Book Review

COLD ZERO

by Brad Thor w/Ward Larsen

BRAD THOR

Brad Thor is someone many consider not just a legend, but a staple in the thriller world. He’s got 25 thrillers in his New York Times Bestselling catalog, including numerous offerings that hit #1. He’s a slam-dunk summer must-read and is blessing us with TWO books in 2026. That’s right, COLD ZERO with Ward Larsen in February, and CHOKE POINT, his next Scot Harvath release in June (And I can’t wait. The new Harvath release should be a national holiday!)

COLD ZERO, his current release, co-written with Ward Larsen, proves that Thor is at the top of his game, ahead of the headlines, and is the gold standard in keeping you on the edge of your seat for almost 400 pages. 

WARD LARSEN

Ward Larsen is a USA Today Bestselling author, Five-Time winner of the Florida Book Award, and a former Air Force pilot turned commercial airline driver with over twenty missions flown in Operation Desert Storm. He’s also a trained aircraft accident investigator and former federal law enforcement officer.

Larsen has an impressive catalog as well, comprising of over 17 of his own novels that have a massive following. He’s also next in line to take over for the Clancy Estate and helm the next Jack Ryan story due in May 2026.

After blistering through COLD ZERO, I can attest that nobody would have been better to pair with Thor than Larsen.

NON STOP ACTION

COLD ZERO is a departure from the yearly Scot Harvath release we are accustomed to seeing from Thor(but fear not thriller fans, he’s not leaving Scot far behind…). Teaming up with Larsen, Thor brings an edge to his normal pacing that lends authentic aviation disaster response plotlines to an already thrilling story line set in the arctic. Larsen, a former Air Force pilot turned commercial pilot, is not only a bestselling author himself, but a fan favorite set to take over the Clancy world later this year as well. His time in both the cockpit and behind the scense as an aircraft accident investigator help Thor cover every angle.

 Thor has always been one step ahead of the headlines (sometimes even two or three steps), and COLD ZERO is no different. When a classified Chinese technology, along with its creator, are smuggled out of China, a young CIA Officer is charged with keeping both safe until they land in the US. But the Chinese aren’t going to let them get away that easily, so they bring down the commercial airliner they are on and crash it in the arctic. From there, the race is on to keep the tech and the inventor out of Chinese hands, while the US rushes to respond in unfamiliar arctic territory that Thor perfectly sums up as a reality-driven weak-link in the US’s larger defense strategy. When you read the book you’ll understand why. The arctic circle is no joke, and something we are horribly unprepared to wage engagements in. China and Russia, however, aren’t. They’ve planned accordingly.

A triangle of intense engagement rears its ugly head when a secret Russian sub finds themselves within proximity of the crash, vowing their civil duty to respond and take the global credit as the first on the scene, when a Chinese research icebreaker barrels their way through and disrupts the Russian’s emergency response. All while the US is hours behind in response, hoping and praying their young CIA officer can buy enough time so they can retrieve not only her, but the classified technology and its inventor from the frozen northern circle and return them to the US without starting World War 3. There’s stealth jets, classified submarines, and icebreaker ships that do more than just breaking ice.

UNRELENTING TENSION

This is a fresh take for Thor, and one I’m so thankful for. If this is what is in store over the next few years, then count me in. I’ll take a fresh Brad Thor creation along with a new Harvath novel every year.

His traditional fast pacing and character development are evident and added with Larsen’s knowledge of aviation and accident investigation, the plot in the arctic quickly takes shape and the action doesn’t stop. Next thing you know you are 150 pages with the blink of an eye. The next hundred and fifty go by just as fast. And the last 100? One word… insane.

Thor was not afraid to throw down the antics in this one, from weaving a triangle of espionage between the 3 most powerful nations on Earth, to using a Chinese icebreaker ship as a weapon (How? You’ll have to find out for yourself…). You might think Russia and China are best of friends and major allies, but everyone has alterior motives. Thor and Larsen prove even in the arctic anything is game and when technology that could win future wars is up for grabs—there are no friends, only foes.

This book is possibly the best example of how close tensions really are not just in the arctic, but between the three largest and most powerful countries on the planet. It’s a story that as Thor has stated, “needed the right co-author to be told.” For Thor to say he needed a co-author to bring the story to life is a big deal. He’s the master of thrillers, and with Larsen he literally had my heart racing towards the end of the book. There were times I wondered if the characters were even going to make it out alive, let alone make it out of the arctic at all. I dare you to try and put this book down while reading the last 100 pages, because it’s impossible.

Get your copy of COLD ZERO here.

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