Review - The Proposal for Unity by C.J. Dragon

Jon and Talin have only just returned to Daran when news of a devastating pandemic sweeping Earth reaches them. Fearing for their parent’s safety, the couple organizes a Daranii mission to assist the humans. As expected, the Daranii help is not universally welcomed by everyone on Earth, even when a vaccine is quickly developed. The cure itself introduces even more complications into Human-Daranii relations.

This is the first book of a trilogy that forms a sequel to the Daranii Justice series. The main characters remain the same, so you really should read that first trilogy before starting this one, to understand everything that Jon has been through, as well as his extended circle of friends and family from two species.

In some ways, not a lot happens in this book, yet it’s still quite a page-turner. The story unfolds in a day-by-day fashion, with several minor incidents but no Big Dramatic Event. It’s that desire to see what happens next that kept me reading the next chapter. This book really just sets the stage for the series.

Everything centers on Jon, the former starship captain who dealt the only defeat the Daranii experienced during the war between Earth and Daran. After Earth surrendered, the terms require Jon to go to Daran to be punished for his “crime.” He expected to die, but survived being tortured, and his conduct in the aftermath endeared him to every Daranii he met, including the warrior that became his life mate, Talin.

As always, there’s a quirky formality to all the dialog, but there’s still a lot of humor mined from the cultural differences between Jon and Talin. The situation that drives the plot is rather grim, but funny exchanges and a loving family make this a very enjoyable read.

“The Proposal for Unity” is available from Smashwords or Amazon (commissionable link).