Minor note: this might be my favorite cover out of the entire series so far...
It seems like after every Aurora Rhapsody book I read, I wonder what could possibly come next. Then when those next things happen, I always have a "D'oh!" moment because everything seems so obvious. So inevitable. So perfect.
While the Aurora Rising trilogy was centered around war and conspiracies, the Aurora Renegades trilogy seems to be centered around secrets. Lots of them. I like secrets. I like trying to solve the mystery while I read, and even though it drives me crazy, I like being totally wrong and then being blown away by the revelations in the end. And let me tell you -- the revelation in Dissonance is a doozy.
Or should I say...revelations.
When you're done reading, just sit for a minute and think about the fact that this series is barely halfway over, and let that sink in. This story is HUGE, and it gets bigger with every book. After I finished this particular installment, I was trying to figure out what was different about it. At first, I wanted to say it "wasn't as exciting," but I knew that wasn't right because I was constantly wanting to find out what happened next. Then I decided it was less action-packed; it wasn't, say, Transcendence, where war and final battles were the main focus of the story. But it was incredibly intriguing. As you read, it's like you're right there exploring new portal spaces along with the characters, and as I've already mentioned, you gradually learn new information that will end up playing a huge part in the remainder of the series.
Like Sidespace, this book was structured so that each of the seven "parts" alternate between Alex and Caleb exploring the pocket universes, and the rest of the characters doing their thing within Aurora. I've gotten to where I can't decide whether I enjoy the Calex™ parts better or the Aurora parts. Once upon a time (just a little over 2 years ago!), all the secondary characters were kind of faceless and difficult to keep track of, but by this point in the series, so many of them are developed and meaningful. I can't help but think of them as old friends. I also love how characters who were on opposing sides or had nothing to do with each other in the beginning are interacting now, particularly all the Prevos. It's like things are being brought full-circle.
But despite all the revelations (and even a couple of resolutions!), more trouble is brewing, as usual, and this time some of it is interpersonal. It's very natural for the characters involved in my opinion, based on their respective backgrounds, but it's sure to add another twist to the ever-growing story.
So get out there, Aurora Rhapsody fans, and continue this series. The final couple of pages left me wanting more, possibly worse than any other book in this series has done so far.
It also might be worth it to suggest checking out Apogee, a short story, before reading Dissonance. It reinforces and sheds more (by which I mean a lot of) light on some information that was revealed at the end of Sidespace, information that really comes into play here in Dissonance and explains some character actions and thought processes. Plus, it's just a fun story.
Random side note: I've decided this is Olivia's theme music. For reasons.
Dissonance is Book 2 of the Aurora Renegades trilogy, and Book 5 of the Aurora Rhapsody series. Get the first three Aurora Rhapsody books all in one with the Aurora Rising Complete Collection, then grab Sidespace - Aurora Renegades Book 1 and Apogee, all available on Amazon.
About G.S. Jennsen:
G.S. Jennsen lives in Colorado with her husband and two dogs. Dissonance is her fifth novel, all published by her imprint, Hypernova Publishing. In less than two years she has become an internationally bestselling author, selling in excess of 60,000 books since her first novel, Starshine, was published in March 2014. She has chosen to continue writing under and independent publishing model to ensure the integrity of the Aurora Rhapsody sheries and her ability to execute on the vision she's had for it since its genesis.
While she has been a lawyer, a software engineer, and an editor, she's found the life of a full-time author preferable by several orders of magnitude, which means you can expect the next book in the Aurora Rhapsody series in just a few months.
When she isn't writing, she's gaming or working out or getting lost in the Colorado mountains that loom large outside the windows in her home. Or she's dealing with a flooded basement, or standing line at Walmart reading the tabloid headlines and wondering who all of those people are. Or sitting on her back porch with a glass of wine, looking up at the stars, trying to figure out what could be up there.
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email at: gs@gsjennsen.com
