Review - The Perfection of Peace by C.J. Dragon

Much to his dismay, Jon in put in command of the joint Daranii and Earth fleet that is sent to confront the alien invaders who dealt Daran its first ever defeat. Jon will return to his old ship, the Excalibur, as captain, while Talin commands one of the Daranii ships. Once again, the two life mates face an uncomfortable separation. Will Jon’s unpredictable humanity win the day again, justifying the faith both races put in him?

The long-running saga of Captain Jonathan Thomsin finally comes to an end in this third book of the sequel trilogy. Once again, Jon and Talin are forced to confront the power of their bond as it forces them to make choices that run counter to their sense of duty. Dealing with those choices turns out to be the real dramatic turning point of this book, rather than the epic space battle you might expect.

Jon is once again in command of his ship, as well as the entire fleet. At long last, his destiny is in his own hands, but Jon is not the same man who was sent to Daran as the “sacrifice.” The torture he underwent and the life-mating that came after have changed him. The mission gives the man an opportunity for closure, but not before giving Jon one last reminder of how strong the bond is between Talin and him.

Talin gets his own hard lesson from the bond as it forces him to choose between duty and his mate. The actions resulting from that choice are hard on Talin, but he eventually experiences an epiphany about what’s important. Without giving much away, the ending leaves Jon and Talin in a good place, but doesn’t provide any clues about their future, just that it’s together. It’s sort of a write-your-own happily ever after.

“The Perfection of Peace” is available from Amazon (commissionable link).