Review: Dissonance Volume IV: Relentless by Aaron Ryan

The sixth installment of Aaron Ryan’s epic survival saga, Dissonance Volume IV: Relentless brings readers into a new wave of global conflict against a voracious alien enemy.

After nearly 20 years of struggle against the extraterrestrial Gorgons, humanity has finally reclaimed its home, scouring the planet to eradicate every last paralyzing invader and beginning the long process to rebuild. The diabolical threat from the previous American president – a series of potentially world-ending nuclear strikes – has been eliminated, and she has been replaced by the rebel leader turned global hero, Vance Cardona.

Backed up by battle-tested allies like Miguel Monzon, Capra, Bayless, Cameron, Foxy and other familiar faces from earlier books, Cardona as the new focal protagonist is a refreshing shift from the series’ previous centering on Cameron Shipley. Unfortunately, it isn’t long before a second incoming legion of invaders is detected, but this time, our species knows what to expect – and how to win.

With less than a week to prepare for the next invasion, the plot leaps into the breakneck pace of defense preparation on a planetary scale, coupled with high-stakes drama on interpersonal levels, such as the ongoing leverage that the ex-president still wields. Despite the decimation of humanity and worldwide devastation, this is another inspiring novel of unflinching resilience and resistance in the face of overwhelming odds.

As in the other books, Ryan isn’t afraid to dive into the weeds of military procedures, from armament negotiations between allies to ever-changing digital battlefields and the bureaucracy of decision-making at the highest levels, which makes the novel immediately immersive, as if these events really happened. There is also an undercurrent of species unification that persists in this book – the plot isn’t about one country’s military resistance to an existential threat, but instead takes the larger view of defending the world, not just American or Western interests, an important take on the genre, especially in our continually fragmented world.

Furthermore, while previous installments have only touched on the Gorgon’s motives and backstory, this novel pulls back the curtain even further, explaining why Earth was chosen as the target, which provides some non-anthropocentric nuance to the “bad guys” of this series. These small storytelling details and shifts in tone reflect a dynamic series that is evolving in its message and meaning. The themes of fortitude, optimism, community, and sacrifice for the future are powerfully woven into the prose, along with subtle parallels to our present-day reality and potential future. For example, the novel takes the time to examine the damage and reality of complete societal collapse, and then imagines a path towards a more sustainable and united future. Granted, this isn’t the focus of the novel, which is still a guns-blazing action thriller in many respects, but it does add a thought-provoking philosophical framework to Ryan’s dystopian vision.

There are still odd anachronistic bits of narrative that feel out of place (e.g. Zoom still existing in 20 years post-alien invasion), but these moments are rare, and the writing has undeniably matured throughout the series. The dialogue is crisp and the characters are now deeply developed, with believable relationships and complex dynamics of national duty, emotional commitment, and personal loss.

Extending a captivating story arc now entering its twentieth year, this novel offers a riveting escape into a fractured but hopeful future.