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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell #2
Operation Barracuda
As part of a top-secret initiative called Third Echelon, National Security Agency special operative Sam Fisher has been given license to spy, steal, destroy, and assassinate to protect America. And he does...
326 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2005
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December 11, 2024
Operation Barracuda is the second and final Splinter Cell novel by author Raymond Benson. Though the documented author name continues to be David Michaels on some of the books after this one, that is a pseudonym for various authors who continue the series after Benson. This entry follows NSA Third Echelon operative Sam Fisher as he tries to track down and finish off the Shop, the illegal arms-dealing organization from the first book in the series, as they have relocated to Hong Kong following the events of that story.
This book is much more well written than the first, and has all of the cloak-and-dagger espionage, action, location jumping, and international brink-of-war political intrigue story you come to expect of a Tom Clancy property, but it does have some issues. There is a sex-filled, short-lived romance between Fisher and his Krav Maga (martial arts) instructor that is extremely cringe-worthy and not at all in line with Fisher's character in the games.
Also the author was incredibly lazy in some parts of the book and did something I don't think I've ever seen in a novel before: I'm convinced he actually copied and pasted entire chunks of Fisher's backstory word-for-word from the first book in the series. If you read both books you'd see what I'm talking about...it's the exact same. I don't think I've ever seen such next level laziness and I may never see its like again.
The story also gets a bit ridiculous near the end, and yes, Fisher ends up riding a nuclear torpedo underwater in the ocean like it's a dolphin...
Other than those issues, though, this was a decent Splinter Cell story, and an improvement over the first book. I feel like I may be losing some brain cells reading these (brain...splinter cells! HA!), but they're certainly entertaining. On to the next book in the series...Checkmate!
3.5 stars
This book is much more well written than the first, and has all of the cloak-and-dagger espionage, action, location jumping, and international brink-of-war political intrigue story you come to expect of a Tom Clancy property, but it does have some issues. There is a sex-filled, short-lived romance between Fisher and his Krav Maga (martial arts) instructor that is extremely cringe-worthy and not at all in line with Fisher's character in the games.
Also the author was incredibly lazy in some parts of the book and did something I don't think I've ever seen in a novel before: I'm convinced he actually copied and pasted entire chunks of Fisher's backstory word-for-word from the first book in the series. If you read both books you'd see what I'm talking about...it's the exact same. I don't think I've ever seen such next level laziness and I may never see its like again.
The story also gets a bit ridiculous near the end, and yes, Fisher ends up riding a nuclear torpedo underwater in the ocean like it's a dolphin...
Other than those issues, though, this was a decent Splinter Cell story, and an improvement over the first book. I feel like I may be losing some brain cells reading these (brain...splinter cells! HA!), but they're certainly entertaining. On to the next book in the series...Checkmate!
3.5 stars
May 29, 2018
در کتابهای ماجرایی، زنده موندن قهرمان خیلی طبیعیه. به خصوص اگر قرار باشه داستان ادامه پیدا کنه.
اما گاهی این زنده موندن، باورش سخت میشه. یه ساختمان منفجر میشه و همه میمیرند، اما قهرمان داستان با چند تا خراش زنده می مونه!!!!
به هر حال، باید پذیرفت.
خیلی فرقی با قسمت اول نداشت.
اما گاهی این زنده موندن، باورش سخت میشه. یه ساختمان منفجر میشه و همه میمیرند، اما قهرمان داستان با چند تا خراش زنده می مونه!!!!
به هر حال، باید پذیرفت.
خیلی فرقی با قسمت اول نداشت.
September 16, 2016
A really good first person spy novel by David michaels. The sequels are written by another authore and those did not live up to this. A very good novel for a fun week
July 17, 2020
Much better than the first book. Really interesting developments in the main charterer's personal life. There are quite a few books that explore the China/Taiwan tension and this story does a great job of capturing this. This is an excellent spy novel with many interesting turns.
