Pretty much every alien race is described in a bit of detail, and in some story critical way the differences matter in some small way. It is very much there, but feels cardboard thin. where it falls a bit flat however, is the world building. Very captivating story flow, compelling characters, and good environmental and action descriptions. Their only chance is to stay one step ahead of their pursuers as they try to make it home.Ī bold and epic novel filled with unrelenting action and a good dose of humor, The Icarus Hunt is a wild hyperspace romp through the galaxy.Įxcellent storytelling, lacking in worldbuilingĪs always Zahn really masters the craft of telling a story.

With his enemies closing in on the lumbering Icarus, the unknown saboteur still aboard, and authorities on Earth pressured to turn them in, McKell and Ixil become fugitives. That is, until a beautiful crew member helps McKell uncover the true nature of the cargo he's carrying. It doesn't seem as if things could get any worse. As if that weren't bad enough, it looks like the authorities already suspect something is afoot, there's a saboteur aboard, and the Icarus appears to be shaking apart at the seams. The ship, Icarus, turns out to be a ramshackle hulk, the ragtag crew literally picked up off the street, and the cargo so secret, it's sealed in a special container that takes up most of the cramped and ill-designed ship. But this time, he may have taken on more than even he can handle.

So when Jordan and his partner, Ixil - an alien with two ferret-like 'outhunters' linked to his neural system - are hired by a mysterious gentleman to fly a ship and its special cargo to Earth, they jump at the job.Ĭaution has never been one of Jordan's strong suits. In order to survive, Jordan ekes out a living dabbling in interstellar smuggling for outlaw concerns that represent the last vestiges of free trade in the galaxy. Unfortunately for him, the iron-fisted authority of the powerful Patthaaunutth controls virtually every aspect of galactic shipping. Jordan McKell has a problem with authority. From Timothy Zahn, Hugo Award winner and New York Times best-selling author of two landmark Star Wars® series, comes an original new tale featuring a renegade space pilot, his unusual alien partner, and an unknown cargo that can change the course of galactic history.

The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn