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 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. 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. 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.

Each storyline has its own twists and turns (often quite literally) but the overall narrative remains balanced. So essentially, The Krytos Trap is three books in one: space battle between good and evil, prison escape adventure, and legal drama. 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. The Krytos Trap may be the most balanced of the Rogue Squadron books so far. Wedge Antilles is holding Rogue together the best he can amidst these challenges as a piecemeal plan comes together to save the galaxy. 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.

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.

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.

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