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The Dissonance
From the acclaimed author of A Cosmology of Monsters comes an epic contemporary fantasy: a story of dark magic, terrible mistakes, and second chances.
"You can never go home again," the saying goes—but Hal, Athena, and Erin have to. In high school, the three were students of the eccentric Professor Marsh, trained in a secret system of magic known as the Dissonance, which is built around harnessing negative emotions: alienation, anger, pain. Then, twenty years ago, something happened that shattered their coven, scattering them across the country, stuck in mundane lives, alone.
But now, terrifying signs and portents (not to mention a pointed Facebook invite) have summoned them back to Clegg, Texas. There, their paths will collide with that of Owen, a closeted teenager from Alabama whose aborted cemetery seance with his crush summoned something far worse: a murderous entity whose desperate, driving purpose includes kidnapping Owen to serve as its Renfield. As Owen tries to outwit his new master, and Hal, Athena, and Erin reckon with how the choices they made as teens might connect to the apocalyptic event unfurling over the Lone Star State, shocking alliances form, old and new romances brew, and three unsuccessful adults and one frightened teen are all that stand between reality and oblivion.
From one of the boldest, most brilliant voices in modern fantastical horror, The Dissonance is a thrilling and beautifully written story of magic and monsters, forgiveness and friendship.
"You can never go home again," the saying goes—but Hal, Athena, and Erin have to. In high school, the three were students of the eccentric Professor Marsh, trained in a secret system of magic known as the Dissonance, which is built around harnessing negative emotions: alienation, anger, pain. Then, twenty years ago, something happened that shattered their coven, scattering them across the country, stuck in mundane lives, alone.
But now, terrifying signs and portents (not to mention a pointed Facebook invite) have summoned them back to Clegg, Texas. There, their paths will collide with that of Owen, a closeted teenager from Alabama whose aborted cemetery seance with his crush summoned something far worse: a murderous entity whose desperate, driving purpose includes kidnapping Owen to serve as its Renfield. As Owen tries to outwit his new master, and Hal, Athena, and Erin reckon with how the choices they made as teens might connect to the apocalyptic event unfurling over the Lone Star State, shocking alliances form, old and new romances brew, and three unsuccessful adults and one frightened teen are all that stand between reality and oblivion.
From one of the boldest, most brilliant voices in modern fantastical horror, The Dissonance is a thrilling and beautifully written story of magic and monsters, forgiveness and friendship.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published July 23, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
February 17, 2024
A brilliantly rendered tale of friendship, redemption, cosmic horror, and so much heart. The Dissonance cements Hamill as a master world-builder and one of the most exciting voices in fantasy today.
June 24, 2024
4.5 stars
“What do you think about the fuckups saving the day for once?”
What happens when a group of misfit teenagers unlock extraordinary powers? They unveil a world of strange and wondrous possibilities. But at what cost?
With hidden magic unlocked, a secret coven formed and the trials of love, friendship and loss to come, The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill delivers a superbly addictive read that makes the unbelievable, believable.
As teenagers, Hal, Peter, Erin and Athena were always close but during one summer sleepover they became bonded for life. When the four accidentally stumble upon a strange book, they unwittingly discover the power of Dissonance, a source of energy that can be tapped into with negative emotions. Under the tutelage of Professor Marsh, the four hone their powers, learn their strengths and weaknesses and push themselves to their absolute limits. Yet in 1999 something happened, something monumental. Now in their mid thirties the group are estranged from one another, barely on speaking terms, and their lives are not as fruitful as they had once dreamed they could be. Yet some bonds can’t ever be truly broken. Through a series of strange events they are brought back together as their fate intermingles with that of Owen, a young teenager who caught up in a seance at a cemetery, is now at the beck and call of a murderous entity possessing the body of his crush.
In the style of the 90’s cult classic, The Craft and the more modern Stranger Things (although it’s set in the 80’s) Hamill presents to us a group of outcast characters who in their subversion of social norms are able to see the world in a different light and uncover the myth and magic that lies underneath. Which in my opinion, is much cooler than being popular! Each of our main characters in The Dissonance come from either disadvantaged backgrounds, have faced trauma or had their own struggles. For Hal and Erin this meant living in poverty with parents who were volatile in their own ways. In contrast Athena came from a more wealthy household and her parents were much more supportive, yet being a Black young girl in a predominantly White community meant she faced other hardships. For Peter, well growing up an orphan and being taken care of by an unaffectionate and distant grandfather had taken its own toll. Though despite all their setbacks, this is actually what makes them perceptive to the Dissonance as Dissonant energy is more easily tapped into if the person has gone through strife and felt pain.
