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Tom Clancy's Op-Center #20
The Black Order
In a plot ripped from today's headlines, America’s elite task force must take down a group of ruthless domestic terrorists determined to paralyze the country through extreme acts of violence in this action-packed new thriller in the bestselling Tom Clancy's Op-Center series.
They are known as the Black Order. Self-proclaimed patriots and survivalists, they refuse to surrender their values and beliefs to the left-leaning cultural and progressive forces threatening their nation. Military veterans and high-tech specialists, they’ve begun a savage war which includes public assassinations of politicians and celebrities and high-profile bombings, striking without warning or mercy. The Black Order wants nothing less than complete capitulation by the US government, giving them free rein to make their ideologies the law of the land.
Only Op-Center’s Black Wasp, a skilled team of military operatives answerable to the President, can defeat these militant revolutionaries. But even as Admiral Chase Williams and his agents force them on the run, the Black Order possesses a weapon of mass destruction that they will not hesitate to unleash against millions of innocent civilians.
They are known as the Black Order. Self-proclaimed patriots and survivalists, they refuse to surrender their values and beliefs to the left-leaning cultural and progressive forces threatening their nation. Military veterans and high-tech specialists, they’ve begun a savage war which includes public assassinations of politicians and celebrities and high-profile bombings, striking without warning or mercy. The Black Order wants nothing less than complete capitulation by the US government, giving them free rein to make their ideologies the law of the land.
Only Op-Center’s Black Wasp, a skilled team of military operatives answerable to the President, can defeat these militant revolutionaries. But even as Admiral Chase Williams and his agents force them on the run, the Black Order possesses a weapon of mass destruction that they will not hesitate to unleash against millions of innocent civilians.
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2021
452 people are currently reading
2,578 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 28, 2021
If you are a fan of the series...don't miss out on the latest incarnation and its many twists and turns. From the most prolific author in the thriller/spy novel genre, this book does not disappoint. America is always looking over its collective shoulder for the next big threat. But what if there is an unseen threat, a threat hiding in plain sight? This book presents one such scenario. I couldn't put this book down once I started it. It was that good. A delightful mid-summer read.
August 8, 2021
This is the first Tom Clancy book I’ve read and I picked it up because I thought the plot would be very interesting considering today’s political climate. There was a lot of action and the author obviously knows a lot about how the military operates. Also you don’t really need to know anything about the op center series to read this. Solid four stars
February 11, 2024
Not bad, insofar as I finished it, but the characters felt wooden, and at times I was pretty close to skipping pages. I can never tell what’s worse, when the bad guys have no depth, or when their depth is infinitely more interesting than the heroes.
August 18, 2021
The book blurb includes the line, "Ripped from today's headlines," but should read ripped from the Democrat's talking points!"...The big villians here are homegrown, right wingers worried about the direction of the country dominated by a cabal of Wall Street insiders, Mainstream Media, Entertainment industry, intellectuals, universities, Big Tech, business, Labor and political elites that can dominate the direction of our nation...Rovin does this even after four years of grievance-mongering and Violence the Left normalized, celebrated and supported...Meh!
June 21, 2021
I found this book difficult to read and unable to believe the plotline. The prologue begins on January 11 at 11:18 pm. The first chapter starts in the White House January 16, 7:55 am. The book ends January 16 at 11:11 pm. This is an unbelievable time line. A secret Presidential team known as "The Black Order" manages to stop a domestic terrorist organization in under 16 hours is stretching the limits of believable fiction story telling.
One of the more difficult conversations to believe is with the "President" and a Vice Admiral "The reality, Mr. President, is that we are tracking an evolving situation. It's highly fluid.' Are we really supposed to believe that a Vice Admiral would use this ridiculously trendy language in the Oval Office with the President? These are older men that would be unlikely to use language that is hip and trendy, trying to sound cool.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.
One of the more difficult conversations to believe is with the "President" and a Vice Admiral "The reality, Mr. President, is that we are tracking an evolving situation. It's highly fluid.' Are we really supposed to believe that a Vice Admiral would use this ridiculously trendy language in the Oval Office with the President? These are older men that would be unlikely to use language that is hip and trendy, trying to sound cool.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.
