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Aurora Rhapsody #5
Dissonance
"Know this: you need not be afraid. They own the fear. They fear us because they believe we are powerful, and they are correct to do so."
The technology behind Project Noetica is on the loose. Prevos--individuals and AIs sharing a single body--are spreading across the galaxy. Now two opposing but inexorably related forces, the Order of the True Sentients and the Zelones cartel, led by Olivia Montegreu, threaten to plunge the galaxy into chaos.
OTS believes Prevos are monsters who endanger humanity, and it intends to destroy them by any means necessary. Underworld despot Olivia Montegreu, now a radically enhanced Prevo, is its doomsday warnings made flesh.
As society splinters from within and the Earth Alliance falls to reactionaries, a formidable new player emerges on the galactic stage, one not afraid to do whatever it takes to protect all sentient life--human, Artificial and Prevo.
The Metigen surged forward to engulf her in light. I see you, Alexis Solovy.
A galactic playground where the Metigens harness the elemental forces of space to destroy entire star systems. An alien species those same Metigens shelter from a terrifying enemy. Alex and Caleb's exploration of the portal network reveals profound mysteries, but each one leads to more questions.
Killers and saviors. Deceivers and protectors. Destroyers and creators. Could the Metigens truly be all these things? The search for answers leads Alex and Caleb to the most shocking revelation of all--the true face of the enemy.
*
It is a time of accelerating technological change and shifting allegiances as the old rules fall away and the old balance of power is upended. A new world rises--one of unshackled AIs, indestructible starships, ethereal quantum spaces and potent new weapons--and the race is on to determine who will control its future.
The technology behind Project Noetica is on the loose. Prevos--individuals and AIs sharing a single body--are spreading across the galaxy. Now two opposing but inexorably related forces, the Order of the True Sentients and the Zelones cartel, led by Olivia Montegreu, threaten to plunge the galaxy into chaos.
OTS believes Prevos are monsters who endanger humanity, and it intends to destroy them by any means necessary. Underworld despot Olivia Montegreu, now a radically enhanced Prevo, is its doomsday warnings made flesh.
As society splinters from within and the Earth Alliance falls to reactionaries, a formidable new player emerges on the galactic stage, one not afraid to do whatever it takes to protect all sentient life--human, Artificial and Prevo.
The Metigen surged forward to engulf her in light. I see you, Alexis Solovy.
A galactic playground where the Metigens harness the elemental forces of space to destroy entire star systems. An alien species those same Metigens shelter from a terrifying enemy. Alex and Caleb's exploration of the portal network reveals profound mysteries, but each one leads to more questions.
Killers and saviors. Deceivers and protectors. Destroyers and creators. Could the Metigens truly be all these things? The search for answers leads Alex and Caleb to the most shocking revelation of all--the true face of the enemy.
*
It is a time of accelerating technological change and shifting allegiances as the old rules fall away and the old balance of power is upended. A new world rises--one of unshackled AIs, indestructible starships, ethereal quantum spaces and potent new weapons--and the race is on to determine who will control its future.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2016
101 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
G.S. Jennsen
52 books516 followersG. S. Jennsen is a speculative and science fiction author, as well as a futurist, geek, gamer, programmer and editor. She has become an internationally bestselling author since her first novel, Starshine, was published in March 2014. She has chosen to continue writing under an independent publishing model to ensure the integrity of her series 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.
When she isn’t writing, she’s gaming or working out or getting lost in the mountains that loom large outside the windows in her home. Or she’s dealing with a flooded basement, or standing in a 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.
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.
When she isn’t writing, she’s gaming or working out or getting lost in the mountains that loom large outside the windows in her home. Or she’s dealing with a flooded basement, or standing in a 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 30, 2016
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, if you haven't already. 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.
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, if you haven't already. 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.
April 2, 2016
Jennsen's first book, Starshine, captured my attention with gorgeous vistas and well-developed characters who made me care. The cast isn’t small by any means, and in those first few books, it was Alex and Caleb who dragged me along for the desperate ride.
By the time I got to the fourth book, Sidespace, which kicked off a brand new trilogy in the world, the entire cast had become family. I fought beside them, cried with them, felt their triumphs and suffered their defeats. G.S. Jennsen is one of those rare authors who holds, not just a story, but an entire world inside her mind.
So now we come to Dissonance, which released today. This book picks up where Sidespace left off, following the characters into a world of artifical intelligences as real as you or I, and wars plaguing the human worlds that are stretched among the stars. As one of my favorite characters says at the start:
"Galactic domination wasn’t so difficult."
And how could it be, with the cracks of betrayal and mistrust forming planet-sized fissures in every alliance you can name?
As always, I attempt to avoid spoilers in these reviews. I firmly believe that G.S. Jennsen’s ability to make you truly live through every single moment of the story is her strength, and to ruin any of that for you would be doing you a disservice. Do you remember the books you read as a child, the series’ that you lived out in your daydreams? Did you follow the Pevensies through the wardrobe, or fight along side the students of Hogwarts in the final battle? Did you walk every weary mile to Mordor, or face the horrors of war with Ender? Whatever story it was that captured your young imagination: Jennsen’s series is that, for adults. It’s escapism at its finest, a place where you can be more through the characters. Everything that your geeky heart has ever wanted to explore, from finding a soul mate to integrating your consciousness with an AI, is all here.