The magic system which Hamill depicts is something that is explored in detail and yet still contains its many mysteries. I very much liked the concept of Dissonance giving those with little power or agency in the world the means to create magic, to feel special, to feel like superheroes. Every user of Dissonance wields it in different ways and the stronger they become the harder it becomes to know when to stop, especially when the possibilities seem endless. You see not everything is known about this energy or where it comes from, there are many theories and literature on the subject, which Professor Marsh owns a substantial amount of, but ultimately there is so much of the unknown, so much to explore. I loved seeing the way the search for knowledge led our characters on some strange and pretty wildly dangerous adventures and the various ways this affected them. Having this power doesn’t instantly make their lives better, in fact things become even more complicated for them all, but it does open up new doorways—quite literally. Throughout The Dissonance Hamill really revels in blending sci-fi with elements of fantasy and horror which just add to the excitement of his story.
“She'd known the members of her coven shared a connection, but now, that truth manifested as a physical sensation. These weren't her friends. They were the rest of her soul. That was why she only ever felt complete with these three people. It wasn't sentimentality. Their connection was as real as gravity, or time.”
The novel’s structure was one of the aspects I felt Hamill executed really well. Throughout we go back and forth between the mid 90’s, where our group go through the normal trials and tribulations of teenagers and first discover the Dissonance, leading up to the catastrophic event, and the present timeline of 2019 which brings our estranged friends back together. The 2019 timeline is also where we meet poor Owen and discover his plight, which always left me wanting to know how he would fare. Some readers may find it jarring to switch timelines so often but I found it an effective and compelling way to shed light on the backstory of Hal, Erin, Athena and Peter, giving a detailed account of their growing friendship, their experiences of having a secret power and forming their own little coven whilst also creating great foreshadowing for what was to come. Both timelines held such tension and as a reader, knowing something bad is going to happen but not knowing exactly what, just makes the book unputdownable.
The Dissonance has all the staples of a cult classic with Hamil’s own blend of compelling storytelling, true to life characters, heartfelt friendships and bizarre, wondrous worlds. If you like Stranger Things, you’ll definitely want to read this.
"We all have pain," he said. "Just because mine is real doesn't mean
yours isn't."
ARC provided by Bahar at Titan Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the copy! All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change on publication.
“What do you think about the fuckups saving the day for once?”
What happens when a group of misfit teenagers unlock extraordinary powers? They unveil a world of strange and wondrous possibilities. But at what cost?
With hidden magic unlocked, a secret coven formed and the trials of love, friendship and loss to come, The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill delivers a superbly addictive read that makes the unbelievable, believable.
As teenagers, Hal, Peter, Erin and Athena were always close but during one summer sleepover they became bonded for life. When the four accidentally stumble upon a strange book, they unwittingly discover the power of Dissonance, a source of energy that can be tapped into with negative emotions. Under the tutelage of Professor Marsh, the four hone their powers, learn their strengths and weaknesses and push themselves to their absolute limits. Yet in 1999 something happened, something monumental. Now in their mid thirties the group are estranged from one another, barely on speaking terms, and their lives are not as fruitful as they had once dreamed they could be. Yet some bonds can’t ever be truly broken. Through a series of strange events they are brought back together as their fate intermingles with that of Owen, a young teenager who caught up in a seance at a cemetery, is now at the beck and call of a murderous entity possessing the body of his crush.
In the style of the 90’s cult classic, The Craft and the more modern Stranger Things (although it’s set in the 80’s) Hamill presents to us a group of outcast characters who in their subversion of social norms are able to see the world in a different light and uncover the myth and magic that lies underneath. Which in my opinion, is much cooler than being popular! Each of our main characters in The Dissonance come from either disadvantaged backgrounds, have faced trauma or had their own struggles. For Hal and Erin this meant living in poverty with parents who were volatile in their own ways. In contrast Athena came from a more wealthy household and her parents were much more supportive, yet being a Black young girl in a predominantly White community meant she faced other hardships. For Peter, well growing up an orphan and being taken care of by an unaffectionate and distant grandfather had taken its own toll. Though despite all their setbacks, this is actually what makes them perceptive to the Dissonance as Dissonant energy is more easily tapped into if the person has gone through strife and felt pain.
The magic system which Hamill depicts is something that is explored in detail and yet still contains its many mysteries. I very much liked the concept of Dissonance giving those with little power or agency in the world the means to create magic, to feel special, to feel like superheroes. Every user of Dissonance wields it in different ways and the stronger they become the harder it becomes to know when to stop, especially when the possibilities seem endless. You see not everything is known about this energy or where it comes from, there are many theories and literature on the subject, which Professor Marsh owns a substantial amount of, but ultimately there is so much of the unknown, so much to explore. I loved seeing the way the search for knowledge led our characters on some strange and pretty wildly dangerous adventures and the various ways this affected them. Having this power doesn’t instantly make their lives better, in fact things become even more complicated for them all, but it does open up new doorways—quite literally. Throughout The Dissonance Hamill really revels in blending sci-fi with elements of fantasy and horror which just add to the excitement of his story.
