awishman's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sboard's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
gingerreader99's review against another edition
4.0
Personally I think this is the strongest entry in the Rogue Squadron series so far. I still want more space combat but the trial of Tycho was quite exciting and Corrans escape from Lusankya equally so. It's amazing that this book having released over 20 years ago managed to keep the secret from me of having the SSD buried on Coruscant. I can understand why so many people who began their EU Legends journey in the 90s were saddened by the loss of these novels. The Zahn books and Stackpole stuff really was top tier. It's a shame that later ers stuff wasn't able to produce the same level of quality at all times.
smiorganbaldhead's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the intrigue plot lines and the action, though I expected more space combat from a book about X-Wing pilots. My favorite element is the exploration of the economic issues created by Krytos and the Bacta shortage. However, the romance subplots don’t really work for me, especially because I don’t like Asyr. Stackpole’s tendency to awkwardly avoid ending sentences with prepositions, even in dialog, is also an annoyance (“up with which I will not put”). Still a fun book, though.
mal8181's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
twilliamson's review against another edition
4.0
In the third chapter of the X-Wing saga, Stackpole throws Rogue Squadron into a tailspin of political intrigue, galactic economics, and courtroom thrills. The Krytos Trap may well be the best of these first few novels, expanding on some of Rogue Squadron's B-plots while positioning it for the next major chapter in its ongoing series.
What The Krytos Trap does especially well is take Rogue Squadron out of the cockpit in order to showcase their contributions to the expanding New Republic at a critical time in its nascency. Once again, the major cast of Star Wars are mostly absent--Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker make dignified cameos that tether Rogue Squadron to the rest of the universe, but their efforts are not the intent of the novel. Instead, we see how decisions from New Republic governance both shape the future of the Rogues and affect their operations, and vice versa.
Of special note are the trial of Tycho Celchu and the budding war over Bacta production throughout the universe. These two major plots tie in well with the events of both preceding novels. As the culmination of numerous unresolved B-plots from the previous books as well as the expansion of the Star Wars mythos, The Krytos Trap feels like mandatory reading for fans of the franchise. We get a glimpse of Twilek society on Ryloth (which, to my knowledge, had not been well-explored prior to this novel), as well as a greater expansion on Thyferran politics and Bacta production. The Krytos virus plot in this novel satisfies the threads introduced in Wedge's Gamble, and the book neatly packs away lingering questions while opening up the doors for the next sequel.
If any complaints are to be made, the last thirty or forty pages of the book feel like they rush to a conclusion, with one whole chapter existing solely for major characters to stand around and explain the plot of the rest of the book as events conclude completely out-of-narrative-frame. It's a really weird conclusion, like the end of an old police procedural wherein the audience expects an answer to lingering mysteries but the run time only has three minutes before credits need to roll. It's the only place the book really feels like it stumbles, as if Stackpole had simply run out of time and needed to clinch off the conclusion so the book could go out to print.
Whatever the case may be, The Krytos Trap is a great book in a better-than-average series for Star Wars. It may be very continuity-heavy and require digging through two previous novels at a minimum, but those efforts are rewarded with a decently-paced political thriller featuring Rogue Squadron. As the scope continues to widen for this series, I think the stories are able to do more, to show more of the existing universe, and expand on some ideas we hadn't seen before. It also makes me pretty excited for the fourth novel and the furtherance of Rogue Squadron's legend.
What The Krytos Trap does especially well is take Rogue Squadron out of the cockpit in order to showcase their contributions to the expanding New Republic at a critical time in its nascency. Once again, the major cast of Star Wars are mostly absent--Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker make dignified cameos that tether Rogue Squadron to the rest of the universe, but their efforts are not the intent of the novel. Instead, we see how decisions from New Republic governance both shape the future of the Rogues and affect their operations, and vice versa.
Of special note are the trial of Tycho Celchu and the budding war over Bacta production throughout the universe. These two major plots tie in well with the events of both preceding novels. As the culmination of numerous unresolved B-plots from the previous books as well as the expansion of the Star Wars mythos, The Krytos Trap feels like mandatory reading for fans of the franchise. We get a glimpse of Twilek society on Ryloth (which, to my knowledge, had not been well-explored prior to this novel), as well as a greater expansion on Thyferran politics and Bacta production. The Krytos virus plot in this novel satisfies the threads introduced in Wedge's Gamble, and the book neatly packs away lingering questions while opening up the doors for the next sequel.
If any complaints are to be made, the last thirty or forty pages of the book feel like they rush to a conclusion, with one whole chapter existing solely for major characters to stand around and explain the plot of the rest of the book as events conclude completely out-of-narrative-frame. It's a really weird conclusion, like the end of an old police procedural wherein the audience expects an answer to lingering mysteries but the run time only has three minutes before credits need to roll. It's the only place the book really feels like it stumbles, as if Stackpole had simply run out of time and needed to clinch off the conclusion so the book could go out to print.
Whatever the case may be, The Krytos Trap is a great book in a better-than-average series for Star Wars. It may be very continuity-heavy and require digging through two previous novels at a minimum, but those efforts are rewarded with a decently-paced political thriller featuring Rogue Squadron. As the scope continues to widen for this series, I think the stories are able to do more, to show more of the existing universe, and expand on some ideas we hadn't seen before. It also makes me pretty excited for the fourth novel and the furtherance of Rogue Squadron's legend.
thesmudge's review against another edition
4.0
The Rogue Squadron story continues. We learn much more about Coran and it set things up for his grown quite a bit. The trial sections were for the most part pretty interesting which for me is something because I usually find that stuff boring. Will be starting the conclusion of this series within a series very soon.
thomasawaugh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
jecamp86's review against another edition
4.0
It felt like this books was more intriguing and focused. It wrapped up some storylines established in the first book and wrapped up others from the second. I wish there was more X-Wing action but maybe we will get there at some point