July 25, 2021
I'd really like to recommend this book, having been a Clancy fan forever. Regretfully, I'm not able to do so. I found the book really difficult to get into and the character development is non-existent. Since there are a large number of players in the story and there is no way of identifying them, the book relies on the plot which is good but not great. The world of this novel is tiny and restrictive. This writer is not worthy of the namesake, in my view.
April 15, 2021
I enjoyed this book immensely. This is the first Op-Center and Jeff Robin book I've read so I wasn't familiar with the characters or the function of Op-Center. It didn't matter because Rovin summarizes who everyone is and the role they play so well. The plot is complex and feels almost ripped from the headlines. In fact, it isn't hard to imagine the plot occurring today. There are a lot politics involved but Rovin does a tremendous job of not preaching to the reader. I couldn't tell if he is a democrat, republican, whig, whatever: it made the book more enjoyable and balanced.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an advanced copy of The Black Order.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an advanced copy of The Black Order.
August 4, 2021
The latest instalment of Tom Clancy's Op Centre - The Black Order. Was a fairly decent read. This time, the threat was internal. There were a few plot ideas that seemed like they could have gone further, but didn't, which was a bit of a disappointment.
The plot is fairly simple - President Midkiff is in the last week of his presidency and is on his way out. However, an urgent domestic terrorist threat comes up and the Black Wasp team is really the only one poised to deal with it.
I won't bore you with the details, but I think I need to give these books a rest for a bit as they are all blending together. What I will say is that it is amazing how a team with so few members can do so much.
Overall, the book was a good timewaster and a fairly simple read. It was worth the time spent reading, but I was left feeling that it could have been so much more.
The plot is fairly simple - President Midkiff is in the last week of his presidency and is on his way out. However, an urgent domestic terrorist threat comes up and the Black Wasp team is really the only one poised to deal with it.
I won't bore you with the details, but I think I need to give these books a rest for a bit as they are all blending together. What I will say is that it is amazing how a team with so few members can do so much.
Overall, the book was a good timewaster and a fairly simple read. It was worth the time spent reading, but I was left feeling that it could have been so much more.
February 7, 2023
Does not live up to having Clancy’s name attached. Rovin has written multiple books for this series, and I can’t believe they are any better, so I’ll not bother with the rest. So many issues with the plot and the characters. Characters are two dimensional stereotypes, a hand to hand expert that doesn’t use firearms, a sniper that acts like a street thug, ex-military adversaries not using firearms in a stand-off with an unknown number of assailants, not realistic at all. And the “villain’s� plan dismantled in less than 24 hours. This book was so bland I almost didn’t finish it.
June 4, 2021
This is a book that takes you through a maze and gives you a does of thrill that just doesn't stop. Good guys are now bad guys and the other good guys have to stop the war that's on America from within.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2021
As a longtime Clancy fan- I'd like to recommend this book but found the book really difficult to get into and follow .The characters are thin and there are way too many of them in the book.. I stopped about 5 chapters in as it wasn't worth the time to try and suss out who's who!
February 11, 2023
I really tried with this one I did...However, no matter how much so, it continued to dwindle in relevance. Every corner of this novel was a new character we had to assume, which if done correctly can be intriguing. In this situation it was not only not intriguing it was downright annoying. The characters that remain for the entirety of the book are often coarse in dialogue that would differentiate them..The plot itself wasn't necessarily bad it just was incredibly political in nature to the point where it feels like a grift of the last 2 years. Not the best Tom Clancy style novel I've read, but such is life.
July 25, 2021
I received this book in a publisher giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. There were too many locales, too many characters, and not enough plot. And really no surprises. This didn't seem worthy of Tom Clancy, and did little to make me want to read the next one.
Not horrible; just not good.
I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. There were too many locales, too many characters, and not enough plot. And really no surprises. This didn't seem worthy of Tom Clancy, and did little to make me want to read the next one.
Not horrible; just not good.
July 7, 2021
Associating the name Clancy to this book is a disgrace. Doesn't come close to carrying on his writings. The plot, characters, and political bash of conservatives make this book impossible to accept. I tried at lest 4 times and gave up after less than 30%. Who wants to read about a useless administration against a few nut jobs who practically freezing America?
