This article was originally published on TatooineTimes.com
Michael A. Stackpole’s third installment in the Rogue Squadron (formerly X-Wing) series, The Krytos Trap, is among the latest wave of The Essential Legends Collection paperbacks published by Del Rey in August 2022. First published in 1996, The Krytos Trap picks up where book two left off, with the former Rebellion scoring a major win in taking over Coruscant for the New Republic from the Empire’s new leader Ysanne Isard. This win isn’t without its challenges as Rogue Squadron member Corran Horn is assumed dead, Tycho Celchu has been targeted as an Imperial spy, and the Krytos virus continues to wreak havoc on the planet’s non-human residents. Wedge Antilles is holding Rogue together the best he can amidst these challenges as a piecemeal plan comes together to save the galaxy.
The Krytos Trap may be the most balanced of the Rogue Squadron books so far. There are the space dogfight battles that Stackpole obviously loves writing, but he also balances that action with Corran Horn’s storyline (spoiler alert: he’s not actually dead) and Tycho Celchu’s legal battle to clear his name. So essentially, The Krytos Trap is three books in one: space battle between good and evil, prison escape adventure, and legal drama. Each storyline has its own twists and turns (often quite literally) but the overall narrative remains balanced. Stackpole smartly has Wedge Antilles as the anchor that keeps the characters and storyline connected, but also serves as a way for readers to feel grounded. With this many storylines going at once and numerous characters in the mix, keeping Antilles as the moral and physical center of it all was a smart move. The Krytos Trap also cleverly keeps readers on their toes as the enemies of the New Republic aren’t only out in space, sometimes they’re closer than anyone realizes. Stackpole neatly wraps up this portion of the Rogue Squadron narrative while keeping plenty of plotlines open and readers anticipating what our heroes will face next.
The Essential Legends Collection paperback edition of The Krytos Trap features possibly this series’ most stunning cover art by Doaly. The artist’s green monochrome likeness of Ysanne Isard is made even more ominous by adding in touches of blue and red for her dual eye colors. Penguin Random House Audio provides audiobook listeners an all new narrated version of the book featuring Star Wars stalwart narrator Marc Thompson, which adds sound effects and music to make the experience even more immersive.
Buy The Krytos Trap The Essential Legends Collection
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