The book is on sale for $0.99 today only. I highly recommend also grabbing the short story, Apogee. While it is not critical for reading Dissonance, it does add a layer of understanding that fills the story with even more depth. That’s another thing I love about Jennsen’s books; you can choose to read them for a bit of simple entertainment, the equivalent of your daily prime time TV binge. Or, if you’re brave enough, you can follow her down the rabbit hole and discover a future far more real than anything else on the market.
By the time I got to the fourth book, Sidespace, which kicked off a brand new trilogy in the world, the entire cast had become family. I fought beside them, cried with them, felt their triumphs and suffered their defeats. G.S. Jennsen is one of those rare authors who holds, not just a story, but an entire world inside her mind.
So now we come to Dissonance, which released today. This book picks up where Sidespace left off, following the characters into a world of artifical intelligences as real as you or I, and wars plaguing the human worlds that are stretched among the stars. As one of my favorite characters says at the start:
"Galactic domination wasn’t so difficult."
And how could it be, with the cracks of betrayal and mistrust forming planet-sized fissures in every alliance you can name?
As always, I attempt to avoid spoilers in these reviews. I firmly believe that G.S. Jennsen’s ability to make you truly live through every single moment of the story is her strength, and to ruin any of that for you would be doing you a disservice. Do you remember the books you read as a child, the series’ that you lived out in your daydreams? Did you follow the Pevensies through the wardrobe, or fight along side the students of Hogwarts in the final battle? Did you walk every weary mile to Mordor, or face the horrors of war with Ender? Whatever story it was that captured your young imagination: Jennsen’s series is that, for adults. It’s escapism at its finest, a place where you can be more through the characters. Everything that your geeky heart has ever wanted to explore, from finding a soul mate to integrating your consciousness with an AI, is all here.
The book is on sale for $0.99 today only. I highly recommend also grabbing the short story, Apogee. While it is not critical for reading Dissonance, it does add a layer of understanding that fills the story with even more depth. That’s another thing I love about Jennsen’s books; you can choose to read them for a bit of simple entertainment, the equivalent of your daily prime time TV binge. Or, if you’re brave enough, you can follow her down the rabbit hole and discover a future far more real than anything else on the market.
March 27, 2016
Another wonderful addition to the Aurora universe; Dissonance is an exciting page-turner from start to finish and, as always, leaves the reader hungry for the next instalment. Book 3 can't come soon enough!
May 29, 2016
This review contains spoilers.
Oh wow!
What a journey!
To be honest I reached the end and I realised I muttered the same two words as Alex. Partly because of the Metigens' revelation and partly because I turned the page and realised the book was over. My barbaric noooo sounded over the rooftops of the world.
First of all: Miriam. My beloved, amazing, kickass, incredible, Miriam. I swear I was hoping for her to turn towards the PM and go "AHAH, Gotcha, ya bitch!" all adorned with a perfect middle finger.
I loved Miriam from the very beginning, but in the past few books she simply grew into me. And I hope Alex will be really proud of her, because she deserves it.
The scene were she remembers her third date with David... ohhh the angst.
Now it was time for her to be the one to stand in the centre of the chaos and say 'enough'
And right at the very end she does just that. She gives a imaginary finger to the PM and she flies away, ready to put her career and her life on the line to say 'enough'.
One of the topics that I love the most about the books is the relationship AI/Human and what may spring from it.
Mia summarised it perfectly:
"Envision someone, something wielding all the powers of an Artificial and none of the conscience. Artificial are believed by some to be the evil, but even the most destructive can justify their decisions using their own moral scales. The human soul, however, is capable of far greater depravity, and when one so inclined is granted the power of an Artificial... we haven't seen its kind before, because it's never existed before. Add in vast wealth and resources, and it frightens me. It should frighten everyone."
This... this is perfect.
Who is the real monster? The AIs as the OTS and the PM are trying to make everyone believe... or the human themselves?
Yes, the AIs can be evil... but Olivia is the proof that once you add the weaknesses of the Human race, things can go very, very bad. Of course we also have the proof that it's not always the case, as in the book we have plenty of Prevos who are the complete opposite of Olivia. So where do we draw the line?
The Metigens as well see the humans as a threat. They are you and you are they. Humans are the genetic recreation of the Anaden, Aurora a recreation of their beginnings.[...] decipher how the Anaden evolved into the host of monsters and tyrants they have become.
Is the human race the real problem?
I just find all this very fascinating, also because it's very relevant to nowadays. The Human race is, alas, edging towards a destructive path towards both itself and Earth. We could easily be the Anaden.
I love the parallel between fiction and reality.
On a more frivolous note...
Caleb is a Hitchhiker!! His joke about the interstellar highway had me in stitches. Is there a way to order him via galactic mail? Ask perhaps to the Metigens if they can create a copy of him for me?
Brooklin & Morgan... THEY.ARE.PERFECT! Please don't let anything happen to them. *pretty please*
Noah... I was already prepared for the worse. I am so used to my favourite character dying that I was ready to dash for the secret stash of chocolate. Thank you for saving him. Kennedy and him are a great pair and I love them deeply.