March 16, 2014
[SPOILER ALERT]
Like most book series the sequel always has a difficult time living up to the first book. Tom Clancy's Operation Barracuda is no different.
With the deaths of both Carly St.John and Katia Loenstern I was almost certain that Clancy would have no problem ending the series with the death of Sam Fisher, in an attempt to keep the overall story "believable."
And when you factor in the betrayal by Mason Hendricks and the clandestine placement of the nuclear warhead in international waters just outside Los Angeles, Clancy all but paves the road for a victory by the villains.
So when Sam Fisher is finally captured and placed in the cell with the the assassin Yvan Putnik, I was pretty certain that the Shop, General Tun and villains/terrorists were going to win this one, thus ending Splinter Cell and the NSA surveillance program.
What I hadn't counted on is the resistance of the Jon Ming led Lucky Dragon Triads and of course the "super-human" resilience of Mr. Sam Fisher. In the end, Fisher lives to see another day, the Shop is crushed, Mason Hendricks gets his just desserts, and General Tun's plan is thwarted.
And for me therein lies my problem with Clancy's book. The fact that Fisher is able to still prevent the terror plot against the US and still make it out alive at the same time makes it tough for a realist like myself to swallow.
I know that critics of my position will say that Fisher's ability to "always win" is what the series is ultimately about, but for me it's just difficult to accept that no matter what happens, Fisher will always survive and win.
Like most book series the sequel always has a difficult time living up to the first book. Tom Clancy's Operation Barracuda is no different.
With the deaths of both Carly St.John and Katia Loenstern I was almost certain that Clancy would have no problem ending the series with the death of Sam Fisher, in an attempt to keep the overall story "believable."
And when you factor in the betrayal by Mason Hendricks and the clandestine placement of the nuclear warhead in international waters just outside Los Angeles, Clancy all but paves the road for a victory by the villains.
So when Sam Fisher is finally captured and placed in the cell with the the assassin Yvan Putnik, I was pretty certain that the Shop, General Tun and villains/terrorists were going to win this one, thus ending Splinter Cell and the NSA surveillance program.
What I hadn't counted on is the resistance of the Jon Ming led Lucky Dragon Triads and of course the "super-human" resilience of Mr. Sam Fisher. In the end, Fisher lives to see another day, the Shop is crushed, Mason Hendricks gets his just desserts, and General Tun's plan is thwarted.
And for me therein lies my problem with Clancy's book. The fact that Fisher is able to still prevent the terror plot against the US and still make it out alive at the same time makes it tough for a realist like myself to swallow.
I know that critics of my position will say that Fisher's ability to "always win" is what the series is ultimately about, but for me it's just difficult to accept that no matter what happens, Fisher will always survive and win.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2017
I am really enjoying the Splinter Cell series. I have played some of the games, but the books are really enjoyment unto themselves and you wouldn't have to be familiar with the games to enjoy the novels.
This was a pretty straightforward, secret agent vs. terrorists story, with a few twists thrown in. I did find the whole "doomed romance" subplot to be cliche and overdone, and I think the story would have been much better leaving that part out.
Overall a good action/adventure read and I'll be moving onto the next volume.
This was a pretty straightforward, secret agent vs. terrorists story, with a few twists thrown in. I did find the whole "doomed romance" subplot to be cliche and overdone, and I think the story would have been much better leaving that part out.
Overall a good action/adventure read and I'll be moving onto the next volume.
July 6, 2016
I can't believe I read the whole thing.
August 9, 2022
Me sorprendió bastante. Todos los personajes son interesantes. La forma en la que la historia se cuenta de forma separada en cada personaje y poco a poco se van uniendo los hilos es entretenida. Llena de momentos de acción, intriga y conflictos políticos. Y el personaje de Sam Fisher es incluso hasta más carismático y desarrollado que en los videojuegos. Realmente me encantó el libro.
