Review: Star Wars: X-Wing: The Krytos Trap SPOILERS!

In October 1996, revered Star Wars veteran author Michael A. Stackpole completed the third installment in the epic X-Wing saga. This time, Tycho Celchu's on trial for the murder of Corran Horn and only the evidence of a dead man can save him. Synopsis: The Rebels have taken Coruscant. But their problems are far from over. A killer virus called Krytos is wiping out the indigenous population, and a counterrevolution is exploding. At the center of the storm is the highly charged treason trial of Rebel hero Tycho Celchu. While agent provocateurs carry out their acts of terrorism, the fledgling state can be defended only by the blood and courage of the Rogue Squadron. As the X-Wing fighters scramble to save the Rebellion, Corran Horn, given up for dead in Ysanne Isard's inescapable prison, discovers he alone holds the key to freeing Coruscant from the Empire!

The novel opens with Wedge holding a funeral for Corran. Kirtan Loor, on orders from Isard, leads the counterrevolution. The Provisional Council remains unconvinced of Tycho's innocence, despite Wedge's claims. Warlord Zsinj is causing problems near Thyferra, raiding the New Republic's bacta supply lines. Meanwhile Corran Horn is being tested for betrayal; he fails because he refuses to betray his friends so Isard has him placed with the other prisoners--the most notable of which is General Jan Dodonna, who was captured just after the Battle for Yavin IV (A New Hope) when Vader invaded. Also there is General Evir Derricote, imprisoned for his failure at Borleias. The trial starts and things don't look good for Tycho; Halla Ettyk treats all of Rogue Squadron like they're threats while Nawara Ven insists on proper protocol for questioning the witnesses. Fliry Vorru corners Kirtan and proposes and alliance which Kirtan agrees to. Despite Wedge's attempt to help, the case for Tycho being innocent goes awry. More doubt is placed on him than before. Admiral Ackbar sends Rogue Squadron on a mission to orbital tide-locked Ryloth, while the trial is put on a temporary hold.

Vorru orders Kirtan to target a school of innocent civilian kids; Kirtan cautiously agrees, but is wary of Vorru. Meanwhile, Wedge and the Rogues arrive on Ryloth and Wedge is greeted by Cazne'olan, someone he met a couple years back (X-Wing Rogue Squadron: Battleground: Tatooine a comic done by Stackpole during the almighty rein of Dark Horse comics in the 1990s). Corran tells Dodonna and Urlor Sette that he plans on escaping Lusankya. Twi'lek warrior Tal'dira challenges Wedge to fight like a warrior--Tal'dira chooses the merchant Koh'shak to fight Wedge--but he refuses and points out the gifts he brought were meant for warriors; Tal'dira applauds Wedge for his honor. Corran, despite Derricote's attempt to kill him, manages to escape Lusankya; Derricote ends up dead thanks to Dodonna whom Corran promises to come back and rescue. Back at the trial, Nawara heavily questions Quarren New Republic Intelligence agent Tsillin Wel about the amount of credits the Empire paid into Tycho; they learn that Tycho is of middling importance to them, as was Crix Madine, both of whom had six accounts by the Empire, though neither were aware of them. Nawara speculates that this draws attention to the point of Tycho being innocent, but neither he nor Tycho fully believe things can be easily won.

The Rogues manage to destroy one of Zsinj's war ships above the graveyard of Alderaan. Wedge suspects foul play and orders Nawara back to Coruscant via a long route to Tatooine. Kirtan Loor overcomes his deeds and turns himself into Nawara Ven, saying he has evidence to clear Tycho. Corran somehow wishes for the stormtroopers searching for Derricote to go away and they do. He learns that Tycho wasn't of use to Isard, and neither was Madine; the true spy for Isard shocks Corran. Iella Wessiri goes to bring Kirtan Loor to the trial. Vorru warns Borsk Fey'lya about an attack on a bacta storage cell in one of his (Vorru's) sectors. The Rogues are sent to deal with it. Corran ends up in a desolate museum where holograms of deceased Jedi are set up. Corran learns that his father, Hal Horn was an apprentice to Neeja Halcyon. Stormtroopers invade and Corran takes Neeja's lightsaber and fights his way out. One their way to the trial, Nawara, Kirtan, and Iella are ambushed by Diric Wessiri--Iella's husband. Diric kills Loor thinking he's Derricote; Iella asks him why and Diric, dying, responds "Lusankya." During the fight above the bacta station, a portion of the mountains break loose and a Super Star Destroyer bursts out, the IFF transponder reading Lusankya. Tycho, distraught, demands to represent himself; Emtry and Whistler point out that there is one witness left--Corran bursts into the courtroom and informs them about Tycho's innocence and that the traitor is none other than Erisi Dlarit. Erisi and Vorru flee with Isard on Lusankya. The Rogues are ordered to pursue Zsinj, even though evidence suggests Isard's going to take over the bacta cartels on Thyferra. The Rogues, except for Pash Cracken, resign and leave; Pash retakes command of Cracken's Flight Group.

I swear, it seems like a lot was given away, but a lot wasn't mentioned either. It's hard to sum down a 355 page novel where things are constantly happening and most of Stackpole's plot points from the series are wrapped up here. Nevertheless, The Krytos Trap is one of the best of the Star Wars Expanded Universe novels that deftly weaves starfighter battles with political intrigue and a dash of what the galaxy far, far away's court system is like. I'll be back soon with the conclusion to Stackpole's four-part X-Wing story soon in Star Wars: X-Wing: The Bacta War.

Book Review: The Sharing Knife 1: Beguilement SPOILERS!

