Dissonance Volume II: Reckoning follows a man living through an alien invasion who is given a mission to train recruits and track down an AWOL Captain set on vengeance. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I needed to pick up right where I left off at the end of Dissonance Volume I: Reality. I’m a big believer in the continuity of story. I love how The Hunger Games movies literally pickup almost right where you left off. I wanted that for my books as well. There is a cruelty in play, and it is directly affecting Jet Shipley, but he’s consumed by desire for revenge, that he’s swinging at a lot of things and making mistakes in so doing. He needs time alone with his thoughts first, to refocus, to get centered with the help of Pastor Rosie, and to allow justice to happen rather than pursue revenge. But as he proceeds forward in trust, he just discovers that some people are silver tongues and cannot be trusted…and he gets fooled again. At this point that deception starts costing more lives and trauma, and he gets further galvanized for action as he goes along. I knew that as he was going into dark places, that I needed to take the story in dark places by introducing more sinister back story, plunging our protagonists into the depths of Mammoth Cave, showing them the aftermath of the 2026 invasion (in this case, by passing through Bowling Green KY), and learning what darkness the human heart can harbor.

With so many great characters in your novel, what character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?

I have to say that I LOVE Pastor Rosie. I do. She is so wonderful and so sinister, haha! Sinister in that she knows what people need to do, but she’s maniacally devious in how she lets them get to their answers, guiding them along the way to the truth. I love her personality, her wisdom, her desire to guide Cameron toward justice instead of revenge, and I love her wit. She’s sort of a mix between the Oracle in “The Matrix”, God in “The Shack”, and the prayer warrior in “War Room.” Powerful combination. I had a harder time writing the ancillary characters like Armstrong. I also very much enjoyed writing Cardona, and the big reveal there.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Justice vs. revenge, certainly. But also snarkiness to maturity, as well as cynicism to trust. All of those are evolutions of growth that we need to experience if we’re to mature. Undergirding all of that, however, there’s the persistent and indispensable refrain of hope…that’s what keeps us going forward. Whether it’s hope for deliverance or justice, Cameron and company are pushing forward to see the good end of bad things.

Can you tell us where the book goes and where we’ll see the characters in the next book?

Yes! Dissonance Volume II: Reckoning leads right into Dissonance Volume III: Renegade and there is a massive conclusion to the series in store for you there. The book has several climactic battles, further character reveals, intense plot lines, incredible attention to military detail, and the aforementioned good end, not to spoil things. We need a happy ending. We all do. It’s good for the soul. The human race, in the Dissonance series at least, has already lost so much. In this series, 85% of humanity has been killed off. They need and deserve a happy ending. In Dissonance Volume III: Renegade, they get a happy and tremendously powerful ending.

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They say there’s nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose. Sergeant Cameron “Jet” Shipley is that man.

Jet is hellbent on revenge for the death of his younger brother, and that thirst for vengeance extends all the way up to the President herself. But some people are silver-tongues, and Cameron is swayed back to trust. Promoted to Lieutenant, Cameron is issued a new mission and is on the hunt for answers. He must figure out who his military allies and enemies are, before he winds up with a knife in his own back.

The alien invasion is still a threat, and Cameron is torn between duty and doubt while just trying to survive. His next military assignment takes him to the post-apocalyptic Blockade at Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. He’s needed to train recruits, strengthen defenses, and plan a strike against the gorgons that have taken over a post apocalyptic Planet Earth.

Love was never part of the plan, but surviving side-by-side with Allison Trudy, Cameron finds himself falling for her. Little do they know they’re walking into a trap: one that might just destroy everything they’ve built. Failure isn’t an option: the survival of mankind hinges on their success.

The final battle looms, and redemption awaits…for better or worse.

Read all six installments in this bestselling series, in this order:

• Dissonance Volume I: Reality (released 1.1.24)
• Dissonance Volume II: Reckoning (released 3.20.24)
• Dissonance Volume III: Renegade (released 5.18.24)
• Dissonance Volume IV: Relentless (coming November 2024!)
• Prequel #1: Dissonance Volume Zero: Revelation (released 6.6.24)
• Prequel #2: Dissonance Volume Up: Rising (released 9.3.24)

Dissonance Volume II: Reckoning is the second installment in Aaron Ryan’s post-apocalyptic alien invasion military science fiction books series. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy thrilling, dystopian, futuristic military warfare and gritty stories of betrayal, love, revenge, and justice. Order your copy now and experience true tension and terror where the stakes are even higher than in Dissonance Volume I: Reality!