June 23, 2016
Splinter Cell: Barracuda is the sequel to the Splinter Cell novel by Raymond Benson. Both are, more or less, prequels to the original game but serve as independent adventures in their own right. For those unfamiliar with Splinter Cell, it is the adventures of Sam Fisher, secret agent operating for Third Echelon (a classified division of the NSA).
In the previous novel, Sam successfully decimated the arms dealing terrorist organization known as the Shop but he did not destroy it. This novel, they make a return with vengeance on their mind. Having made an alliance with a renegade Chinese general, they hope to sell him the necessary nuclear arms and guidance systems in order to attack Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Sam is starting up a relationship with his Krav Maga instructor Katia, despite the potential danger to both their lives. A mole has infiltrated Third Echelon and compromised not only Sam's identity but numerous other important operations. It's a race against the clock to prevent Taiwan from being invaded and the US coast potentially getting nuked.
This is an okay follow-up to the original novel, resolving many of the original story's lingering plotthreads but it's not something I'm exactly overwhelmed by either. There's no real dramatic anchor the way the first book had Sarah's kidnapping. It doesn't help the Shop repeatedly shows itself to be foolish by attempting to directly challenge a branch of the US government. Likewise, General Tsun never receives any characterization other than he wants to conquer Taiwan no matter how many people has to kill in order to do it.
Sam Fishers' relationship with Katia could have been better developed and possibly become a major part of the character's arc in the books. Instead, the relationship blows through the various stages of romance before coming to a swift climax which I think was used for cheap dramatic effect. The character of Katia is used more as a prop than an actual character and I think the book suffers as a result.
Oddly, my favorite character in this book is one of the lesser villains in Mike Chang. Mike is a Triad infiltrator of Third Echelon who wants to make a fortune selling information from the NSA to terrorist organizations. Unfortunately, he's so confident of his backers he never stops to think that he's nothing more than a loose end they'll need to clean up. It results in him making some truly stupid decisions which is a wonder to behold. By the end, I think he's one of the more despicable but entertaining villains I've read in a while.
The book isn't entirely without humor and I found a lot of fun to be had in hilarious moments like Sam getting captured by his targets wife, thinking he's just a burglar only for Sam to try to convince her he's a private detective and unwittingly set off a domestic disturbance incident which gets his surveillance target killed. It's comedy of errors moments like that which make this better than a generic run of the mill techno-thriller.
In conclusion, this was an entertaining novel but not as good as the previous edition. It's a fairly paint-by-the-numbers work and one I think is okay but not especially noteworthy. It's most enjoyable for seeing the Shop finally get what was coming to them but even that's not a massive selling point. Raymond Benson could have done better (and has in other books).
7/10
In the previous novel, Sam successfully decimated the arms dealing terrorist organization known as the Shop but he did not destroy it. This novel, they make a return with vengeance on their mind. Having made an alliance with a renegade Chinese general, they hope to sell him the necessary nuclear arms and guidance systems in order to attack Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Sam is starting up a relationship with his Krav Maga instructor Katia, despite the potential danger to both their lives. A mole has infiltrated Third Echelon and compromised not only Sam's identity but numerous other important operations. It's a race against the clock to prevent Taiwan from being invaded and the US coast potentially getting nuked.
This is an okay follow-up to the original novel, resolving many of the original story's lingering plotthreads but it's not something I'm exactly overwhelmed by either. There's no real dramatic anchor the way the first book had Sarah's kidnapping. It doesn't help the Shop repeatedly shows itself to be foolish by attempting to directly challenge a branch of the US government. Likewise, General Tsun never receives any characterization other than he wants to conquer Taiwan no matter how many people has to kill in order to do it.
Sam Fishers' relationship with Katia could have been better developed and possibly become a major part of the character's arc in the books. Instead, the relationship blows through the various stages of romance before coming to a swift climax which I think was used for cheap dramatic effect. The character of Katia is used more as a prop than an actual character and I think the book suffers as a result.
