Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst-turned-action-hero-turned-president has had a storied fictional career. The star of 12+ novels (and a secondary character in many more), he has also been the subject of a number of movie adaptations. He was first portrayed on film by Alec Baldwin, in 1990’s The Hunt for Red October — a movie that gave us Sean Connery’s portrayal of Marko Ramius, the only Soviet submarine captain to ever have a thick Scottish accent. In 2018, the character got his first TV adaptation, with Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan (two seasons are available now, with a third apparently slated for this year). A major supporting character in Clancy’s novels and the movie adaptations is John Kelly/Clark: a former Navy SEAL and Vietnam veteran, he is a black ops specialist frequently called in to help out Ryan, to do the unsavoury things in the dark that Ryan can’t or won’t do.
On screen, the character first appeared in 1994’s Clear and Present Danger — in which Ryan (Harrison Ford) gets tangled up in the drug war — and was portrayed by the ever-excellent Willem Dafoe. In The Sum of All Fears (2002), he was portrayed by Liev Schreiber — a quieter version of the character, perhaps, but no less capable. He was more “spy” than Dafoe’s action-man-in-the-jungle version. He was more Schreiber, really.
This year, we’re getting an adaptation of Clancy’s novel that put Clark front-and-centre: Without Remorse (1993). This time, the character will be portrayed by Michael B. Jordan (one of the best young actors today). Continue reading
Among Thieves, M. J. Kuhn‘s debut novel, is pitched as “a high-stakes heist novel set in a gritty world of magic and malice”. It’s not clear if it’s the first in a planned series or a stand-alone, but it looks pretty interesting (I do love a good heist story). Here’s the synopsis:
Anthony Ryan has a new novel out this year! The Pariah is the first in a new fantasy series, the Covenant of Steel. In addition to that moody cover (which I rather like), the novel’s premise promises an action-packed fantasy of revenge, intrigue, and more:
I already 
This year, Orbit are due to publish the third book in Gareth Hanrahan‘s Black Iron Legacy fantasy series. I’ve fallen a little behind on this series, and have only read the first book, The Gutter Prayer (which I did enjoy: the characters and world-building are excellent). So, I really must get caught up before The Broken God arrives in May. For those who are caught up, here’s the synopsis:
Last year, Silvia Moreno-Garcia‘s 
The cover for Lavie Tidhar‘s upcoming new novel The Escapement made its way online today, and quite the stunner it is, too. Due to be published by Tachyon Publications in October, it is pitched as a “dazzling new novel evoking Westerns, surrealism, epic fantasy, and circus extravaganzas… an evocative dreamscape of dark comedy, heartbreak, hope, and adventure,” that recalls The Gunslinger and The Phantom Tollbooth. Which all makes for an intriguing mix, indeed. Here’s the synopsis:
The new cover for Cameron Johnston‘s upcoming new novel, The Maleficent Seven, was revealed today on 
David Wragg‘s hotly-anticipated second novel, The Righteous is due out in just a few months! The sequel to his acclaimed debut, The Black Hawks, the novel will be published by Voyager this summer. One of my most-anticipated fantasy novels of the year, I can’t wait to get my mitts on it! Here’s the synopsis:
I first spotted Yan Ge‘s new novel on NetGalley — I’ll admit, it was the cover that caught my attention. Strange Beasts of China has an intriguing premise, as well, and I’m really looking forward to reading it. First published in 2006 as 异兽志, it’s finally getting an English-language edition. Here’s the synopsis:
In the fictional Chinese town of Yong’an, monsters and spirits live, almost indistinguishable, alongside humans. Strange Beasts of China follows the narrator, an amateur cryptozoologist, as she attempts to document each type of beast with the help of her former professor and his enigmatic assistant. From the Sacrificial Beasts, who can’t stop dying, to the Heartsick Beasts, who are genetically engineered to be as loyal and loving as possible, each chapter introduces a new beast and dives deeper into a mystery that threatens the narrator’s very sense of self.
Civilian Reader 