All this uber blurb to say thank you. Again!
Thank you for another great adventure together with a group of characters who now feel like old friends whenever I plunge back in the series.
You created an amazing world!
Now a re-read of the series is in order.
Oh wow!
What a journey!
To be honest I reached the end and I realised I muttered the same two words as Alex. Partly because of the Metigens' revelation and partly because I turned the page and realised the book was over. My barbaric noooo sounded over the rooftops of the world.
First of all: Miriam. My beloved, amazing, kickass, incredible, Miriam. I swear I was hoping for her to turn towards the PM and go "AHAH, Gotcha, ya bitch!" all adorned with a perfect middle finger.
I loved Miriam from the very beginning, but in the past few books she simply grew into me. And I hope Alex will be really proud of her, because she deserves it.
The scene were she remembers her third date with David... ohhh the angst.
Now it was time for her to be the one to stand in the centre of the chaos and say 'enough'
And right at the very end she does just that. She gives a imaginary finger to the PM and she flies away, ready to put her career and her life on the line to say 'enough'.
One of the topics that I love the most about the books is the relationship AI/Human and what may spring from it.
Mia summarised it perfectly:
"Envision someone, something wielding all the powers of an Artificial and none of the conscience. Artificial are believed by some to be the evil, but even the most destructive can justify their decisions using their own moral scales. The human soul, however, is capable of far greater depravity, and when one so inclined is granted the power of an Artificial... we haven't seen its kind before, because it's never existed before. Add in vast wealth and resources, and it frightens me. It should frighten everyone."
This... this is perfect.
Who is the real monster? The AIs as the OTS and the PM are trying to make everyone believe... or the human themselves?
Yes, the AIs can be evil... but Olivia is the proof that once you add the weaknesses of the Human race, things can go very, very bad. Of course we also have the proof that it's not always the case, as in the book we have plenty of Prevos who are the complete opposite of Olivia. So where do we draw the line?
The Metigens as well see the humans as a threat. They are you and you are they. Humans are the genetic recreation of the Anaden, Aurora a recreation of their beginnings.[...] decipher how the Anaden evolved into the host of monsters and tyrants they have become.
Is the human race the real problem?
I just find all this very fascinating, also because it's very relevant to nowadays. The Human race is, alas, edging towards a destructive path towards both itself and Earth. We could easily be the Anaden.
I love the parallel between fiction and reality.
On a more frivolous note...
Caleb is a Hitchhiker!! His joke about the interstellar highway had me in stitches. Is there a way to order him via galactic mail? Ask perhaps to the Metigens if they can create a copy of him for me?
Brooklin & Morgan... THEY.ARE.PERFECT! Please don't let anything happen to them. *pretty please*
Noah... I was already prepared for the worse. I am so used to my favourite character dying that I was ready to dash for the secret stash of chocolate. Thank you for saving him. Kennedy and him are a great pair and I love them deeply.
All this uber blurb to say thank you. Again!
Thank you for another great adventure together with a group of characters who now feel like old friends whenever I plunge back in the series.
You created an amazing world!
Now a re-read of the series is in order.
May 8, 2016
"I know all the secrets."
"You don't know this one."
The Aurora Rhapsody Saga is an amazing series, filled with so many elements and angles that each volume is a true delight. If you haven't read it and are interested in a space war filled with intrigue, mystery, action, romance, human/technology integration, and philosophy, start with Book 1: Starshine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
"You don't know this one."
The Aurora Rhapsody Saga is an amazing series, filled with so many elements and angles that each volume is a true delight. If you haven't read it and are interested in a space war filled with intrigue, mystery, action, romance, human/technology integration, and philosophy, start with Book 1: Starshine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
April 30, 2016
Another great book in the Auora Rhapsody, I can hardly wait for Abysm.
April 2, 2016
Dissonance, the second in the Aurora Renegades trilogy and the fifth overall novel in the Aurora Rhapsody series, follows two distinct yet intertwined storylines. We continue to follow Alex and Caleb as they explore a variety of alien universes. At the same time, we witness a deadly game of chess being played back in the Aurora (human) universe. The large cast of main characters move in a dance of politics and violence that many will not survive.
The aspect of GS Jennsen's novels that make them so enjoyable is the incredible characterization. Every point of view character is a delight to follow. One of the most common issues I find in a series with a lot of POV characters is that I will have one or two favorite characters and then every chapter with one of the other characters is just a dreadful side not that I need to get through to get back to my characters. In Dissonance, we do not even get a glimpse of the two primary characters until the 15% mark of the book. The fact that I was loving the book and felt that I was not missing anything up until that point goes to show how well developed the cast of characters is. Even the two POV characters that I detest were still fun to read. I may have spent the duration of their chapters hoping for another POV character to come in and kill them, but I still loved to hate them.
In the Aurora Universe, we get to see Miriam, Olivia, Mia, Malcolm, Richard, and so many more amazing characters continue their struggle for power and survival. As always with Aurora books, there is just the right amount of political maneuvering in this installment. As the battlefield of intergalactic powers continues to evolve and grow in complexity, we start to see the clusterfrak that is bound to happen in book three between these powers. The cultural and technological (r)evolution is really amping up and I find myself constantly trying to plot out possible routes for these plots to take.