Oddly, my favorite character in this book is one of the lesser villains in Mike Chang. Mike is a Triad infiltrator of Third Echelon who wants to make a fortune selling information from the NSA to terrorist organizations. Unfortunately, he's so confident of his backers he never stops to think that he's nothing more than a loose end they'll need to clean up. It results in him making some truly stupid decisions which is a wonder to behold. By the end, I think he's one of the more despicable but entertaining villains I've read in a while.
The book isn't entirely without humor and I found a lot of fun to be had in hilarious moments like Sam getting captured by his targets wife, thinking he's just a burglar only for Sam to try to convince her he's a private detective and unwittingly set off a domestic disturbance incident which gets his surveillance target killed. It's comedy of errors moments like that which make this better than a generic run of the mill techno-thriller.
In conclusion, this was an entertaining novel but not as good as the previous edition. It's a fairly paint-by-the-numbers work and one I think is okay but not especially noteworthy. It's most enjoyable for seeing the Shop finally get what was coming to them but even that's not a massive selling point. Raymond Benson could have done better (and has in other books).
7/10
May 18, 2012
Sam Fisher, one of the most dangerous men in the United States may have just met his match. Now time is running out and he must find out who has stolen top secret U.S. weapons and what he plans on using them for. All this and more is in David Michael’s exciting novel Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda.
The main character of this book is Sam Fisher. He is a U.S. spy living in Maryland. Fisher is in his late 40s but in very good shape. He lives alone and has no living family except his daughter who is in her early 20s.
This book takes place sometime in the near future mostly in the U.S. and Asia. Tension between China and Taiwan are at an all time high and Chinese general Tun has threatened to invade Taiwan. If anyone interferes he will use his secret weapon on a major U.S. city.
This is the second book in the Splinter Cell series. The story is about a conspiracy of Chinese soldiers to invade Taiwan and because of a secret weapon they have, no one will interfere with their plan. Now Sam Fisher must find and disable this weapon before it’s too late. But where did they get the weapon? Who is the mole in the U.S. government? Sam only has days to find out.
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I would recommend this book to any fan of a good spy book. It’s basically an American version of James Bond. I loved this book. This book is better than the first and definitely worth reading. I give it five out of five stars.
The main character of this book is Sam Fisher. He is a U.S. spy living in Maryland. Fisher is in his late 40s but in very good shape. He lives alone and has no living family except his daughter who is in her early 20s.
This book takes place sometime in the near future mostly in the U.S. and Asia. Tension between China and Taiwan are at an all time high and Chinese general Tun has threatened to invade Taiwan. If anyone interferes he will use his secret weapon on a major U.S. city.
This is the second book in the Splinter Cell series. The story is about a conspiracy of Chinese soldiers to invade Taiwan and because of a secret weapon they have, no one will interfere with their plan. Now Sam Fisher must find and disable this weapon before it’s too late. But where did they get the weapon? Who is the mole in the U.S. government? Sam only has days to find out.
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I would recommend this book to any fan of a good spy book. It’s basically an American version of James Bond. I loved this book. This book is better than the first and definitely worth reading. I give it five out of five stars.
January 17, 2014
“Tom Clancy’s: Splinter Cell” is a good book if you like a lot of action packed, suspenseful moments that leave you hanging till the last minute. The story is about a secret agent named Sam Fisher who is tracking down the leaders to an arms company named The Shop. The Shop has been shipping parts of a nuclear bomb to a triad gang in Hong Kong and its up to Sam to find and stop them before its too late.
Sam Fisher is an agent for the Third Echelon, a unknown branch of the National Security Agency. He has one daughter and his wife died years back. He is in his fifties which is old for any agent but he is the best at what he does so he’ll keep on doing it until he is fired. Sam is usually traveling so there isn't much time for a personal life, but he does meet this one girl that works out for the better.