On 10th Octorber 2006, Lois McMaster Bujold published a new fantasy novel called The Sharing Knife: Beguilement. It is the first novel in a (so far) four part story staring a Lakewalker called Dag (I can't recall his full name, nor do I feel inclined to look it up) and a farmer called Dawn. Synopsis: Troubled young Fawn Bluefield seeks a life beyond her family’s farm. But on the way to the city, she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers, nomadic soldier-sorcerers from the northern woodlands. Feared necromancers armed with mysterious knives made of human bone, they wage a secret on-going war against the scourge of the “malices,” immortal entities that draw the life out of their victims, enslaving human and animal alike. It is Dag—a Lakewalker patroller weighed down by past sorrows and present responsibilities—who must come to Fawn’s aid when she is taken captive by a malice. They prevail at a devastating cost—unexpectedly binding their fates together as they embark upon a remarkable journey into danger and delight, prejudice and partnership . . . and perhaps even love.

The novel opens with a young woman named Fawn Bluefield walking. Seems Bujold has a thing for starting the first book of her fantasy series with the main character walking (The Curse of Challion). Fawn's left her family behind because some idiot named Sunny Sawman (yeah, sounds like an arsehole) got her pregnant; she's going to the city called Glassforge. A group of Lakewalkers passes by a farm when she's picking apples. The lead Lakewalker, Dag, suspects a malice in the area. During a brief fight with bandits, Dag chases after a fleeing mud-man. Two mud-men attempt to rape Fawn but Dag kills them and both recognize each other from the apple farm. Dag tells Fawn what the mud-men are and Fawn accidentally reveals that she's pregnant. They come across a raided farm and house: Fawn stays while Dag goes hunting; three mud-men recapture her. Dag attempts to rescue her, but mud-men block his path to the malice--which has killed Fawn's unborn baby. Dag tosses his sharing knives to Fawn. She stabs the malice with an unprimed knife, then with the primed one. the malice dies upon being stabbed with the primed knife. Dag, after touching the unprimed knife and taking Fawn away from the decomposing malice realizes that the unprimed knife is now primed via Fawn stabbing the malice, but he wants to have that confirmed. Back at the farm house, Dag attempts to explain groundsense, malices, and sharing knives to Fawn. They talk about why Fawn left her place and about Sunny Sawman knocking her up and his refusal to acknowledge what he'd done and how Fawn's folks and brothers think she's stupid; Dag talks about his youth.

The farmers return and fix their place and the wife accuses Dag of messing with Fawn's mind. Dag and Fawn leave for Glassforge. They arrive and discover that Dag's patrol leader, Mari, went looking for him with the whole patrol except wounded Saun and Reela. Mari comes back and Dag and Fawn tell her what happened. As Mari checks to make sure Fawn's healing, Mari tells her about Kauneo--Dag's dead wife--and how he lost his hand and why the unprimed knife is special to Dag. Dag gets his arm brace fixed and goes back on patrols while Fawn rests up; Dag tells Fawn about the history of the Lakewalkers, or some of it. (You want to know more, read the book, cos I'm not telling.) Mari lectures Dag about his feelings so much that it reminds me of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Jedi harping about no attachment. He tries to rebuff the idea that he loves Fawn, but doesn't convince anybody. After a party, Fawn and Dag make out--she invited him, as is proper in Lakewalker society. Eventually, Fawn and Dag leave for Hickory Lake via Lumpton Market and West Blue. Every member of Fawn's family except Aunt Nattie demands to know why she left to find work in Glassforge. her family doesn't believe her story, except Nattie. Sunny tries to make threats but Dag puts him in his place.

Over a couple of days, they get to know Dag. He asks to marry Fawn and they greet him with silence. Sorrel--Fawn's father--tries to take a glass bowl that Fawn bought for her mother away from Rush--Fawn's brother--and it smashes on the floor. Dag's missing arm's ground--ghost hand, as I call it--puts the bowl back together; he's not a maker, something he and the camp determined when he was younger. Nattie makes the Lakewalker bracelets cos of her awesome backstory which you shall know when you read the book. She tells the family to shut it. Rush and Reed try and split Fawn and Dag up. Rush leads Dag into a trap with Sunny and three of Sunny's friends. Dag sics wasps on Sunny and company. Dag and Sorrel give Rush a good talking-to, then Dag lets Sorrel rip (verbally) into Reed. Fawn and Dag marry, then leave for Hickory Lake.

All in all, a good start to an interesting series (for me, I liked books three and four more than one and two). Great characterizations and story that leave you wanting more.

New Year, New Books to review

So, in 2013, I've got several new books and some rather old ones to do. In no particular order, here they are:

Honor Harrington (from War of Honor on up, including the Saganami duology and Torch Slaves duology) by David Weber with Eric Flint [This will take a while to do, so bear with me]
Star Wars: X-Wing series by Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston (currently loaning them to a friend, will pick up at The Krytos Trap)
Stranded by Anne Bishop, James Alan Gardner, and Anthony Francis
The Sharing Knife saga by Lois McMaster Bujold (wrapping up the hand-written review of book one: Beguilement)
Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones by R. A. Salvatore (sometime in late February/early March)
Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
     Heir to the Empire
     Dark Force Rising
     The Last Command
Halo: Silentium by Greg Bear (when it comes out or slightly after it's released)
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation by Drew Karpyshyn (half-way through the review, hope to finish it soon)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (will now be in one review, so much darn conversations that bog down the book)
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (same as above)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (same as above)
Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover (sometime in late September/early October)

Possibly:
The Vorkosigan Saga (from Brothers In Arms upward) by Lois McMaster Bujold. Was going to do this, but the local library no longer has Brothers In Arms or Mirror Dance or Memory.
The Wess'har series by Karen Traviss (the local library doesn't have Crossing the Line, and BN doesn't appear to have it)
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
The Age of Odin by James Lovegrove
Piers Anthony's Xanth saga