Dissonance Volume Zero: Revelation by Aaron Ryan: An interesting prequel to a great trilogy

Aaron Ryan, the acclaimed author of the Dissonance series, takes readers on a mesmerizing journey through time in this captivating prequel. With his signature storytelling prowess, Ryan delves deep into the origins of the Dissonance universe, unravelling the intricate web of events and characters that set the stage for the beloved series.

Spoiler-free Plot

Silent aliens await… something. Their purpose is unknown. But when they awaken, terror and destruction rain down on humanity. Andrew Shipley is just an ordinary man thrust into an extraordinary nightmare of post-apocalyptic proportions. The alien invasion leaves humanity crumbling with their telepathic paralysis and the #1 rule is born—don’t look at the aliens. As chaos erupts, hope dwindles.

As humanity’s numbers are reduced to almost nothing, Andrew evades the predators and protects his loved ones. There’s no time to ask why the aliens are here, what they want, or even if humanity has a chance of survival.

Author Aaron Ryan peels back the layers of fear in this heart-pounding prequel to the bestselling “Dissonance” trilogy. Volume Zero offers the harrowing lead-up to humanity’s darkest hour.

My take on Dissonance Volume Zero: Revelation

Writing prequels can be tricky since you cannot go deep into the main conflict and usually have to work with other sets of characters. That happens with Dissonance Volume Zero: Revelation as it focuses on the alien invasion that changed the world of this franchise and also allows author Aaron Ryan to try his hand with a few new characters while exploring the concept of what makes a family and their union through difficult moments.

It has to be said that Ryan can write an emotional narrative and I would argue that this book conveys stronger feelings than the original trilogy. Do I think that makes it a better read? Probably not. The trilogy has a lot more room to grow and has a lot more variety with different plot points, but I think that the emotions you feel in this book are much more prevalent.

Furthermore, there is also the fact that Ryan sometimes changes points of view in this book, which is something that is very welcomed. It adds to the tension of the alien invasion as the reader can get to witness different perspectives on the same situation, adding to the stakes at the moment, even if the main focus is on a family trying to survive.

The dialogue continues to be one of Ryan’s strongest suits, with the characters having their own unique voices and oftentimes talking in a very natural manner.

Another thing that this book has compared to the trilogy is the fact that it flows very easily. You can read a lot of this book in one or two sittings without much problem, which, from my perspective, helps with the allure of the plot.

However, perhaps the biggest problem of this book, at least when compared to the trilogy, is the fact that the main story has better characters. This is not to say that these ones are not good but the characters in the trilogy are a lot more developed and nuanced to a degree, thus making the experience somewhat different from one story to another. It does make sense because a trilogy gives you a lot more room to develop your cast and you spend more time with them, so there is a greater sense of attachment. However, Ryan does do a good job here in the sense that he establishes a strong emotional core that becomes the driving force of the story as a whole.

All in all, this book is a very nice inclusion to the franchise and adds a bit more context to the alien invasion in this story’s world. On the other hand, it is better to read this one if you have enjoyed the original trilogy.

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