This story is set in modern times where nothing is different from today. Sam’s home is in New York but in the story he travels to Hong Kong and then to LA to find the shop leaders. He also does a martial art in New York which is where he met a girl named Katia whom he later starts dating.
Overall I think this is an interesting book, but I wouldn't recommend it for everyone because this book is more set to action and some people might not like that. I would recommend this book for teenage boys because it is not that hard to read and it's more spy and military based which is what most teenage boys like.
Sam Fisher is an agent for the Third Echelon, a unknown branch of the National Security Agency. He has one daughter and his wife died years back. He is in his fifties which is old for any agent but he is the best at what he does so he’ll keep on doing it until he is fired. Sam is usually traveling so there isn't much time for a personal life, but he does meet this one girl that works out for the better.
This story is set in modern times where nothing is different from today. Sam’s home is in New York but in the story he travels to Hong Kong and then to LA to find the shop leaders. He also does a martial art in New York which is where he met a girl named Katia whom he later starts dating.
Overall I think this is an interesting book, but I wouldn't recommend it for everyone because this book is more set to action and some people might not like that. I would recommend this book for teenage boys because it is not that hard to read and it's more spy and military based which is what most teenage boys like.
May 5, 2008
This book was ok compared to the first novel, which was much more action packed. We continue with members of The Shop, an international arms dealing ring which played a big role in the first book for they eliminated many splinter cells. In Operation Barracuda, we find that there is a traitor in the government which explains the leaks. This traitor is involved with The Shop and a chinese General named Lan Tun, whose plan is to invade Taiwan. They plan to use a nuclear bomb to create a tsunami off the coast of california, unless United States abandons Taiwan when China invades it. Operative Sam Fisher foils the plot and they are all killed. I felt like this book ended somewhat abruptly and no real substance. The plot was simple and lacked explanation for certain things.
July 31, 2015
There's something about this Splinter Cell series that has me hooked. They are readable, at around 350 pages, and not cluttered with a lot of garbage. Action galore. In this one, Sam Fisher narrates from a 1st person point of view, interspersed with the sub-plots in alternating chapters which are quickly wound together. I guess this is why we read: to imagine if there really are people out there working to preserve and protect. Hope there are more to follow from my favorite pseudonym David Michaels!
October 28, 2013
This book is of a splinter cell named Sam Fisher who works for the Third Echelon which is a top secret government agency only known to the highest people in the government of agencies like the CIA and FBI. This book tells of a story about an evil syndicate that sells deadly arms across the world and a General with a vengeance against a certain country.
December 15, 2011
Pretty exciting book. I really liked the action. Would have been better without the weird romance between a 50 year old dude and a 30 year old.
April 6, 2022
Not as good as the first book in the series. Also, he gets captured way too often. The author is leaning more into Bond tropes than the actual gameplay of the video games the series is based upon.
December 15, 2023
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda By David Michaels, is a video game tie-in novel based on Ubisoft’s “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell franchise”.
Operation: Barracuda, is a action-packed edge of your seat thriller that sees Sam Fisher’s toughest mission yet. When a American scientist goes missing and ends up dead in Hong Kong. Third Echelon decides to send their best Splinter Cell agent Sam Fisher, to find out why the scientist was in Hong Kong and the reason for his death. After arriving, he soon begins to work on the case. He finally figures out that a local group of Triads that call themselves the Lucky Dragons seemed to have some major involvement. But what Sam does not know yet is that the scientist, the Lucky Dragons, group of Russian arms dealers called The Shop, as well as a mole in the American government are all involved in a huge plot, which also contains a rogue Chinese General who has intentions of conquering Taiwan. With all these forces against him. Sam Fisher is the world's only hope of stopping an international crisis.