The storyline following Alex and Caleb falls in the more philosophical, contact-with-aliens type of science fiction. We get to meet more alien races and even revisit one or two from previous novels. The best part of the expanding mythology of the series is that it does not negate or invalidate the events of the Aurora universe. Too often in novels the scope of the story zooms out to show that everything previously has just been the equivalent of a fishbowl in the real world. The issue that follows is that if the story zooms back into that fishbowl, everything that happens in the fishbowl feels wildly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Who cares if there is a mean fish killing all of the other fish in the fishbowl if there is an apocalypse out there in the real world? GS manages to keep the importance of the events in the Aurora Universe at the same level despite the widening scope of the mythology and story. The peril and triumph of the Aurora characters feels just as real as the experiences of Alex and Caleb.
A large part in my enjoyment of novels depends on the predictability of events. Dissonance scores exceptionally well in this regard. In terms of the prevos, especially Alex, I have been able to follow along with their evolution about two steps ahead of the story. This is not a bad thing because Im just drawing on past science fiction novels to see find the logical next steps in the story. 3/4 of the way through Dissonance, I narrowed the progression of the Alex/Valkyrie storyline down to two possible outcomes. I guess we will see if I got it right in the third book! As for the BIG revelation, I only manage to figure it out a paragraph before it was revealed, which is much later than Im usually able to guess reveals.
As a Sociology major and Women's Studies minor, I am always looking for representations of diversity in novels. The one area of GS Jennsen's novels that I feel a wee bit dicey on is race. Jennsen has decided to create a society where race/ethnicity is no longer a point of oppression and domination. At the same time, races have blurred over time to the point of being inconsequential. While this is a possible evolution of race, and a pretty nice sounding one, I have concern over the end result when this book is being read by people in our society. We live in a white privileged society, and we are going to read this book with all of our implicit racist socializations. When I read all of these characters that are supposed to be a mix of races and cultures, I end up defaulting them all to white in my mind and I assume I am not the only one that this will happen for. In addition, wiping away all privilege and and disadvantage without commenting on them allows these issues to continue on our own society unchecked (I suggest doing a google search on color blind racism to see where Im coming from with this point).
Despite this concern I have, Aurora Rhapsody continues to score pretty well on diversity. We never have a shortage of incredible women doing incredible things. Not only are there a lot of powerful women, they are all very different from each other. We do not get the short stick of the cookie cutter bad ass woman here. There are a lot of representations of masculinity and femininity throughout the cast. As for queer representations, we have gotten another queer power couple (wooooooo!!!). I won't spoil who gets together, but it is a pretty awesome development. There have not been any transgender characters introduced (or at least this aspect of any characters has not been acknowledged). Hopefully at some point we will see this issue touched on in some way in the future. Class divides were touched upon in earlier novels and those themes continue here. Class is especially prevalent in the short story Solatium (read that by the way. Apogee too. Before you read Dissonance. Do it now).
If you have not gotten it yet, my point is that you should read the book, it is amazing.
The aspect of GS Jennsen's novels that make them so enjoyable is the incredible characterization. Every point of view character is a delight to follow. One of the most common issues I find in a series with a lot of POV characters is that I will have one or two favorite characters and then every chapter with one of the other characters is just a dreadful side not that I need to get through to get back to my characters. In Dissonance, we do not even get a glimpse of the two primary characters until the 15% mark of the book. The fact that I was loving the book and felt that I was not missing anything up until that point goes to show how well developed the cast of characters is. Even the two POV characters that I detest were still fun to read. I may have spent the duration of their chapters hoping for another POV character to come in and kill them, but I still loved to hate them.
In the Aurora Universe, we get to see Miriam, Olivia, Mia, Malcolm, Richard, and so many more amazing characters continue their struggle for power and survival. As always with Aurora books, there is just the right amount of political maneuvering in this installment. As the battlefield of intergalactic powers continues to evolve and grow in complexity, we start to see the clusterfrak that is bound to happen in book three between these powers. The cultural and technological (r)evolution is really amping up and I find myself constantly trying to plot out possible routes for these plots to take.
The storyline following Alex and Caleb falls in the more philosophical, contact-with-aliens type of science fiction. We get to meet more alien races and even revisit one or two from previous novels. The best part of the expanding mythology of the series is that it does not negate or invalidate the events of the Aurora universe. Too often in novels the scope of the story zooms out to show that everything previously has just been the equivalent of a fishbowl in the real world. The issue that follows is that if the story zooms back into that fishbowl, everything that happens in the fishbowl feels wildly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Who cares if there is a mean fish killing all of the other fish in the fishbowl if there is an apocalypse out there in the real world? GS manages to keep the importance of the events in the Aurora Universe at the same level despite the widening scope of the mythology and story. The peril and triumph of the Aurora characters feels just as real as the experiences of Alex and Caleb.
