Thanks to decades of science fiction action tales, most people view satellite warfare as something akin to the Empire’s Death Star launching a beam of massive energy at an unsuspecting planet below. But the reality is more mundane but potentially almost as catastrophic. The world relies on an array of communication satellites like the United States GPS system. Disrupt that system, and the result could be chaotic. That’s the premise of David Ignatius’ new political thriller, “Phantom Orbit.” The book is a fascinating read once the novel gets into orbit in its last quarter. But the time it takes to reach orbit in its first 300 pages can, at times, resemble watching a lengthy NASA countdown.

“Phantom Orbit” follows the lives and careers of its three main characters over a quarter century from 1996 to the Ukrainian War present day of 2022. Ivan Volkov is a brilliant Russian physics student who goes to China for graduate school. There, he meets a Chinese scientist, Cao Lin, who became the mentor of the Russian student. He also meets a young American student, Edith Ryan. Edith rebuffs Ivan’s advances because she is a fledgling CIA agent looking to recruit him. Eventually, they return to their native countries and embark on their careers.

Some 25 years later, Ivan is a scientist at a prestigious Russian Space Research Institute. He has soured on both his native Russia and China, but he remains fascinated by GPS and other global positioning satellite networks. He suspects Cao Lin has detected a weakness in the American system and is waiting for an opportune time to exploit it. So, Ivan reaches out to the only American contact he knows, Edith, who left him an address card when they parted ways years earlier.

The rest of “Phantom Orbit” is a primer on 21st-century spycraft. Ivan’s message to Edith was necessarily cryptic, but worrisome enough to convince the CIA to arrange a meeting. From there, they must figure out a way to get Ivan out of the country so they can debrief him. Ivan’s information could be invaluable, but it also could be a Russian disinformation effort meant to mislead the Americans. And by now, Russia has invaded Ukraine. The Ukrainian forces rely on GPS information supplied by the United States, so its loss could be fatal to the war effort. But getting Ivan out of Russia in a time of war becomes challenging.

The last 50 pages of “Phantom Orbit” are as suspenseful as you’ll find in the best modern-day espionage fiction. There are no car chases or shootouts, but readers will see how covert operations work. David Ignatius is an award-winning journalist for the “Washington Post,” who is an expert on CIA operations. He has extensively researched the science behind “Phantom Orbit,” so the book’s central hypothesis is chillingly plausible. Ignatius has the rare ability to describe the book’s scientific basis in terms the average reader can understand without bogging the story down with wonky information dumps.

However, Ignatius makes a serious mistake in the book’s first 300 pages. He could have set the stage in a short prologue that introduced the main characters and filled in other essential details in flashbacks. Instead, he tries to cover the lives and careers of the three main characters over 25 years. The result is both too fragmented and too detailed. Ivan disappears from the storyline entirely from the late 1990s until almost the present day. Since he was the book’s main character until this time, his absence from the narrative leaves a void. The emphasis then shifts to Edith’s career as a CIA operative. This includes a lengthy discussion of a #MeToo incident in which Edith was assaulted by a superior during her first assignment. This incident and its resolution will probably interest readers and strike them as especially timely in today’s workplace environment. But they have nothing to do with the main storyline or Edith’s actions once Ivan contacts her after a lengthy absence.

As readers navigate the first 300 pages of “Phantom Orbit,” they will probably wonder when the author will get to the “good stuff.” We learn a good bit about the history of Ivan, Cao Lin, and Edith, but they aren’t interesting characters. Much of what we learn is irrelevant, trivial, or both. Ivan fields various job offers and recruitment pitches during his stay in China, none of which make for exciting reading. Then, he disappears from the narrative for over 100 pages and 20 years. The bits and pieces readers learn about Ivan’s interest in GPS systems hint at the ultimate central storyline, but they aren’t interesting enough to keep readers eager to learn more. This makes for 300 pages of a thriller that’s nearly lacking in thrills.

The eventual payoff is worth the wait for genre fans. The book’s last 50 pages would make a nifty novella. Ignatius also gives most readers some valuable insight into the operation of GPS and similar satellites. However, readers shouldn’t have to rely on the assurances of a reviewer that slogging through dozens of pages of dull material will lead to an exciting conclusion. That’s especially true when the conclusion has little to do with much of that dull material. I’m giving “Phantom Orbit” a three-star rating and the mildest of recommendations, more for the value of the author’s research than the story itself.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

A disillusioned Russian scientist alerts the US to a dangerous line of space research.