Operation Barracuda is an action-packed page-turner is everything you could expect from a novel set in the Splinter Cell game universe. The characterization within the novel is amazing, of the characters we know and love from the videogame universe they are true to themselves and we get a deeper glimpse into them in the prose format. The mixture of personalities is refreshing. The action is near non-stop from losing assassins in metropolitan cityscapes to navigating facilities. Michaels is a master at building tension within the narrative. As always I don’t want to spoil the plot too much, but I will say that it really feels like it could be within the game itself.
David Michaels captures the vibrant and fluid nature of the video games when it comes to the pulse-pounding shootouts and raw hand to hand fisticuffs. From the very beginning, the bar is set high for action when we get a glimpse of panther-like stealth combat followed by an all-out chaotic battle between Sam and his adversaries. Sam Fisher is revered by action-thriller fans as an iconic assassin with ‘tacticool’ gadgets and weaponry and this is an aspect Michaels explores to the maximum without compromising the finality of danger that lies in every decision Fisher makes on the ground.
What further makes Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda a distinctive thriller in the modern narrative is the presence of fresh villains and a plotline both far from saturated topics in the genre. The cabal of antagonists is shown to be bigger than just a few players, hinting at a possible return in the sequels with something even more sinister. Drawing from his experience of the Other Tom Clancy tie-ins, David Michaels is terrific at world-building as we see a whole universe of characters that not only live up to our expectations but also improve upon their 3D dimensionality to appear even more grounded and exciting.
Overall, If you are a fan of the games you will not be disappointed in the slightest since this reads just like the games – that is to say it is full of action from the start. A definite must read for thriller fans or Splinter Cell fans.
Operation: Barracuda, is a action-packed edge of your seat thriller that sees Sam Fisher’s toughest mission yet. When a American scientist goes missing and ends up dead in Hong Kong. Third Echelon decides to send their best Splinter Cell agent Sam Fisher, to find out why the scientist was in Hong Kong and the reason for his death. After arriving, he soon begins to work on the case. He finally figures out that a local group of Triads that call themselves the Lucky Dragons seemed to have some major involvement. But what Sam does not know yet is that the scientist, the Lucky Dragons, group of Russian arms dealers called The Shop, as well as a mole in the American government are all involved in a huge plot, which also contains a rogue Chinese General who has intentions of conquering Taiwan. With all these forces against him. Sam Fisher is the world's only hope of stopping an international crisis.
Operation Barracuda is an action-packed page-turner is everything you could expect from a novel set in the Splinter Cell game universe. The characterization within the novel is amazing, of the characters we know and love from the videogame universe they are true to themselves and we get a deeper glimpse into them in the prose format. The mixture of personalities is refreshing. The action is near non-stop from losing assassins in metropolitan cityscapes to navigating facilities. Michaels is a master at building tension within the narrative. As always I don’t want to spoil the plot too much, but I will say that it really feels like it could be within the game itself.
David Michaels captures the vibrant and fluid nature of the video games when it comes to the pulse-pounding shootouts and raw hand to hand fisticuffs. From the very beginning, the bar is set high for action when we get a glimpse of panther-like stealth combat followed by an all-out chaotic battle between Sam and his adversaries. Sam Fisher is revered by action-thriller fans as an iconic assassin with ‘tacticool’ gadgets and weaponry and this is an aspect Michaels explores to the maximum without compromising the finality of danger that lies in every decision Fisher makes on the ground.
What further makes Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda a distinctive thriller in the modern narrative is the presence of fresh villains and a plotline both far from saturated topics in the genre. The cabal of antagonists is shown to be bigger than just a few players, hinting at a possible return in the sequels with something even more sinister. Drawing from his experience of the Other Tom Clancy tie-ins, David Michaels is terrific at world-building as we see a whole universe of characters that not only live up to our expectations but also improve upon their 3D dimensionality to appear even more grounded and exciting.
Overall, If you are a fan of the games you will not be disappointed in the slightest since this reads just like the games – that is to say it is full of action from the start. A definite must read for thriller fans or Splinter Cell fans.