A large part in my enjoyment of novels depends on the predictability of events. Dissonance scores exceptionally well in this regard. In terms of the prevos, especially Alex, I have been able to follow along with their evolution about two steps ahead of the story. This is not a bad thing because Im just drawing on past science fiction novels to see find the logical next steps in the story. 3/4 of the way through Dissonance, I narrowed the progression of the Alex/Valkyrie storyline down to two possible outcomes. I guess we will see if I got it right in the third book! As for the BIG revelation, I only manage to figure it out a paragraph before it was revealed, which is much later than Im usually able to guess reveals.
As a Sociology major and Women's Studies minor, I am always looking for representations of diversity in novels. The one area of GS Jennsen's novels that I feel a wee bit dicey on is race. Jennsen has decided to create a society where race/ethnicity is no longer a point of oppression and domination. At the same time, races have blurred over time to the point of being inconsequential. While this is a possible evolution of race, and a pretty nice sounding one, I have concern over the end result when this book is being read by people in our society. We live in a white privileged society, and we are going to read this book with all of our implicit racist socializations. When I read all of these characters that are supposed to be a mix of races and cultures, I end up defaulting them all to white in my mind and I assume I am not the only one that this will happen for. In addition, wiping away all privilege and and disadvantage without commenting on them allows these issues to continue on our own society unchecked (I suggest doing a google search on color blind racism to see where Im coming from with this point).
Despite this concern I have, Aurora Rhapsody continues to score pretty well on diversity. We never have a shortage of incredible women doing incredible things. Not only are there a lot of powerful women, they are all very different from each other. We do not get the short stick of the cookie cutter bad ass woman here. There are a lot of representations of masculinity and femininity throughout the cast. As for queer representations, we have gotten another queer power couple (wooooooo!!!). I won't spoil who gets together, but it is a pretty awesome development. There have not been any transgender characters introduced (or at least this aspect of any characters has not been acknowledged). Hopefully at some point we will see this issue touched on in some way in the future. Class divides were touched upon in earlier novels and those themes continue here. Class is especially prevalent in the short story Solatium (read that by the way. Apogee too. Before you read Dissonance. Do it now).
If you have not gotten it yet, my point is that you should read the book, it is amazing.
January 31, 2018
I love this series, it is one of my favourite space operas ever. Bring on the next one.
April 6, 2016
Warning! Do not attempt to read this book without having first read the Aurora Rising trilogy and Sidespace, the first book in this trilogy. If you go back and do that, you will not regret it! But Ms. Jennsen does not waste valuable time and space in her novels catching you up on what has already happened, and you will be lost if you haven't read the others.
This novel, perhaps even more than the others, takes off running! It is action packed from beginning to end. I do have to admit that I got a little impatient with the Milky Way segments, not because they were boring or slow, but simply because I wanted to get back to the brilliant, vivid worlds that are so beautifully painted in the Portal segments. I am again amazed at Ms. Jennsen's imagination and craft in both creating these worlds, and translating them to the page so that I can see them in their full glory.
I will not attempt to summarize the story, but suffice it to say that I was not disappointed. I cannot wait to see how this story progresses in the next installment! Ms. Jennsen shows no signs of slowing down or losing her incredible voice!
This novel, perhaps even more than the others, takes off running! It is action packed from beginning to end. I do have to admit that I got a little impatient with the Milky Way segments, not because they were boring or slow, but simply because I wanted to get back to the brilliant, vivid worlds that are so beautifully painted in the Portal segments. I am again amazed at Ms. Jennsen's imagination and craft in both creating these worlds, and translating them to the page so that I can see them in their full glory.
I will not attempt to summarize the story, but suffice it to say that I was not disappointed. I cannot wait to see how this story progresses in the next installment! Ms. Jennsen shows no signs of slowing down or losing her incredible voice!
January 6, 2017
Another excellent foray into the portals for Alex and Caleb. I really enjoy their relationship -- they are a mature, loving couple who support each other, and even when they have an issue, they talk things out, levy proper apologies, and minimize drama. Same with the other couples through the book, and for me, the normal interactions are refreshing when so many books strive for extremes. Additionally, there are numerous interesting themes in this series -- interpersonal relationships, technological advancements, moral dilemmas. I am definitely looking forward to finishing this trilogy to see what Miriam has been up to the entire book. I suspect it will be exciting and explosive somehow.
June 6, 2016
First I listened to the audiobook as I have with all the others in the 2 series and the narrator is wonderful. I believe that this is the best book so far the author has really came into her style at this point. I love catching the little 1 line seeds she plants for future awakenings or twists. Her characters to me as with her universe or universes are so real I feel with them,root for them and at times dam near(I'm a guy) cry with them. I think we can start talking of this series with the others that are always at the top of the "Best Of" lists that we all love to look at and argue over.
July 22, 2016
Another stunning read from G. S. Jennsen. Now onward to Abysm!
May 17, 2021
"Know this: you need not be afraid. They own the fear. They fear us because they believe we are powerful, and they are correct to do so."
The technology behind Project Noetica is on the loose. Prevos--individuals and AIs sharing a single body--are spreading across the galaxy. Now two opposing but inexorably related forces, the Order of the True Sentients and the Zelones cartel, led by Olivia Montegreu, threaten to plunge the galaxy into chaos.
OTS believes Prevos are monsters who endanger humanity, and it intends to destroy them by any means necessary. Underworld despot Olivia Montegreu, now a radically enhanced Prevo, is its doomsday warnings made flesh.