May 1, 2021
The plot, characters, and prose are all terribly weak. The flow of the first half of the book made it hard to even stay engaged. The plot, comprised of a half dozen nut jobs holding an incoming and outgoing president and their staffs like deer in the headlights, is a complete non-starter. The characters have a few, rare bright spots but fail utterly to achieve their potential. I rarely give a book a single star, but The Black Order earned it.
August 9, 2021
The Black Order is your average secret spy thriller that lacks any personality but is fine for a vacation read.
October 6, 2022
The book seemed to me to be a little over done. Not much character development. Just action and devastation repeated and repeated. You can skip chapters and not miss much.
January 6, 2024
Jeff Rovin is the author of more than 130 books. Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: The Black Order was published in 2021. It is the 2nd book I completed reading in 2024.
I received an ARC of this book through with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.
The Black Order was formed by Burton Stroud. Stroud is a successful businessman in Philadelphia with a security business. He is a self-proclaimed patriot wanting to return America to the values he thinks have been abandoned. He selected a small group of patriots and survivalists to form the Black Order. While they want to avoid injury to innocent bystanders, they are willing to make sacrifices to save America.
Op-Center has been dissolved. In its place is the super secret Black Wasp, authorized by President Wyatt Midkiff. The Black Wasp is a small group of operatives. Admiral Chase Williams, Major Hamilton Green, Lieutenant Grace Lee, and Lance Corporal Jay Rosette make up the unit. Since they were created, they have had two successful missions.
Midkiff’s eight years in office are about up. President-elect John Wright will be inaugurated in a few days. The old administration is moving out as the new is moving in when the Black Order strikes. Retired US Navy Captain Richard Hamill is murdered in his bed at home. The assassin gives his widow a message to deliver - “The war has begun. Those that move against us will die!�
That initiates a string of strikes by the Black Order. They contact President Midkiff and tell him to withdraw those closing in on the Black Order. The Black Order expects the government to capitulate and let them remake America.
While Navy Intelligence and the other federal agencies squabble over jurisdictional issues between themselves and local law enforcement, the Black Wasp is closing in on the Black Order. Will the Black Wasp be able to take down the revolutionaries before they unleash even more death and destruction?
I enjoyed the 7.5+ hours I spent reading this 347-page thriller. I had the opportunity to read three other novels in the Tom Clancy’s Op-Center series by Jeff Rovin. They were For Honor, Sting of the Wasp, and God of War. I also read A Vision of Fire which he coauthored with Gillian Anderson. They all have been consistently good thrillers. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.4 (rounded to 4) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( ).
I received an ARC of this book through with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.
The Black Order was formed by Burton Stroud. Stroud is a successful businessman in Philadelphia with a security business. He is a self-proclaimed patriot wanting to return America to the values he thinks have been abandoned. He selected a small group of patriots and survivalists to form the Black Order. While they want to avoid injury to innocent bystanders, they are willing to make sacrifices to save America.
Op-Center has been dissolved. In its place is the super secret Black Wasp, authorized by President Wyatt Midkiff. The Black Wasp is a small group of operatives. Admiral Chase Williams, Major Hamilton Green, Lieutenant Grace Lee, and Lance Corporal Jay Rosette make up the unit. Since they were created, they have had two successful missions.
Midkiff’s eight years in office are about up. President-elect John Wright will be inaugurated in a few days. The old administration is moving out as the new is moving in when the Black Order strikes. Retired US Navy Captain Richard Hamill is murdered in his bed at home. The assassin gives his widow a message to deliver - “The war has begun. Those that move against us will die!�
That initiates a string of strikes by the Black Order. They contact President Midkiff and tell him to withdraw those closing in on the Black Order. The Black Order expects the government to capitulate and let them remake America.
While Navy Intelligence and the other federal agencies squabble over jurisdictional issues between themselves and local law enforcement, the Black Wasp is closing in on the Black Order. Will the Black Wasp be able to take down the revolutionaries before they unleash even more death and destruction?