July 4, 2021
This sensational techno-thriller is even better than its prequel set one year before. Third Echelon - the organization that is responsible for keeping America safe - is trying to bring to justice the weapon dealers of the previous book. Sam Fisher is deployed in Russia and Ukraine for information gathering. When a German scientist that goes by the name of Jainsen defected from East Germany during the Cold War goes missing and then reappers dead in Hong Kong then the NSA's head turns. Jeinsen was developing a highly-secret submarine project for the USN that could carry a nuclear device. Fisher is sent to HK to understand who killed him. A local crime syndicate is thought to be responsible for the murder at first. However, it goes deeper and a plot to invade Taiwan is revealed. The Chinese general responsible for this ruckus threatens the USA to detonate a nuclear device off the coast of LA to trigger a tsunami by using Jainsen's secret project. Fisher manages to eliminate all conspirators and saves the day.
July 4, 2020
This is the best of the Splinter Cell novels I’ve read so far. The second in the series, Operation Barracuda is written by Raymond Benson under the pseudonym David Michaels. Raymond Benson of course is most famous for his James Bond writing tenor from 1997-2002. If there was any American author who understands espionage, it’s Raymond Benson. This of course, is his second and final Splinter Cell book. His first novel simply titled “Splinter Cell” was a cut above other non Clancy authored titles. Simply because unlike the other writers in this series and in other Clancy spin-off books, Benson is a proper and capable writer. He knows about character and plot and how to weave the two together so you don’t get a lot of unneeded techno babble. I will not dive into a synopsis, you have this app for that. However, this plot does work towards Benson’s advantage in that it is set in the Far East. Benson’s first novel ever was his first foray into the world of James Bond novel titled “Zero Minus Ten”. The novel dealt with the British hand over back to China in 1997. (This date is inaccurately cited as 1999 in the next Splinter Cell book in the series.) Operation Barracuda stirs echoes of that event and is mentioned several times in this novel. It is very clear that Benson has a taste for all things Far East. Operation Barracuda emits tons of atmosphere created by Benson who as I’ve said before, really knows his stuff. If one were to read this novel and Benson’s first Splinter Cell title, the reader would find that other authors in this series, lack the control and know how of Benson. Full of action, intrigue and sheer heart ache in places, Operation Barracuda is bound to satisfy the biggest of Splinter Cell aficionados or the casual espionage enthusiast. Five Stars across the board.
May 8, 2018
Who will win? Leader of the most dangerous black market dealings in and out of Russia, Andrei Zdrok? Leader of the Chinese mob named the Lucky Dragons, Lan Tun. Or America's most skilled and unknown spy, Sam Fisher? In this extension to the first book in the series "Splinter Cell" is "Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda." As in every Splinter Cell adaptation, whether it be a game or novel, there is always a pleasurable amount of action. One of the bigger moments isn't when Sam is trying to escape from the base created by Cyprus without being shot or blown up. There have are a couple of accounts of surprise in the novel. When Sam suddenly has a loud static being blown into his ear piece makes the reader themselves reassess what has happened to them. But outside of the action there are some beautiful places described to the reader through imagery. The most descriptive one being when Sam reaches Hong Kong and looks at the city for information. This book is mainly for readers who like action and are fans of the Splinter Cell series as a whole, but is still a good read overall.
March 29, 2023
After book 1 I was wondering what happened to Anna Grimsdottir? They resolve that in this one and in doing so sort of set up the timeline roughly for book 1 and 2 in relation to the games, it's still a little murky though.
The book also has the same issue as the first where Sam Fisher doesn't quite understand the idea of stealth and is chucking grenades around, getting into highway car chases and is almost always discovered at some point on a job. It's one of the reasons the timeline being defined is so important because these things are a little more forgiveable if they're very early on in his career as a splinter cell.
That aside it was a good generic spy thriller, no literary achievments to be made but it is a page turner.
