Finally! A Brad Thor novel that changed things up! What a relief, let me tell you, when you get to book thirteen and you discover you're not following the exact same plot again and again and again. Did I love it the way I did Thor's first few novels? No, and I'm not sure I will ever love a Thor book as much as I loved those. That was a different time. Granted, not all that much time had passed between my reading of book one and book thirteen. I was going into my senior year of high school when I started Thor's books, and one year later, I was on book thirteen and about to head into my freshman year of college. But still, I'd done so much reading during that time, and already my tastes were beginning to change. And anyway, what else do you expect when an author gets to book thirteen AND you binged all the books in basically one year? I was bound to start getting tired of them. And that was the case, with the last few books, at least. But Act of War gave me hope. It's the reason I hung onto calling Thor one of my favorite authors for a little while longer. Because it was different than every book he had to offer before, at least in terms of location and plot, if not in terms of tropes, characters, and cliches.

Could I tell you much of what happened in this book? Honestly, no. I can't. And I don't think I'd ever reread it. I liked this one better than the last few (and I'd gone into it thinking I wouldn't like it at all, honestly), but that didn't mean I loved it. It wasn't up to par with the older books. But it gave me something different, so I willing to eat it up. And anyway, I had to squeeze in that one last book before college started. And this was it.

But you know what I do remember about reading this book? That I was reading it just hours before my dad and I went to an Avenged Sevenfold concert. I'm not sure why that's the only memory that stands out. I guess because I loved that concert. But I find it amusing that I remember that more than I do any details of the plot.

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish

This one belongs among the top books I've read this year, possibly among most national bestseller lists as well. A brilliant and, quite frankly, terrifying plot drives this tale as Scot Harvath finds himself scrambling to prevent an attack on American soil orchestrated by China. The motivations and details of the Chinese plot provide for one of the more jaw dropping moments I've read recently. If you're into thrillers, this is a must read.

This is by far one of Brad's best. LIke all good thrillers there are elements of truth that just can't be made up and you are amazed at the sheer stupidity that we, as a country have been engaging in. Putting the lives of brave men and women at risk in the process.
In Act of War, one of the greatest issues facing the US today and the future is addressed. China. In short, China needs what the US has. Namely, land and room. Brad has always had great contacts in government and he uses them to great affect here laying out a great read of Harvath and his team saving us from sure devestation and a Chinese invasion. What is really scary is that it could happen.
No spoilers. Just pick this book up and read it. Enjoy it and maybe be educated a little bit by it. Parts of it are hair raising.

Great plot and story! The multiple scenarios going on at Langley, UAE, China, Nashville, etc. really helped to stay engaged with the storyline. There were a bit too many details about the specifics about the guns - I get it; they're fancy and lethal. I think the SEAL mission to the North Korean Labor camp was unnecessary - but I didn't realize that until the end. I'll definitely be reading more from Brad Thor.

Brad Thor's Act of War, is a thriller novel that takes you to the lives of Navy SEALS, spies, CIA agents, and terrorists. The story begins in Washington DC where a meeting is being held regarding the update of a Chinese terrorist threat called the Snow Dragon. Simultaneously, on the North Korean coast, agents James Fordyce, Lester Johnson, Eric Tucker, and Billy Tang are placed on a covert mission to gather intetel connecting the Chinese threat to the DPRK. We then move to Pakistan following agents Scott Harvath, Chase Palmer, and Sloane Ashby. They quickly take custody of Ahmad Yaqub to find information about a recruiter who placed six muslim students on a visa in the United States to execute the plan made by the Chinese. Lastly, we meet Colonel Jiang Shi, a veteran of the Chinese Military, and the heart of the Snow Dragon.
Brad Thor opens the novel with a mysterious murder in the prologue, and grabs the interest of the reader. The way the novel switches between different characters keeps the reader involved with all corners of the plot. Although this is the thirteenth Scott Harvath novel, it is written and set up in a way in which I did not know there were previous books. The ending is kind of abrupt and short which closes the novel very quickly. I feel that because of this, many questions were left unanswered, mainly about the characters. A running theme of this novel is freedom. In the end, Colonel Jiang Shi received a small note, "America bows to no one" (353). I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about international conflict and spy work. I give this book a four out of five stars because the plot and character development is very good, but Thor could have ended the book with the same detail that was used throughout his book.

The book is good but I noticed a few proofreading mistakes. Tang is not a Korean name. I am not sure an adult can have dual Chinese-American citizenship. Mah-Jongg is a Chinese game, not Korean. There were also a few punctuation errors. I am surprised this book was not proofread properly.

Mr. Thor:

I am an English teacher and would be happy to have a job proofreading your next novel.

The Chinese have plotted an attack on America using EMP. Of course Scot Harvath won't allow it to happen. I recommend to all to read One Second Fter by William Forsctein

Sigh... Well, I read it. It just felt like Dick Cheney has someone ghost write this...badly.

Another knockout book by Thor. The only thing that is slowly becoming a deterrent for me is the obvious right-winged slant. I wouldn't say it is at the same level as Stephen Coonts right-wingedness, but I see myself potentially falling away for my love of Thor. It's not even that he throws it in there that bothers me, it just seems over-the-top and in your face. But as Thor always does - great story, great plot, great action, great read.