The Krytos Trap (Star Wars: X-Wing Series, Book 3)

Wow...

I just finished reading "The Krytos Trap" about five minutes ago, and I have to say that I am amazed. After reading "Wedge's Gamble" and "Rogue Squadron" (yes, I read them out of order), I found the next development in the X-Wing saga perfectly molded to follow the example set by those two books. With a huge number of deceptions, high-pitched action scenes, an intriguing court case and a number of personal relationships, this book is absolutely awesome! Even for those who know some of what will happen (I had read Stackpole's "I, Jedi" before reading the X-Wing series), this book is still full of surprises and twists. Just knowing what happened in the aftermath was not enough. HOW things turned out the way they did ends up being just as important as WHAT they turned out to be, leaving the reader baffled at Michael A. Stackpole's sheer genius in writing this novel. Realizations and predictions on behalf of the reader prove true only occasionally, creating a lack of predictability and an appreciation for Stackpole's mystery aspect. Corran Horn is a great character to use as a focal point, and we see how he becomes less and less suspicious, trusting in others and allowing them to trust in him. Stackpole definitely ranks up there with Timothy Zahn, Steve Perry and even the great Kevin J. Anderson. All in all, "The Krytos Trap" is an excellent piece of Star Wars literature and a great story in the history of Rogue Squadron. Great job, Michael A. Stackpole!

Although there are few battle scenes, the book is good. Since the trial of Tycho Celchu is one of the biggest things in the book, it is important to understand that if you don't like that part, there are others that are great too, like the scenes with Corran Horn in Lusankya.

This series just gets better the more you read! This was one of the best, as the battle sequences are few and most of the story focus is on the characters. Since the plots kind of melt into one another, this series is kind of like one huge book.

Stackpole writes his characters very well, and the more you read the more comfortable you get with the absence of Luke, Han and Leia.

While the other books have had believable situations, I found the Lusankya prison to be a little far-fetched, even for sci-fi, much like the ysalamiri in the Thrawn Trilogy. While it does provide a thrilling situation for Corran's escape, when it was finally revealed what and where it was I was a bit disappointed. I felt that Stackpole went too far overboard and ruined the whole Lusankya line.

This book has lots of plot twists, all of which I found entertaining, and believable. With all the wild cards thrown into the mix, I was left guessing throughout the enire book. It's got quite a bit of action, however, I found the trial to be a bit drawn out and boring at times.

I recommend this to all fans of action and Star Wars, but a word of caution: be sure to read the other two books in this series before moving on to this one. They provide the needed background necessary to understand the plot.

Highly recommended.

This series just can't disappoint. It has it all. Ysanne Isard is a cunning enemy and Kirtan Loor is a pretty cool bad guy also. Corran Horn continues to be one of my favorite all-time characters in the Star Wars universe. Interesting plot and good drama make this book another must read.

This being the third book in the x wings series you may think it will begin to lose some steam but, let me tell you with great joy, it does not. The plot gets deeper into the goings on of the most elite squadron in the galaxy and the action hardly wavers. Stackpole really knows how to give the reader that star wars atmosphere and this book is no exception. You get to know the already familiar characters even better while even meeting a few new ones. I can not say enough for how well these characters are portrayed. Good guys and bad alike are very interesting, a reason this series has gained so much popularity. Overall, if you enjoyed the first two in the series this one is even better and it looks like the books to follow will be equally entertaining.