The book also has the same issue as the first where Sam Fisher doesn't quite understand the idea of stealth and is chucking grenades around, getting into highway car chases and is almost always discovered at some point on a job. It's one of the reasons the timeline being defined is so important because these things are a little more forgiveable if they're very early on in his career as a splinter cell.
That aside it was a good generic spy thriller, no literary achievments to be made but it is a page turner.
December 22, 2022
This is a great book that goes off the rails in the final hundred pages or so.
Perhaps it's because Raymond Benson (the true author of the first two books) knew he was done with the series after this entry, and decided to go all out with a grand finale that approached "Fast & Furious" levels of over-the-top action. Various plot points are destroyed for shock value, and for me they cause a loss of interest in what was an incredibly intriguing read through its first two thirds. If I only read that far into the book, I would actually think the sequel was better than the original.
Perhaps it's because Raymond Benson (the true author of the first two books) knew he was done with the series after this entry, and decided to go all out with a grand finale that approached "Fast & Furious" levels of over-the-top action. Various plot points are destroyed for shock value, and for me they cause a loss of interest in what was an incredibly intriguing read through its first two thirds. If I only read that far into the book, I would actually think the sequel was better than the original.
April 24, 2019
I'm giving this the same 3 star review as the first book of the series. I would recommend this for the fans of the Splinter Cell games only. This book got frustrating at times. The author kept using the same lingo over and over that we got from the 1st book. The plot line continued on from the first book, but nowhere as interesting. You do not get the same Bad ass Sam Fisher as you do in the first book or in the video games.
July 31, 2021
I was a huge Splinter Cell video game fan growing up. Have played every game in the series multiple times over the years. Really wish there would be a new one.
I’d read the first book in this series years ago and just kinda forgot about the rest of it. Finally decided to pick it back up again with this 2nd book.
I will agree with others, some of it is a bit far fetched even today. But at the end of the day it’s based off a video game, so I’d expect to see some parts of it be unrealistic.
I’d read the first book in this series years ago and just kinda forgot about the rest of it. Finally decided to pick it back up again with this 2nd book.
I will agree with others, some of it is a bit far fetched even today. But at the end of the day it’s based off a video game, so I’d expect to see some parts of it be unrealistic.
March 10, 2024
I liked the book. Understanding that all leadership concerning government entities are assigned a piece of the pie to oversee and manage… I could relate to the territorial leadership maneuvering that was portrayed in the book. The author did a good job of creating the tension between leadership and execution and was able to apply some good old fashioned luck to generate a high tension and active story with a positive ending.
June 24, 2021
This book is a fun read. Again, if you are reading these books, you know what you are getting into. These are books based on a video game (not the other way around). Therefore the book reads as such. It's a wild ride, the writing is slightly immature, despite the mature themes, but as I said, overall a fun read.
February 5, 2020
Better than the 2 star first book. More action. Author seems more comfortable. The silly deadpan delivery remains, unfortunately. There is a vehicle chase scene between (protagonist) Sam Fisher's limousine and an "Enemy Limo" that had me rolling in tears.
March 21, 2020
Another page turning Tom Clancy book
The writing style used in the Splinter Cell series in my opinion always paints a picture, detailed to the point that you feel you’re a part of the action.
The writing style used in the Splinter Cell series in my opinion always paints a picture, detailed to the point that you feel you’re a part of the action.
January 31, 2022
This was an awesome book and I liked the part when he got back at the guy who killed his girlfriend by breaking the guys neck and how Lambert gave him One Year off to spend time with his daughter Sarah
July 23, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Сэм Фишер, лучший агент Третьего Эшелона, должен предотвратить войну между Китаем и Тайванем, разобраться с торговцами оружием и найти снова любовь...
Операция Барракуда - отличное продолжение шпионских приключений.
Сэм Фишер, лучший агент Третьего Эшелона, должен предотвратить войну между Китаем и Тайванем, разобраться с торговцами оружием и найти снова любовь...
Операция Барракуда - отличное продолжение шпионских приключений.
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