“She'd known the members of her coven shared a connection, but now, that truth manifested as a physical sensation. These weren't her friends. They were the rest of her soul. That was why she only ever felt complete with these three people. It wasn't sentimentality. Their connection was as real as gravity, or time.”
The novel’s structure was one of the aspects I felt Hamill executed really well. Throughout we go back and forth between the mid 90’s, where our group go through the normal trials and tribulations of teenagers and first discover the Dissonance, leading up to the catastrophic event, and the present timeline of 2019 which brings our estranged friends back together. The 2019 timeline is also where we meet poor Owen and discover his plight, which always left me wanting to know how he would fare. Some readers may find it jarring to switch timelines so often but I found it an effective and compelling way to shed light on the backstory of Hal, Erin, Athena and Peter, giving a detailed account of their growing friendship, their experiences of having a secret power and forming their own little coven whilst also creating great foreshadowing for what was to come. Both timelines held such tension and as a reader, knowing something bad is going to happen but not knowing exactly what, just makes the book unputdownable.
The Dissonance has all the staples of a cult classic with Hamil’s own blend of compelling storytelling, true to life characters, heartfelt friendships and bizarre, wondrous worlds. If you like Stranger Things, you’ll definitely want to read this.
"We all have pain," he said. "Just because mine is real doesn't mean
yours isn't."
ARC provided by Bahar at Titan Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the copy! All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change on publication.
June 30, 2024
I have read a lot of novels that attempt to be their own version of IT, stories of adults brought back to their childhood to once again defeat an unspeakable evil. Most of them have felt like ripoffs, pale imitations. This is the first one I've found that actually has some magic to it. It's also one of the better Horror/Fantasy combinations I can recall. (Only Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House series comes to mind, they're similar in theme but pretty different in tone.)
I do not always take a lot of pleasure from the worldbuilding of Fantasy, the explanations of elaborate magical systems. And yet this book never bothered me, even though it has its own complex system of magic. It always feels organic, especially as we see how the different characters relate to it. This is, perhaps, the best thing about this book. Our primary protagonists--Hal, Erin, and Athena--all have profoundly different relationships to and experiences with the power known as The Dissonance. The shifting perspectives always serve a bigger purpose, not only to move the plot forward but to give us really different thoughts and experiences from the different characters. Multi POV can be done very badly but here it functions just as it should.
There are some weaknesses here that are not really weaknesses, but part of the intention of the whole package. Especially the central friend group who don't really make any sense together as a friend group, this is one of the required conceits of what the book wants to do so you just have to go with it. The romantic plots could be annoying but thankfully stay in the background until they become important for the plot or an emotional payoff. You do need to suspend a lot of disbelief here, especially imagining what would have happened right after 1999 and the destruction of an entire school and everyone in it, which the book never bothers to envision and once we have the full backstory it makes the future timelines feel like they're missing some pieces between the teen characters and the adults, but again, this is pretty typical of this type of story!
There are a lot of things I really enjoyed, that I thought this book did quite well. Even if I started with a lot of skepticism, I was very won over. I liked the movement through time, the flashes back to the past that fleshed out the backstory but are really the central story. Hamill lets us sit in them for long stretches. (The only time this book felt like it was too long or dragging was the desert stuff, I could never figure out why it had to go on for so long.) The book is great at holding on to a crucial piece of information until just the right time. And it's really good at not just making you wait, but having the reveal feel satisfying. They are not smack you over the head WTF reveals, sometimes you're not even sure exactly what is happening and why, but emotionally they hit the necessary beats. And one of this book's other strengths is it doesn't need to explain everything! I like the unexplained stuff, the missing perspectives, it leaves us feeling like everything isn't all wrapped up with a bow.
I liked Hamill's debut fine but noted that it suffered in its depiction of female characters. He's much better here, Athena and Erin are well drawn and interesting. I had just a slight quibble with the way Hamill writes about Athena's worries about her weight--it felt tacked on and not as fully realized--but these are quibbles and the gist of it all worked.
Mostly I just found this book really fun to read. I never found myself profoundly disappointed or annoyed, which is pretty impressive in a book this long. I was excited to come back to it and see what would happen. It made me wish that other people could execute this little subgenre competently instead of most books like this just not working for me at all because when they work they are fun! Hamill is one to watch, for sure, a lot of imagination, strong character development, real emotional investment, a solid work.
I do not always take a lot of pleasure from the worldbuilding of Fantasy, the explanations of elaborate magical systems. And yet this book never bothered me, even though it has its own complex system of magic. It always feels organic, especially as we see how the different characters relate to it. This is, perhaps, the best thing about this book. Our primary protagonists--Hal, Erin, and Athena--all have profoundly different relationships to and experiences with the power known as The Dissonance. The shifting perspectives always serve a bigger purpose, not only to move the plot forward but to give us really different thoughts and experiences from the different characters. Multi POV can be done very badly but here it functions just as it should.
