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This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.
That said, on to the review!
A disastrous encounter with another race has scared Earth into avoiding contact with other sentient alien species. So, when a colonization effort inadvertently discovers a feline race on a pastoral planet reconnaisance reports had listed as uninhabited, confusion reigns, as does fear: none of the colonists wants to return to overpopulated Earth with its many restrictions and limitations. But, what happens now? The colonists cannot simply avoid the aliens--it's much too late for that. They cannot simply up and leave--the only spacecraft even remotely available just left on another assignment. They can't stay either--the departments governing space travel have made that perfectly clear. But what can they do? The colonists find hope in a young boy who crosses the boundaries of space and distrust to befriend the cat-like Hrrubans, but can this peace last? Can they survive when xenophobic, antagonistic officials want nothing more than to wipe out any evidence that there was ever a mistake made?
I enjoyed reading this book when I first read it, and the pleasure hasn't dimmed with time. I especially found the subtle scheming of the Hrrubans--nothing bad, only hiding their intelligence and advancement--to be interesting and intriguing, and the relationship between Todd Reeve and Hrriss son of Hrrestan especially endearing. Here is an example of an idyllic meeting between two different cultures plagued by the mistrust of those who should have little or no say in how the interactions should be handled. I can only hope that when we finally meet an alien species, the ambassadorial meetings go as well or better! Preferably better!
I can't really find any faults with this book, though that may be because Anne McCaffrey is one of my most favorite authors of all time. She kept all the characters true to their nature, and didn't waste time in establishing them, either. Every reaction, every nuance of thought and emotion was entirely in keeping with every other action of every character, be they Human or Hrruban. Outbursts of rage here and there, violence when necessary, and just plain step-by-step logical progressions made the reading understandable and realistic. The first chapter did throw me for a loop at first because I couldn't tell whether it was the Hrrubans or the Humans having their conference, and I wasn't certain until later in the book. That isn't the author's fault, though: silly me not to notice the character listing before the first chapter.
This book is definitely a must-read. Anne McCaffrey is an excellent writer with many books to her name, and after reading Decision at Doona, you'll know why she has such a big following.
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