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The Icarus Hunt
 
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The Icarus Hunt [Hardcover]

Timothy Zahn (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)


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Book Description

August 3, 1999
From Timothy Zahn, Hugo Award winner and New York Times bestselling 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.

Jordan McKell has a problem with authority. Unfortunately for him, the iron-fisted authority of the powerful Patthaaunutth controls virtually every aspect of galactic shipping. 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. 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.

Caution has never been one of Jordan's strong suits. But this time he may have taken on more than even he can handle. 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. 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.

It doesn't seem as if things could get any worse. That is, until a beautiful crew member helps McKell uncover the true nature of the cargo he's carrying. 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. Their only chance is to stay one step ahead of their pursuers as they try to make it home.

A 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.


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jordan McKell thinks he's pretty unlucky, but most of us would gladly trade places with him. He's a freelance star-freighter captain who plies the hyperspace folds between worlds, trading exotic goods and meeting bizarre aliens. His latest job, to pilot the Icarus and its sealed cargo to earth, seems simple enough, but it rapidly turns into a crisis of interstellar proportions. The man who hired him goes missing, governments and the underworld alike put a price on the Icarus and on McKell's head, and one of his crew is murdered. He'll need to call upon his wits, his courage, and even a few tricks if he wants to survive.

Space opera veteran Timothy Zahn, a Hugo award winner and author of the bestselling Star Wars Thrawn trilogy, brings us a tale that's as convoluted and complex as a hyperdrive motor. Although there's plenty of action both in space and on the ground, The Icarus Hunt is primarily a murder mystery. Chapter by chapter, even page by page, the list of suspects and their motivations grows and evolves, constantly shifting as McKell relentlessly cuts through webs of deception and subterfuge. But the murder is only the opening move in a game that could alter the power structure of hundreds of solar systems. Zahn always provides an entertaining ride through the galaxy, and readers will find him very much in his element with this book. --J.B. Peck

From Library Journal

Independent space shipper (i.e., smuggler) Jordan McKell accepts a contract to deliver a sealed cargo to Earth aboard a ship of unknown origin and dubious quality. After the suspicious death of a crew member and several attempts to "acquire" his cargo, McKell realizes that he has become the center of a conspiracy that pits him against a powerful race of aliens who control galactic trade and aspire to even more. The latest sf adventure by the author of the Star WarsTM Thrawn trilogy features fast-paced action; a tight, no-frills plot; and a quick-thinking, resourceful hero. A good choice for most sf collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 362 pages
  • Publisher: Bantam; 1st edition (August 3, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 055310702X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0553107029
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #326,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Timothy Zahn is the Hugo Award-winning author of more than a dozen original science fiction novels and the bestselling Star Wars trilogy Heir to the Empire, among other works. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Customer Reviews

86 Reviews
5 star:
 (51)
4 star:
 (21)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (6)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (86 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful Sc-Fi 'Who Done It', July 5, 2000
This book is written in a genre not used much. It is basically a Agatha Christie novel done in space, and done very well. I could not put the book down and finished it in 2 days. Very enjoyable. If you liked Simon R. Green's 'Fischer and Hawk' series you will love this. This is a must read. I only hope Zahn writes more novels in this series using the present characters.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A who-dun-it in a sci-fi setting!, September 5, 2000
By 
iamcdn "iamcdn" (San Jose, California United States) - See all my reviews
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I was expecting something completely different picking up this book by Zahn. He is an extremely good author who knows the right combination of action and plot to seize his readers in a death grip. This book is no exception from his writing style.

However this time he has married a cloak and dagger/who-dun-it to the science fiction genre. I read this book in 2 days and it was extremely hard to put down as it took you from one event to another in a light speed fashion. He left you at the edge of your seat wondering/trying to figure who had done it but to no avail. The ending was very unpredictable and there was closure! A truly good story told by no other than Zahn.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "The Icarus Hunt"; a Timothy Zahn masterpiece!, November 21, 2004
By 
All I can say is that Timothy Zahn is perhaps among the best sci-fi authors out there, next to Isaac Asimov. His stories are all complex and detailed, the plot jampacked with twists, turns, surprises, and shockers. "The Icarus Hunt" is certainly no exception.

"The Icarus Hunt"'s main character is Jordan McKell, a star-freighter pilot who plays the role of a poor yet honest private contracter, considering that in reality he is a smuggler working for a huge crime organization. Things couldn't get worse he supposed. Or so he thought...
When he takes a job flying a strangely put-together antique ship called the 'Icarus' with a ragtag crew, little does he know that he has just landed himself in the middle of a huge conspiracy. Jordan is immediately thrust into events spiraling out of control: one of the crew is murdered, his employer seems to have disappeared, an unknown saboteur is on board, and the 'Icarus' is being wanted by the oppresive Patth who have monopolized all trade in the galaxy.
It's up to Jordan and his mechanic partner Ixil, a Kalixiri with his two ferret 'outhunters' Pix and Pax, to figure out what's going on while struggling to stay alive. The hunt for the 'Icarus' is on!

If you thought my summary was complicated, wait until you actually pick up the book! There are so many other subplots that are too numerous too count and besides, most of them are the twists and turns this book has to offer. But though seemingly 'complicated', Zahn's expertise is put to use as he deftly weaves a tale with numerous 'threads' yet makes up one intricately woven 'tapestry'. There is not one moment where the action and suspense slows down; instead, we are taken on a ride where you have no clue where it'll end!

Though written in first-person from Jordan McKell's point of view, Zahn carefully makes sure we don't know 'everything'. We do get to know most of Jordan's thoughts and theories, but there's still plenty of mystery for you to try to figure out on your own. There are lots of stories where there's such a huge build up but at the end falls flat on it's face; fortunately, "The Icarus Hunt" is not the case. The ending is just one big surprise though if you think about it, you could have seen it coming. That again is one of Zahn's talents; in that he give you so many clues, theories, details, and little surprises, you can't tell what to expect!

Unlike many of Zahn's other stories, "The Icarus Hunt" has a large dose of humor in the story. Jordan McKell's character is very sarcastic and is quite the cynic, and has a dry sense of humor which I enjoy a lot. One of my favorite part is:

"For a change, Lady Luck seemed to be smiling on me. Then again, maybe the fickle wench was just lulling me into a false sense of security while she reached for a rock."

Those two sentences sums up Jordan's character perfectly. ^_^

To sum up, "The Icarus Hunt" is something I can highly recommend to all readers who enjoys a good mix of sci-fi, mystery, suspense, action, and humor. Other good Timothy Zahn books include "The Cobra Trilogy", "The Thrawn Trilogy", and "The Conquerors Trilogy". Now, all I can say is, when are any of Zahn's books gonna be made into a movie? Now THAT is a film I'd enjoy watching if they stay true to his work!
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