days.

Any additional comments?

It's still not real Tom Clancy, but it's the best co-written effort

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great book - but Lou Diamond Phillips was bad

Where does Threat Vector rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Great story - Lousy Narration as he kept doing rapid LOUD breaths during his reading that were very annoying. It was like he was playing a musical instrument. Back away from the mic or take normal breaths or do editing after the fact or hit a cough button to remove it.

What did you like best about this story?

Typical Clancy Action

What didn’t you like about Lou Diamond Phillips’s performance?

He needs to learn how to breath and talk correctly. He has a really annoying way of taking fast quick LOUD breaths during the reading. This is the first Audible reader I have heard this from and it was so bad this is my first ever Audible Review.

12 of 16 people found this review helpful

Excellent

Would you consider the audio edition of Threat Vector to be better than the print version?

Not read the printed version, but then again why would I, when the audio is so good. Lou Diamond Philips does an excellent job.

What other book might you compare Threat Vector to, and why?

This is classic Tom Clancey, even if it was probably written by Mark Greaney. All the usual characters appear , Ryan, Clarke, Ding etc. along with some new additions. The storyline is fast paced and exciting. As you would expect from a Tom Clancey novel the technical data is spot on.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The scene when the American pilots go up against the Chinese is fantastic real edge of the seat stuff.

Any additional comments?

Overall I would recommend Vector Threat to any Tom Clancey fan.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A great Tom Clancy!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is very easy to listen to - so perfect for doing two things at once, in my case listening and crafting. If you have seen any of the Tom Clancy films with different actors playing Jack Ryan it is simply a case of picking your favourite 'Jack' and then imagining his son in action.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Threat Vector?

There is an action scene where a key character realises that there are more than two parties involved in an event and he is the only person who has oversight of the actions of the different groups and what is about to take place.

What about Lou Diamond Phillips’s performance did you like?

Good, clear narration - not too slow but well enunciated.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Jack's Back!

Any additional comments?

Have purchased several of the Tom Clancy books, all ready by Lou Diamond Phillips as preferred his narration from the samples, and was not disappointed.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Locked on part 2

Yes! Tom Clancy has done it again! Narrator pulls of an excellent Chinese speaking accent which makes the story even more immersive. It's quite interesting that I had just finished Mark Russinovich's Trojan Horse which also points a finger to China and their cyber-tech. I guess it's no secret though.



A very exciting yarn with just the right balance of action to tech. I really want to see this and Locked on at the movies. It would be awesome.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great book

I really enjoyed this book. It's fast paced contains a few twists

Well worth listening too.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

bloody brilliant

loved lou diamond as always. the whole campus storyline has me gripped from start to finish

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

one of the better narrations for a while...

Brilliant narration and a half believable story/plot which makes a huge difference... one of the better Clancy novels....

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Another Great Read

Another awesome narration by Lou Diamond Philips. really engaging. Will listen again. really liking this series.

Average

Usual detailred tale but too boring in parts , narrator not good for this book.

Totally believable and impossible to put down.

I couldn't put it down, it is well written, exceptionally well read. Really amazing book.

Typical Tom Clancy!

loved the whole espionage, technical, cold and hot war scenario. An easy listen and great topic, shame it wasn't a bit longer.