Review: Dissonance Volume III: Renegade by Aaron Ryan

The final factions of humanity and gorgon vie for survival on a blasted Earth in Dissonance Volume III: Renegade by Aaron Ryan, an explosive and riveting finale to the elaborate Dissonance series.

The vicious and costly battle at Mammoth Cave was only a precursor to President Graham’s ultimate plan to manipulate the gorgons into attacking three key targets around the world and then nuking them into oblivion, taking out her foreign rivals and humanity’s invaders in one fell swoop. The only thing powerful enough to pull Cameron out of crippling grief over the loss of his bride-to-be is his need for vengeance, and the ultimate mission to save humanity from the power-hungry madness of the president.

Excommunicated and deemed dangerous rogues by the state, Cameron and a growing tide of dissenters and revolutionaries must strike at the heart of this evil plot before all hope is lost. Facing the most horrifically mutated aliens yet, the outnumbered resistance fighters must use subterfuge and sheer courage, under the leadership of their newest captain, to pull off a desperate last-minute mission. However, having been betrayed and used more times than he’d care to admit, Cameron’s trust is broken, even among fellow warriors who have been bonded by blood.

As in the previous installments of this neatly crafted series, the plot isn’t blindly built around sprawling battle scenes and action sequences, but around character interactions and the powerful bonds built in times of war. From Cameron’s meaningful discussions of justice and spirituality with Pastor Rosie to playing lethal games of chess with the most dangerous woman on the planet, the novel relentlessly builds tension and probes the depths of its protagonists’ inner lives. Ryan blends lyrical and methodical narration to generate suspenseful drama, but can also wax philosophic or introspective within a character’s musings, deftly switching between the two amidst plot development and impactful dialogue.

There are also enough strategic details, combat procedures, and future tech creations to satisfy hardcore sci-fi fans and loyal readers of this series, but the prose never gets too bogged down in the weeds of specs and military jargon. Despite the invading alien premise and futuristic bent to this dystopian series, the writing has clear parallels and metaphorical critiques of modern society. The novel’s concepts of tolerable collateral damage and calculated mistrust of potential allies are mirrored in our increasingly isolationist geopolitical landscape, along with the rise of conscientious objectors and dissension among principled members of the military. Examining elements of morality, duty, grief, closure, and leadership, there is much more to the prose than your average sci-fi thriller.

On the technical front, there is some redundancy in exposition and plot-building in this final installment. Certain combat-heavy and character development scenes also slow the pace, undercutting the plot’s urgency. That said, there are quite a few loose ends to tie up, which Ryan manages to neatly and organically weave into the story.

Completing this epic saga with signature twists, high-stakes sacrifices, and viscerally engaging language, Renegade is an emotionally gripping conclusion to an impressive series.