Without Remorse is
a prequel to the first Jack Ryan novel, Hunt
for Red October. The story follows John Kelly, an ex-special forces soldier
who recently lost his wife. He begins a relationship with a former prostitute
who is later killed by the men she used to work for. Kelly seeks revenge while
at the same time being recruited for a black ops mission to rescue POW’s in
Vietnam.
The novel
follows typical Clancy storylines while also doing some things differently. The
main plot, where Kelly seeks revenge is a very good one. It is slow and methodical,
just like John Kelly, and the plot builds up to satisfying moments later on.
One thing that does not work in this storyline is the romantic angle. The
dialogue is cheesy and it shows that these situations are not Clancy’s strong
point.
The secondary
plot, involving the Vietnam POW’s, is more in Clancy’s wheelhouse. It’s a
fairly decent mission for John Kelly but it feels out of place. It’s as if
Clancy had to add in something militaristic to appease fans and to bring back
certain characters.
Overall this a good, engaging book. Certain
elements don’t work that great but at least they don’t distract from what does
works.
Score: 8 / 10
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