Review - Diplomatic Liability by Rebecca Cohen
Diplomatic Liability
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Volume 2 of Devlin Taylor, Earth Ambassador
Tags: Science Fiction
Posted in Book Reviews on February 25, 2026
Devlin is settling in on board the Chroalian ship Endeavor as Earth’s first ambassador. His boyfriend, Zal is in the cabin next door, but the two have to be discreet. If people knew of their prior relationship, it might undermine Devlin’s position. Their plan is to make it appear that the relationship started after Devlin came on board. Unfortunately, that means Devlin has to run a gauntlet of younger Chroalian crewmembers competing to bed the new human. That’s not the biggest challenge for Devlin. A series of incidents on board the ship and on the planets they visit are very suspicious.
This sequel to Ministry of Alien Relations follows the further adventures of Devlin, Earth’s first ambassador, the first human allowed to leave the solar system. Naturally, you need to read the first book before this one to know all the background to the story. He may owe his job in part to Zal’s mother, but Devlin feels the pressure to prove he is worthy of the position. But that’s not the only challenge facing Devlin. He gets to come face to face with Zal’s past, including former sexual partners. Devlin isn’t so naïve to assume Zal didn’t have partners before they met, but the reality of meeting them, and how close some of them remain with Zal, is hard for the human to deal with.
The narration switches between Devlin's and Zal’s points of view. Devlin further displays how unflappable and resourceful he can be. He wants to show everyone that he deserves to be where he is, not just in terms of diplomacy, but in the way he reacts to the unexpected. Devlin isn’t perfect, though, as his reactions to Zal’s friends isn’t always cool and collected.
Nobody doubts Zal’s place on the ship, but the Chroalian still needs to know his chosen mate better. The cultural differences between the two species are significant, especially when it comes to displays of affection between friends. Zal’s other major challenge is patience. The alien is absolutely sure that Devlin is his mate for life, and he thinks Devlin feels the same, but the two have to bide their time so their relationship appears to develop on the ship.
“Diplomatic Liability” is available from Smashwords or see Bookshop.org to buy from an independent bookseller.