Ivan Volkov was a bright student fascinated with astronomy and physics. Growing up in an industrial town with ordinary parents it was not certain that he would ever achieve his dreams, and when his father died and money ran out he had to leave his university in Russia and instead study at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The Chinese were willing to pay the best students to come and study at their universities, hoping to then keep them working in research to advance Chinese technology. While there Ivan catches the eye of Cao Lin, a man who works within the highest ranks of academic research and industrial circles. Ivan also meets and falls in love with Edith Ryan, a fellow international student from the US. He soon discovers that everyone around him has an agenda beyond mere admiration for his scholastic achievements; things end badly with Edith, whom he suspects is working for the CIA, and he is summoned back to Russia when his mother’s health deteriorates. Cao Lin does his best to tempt Ivan to stay and continue his work in space technology, but Ivan wants no part of it….his ties to Russia run deep. Years later, Ivan has a broken marriage, a son whom he adores who has become a federal prosecutor investigating government corruption, and an FSB handler who keeps tabs on what he does. When his son is found dead after a suspicious “accident”, in a manner not uncommon to others who try to investigate well-connected people who use their jobs and contacts to create personal fortunes, Ivan realizes two things: the Chinese and Russian governments are working together to find ways to overtake the US in dominating military and commercial space domains (and long term planning in that regard is coming to fruition), and he needs to bring what he knows to the attention of the Americans. He tries reaching out to the only person who might be able to help….Edith, the woman who broke his heart. Will he be believed, and will he be able to prevent a major shift in geopolitical dominance?
Phantom Orbit is a well-paced thriller that looks at what is definitely the next field of battle for international dominance, space. When the US created a new military division known as the Space Force many laughed, but it turns out that there is a lot happening in that arena that has nothing to do with who is landing on the moon or sending Rovers to Mars. It’s all about satellites and enhancing GPS systems, and who can optimize what their country has for resources. Wars are being waged based on information from above, weapons are setting targets based on data collected from orbiting satellites. The two main characters are both well-versed in the technologies that affect the world in this arena, and both have struggled within their careers. Ivan wanted nothing more that to be a scientist, allowed the freedom to explore within his chosen field, but has continually been ensnared by political priorities, while Edith was a woman in a male-dominated intelligence field who was never forgiven for what happened with Ivan in China, and whose instincts and capabilities were no longer fully trusted. The roles each have played and will ultimately again play in China’s long game strategy to become the dominant world force, the war in Ukraine and Russia’s shifting fortunes, and the petty jealousies and egos that are rife in any government agency are all interwoven with the underlying mystery. Plenty of false leads and twists to keep the reader guessing….it is never entirely clear who can be trusted. Fans of espionage novels, especially of authors like Charles Cumming, Paul Vidich and David McCloskey, should add David Ignatius to their list of authors to read. Phantom Orbit is a well-though out and timely thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Many thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for allowing me early access to this intriguing novel.

This one just wasn't for me. The storyline is fascinating, from a "ripped from the headlines" way but the story itself was slow and tedious. The book is well researched and the author clearly knows his subject but got bogged down in so many details that I found myself skimming some sections. I didn't find the characters particularly engaging, and barely cared what happened to them at the somewhat abrupt ending. I can't recommend this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for an advanced reader copy

With "Phantom Orbit" David Ignatius has graced us,with yet another timely, topical, and thrilling read in the realm of international espionage fiction. As always, his research and plotting are complex and impeccable, his characters believable and relatable, all of which combines for a memorable read.

This was a good book overall, but it was a little slow in spots. I found myself skimming through some sections. I love the unique idea and plot and Ignatius does a great job with the research needed to pull this book together. A very prescient fear of what is likely to come in the near future. The characters were well developed but I felt the ending came together and ended too quickly. Others really liked this book a lot more than me so maybe it is just my tastes. I have read other books by the author and really enjoyed them. I look forward to reading the next book by the author and hoping it hits my tastes a bit more.

David Ignatius is again ahead of he times as nukes in space are just now hitting the news. In Phantom Orbit he shows us the development of satellites that can take out other satellites and even use nuclear weapons. I love the way he shows us that the United States, China and Russia could profit more by working together,
Phantom Orbit deserves a wide audience.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

When really life meets fiction. Only Ignatius can do this in the spy fiction world, who I consider the best at it.

At his best predicting the next space race as we follow the life of Russian Volkov journey space warfare.

Excellent and timely.

Interesting history of China and Russia space programs. However, this reads more like a history book than a novel. It is just one fact after another. Characters are not well developed

This was a true nail-biting, edge of your seat, can’t put it down type of thriller. I loved every second of this ride. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.