There are some weaknesses here that are not really weaknesses, but part of the intention of the whole package. Especially the central friend group who don't really make any sense together as a friend group, this is one of the required conceits of what the book wants to do so you just have to go with it. The romantic plots could be annoying but thankfully stay in the background until they become important for the plot or an emotional payoff. You do need to suspend a lot of disbelief here, especially imagining what would have happened right after 1999 and the destruction of an entire school and everyone in it, which the book never bothers to envision and once we have the full backstory it makes the future timelines feel like they're missing some pieces between the teen characters and the adults, but again, this is pretty typical of this type of story!
There are a lot of things I really enjoyed, that I thought this book did quite well. Even if I started with a lot of skepticism, I was very won over. I liked the movement through time, the flashes back to the past that fleshed out the backstory but are really the central story. Hamill lets us sit in them for long stretches. (The only time this book felt like it was too long or dragging was the desert stuff, I could never figure out why it had to go on for so long.) The book is great at holding on to a crucial piece of information until just the right time. And it's really good at not just making you wait, but having the reveal feel satisfying. They are not smack you over the head WTF reveals, sometimes you're not even sure exactly what is happening and why, but emotionally they hit the necessary beats. And one of this book's other strengths is it doesn't need to explain everything! I like the unexplained stuff, the missing perspectives, it leaves us feeling like everything isn't all wrapped up with a bow.
I liked Hamill's debut fine but noted that it suffered in its depiction of female characters. He's much better here, Athena and Erin are well drawn and interesting. I had just a slight quibble with the way Hamill writes about Athena's worries about her weight--it felt tacked on and not as fully realized--but these are quibbles and the gist of it all worked.
Mostly I just found this book really fun to read. I never found myself profoundly disappointed or annoyed, which is pretty impressive in a book this long. I was excited to come back to it and see what would happen. It made me wish that other people could execute this little subgenre competently instead of most books like this just not working for me at all because when they work they are fun! Hamill is one to watch, for sure, a lot of imagination, strong character development, real emotional investment, a solid work.
July 22, 2024
In his offbeat horror novel The Dissonance Hamill expertly captures the nostalgic and undoubtedly magical feeling from childhood that anything is possible as long as you've got your friends by your side. Even if you do form some sort of trauma bonded coven and endure unspeakable otherworldly nightmares, maybe especially so.
There has been an empty chasm in my very soul shaped like 'kids fighting evil/adults revisiting childhood to face unspeakable evil' since I read IT and more recently, Children of the Dark. I found this placated my rather voracious need for normal people to be plunged into metaphysical madness. If you're a fan of stories that have themes of friendship at their core, think Stranger Things, Stand By Me or the aforementioned IT, you will appreciate Hamills remarkable blend of horror, coming of age, fantasy, sci-fi and dark academia.
With intricate world building, complex magic systems and authentic characters, Hamill has crafted a unique story that has echoes of King but with heaps more angst and grit. In a world where what traumatizes you enables you to better harness the power of "Dissonance" which is essentially the clash between the rough edges of reality when things don't go as planned, it's not a far stretch of the imagination to assume if we peel back the layers of cosmic horror there lies a message of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Rather than walking the line between horror and fantasy, Hamill brings them together in a cataclysmic collision resulting in a harrowing yet beautiful story of love, redemption, magic and monsters.
There has been an empty chasm in my very soul shaped like 'kids fighting evil/adults revisiting childhood to face unspeakable evil' since I read IT and more recently, Children of the Dark. I found this placated my rather voracious need for normal people to be plunged into metaphysical madness. If you're a fan of stories that have themes of friendship at their core, think Stranger Things, Stand By Me or the aforementioned IT, you will appreciate Hamills remarkable blend of horror, coming of age, fantasy, sci-fi and dark academia.
With intricate world building, complex magic systems and authentic characters, Hamill has crafted a unique story that has echoes of King but with heaps more angst and grit. In a world where what traumatizes you enables you to better harness the power of "Dissonance" which is essentially the clash between the rough edges of reality when things don't go as planned, it's not a far stretch of the imagination to assume if we peel back the layers of cosmic horror there lies a message of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Rather than walking the line between horror and fantasy, Hamill brings them together in a cataclysmic collision resulting in a harrowing yet beautiful story of love, redemption, magic and monsters.
July 15, 2024
Very readable and a strong first half, but the last fifth or so was a MESS, with so much of the potential payoff/satisfaction sacrificed to leave room for a possible sequel that no one needs. So many random and inexplicable coincidences, so many last-second, hand-wavey explanations info-dumped on us, so many pointless revelations crowbarred in where they didn't fit and weren't necessary. To say nothing of how the very cool premise wasn't explored or utilised nearly as much as it could have been.
Failed massively to live up to its potential.
