Review - The Purpose of Sactuary by C.J. Dragon

Note, this book is part of a series meant to be read in order. This review of the third book in the set may contain spoilers about the previous installments.

Jon and Talin have returned to Daran, but things are far from settled there. A rogue member of the Warriors is rallying support against acceptance of the human Jon, even more so after it’s revealed he has Duranii DNA. Talin’s over-protective warrior mentality doesn’t really help put Jon at ease. Will the rogue warrior manage to sway public opinion, and will Jon and Talin’s mate bond be strong enough to withstand yet more pressure? As if all that’s happening on Duran wasn’t enough, there’s also the wedding of Jon’s sister back on Earth to deal with.

This third and final book of the Daranii Justice series continues the highly emotional story of the human Jon, who is sent to Daran as part of Earth’s surrender to be “sacrificed” for his part in the war. Jon really thought he was going to die, at Talin’s hands, and there were times he wished he were dead, but somehow the two reconciled, becoming not just friends, but life-mates with a bond that even death can’t break.

As in most of the books I’ve read by this author, the dialog is often stiffly formal, even between intimate partners like Jon and Talin. You would think such prose would be cold, but some powerful emotions come through when Jon and Talin talk to each other. That highly emotional dialog made this a hard book to put down. The connection between the two men seems very real, despite the vast cultural differences between them.

Although the plot is very high tension, there are some lighter moments. These are mostly provided by the wedding plans for Jon’s sister back on Earth. Talin may be Duran’s most fierce warrior, but Jon’s description of human weddings has him terrified.

This book effectively concludes the series, and does it quite well. There's just a hint of events that might set off the sequel series.

“The Purpose of Sactuary” is available from Smashwords or Amazon (commissionable link).