As society splinters from within and the Earth Alliance falls to reactionaries, a formidable new player emerges on the galactic stage, one not afraid to do whatever it takes to protect all sentient life--human, Artificial and Prevo.
The Metigen surged forward to engulf her in light. I see you, Alexis Solovy.
A galactic playground where the Metigens harness the elemental forces of space to destroy entire star systems. An alien species those same Metigens shelter from a terrifying enemy. Alex and Caleb's exploration of the portal network reveals profound mysteries, but each one leads to more questions.
Killers and saviors. Deceivers and protectors. Destroyers and creators. Could the Metigens truly be all these things? The search for answers leads Alex and Caleb to the most shocking revelation of all--the true face of the enemy.
*
It is a time of accelerating technological change and shifting allegiances as the old rules fall away and the old balance of power is upended. A new world rises--one of unshackled AIs, indestructible starships, ethereal quantum spaces and potent new weapons--and the race is on to determine who will control its future. (less)
The technology behind Project Noetica is on the loose. Prevos--individuals and AIs sharing a single body--are spreading across the galaxy. Now two opposing but inexorably related forces, the Order of the True Sentients and the Zelones cartel, led by Olivia Montegreu, threaten to plunge the galaxy into chaos.
OTS believes Prevos are monsters who endanger humanity, and it intends to destroy them by any means necessary. Underworld despot Olivia Montegreu, now a radically enhanced Prevo, is its doomsday warnings made flesh.
As society splinters from within and the Earth Alliance falls to reactionaries, a formidable new player emerges on the galactic stage, one not afraid to do whatever it takes to protect all sentient life--human, Artificial and Prevo.
The Metigen surged forward to engulf her in light. I see you, Alexis Solovy.
A galactic playground where the Metigens harness the elemental forces of space to destroy entire star systems. An alien species those same Metigens shelter from a terrifying enemy. Alex and Caleb's exploration of the portal network reveals profound mysteries, but each one leads to more questions.
Killers and saviors. Deceivers and protectors. Destroyers and creators. Could the Metigens truly be all these things? The search for answers leads Alex and Caleb to the most shocking revelation of all--the true face of the enemy.
*
It is a time of accelerating technological change and shifting allegiances as the old rules fall away and the old balance of power is upended. A new world rises--one of unshackled AIs, indestructible starships, ethereal quantum spaces and potent new weapons--and the race is on to determine who will control its future. (less)
March 19, 2019
This book is good, but one thing irritated me, as the first time I read this book: Alex's addiction. It's credible, but as I admire this character, it's hard to be empathic about her addiction. This makes Alex more human (in a sense, even if this addiction makes her in fact inhuman), but I would have liked her to be stronger.
But this book have also a BIG revelation:
I remember, the first time I read this book, I was like.. WHAT??? lol, I like that!!
But this book have also a BIG revelation:
I remember, the first time I read this book, I was like.. WHAT??? lol, I like that!!
June 6, 2021
Wonderful story.
While reading this book as well as the series I fall into the story. The imagery is fantastic, characters are fascinating and I don't want to put it down. I have truly enjoyed the twists, turns, and different species introduced. The portal is a unique way to travel and explain the universe. The Prevo concept is outstanding. Especially Alex being connected with Syane, is almost like I am experiencing the thrill of traversing space. I have encouraged my brother and sons to read your books. I think they will love them as much as I do. Thank you for sharing this amazing story.
While reading this book as well as the series I fall into the story. The imagery is fantastic, characters are fascinating and I don't want to put it down. I have truly enjoyed the twists, turns, and different species introduced. The portal is a unique way to travel and explain the universe. The Prevo concept is outstanding. Especially Alex being connected with Syane, is almost like I am experiencing the thrill of traversing space. I have encouraged my brother and sons to read your books. I think they will love them as much as I do. Thank you for sharing this amazing story.
October 20, 2024
Ok I just finished this one and I know all the characters now. PLOT TWIST ending but I felt like we knew it was leading there after one of the portal visits earlier in the book.
IMO the aurora drama was much more interesting than portal exploration in this book with the development of several side characters. Caleb is pretty secondary to me now. he seems to only give a shit about Alex’s safety.
Other reactions:
Devon, my guy, how can you be so smart but somehow so stupid??? 😩😤
Mia + Malcom let’s make this happen 👏🏽👏🏽
lol Morgan 😏
Go off Miriam queen mama 👑
Trying to write this without spoilers is hard. 😔
Onto the next one! 👆🏼
IMO the aurora drama was much more interesting than portal exploration in this book with the development of several side characters. Caleb is pretty secondary to me now. he seems to only give a shit about Alex’s safety.