*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
HIGHLIGHTS
~fuckups unite (I say with love)
~BFFs for real
~the more you’re broken, the more you’re magic
Hamill’s prose is very readable, his characters extremely believable (if not especially unique or interesting), and the premise is great. And I was really enjoying myself for the first half of the book! It was looking like it was going to be at least a four-star read.
But that ending. That last, what, 20, 25% or so. There were parts where I could guess what Hamill was trying to do, but it was such a train-wreck.
The Dissonance is told via dual storylines; one following the main characters in their teens back in the 80s, the other set in 2019. (And I’ve got to be honest, knowing Covid was about to hit like a hammer kind of undermined the whole saving-the-world thing for me. Which it shouldn’t, really, but…it’s hard to cheer when you know an even bigger disaster is right around the corner, you know?) Splitting the story like this was fantastic; Hamill does an excellent job of keeping the tensions high as you go back and forth between the two time periods – I was on the edge of my seat waiting for answers about how we got from there to here. The dissonance (hah!) between where Athena, Peter, Hal, and Erin started as teenagers as they begin learning magic, and where they ended up as pretty broken adults? WHAT HAPPENED? One of them has died – how?! They’ve all lost their magic – why?! I was extremely invested!
And the answers turned out to be…so extremely anticlimatic and nonsensical. I couldn’t believe that’s what happened to their magic. (Or rather, why that’s what happened to their magic.) And I was genuinely pissed off at how hand-wavey and random the character death was, and the complete lack of even an attempt at explaining what the fuck. Literally the only time the other characters try to discuss how or why it happened, Hal complains that thinking about it is hurting his head, and that’s it. It’s just hand-waved. We’re not supposed to question it, I guess.
Except that, in the lead-up to the climax and the climax itself, Hamill does nothing but throw questions at us, dropping out-of-nowhere revelations on us left, right, and centre – none of which had any groundwork laid for them, none of which make any kind of sense, none of which were necessary or even interesting. Oh, x character is evil actually??? Undines have kids how exactly??? That’s why Hal can’t use magic??? That’s what happened to the school??? You made a soul out of fucking what???
So much was thrown at us at the last possible minute that added nothing to the story, but was clearly just shoe-horned in to leave room for a potential sequel. I have no objections to writers leaving room for sequels, but for crying out loud, don’t bombard me with info-dump oh yeah AND moments in the last thirty pages!!!
The hard emphasis on being broken makes you a Dissonant (aka, gives you the ability to use magic) in the Final Battle actually did not fill me with Epic Feels the way I think it was meant to. It ended up underlining a massive wtf in the worldbuilding. See, there’s a whole Dissonant community out of sight of the rest of us. And there are BIPOC and queer Dissonant groups (which makes perfect sense). But the dominant segment of the Dissonant community are white Christians, which???
Sorry, back up. Explain to me how white Christians are in any way broken? In the sense of being out of tune with/rejected from society??? How the fuck does that work, sir? You’re telling me that THIS demographic are – in the US of A – such outcasts that they experience capital d Dissonance?
Yeah, no. I don’t think so.
It’s so frustrating, because there was so much potential in the Dissonant magic system! I was mad as hell to learn that, oh yeah, there are actual marginalised people among the Dissonants – they have their own communities, even! – but we don’t get to see those, just know that they’re there. I wanted to see those! I wanted to be hanging out with them instead of attending an, I swear to all the gods, white Christian magic convention. At which, unsurprisingly, the levels of arrogance and pretension were unbearable.
That was an actual plot point, that stupid convention, and, just – why? Why would you drag the story in this direction when we could have been seeing actual marginalised groups using magic, seeing what they did with it and how it affected their lives and communities? Why didn’t we see more Dissonance among people in poverty? There was just SO MUCH you could have done with this premise that wasn’t done, for no good reason that I can see.
(Except that it would have been too much work. Because if magic is something marginalised people can do, you have to do actual worldbuilding!!! LE GASP! The very idea! /s)
I am begging someone to tell me what the point of any of it was.
(I am being facetious, please don’t actually bother me with how this is supposed to make sense or how The Dissonance is great, actually.)
The people-y part of this book was great – the friendship between the four characters was wonderful, and they all felt fully fleshed-out. The ‘normal’-life crap they all had to deal with was done so well that I ached for all of them. The prose was good, and really easy to read. But The Dissonance self-destructs in the final quarter to the point that I just hate it. There’s no one I’d recommend it to.
Just skip it.
Trigger warnings:
Failed massively to live up to its potential.
*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
HIGHLIGHTS
~fuckups unite (I say with love)
~BFFs for real
~the more you’re broken, the more you’re magic
Hamill’s prose is very readable, his characters extremely believable (if not especially unique or interesting), and the premise is great. And I was really enjoying myself for the first half of the book! It was looking like it was going to be at least a four-star read.
But that ending. That last, what, 20, 25% or so. There were parts where I could guess what Hamill was trying to do, but it was such a train-wreck.
