M.P. Woodward makes his debut in the Jack Ryan Jr. series with Shadow State. He takes over from Don Bentley and comes with a background in naval intelligence. Woodward has two other books announced in this series, plus two more in his Handler series.

In Shadow State, Jack Ryan Jr. is sent by Hendley Associates to Vietnam to explore investment opportunities in a rare earth mining company. However, things take a dangerous turn when his helicopter crashes, leading to a thrilling chase as Jack tries to uncover the truth behind the company’s operations while evading Chinese aligned forces who are trying to stop him.

Woodward has infused Shadow State with similar themes of geopolitical tension and espionage that he’s known for with his Handler series. Woodward captured the Clancy style while also bringing his own unique narrative voice. He maintained the pace and suspense typical of a Jack Ryan Jr. thriller, while also infusing fresh energy. Woodward’s background in intelligence adds a layer of authenticity, making the action and espionage elements feel realistic and engaging.

This was a Jack Jr. novel but the absolute stand out character was Master Chief Kendrick Moore. A new addition to the Campus team and I thoroughly liked the decision to have John Clark recruit him in the shadow of questionable circumstances. Typically, new characters are all shiny with bells and whistles. Moore might have bells and whistles but he wasn’t exactly having a shining moment. The opposite, in fact. The backstory on that could be a book in itself. And clearly Moore was looking for redemption with the Campus. It very much reminded me of John Clark in Without Remorse. Dark, brooding, and vulnerable. But despite that, Moore looks like a solid operator. One with gravitas and a potential worthy successor to John Clark.

The series has to start planning succession in a number of ways. This is the biggest challenge for the wider series. Jack Sr. can’t be president forever. Mr C. is in his seventies, and the Campus, although amazing, has become such a comfortable plot device. This is why new Characters like Moore really excite me. It was the same in Act of Defiance, by Andrews and Wilson, when the book was dominated by Katie Ryan, with a hint of her brother Kyle.

The series authors need to be bold enough to bring significant forward development to the series. It’s obviously difficult picking up a long running series and resisting the fear and paralysis that could lead to simply safeguarding it. And particularly hard when it’s only one half of the series – any significant new developments have to be coordinated with the writer(s) on the other side. For this reason, I find myself increasingly interested to know how that process of development and coordination works, and see editor Tom Colgan as an essential bridge.

I was absolutely thrilled by this book and found it to be a great compliment to the newness injected in Act of Defiance. I feel very positive about the series and am looking forward to lots more of Master Chief Moore in the next book from Woodward – Line of Demarcation.