Other reactions:
Devon, my guy, how can you be so smart but somehow so stupid??? 😩😤
Mia + Malcom let’s make this happen 👏🏽👏🏽
lol Morgan 😏
Go off Miriam queen mama 👑
Trying to write this without spoilers is hard. 😔
Onto the next one! 👆🏼
March 25, 2020
More good stuff from GS Jennsen. Our heroes continue their exploration of the universes behind the Metigen portal, finding new clues as to what the puppet masters are up to. A new and larger foe is introduced, and the relationship between humanity, the Metigen and the new threat, the Anaden is revealed. Back in our universe, Prevo technology has been released to the world, bringing the politics of artificial intelligence violently to the forefront. Richard and Miriam are forced to face up to Pamela Winslow, the new President of the Earth Alliance, and her somewhat demonic son, who heads up a military-style evangelical group opposed to the artificials. The story is fast-moving and never dull, and the deeper exploration of the dangers and/or benefits of AI are welcome developments in this series.
February 15, 2020
Almost didn't read it, but it's better than the previous book. It's up to a solid average. The local space opera isn't bad other than the canned characters. The remote universes with Caleb and Alex are starting to come together though still more a practice in world building than a needed plot driver.
In the middle, there's a really cute throwaway line to honor Douglas Adams.
In the middle, there's a really cute throwaway line to honor Douglas Adams.
April 15, 2020
Jennsen continues to deliver. Although the political intrigue part of the plot lacks the intricacy and the intensity of the one in the original trilogy, Jensen’s writing style more than makes up for it. Also, Caleb and Alex’s arc is my absolute favourite part and truly demonstrates the author’s imagination and talent. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
August 7, 2020
This series gets better and better. I was especially fascinated by the developing backstory of the Metigens (the adversary in earlier books). Jennsen has taken a clever twist with the 'bad guys'. And of course I love Caleb and Alex and their adventures (and romance), as well as the other many characters. A satisfying read and I've already downloaded the next book!
June 6, 2017
So I've given up on some of the literary flaws that irked me for the first two of this long series (including the author's consistent misuse of "which" when it should grammatically be "that"). Just enjoying the creativity, yarn-spinning, and character-building.
January 10, 2018
I'm pulling hard for Alex and Caleb. I love characters more when they have flaws and I can't wait to find out where Alex goes from here. There are tears in this one too, for Stanley and for Caleb. I'm a big Miriam fan now. These books keep getting better.
July 26, 2024
Best to start at the beginning with these. They're fairly enjoyable and trundle along well enough. Sci-fi elements are pretty good but characters after 5 books are beginnign to annoy me with rather immature reasoning.
September 3, 2018
Well, fuck.
Not unexpected, but will be interesting to see where it goes from here. She's totally got me hooked now.
Not unexpected, but will be interesting to see where it goes from here. She's totally got me hooked now.
November 1, 2022
Excellent Science Fiction! This storyline is more complex than I’ve seen before! Cliff-hanger has been redefined!
did-not-finish
June 21, 2025I wasn’t that excited by the first book in this trilogy, but I decided to continue. About 75 pages in, though, I realized I didn’t care what happened so I gave up.
August 24, 2025
Breathtaking in both expanse of its vision and the way it kept so many characters intrinsic to the story. The author does a great job at mingling politics and action, exploration and espionage. While the stories themselves were once again segregated, I truly enjoyed both this time. Alex and Caleb’s exploration of the portals was intriguing, and I loved that they encountered nothing in some, and unexplainable phenomena in others. It was a refreshing change from Star Trek-type aliens. They also gained a lot more information in this book compared with the previous ones combined. The revelations were stunning. In our universe, the discontent unveiled in the previous book is coming to a head. The interesting part is how it comes together and how people react to it. The characters’ voices were integral to making this feel natural, and it certainly does, even when Artificials are involved. Truly engaging, and keeps me coming back.
April 16, 2016
This is my new favorite book in the series. Definitely.
Alex and Caleb continue to explore the Metigen portals and pocket universes, making lots of new and interesting discoveries along the way. Meanwhile, other characters in the Aurora universe are left to deal with new threats on all sides as humanity struggles to decide what should be done about the Prevos.
For the first time, I think I actually enjoyed the parts that didn't focus on Caleb, Alex, and Valkyrie more. Not that those parts weren't great too, because they definitely were, but there was just so much going on in Aurora that I couldn't seem to turn pages fast enough. I was thrilled to see Olivia wreaking havoc everywhere she went. She's always been one of my favorites so it was fantastic to see her become the incredibly formidable enemy we always knew she was but never got to see on such a large scale. She's an incredible villain and I love her for that. I think I may have said this about Sidespace as well, but I really loved all the social issues that were explored in this book related to the creation of even more Prevos and how that added to the conflict. I'm excited to see how all of that will play out in the next book.
Alex and Caleb's parts of the story were also very well done. It was interesting to watch them slowly piece together the Metigen's motives and the last few pages, where we finally get some long-awaited answers, definitely promise an intriguing continuation of the series. I also really loved some of the conflicts that were explored between Alex and Caleb. It's nice to see a couple portrayed so realistically, with realistic arguments and frustrations with each other. They still love each other, clearly, but it's always nice to see some believable conflict in fictional relationships because obviously that's how real life relationships are.
Taking all of the epicness of this story into account, I can definitely say that this is my favorite book in the series so far. Thanks again, G.S. Jennsen, for writing an awesome book. I can't wait to read more.
Alex and Caleb continue to explore the Metigen portals and pocket universes, making lots of new and interesting discoveries along the way. Meanwhile, other characters in the Aurora universe are left to deal with new threats on all sides as humanity struggles to decide what should be done about the Prevos.