The Dissonance is told via dual storylines; one following the main characters in their teens back in the 80s, the other set in 2019. (And I’ve got to be honest, knowing Covid was about to hit like a hammer kind of undermined the whole saving-the-world thing for me. Which it shouldn’t, really, but…it’s hard to cheer when you know an even bigger disaster is right around the corner, you know?) Splitting the story like this was fantastic; Hamill does an excellent job of keeping the tensions high as you go back and forth between the two time periods – I was on the edge of my seat waiting for answers about how we got from there to here. The dissonance (hah!) between where Athena, Peter, Hal, and Erin started as teenagers as they begin learning magic, and where they ended up as pretty broken adults? WHAT HAPPENED? One of them has died – how?! They’ve all lost their magic – why?! I was extremely invested!
And the answers turned out to be…so extremely anticlimatic and nonsensical. I couldn’t believe that’s what happened to their magic. (Or rather, why that’s what happened to their magic.) And I was genuinely pissed off at how hand-wavey and random the character death was, and the complete lack of even an attempt at explaining what the fuck. Literally the only time the other characters try to discuss how or why it happened, Hal complains that thinking about it is hurting his head, and that’s it. It’s just hand-waved. We’re not supposed to question it, I guess.
Except that, in the lead-up to the climax and the climax itself, Hamill does nothing but throw questions at us, dropping out-of-nowhere revelations on us left, right, and centre – none of which had any groundwork laid for them, none of which make any kind of sense, none of which were necessary or even interesting. Oh, x character is evil actually??? Undines have kids how exactly??? That’s why Hal can’t use magic??? That’s what happened to the school??? You made a soul out of fucking what???
So much was thrown at us at the last possible minute that added nothing to the story, but was clearly just shoe-horned in to leave room for a potential sequel. I have no objections to writers leaving room for sequels, but for crying out loud, don’t bombard me with info-dump oh yeah AND moments in the last thirty pages!!!
The hard emphasis on being broken makes you a Dissonant (aka, gives you the ability to use magic) in the Final Battle actually did not fill me with Epic Feels the way I think it was meant to. It ended up underlining a massive wtf in the worldbuilding. See, there’s a whole Dissonant community out of sight of the rest of us. And there are BIPOC and queer Dissonant groups (which makes perfect sense). But the dominant segment of the Dissonant community are white Christians, which???
Sorry, back up. Explain to me how white Christians are in any way broken? In the sense of being out of tune with/rejected from society??? How the fuck does that work, sir? You’re telling me that THIS demographic are – in the US of A – such outcasts that they experience capital d Dissonance?
Yeah, no. I don’t think so.
It’s so frustrating, because there was so much potential in the Dissonant magic system! I was mad as hell to learn that, oh yeah, there are actual marginalised people among the Dissonants – they have their own communities, even! – but we don’t get to see those, just know that they’re there. I wanted to see those! I wanted to be hanging out with them instead of attending an, I swear to all the gods, white Christian magic convention. At which, unsurprisingly, the levels of arrogance and pretension were unbearable.
That was an actual plot point, that stupid convention, and, just – why? Why would you drag the story in this direction when we could have been seeing actual marginalised groups using magic, seeing what they did with it and how it affected their lives and communities? Why didn’t we see more Dissonance among people in poverty? There was just SO MUCH you could have done with this premise that wasn’t done, for no good reason that I can see.
(Except that it would have been too much work. Because if magic is something marginalised people can do, you have to do actual worldbuilding!!! LE GASP! The very idea! /s)
I am begging someone to tell me what the point of any of it was.
(I am being facetious, please don’t actually bother me with how this is supposed to make sense or how The Dissonance is great, actually.)
The people-y part of this book was great – the friendship between the four characters was wonderful, and they all felt fully fleshed-out. The ‘normal’-life crap they all had to deal with was done so well that I ached for all of them. The prose was good, and really easy to read. But The Dissonance self-destructs in the final quarter to the point that I just hate it. There’s no one I’d recommend it to.
Just skip it.
Trigger warnings:
July 30, 2024
I ended up really enjoying The Dissonance.
We follow Hal, Athena, and Erin who were students of the Professor Marsh, trained in a magic known as the Dissonance, Twenty years ago, something happened that shattered their coven, scattering them across the country.
But now they are summoned back to their hometown where their paths collide with Owen, a closeted teenager whose cemetery seance with his crush summoned a murderous entity.
The book is a dark fantasy with some cosmic horror elements and follows two different timelines, one that was set in the 90s and the other 20 years later.
I'm usually not a big fan of multiple timelines in books, but it was done brilliantly in The Dissonance. I loved following both timelines and was always excited to see what would happen next!
My favourite part of the book was definitely the magic and the world building. It was phenomenal and unique. I just loved everything about it!
I did find the ending was a little messy, but other than that, I really enjoyed everything in the book.