I enjoyed the 7.5+ hours I spent reading this 347-page thriller. I had the opportunity to read three other novels in the Tom Clancy’s Op-Center series by Jeff Rovin. They were For Honor, Sting of the Wasp, and God of War. I also read A Vision of Fire which he coauthored with Gillian Anderson. They all have been consistently good thrillers. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.4 (rounded to 4) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( ).
April 22, 2021
I received this book through "NetGalley".
This story draws you in from the 1st chapter. It starts with the murder of a Retired Navy Captain. It was discovered that he was working as an asset for a branch of the Navy. Once they followed through with who he was working with, they discovered that they system had been infiltrated by the Black Order. This murder was just a start of events that the group was going to perform. In order to learn more, the President called on Op-Center to find out what this meant. The Navy had shut the muder location to all, but a certain group of the Navy. Because of infighting, the agencies were reluctant to share information.
Adm. Williams, the Op-Center Director, had his team go to Philadelphia where the murder occured and see what they could discover. At the same time, other members of the Black Order were carrying out other attacks. They hoped to bring the current administration to recognize and permit the group free rein. The group was looking to bring the country to a more militant government. They felt that the current administration was too soft.
Following leads that they were able to develop, the Black Wasps (Op-Center team), determined who the leader of the group was and a potential location where they were headquartered. Three members of the team headed to Western Penn. to locate their base. Adm. Williams remained and was able to talk with the leader. The leader told Adm. Williams, that anything happened to him or his people, then there would be a major disaster killing many people.
To discover how this all played out in the end, then you must read this book.
This story draws you in from the 1st chapter. It starts with the murder of a Retired Navy Captain. It was discovered that he was working as an asset for a branch of the Navy. Once they followed through with who he was working with, they discovered that they system had been infiltrated by the Black Order. This murder was just a start of events that the group was going to perform. In order to learn more, the President called on Op-Center to find out what this meant. The Navy had shut the muder location to all, but a certain group of the Navy. Because of infighting, the agencies were reluctant to share information.
Adm. Williams, the Op-Center Director, had his team go to Philadelphia where the murder occured and see what they could discover. At the same time, other members of the Black Order were carrying out other attacks. They hoped to bring the current administration to recognize and permit the group free rein. The group was looking to bring the country to a more militant government. They felt that the current administration was too soft.
Following leads that they were able to develop, the Black Wasps (Op-Center team), determined who the leader of the group was and a potential location where they were headquartered. Three members of the team headed to Western Penn. to locate their base. Adm. Williams remained and was able to talk with the leader. The leader told Adm. Williams, that anything happened to him or his people, then there would be a major disaster killing many people.
To discover how this all played out in the end, then you must read this book.
September 19, 2021
I received a copy of this book from a goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is the first time I have read what I would consider a military/political thriller. This book did contain a few scenes that involved some gore with graphic details.
There was plenty of suspense and in no part was it slow. The storyline moves at a good pace (all in the span of one day) and it holds interest. I definitely wanted to know, what's happening next? How is this story going to play out even though the ending is predictable?
It's a read that definitely involves some thinking. There are plenty of characters to keep track of. It jumps between them constantly. Not until at least halfway through did I have a good idea of who was who for the most part.
There are lots of military/organization terms to keep track of too. At some point in the book I just disregarded all the various organizations; SAFE, INR, OAE, etc. It was just more to remember and I didn't want it to take me away from the story.
This is the first time I have read what I would consider a military/political thriller. This book did contain a few scenes that involved some gore with graphic details.
There was plenty of suspense and in no part was it slow. The storyline moves at a good pace (all in the span of one day) and it holds interest. I definitely wanted to know, what's happening next? How is this story going to play out even though the ending is predictable?
It's a read that definitely involves some thinking. There are plenty of characters to keep track of. It jumps between them constantly. Not until at least halfway through did I have a good idea of who was who for the most part.
There are lots of military/organization terms to keep track of too. At some point in the book I just disregarded all the various organizations; SAFE, INR, OAE, etc. It was just more to remember and I didn't want it to take me away from the story.