For the first time, I think I actually enjoyed the parts that didn't focus on Caleb, Alex, and Valkyrie more. Not that those parts weren't great too, because they definitely were, but there was just so much going on in Aurora that I couldn't seem to turn pages fast enough. I was thrilled to see Olivia wreaking havoc everywhere she went. She's always been one of my favorites so it was fantastic to see her become the incredibly formidable enemy we always knew she was but never got to see on such a large scale. She's an incredible villain and I love her for that. I think I may have said this about Sidespace as well, but I really loved all the social issues that were explored in this book related to the creation of even more Prevos and how that added to the conflict. I'm excited to see how all of that will play out in the next book.
Alex and Caleb's parts of the story were also very well done. It was interesting to watch them slowly piece together the Metigen's motives and the last few pages, where we finally get some long-awaited answers, definitely promise an intriguing continuation of the series. I also really loved some of the conflicts that were explored between Alex and Caleb. It's nice to see a couple portrayed so realistically, with realistic arguments and frustrations with each other. They still love each other, clearly, but it's always nice to see some believable conflict in fictional relationships because obviously that's how real life relationships are.
Taking all of the epicness of this story into account, I can definitely say that this is my favorite book in the series so far. Thanks again, G.S. Jennsen, for writing an awesome book. I can't wait to read more.
February 18, 2020
This book and the previous one made me love this space opera so much more. And I already loved it more than any other sci-fi series I know.
This trilogy world-builds on a much bigger canvas and gets into why the Metigen did their own world-building. We get to know them, breadcrumb by breadcrumb. I've been fascinated by them ever since Hyperion send his first words to Marcus and I continue to love them the more I find out about their mindboggling exploits and just how truly alien they are.
Characters continue to get developed in most interesting and delightful ways. I particularly love the paths Miriam, Richard, Malcolm, Kennedy, Noah, Mia, Devon, Morgan and of course Alex and Caleb take – so pretty much all the main characters 😂.
The writing is still amazing, precise flowing elegantly, lyrical, emotional, even when describing very abstract and otherworldly scenes.
This series is still as addictive as ever and I read it whenever I can, sometimes procrastinating important stuff because this is just so much more rewarding than that.
I'm so far a bit meh on the new prime minister and her son, I'd like to understand what really drives them like I could with Marcus or Olivia. Without that they are just boring bad guys whom I only hate for fucking with the main characters, not for who they are as a person, like, again, Marcus or Olivia.
I dread the day this series ends, it'll be like Alex going cold turkey from portal jumping 😂.
This trilogy world-builds on a much bigger canvas and gets into why the Metigen did their own world-building. We get to know them, breadcrumb by breadcrumb. I've been fascinated by them ever since Hyperion send his first words to Marcus and I continue to love them the more I find out about their mindboggling exploits and just how truly alien they are.
Characters continue to get developed in most interesting and delightful ways. I particularly love the paths Miriam, Richard, Malcolm, Kennedy, Noah, Mia, Devon, Morgan and of course Alex and Caleb take – so pretty much all the main characters 😂.
The writing is still amazing, precise flowing elegantly, lyrical, emotional, even when describing very abstract and otherworldly scenes.
This series is still as addictive as ever and I read it whenever I can, sometimes procrastinating important stuff because this is just so much more rewarding than that.
I'm so far a bit meh on the new prime minister and her son, I'd like to understand what really drives them like I could with Marcus or Olivia. Without that they are just boring bad guys whom I only hate for fucking with the main characters, not for who they are as a person, like, again, Marcus or Olivia.
I dread the day this series ends, it'll be like Alex going cold turkey from portal jumping 😂.
April 16, 2016
First thought...
G.S. Jennsen finish the next book now! I don't want to wait any longer than the five minutes it's been since I finished this book.
Everything that is going on through the Aurora portal can't possibly be the most important thing going on in the universe(s). Olivia Montegrue is being a huge bitch around the cosmos, the Prevos are under scrutiny and attack, and Earth and Seneca are still at odds for one reason or another, not to mention there is a new player in the field, the IDCC.
But Alex and Caleb aboard the Siyane have even more problems to worry about than everyone does back home. Mesme and the Mitegen are in a deep and mysterious problem, all of the other portals have problems on their own.
All of your favorite characters are back, better and more interesting than ever. What will await the human race, and what will await our heroes through the portals...? I don't know yet cause I can't read the next book.
G.S. Jennsen finish the next book now! I don't want to wait any longer than the five minutes it's been since I finished this book.
Everything that is going on through the Aurora portal can't possibly be the most important thing going on in the universe(s). Olivia Montegrue is being a huge bitch around the cosmos, the Prevos are under scrutiny and attack, and Earth and Seneca are still at odds for one reason or another, not to mention there is a new player in the field, the IDCC.
But Alex and Caleb aboard the Siyane have even more problems to worry about than everyone does back home. Mesme and the Mitegen are in a deep and mysterious problem, all of the other portals have problems on their own.
All of your favorite characters are back, better and more interesting than ever. What will await the human race, and what will await our heroes through the portals...? I don't know yet cause I can't read the next book.
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