The characters were great (especially Hal he was my favourite!), and the plot was so much fun to read, and I could hardly put the book down.
I'm not sure if there will be a sequel, but some things at the end made it feel like there could be one in the future.
I would be so happy for there to be a sequel as I really would love to read more!
The Dissonance is definitely a book I highly recommend!
We follow Hal, Athena, and Erin who were students of the Professor Marsh, trained in a magic known as the Dissonance, Twenty years ago, something happened that shattered their coven, scattering them across the country.
But now they are summoned back to their hometown where their paths collide with Owen, a closeted teenager whose cemetery seance with his crush summoned a murderous entity.
The book is a dark fantasy with some cosmic horror elements and follows two different timelines, one that was set in the 90s and the other 20 years later.
I'm usually not a big fan of multiple timelines in books, but it was done brilliantly in The Dissonance. I loved following both timelines and was always excited to see what would happen next!
My favourite part of the book was definitely the magic and the world building. It was phenomenal and unique. I just loved everything about it!
I did find the ending was a little messy, but other than that, I really enjoyed everything in the book.
The characters were great (especially Hal he was my favourite!), and the plot was so much fun to read, and I could hardly put the book down.
I'm not sure if there will be a sequel, but some things at the end made it feel like there could be one in the future.
I would be so happy for there to be a sequel as I really would love to read more!
The Dissonance is definitely a book I highly recommend!
Shelved as 'physical-books'
August 1, 2024patiently waiting for goodreads to add the (better) UK cover
July 25, 2024
The biggest thanks to the author for getting an ARC in my hands!
Dark fantasy, horror, dark academia, coming-of-age themes. The Dissonance is a combination of many things, but most of all, it's an enthralling time spent in a fantastical world brought to life through authentic characters. Athena, Hal, and Erin were trained in a specitic system of magic back in the 90s as teens known as the Dissonance. Flash forward to 2019 and an invitation arrives marking the anniversary for some unknown event back in their hometown of Clegg, TX.
The past is never as far away as we think, something that's inherently true for Hal, Athena, and Erin as they face the music of their youth in addition to the real threats of today.
No one's writing familial, cyclical dynamics and character arcs like Shaun Hamill, something I noticed in his previous book, A Cosmology of Monsters, and confirmed with The Dissonance. The levels of authenticity in which he crafts his characters are noteworthy, enhancing whatever plot he may choose.
For The Dissonance, themes of reckoning, weight of power, and friendship are examined under the close lens of the fantastical.
As if Hamill's character work isn't impressive enough, a certain ease of access exists with this novel's world building. What I mean to say is that I normally struggle reading fantasy for how complex some of the "rules" are, but this certainly isn't the case here. Immediately, I was immersed within this world grounded in reality.
This is also not to say this is a "simple" magic system featured by the Dissonance. In fact, this world is so expansive and the possibilities so endless, I simply want to read more about unique brand of magic that exists in the in-between spaces of humanity.
I really can't say enough great things about this novel.
My investment in these characters was categorically off the charts, and those same feelings of being a young reader flying through the Percy Jackson series or The Hunger Games reemerged. Hamill exhibits the beauty in the broken, the magic in the mundane with The Dissonance.
Dark fantasy, horror, dark academia, coming-of-age themes. The Dissonance is a combination of many things, but most of all, it's an enthralling time spent in a fantastical world brought to life through authentic characters. Athena, Hal, and Erin were trained in a specitic system of magic back in the 90s as teens known as the Dissonance. Flash forward to 2019 and an invitation arrives marking the anniversary for some unknown event back in their hometown of Clegg, TX.
The past is never as far away as we think, something that's inherently true for Hal, Athena, and Erin as they face the music of their youth in addition to the real threats of today.
No one's writing familial, cyclical dynamics and character arcs like Shaun Hamill, something I noticed in his previous book, A Cosmology of Monsters, and confirmed with The Dissonance. The levels of authenticity in which he crafts his characters are noteworthy, enhancing whatever plot he may choose.
For The Dissonance, themes of reckoning, weight of power, and friendship are examined under the close lens of the fantastical.
As if Hamill's character work isn't impressive enough, a certain ease of access exists with this novel's world building. What I mean to say is that I normally struggle reading fantasy for how complex some of the "rules" are, but this certainly isn't the case here. Immediately, I was immersed within this world grounded in reality.
This is also not to say this is a "simple" magic system featured by the Dissonance. In fact, this world is so expansive and the possibilities so endless, I simply want to read more about unique brand of magic that exists in the in-between spaces of humanity.
I really can't say enough great things about this novel.
My investment in these characters was categorically off the charts, and those same feelings of being a young reader flying through the Percy Jackson series or The Hunger Games reemerged. Hamill exhibits the beauty in the broken, the magic in the mundane with The Dissonance.