July 26, 2021
I have the opportunity to read while monitoring my job and I picked up Tom Clancy's Black Order and I have to admit...there are a ton of Characters that really go under developed. The premise comes across well and builds the tension well, but goes a little flaccid near the end. A handful of zealots lead by a narcissistic man basically bent on returning the USA to a time of Jim Crow and anti immigration. These Characters were not fleshed out as well as they could have been; as least as much as the ops center team. Although the building of suspense was well cadenced, it was obvious early who the main bad guy was and though the acts he initiated though his small band of true believer were horrific, I never felt the true edgy danger a guy like this would present in a real world scenario...Overall, I would give this 4 out of 5 stars... came up a bit flat in the climax
May 29, 2021
This is a good solid political thriller that mixes in very current issues with a flair for conspiracies. Lately, conspiracy plots seem all the rage in political thrillers and THE BLACK ORDER is no exception. The characters, although new to me, have a long history together; this is #20 in a series. But this works well as a stand alone book. I didn’t miss anything by starting here. There is a presidential transition and, unhappy with the incoming administration, a group of unhappy men decide to foment a return to the past. As I said, there is a very current feel to the book which keeps the tale riveting. I read it straight through and enjoyed it a lot. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
August 28, 2021
For long time readers of this series, one should know that the team and its mission continue to change. Turning the lens onto a domestic terror threat. the Black Order, the intrepid and reduced Op-Center team must find ways to eliminate the threat with very few resources. I do like the core team of three operators as they complement each other with their skills and work well as as a team. For a shared universe, Rovin has been doing a great job with continuing the development of the team and the series.
July 10, 2022
OMG save yourself a good deal of time, energy and frustration and DON'T READ THIS BOOK! I'm 30 pages in and have a splitting headache. Characters are "introduced" left and right, referred to by first name with no history, confusing text, run-on sentences, context shifting all over the place....I am literally dizzy. I have read a lot of books and this is maybe the 2nd or 3rd that I'm putting down FOR GOOD after only 30 pages....nothing can save it...horrendous! My first (and last) Jeff Rovin book.......Thank God it's a library book, so it only cost me some time and effort.
April 16, 2021
If you've read any Clancy novels, whether written by him or one of his successors, you know what you're looking for and you get it... lots of action and intrigue, good characters, and military strategy. If you haven't... why not? You can pick up in any story along the way as enough background information is always included. Another winner! I received an advanced digital copy from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
June 15, 2021
CC1
Jeff did an excellent job with this OP-Center book. I love the continued smitry with all the people left in OP-Center series. Jeff did a wonderful job with plot the story flowed really well. I hope he continues with this series. Perfect author for it. 10 🌟 �!!! Thanks, Carl Clause
Jeff did an excellent job with this OP-Center book. I love the continued smitry with all the people left in OP-Center series. Jeff did a wonderful job with plot the story flowed really well. I hope he continues with this series. Perfect author for it. 10 🌟 �!!! Thanks, Carl Clause
October 12, 2021
A reminder of how 1/6 could've ended
Additionally, this what happens when good aren't paying attention. You can have security for a select few while leaving out the different who've worked just as hard & more than earned an equal opportunity. I recommend this 📖 book & this series.
Additionally, this what happens when good aren't paying attention. You can have security for a select few while leaving out the different who've worked just as hard & more than earned an equal opportunity. I recommend this 📖 book & this series.
November 3, 2021
Don’t skip over this book! Once you start in, it doesn’t let you stop!
I was afraid this was going to be light reading like the early Op-Center books, but I’m happy to say that I was wrong. It takes off fast and keeps going to the end. Definitely read this book if you like fast action and suspense.
I was afraid this was going to be light reading like the early Op-Center books, but I’m happy to say that I was wrong. It takes off fast and keeps going to the end. Definitely read this book if you like fast action and suspense.
January 11, 2022
Not my favorite of the Tom Clancy’s Black Op Series. I found the character development weaker than a typical book in the series. The book is filled with many twists and turns. I had a hard time with leaving the President of the USA with just three people to protect the future of the free world. I still would recommend reading the Black Op Series.
June 10, 2022
Since Clancy died in 2013, his novels with the exception of the Jack Ryan novels just aren't up to snuff. This one was okay and certainly a quick read. American terrorists with a well laid out plan to bring the US to its knees. They were able to implement some of their plans until the good guys found them. I won't tell you how. Published in 2021 so the technology is current and that's good.
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