Weapons Free

The Third Option, Book 1

By: David Bruns, J.R. Olson

Narrated by: Justin Price

The Chinese Navy has unleashed a game-changing weapon that will tip the balance of power in the Pacific.

Harrison Kohl, newly appointed Director of the CIA’s Special Activities Center, faces an impossible assignment: acquire the plans for China’s new long-range, superfast torpedo.

As Commander Janet Everett, commanding officer of the USS Illinois, tracks the Chinese Navy from under the waves of the South China Sea, Kohl’s team makes a risky move to recruit an asset from the Chinese development team. They find only more bad news: the new weapon is far more advanced than they realized. The Chinese are preparing to test-fire the torpedo, proving its power to the world.

Amidst this devastating intelligence, Harrison sees an opportunity to execute one of the boldest covert actions in the history of the CIA. But an operation of this scale requires a massive diversion. The US Navy and Everett will have to challenge the powerful Chinese Navy in the contested waters of the South China Sea—without letting their power play spiral into World War Three.

David Bruns and J.R. Olson, authors of the acclaimed Command and Control series, unleash their trademark blend of action, intrigue, and military authenticity in Weapons Free, book one in The Third Option series. Perfect for fans of Tom Clancy and Brad Thor.

©2025 David Bruns, J.R. Olson (P)2025 Severn River Publishing

Critic reviews

“…compares with the best of the timeless classics by Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, and Stephen Coonts.” —Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mission Critical

"With their background in the U.S. Navy, both Bruns and Olson have the right stuff to create a realistic military tale." —Booklist

“These two guys have lived it. Now they’re writing it.” —Don Keith, author of Only the Brave and Final Bearing

Outstanding!!

One of Bruns and Olsons best books in a long while!! Can’t wait for the next one.

Kind of a slow start, but then I couldn't stop listening

It took me about an hour and a half to really get into this book, but Once I did, it began gathering speed at a frenetic pace . Really great Submarine warfare Iintrigue and insights into the inner working of the People's Liberation Army and the intelligence community . I hope the fiction is based on some fact!
At any rate. I listened to the final 4 hours in one clip! Highly recommended!

Outstanding storyline

In a genre with great authors and myriad works, this is a standout novel. Waiting for more from the authors.

Good Story

Good story with solid action. Would have liked more detail about the end. Not sure that WW3 would have been avoided so easily. Narrator was hard to get used to and was a little distracting.

Excellent story

Excellent story with real-world detail; a well-thought-out plot. But, an annoying narrator. Took a few hours to get past his annoying narration in order to enjoy the story