Jack Ryan #24

Tom Clancy's 

Act of Defiance

by

Andrews & Wilson

US intelligence is reporting turmoil in the Russian navy. Their deadliest submarine, the Belgorod, has unexpectedly launched, and taken along with it a long list of questions. Who authorized the departure? What mission is it on? And, most disturbing of all, what weapons do the giant doors on the sub’s bow hide?

It's been four decades since a similar incident with the Soviet sub, Red October, ended happily, thanks to a young CIA analyst named Jack Ryan.

Now, President Jack Ryan finds himself with fleets of ships, squadrons of jets, and teams of SEALs at his command, but what he doesn’t have is insight into the plans of the Belgorod’s commander. It falls to a younger generation of Ryans to do the dangerous work that will reveal that information.

But there’s always a price to be paid. When the final moments tick away, will Jack Ryan have to choose between the safety of his country and the safety of his child?

Act of Defiance feels like a full‑circle moment in the Jack Ryan universe. What began with The Hunt for Red October returns to its submarine roots, but this time the stakes are twisted in a new direction. Instead of a defection, we’re dealing with a terminally ill commander entangled in a larger plot to strike the United States with a next‑generation, nuclear‑tipped torpedo.

Adding to that sense of symmetry, we follow Katie Ryan—Jack’s daughter—who is now walking a path remarkably similar to her father’s. She heads to the Atlantic Fleet and boards a submarine, echoing Jack’s journey to the Red October.

From there, the tension escalates quickly, and fans are treated to a couple of great cameos: Sonar Technician First Class Ronald “Jonesy” Jones and legendary Russian skipper Marko Ramius, the former commander of the Red October.

I had a fantastic time with this story. Andrews & Wilson really know how to deliver, and I’m excited to dive into the other two Clancy novels of theirs waiting on my shelf.