July 10, 2024
The Dissonance is a contemporary horror/dark fantasy told in two timelines. During the summer before the start of high school, childhood friends Athena, Hal, Peter and Erin find a missing boy in the forest surrounding their small Texas town and are suddenly plunged into the secret world of sorcery where they are taken under the tutelage of Professor Marsh in the secret art of the Dissonance. But when tragedy strikes on the first day of their senior year, they go their separate ways. Now on the 20th anniversary, they are drawn back into their hometown for the memorial when they encounter Owen, a teenage boy taken hostage by an undead entity. They must face the sins and mistakes of their past if they want to save Owen, themselves, their hometown, and reality itself.
There was something that felt endlessly cool about the book, channeling horror classics like The Craft and even IT. It starts out with very strong horror vibes with the missing boy in the past and dreary and bleak tone of the friend’s lives in the present, but it does mostly taper off thereafter and goes for more a dark fantasy feel. I am personally not that big on horror so I liked the direction it went to. I liked the contrast between the characters from young adolescents who are still hopeful and growing into their potentials to these broken and traumatized adults who carry the heavy burden of their past. It’s a bleak but hopeful story of enduring friendship, unfulfilled love, and tragic loss. Anyone can find someone to latch on to here as the characters are all very diverse and imperfectly human with very relatable troubles despite the grand powers they wield.
In following two timelines, the book is essentially telling two stories, and this does limit the depth I was wanting or expecting from it. It is going for this very character-focused story, constantly shifting perspectives between chapters, but the propulsive plot was really rushing it along. The mystery element is satisfying as it builds towards two reveals—the tragic event in the past that has been teased and what is currently transpiring in the present. Unpredictable, inspired, and insidiously dark are how I would describe the reveals, but I am still uncertain about some things. I don’t know if this is meant to be a standalone, but it certainly feels like the start of a series. While it does tie up the main storylines, it feels like so many threads are still left open and many questions left unanswered.
The Dissonance is a dark occult fantasy with strong horror elements that is both bleak and hopeful.
*Thank you to Titan Books for the eARC via NetGalley
There was something that felt endlessly cool about the book, channeling horror classics like The Craft and even IT. It starts out with very strong horror vibes with the missing boy in the past and dreary and bleak tone of the friend’s lives in the present, but it does mostly taper off thereafter and goes for more a dark fantasy feel. I am personally not that big on horror so I liked the direction it went to. I liked the contrast between the characters from young adolescents who are still hopeful and growing into their potentials to these broken and traumatized adults who carry the heavy burden of their past. It’s a bleak but hopeful story of enduring friendship, unfulfilled love, and tragic loss. Anyone can find someone to latch on to here as the characters are all very diverse and imperfectly human with very relatable troubles despite the grand powers they wield.
In following two timelines, the book is essentially telling two stories, and this does limit the depth I was wanting or expecting from it. It is going for this very character-focused story, constantly shifting perspectives between chapters, but the propulsive plot was really rushing it along. The mystery element is satisfying as it builds towards two reveals—the tragic event in the past that has been teased and what is currently transpiring in the present. Unpredictable, inspired, and insidiously dark are how I would describe the reveals, but I am still uncertain about some things. I don’t know if this is meant to be a standalone, but it certainly feels like the start of a series. While it does tie up the main storylines, it feels like so many threads are still left open and many questions left unanswered.
The Dissonance is a dark occult fantasy with strong horror elements that is both bleak and hopeful.
*Thank you to Titan Books for the eARC via NetGalley
July 20, 2024
There always seems to be a lot of pressure put on authors second novels. After all, they probably spent years crafting and redrafting the story before finally having it published, so how can we expect them to deliver another gem so soon after that one that will shine as brightly, never mind brighter? Well, worry not my friends, for Shaun Hamill’s second novel is that brighter gem!
The Dissonance is a novel of magic, both of the mystical kind, but even more of the magic (and messiness) of friendship. I loved these layered, multifaceted, imperfect characters so very much, even when they were doing things that made me angry. I was 100 % with them for this ride.
Longtime best friends discover that there is a magic that can be wielded called Dissonance. Tutored under the stern Professor Marsh (Peter’s Grandfather and his only family) they form a coven and embark on a journey together, even though they are in it for different reasons.
The story weaves easily back and forth between their youth to where they are now, each dealing with the aftermath of all that came before. It doesn’t flinch from the ugly parts of friendship, or of life. It does, however, definitely leave you wanting more of their story to continue. So, if Mr. Hamill is so inclined to ever write a sequel to The Dissonance, I will be first in line to read it!!
**Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!**
The Dissonance is a novel of magic, both of the mystical kind, but even more of the magic (and messiness) of friendship. I loved these layered, multifaceted, imperfect characters so very much, even when they were doing things that made me angry. I was 100 % with them for this ride.
Longtime best friends discover that there is a magic that can be wielded called Dissonance. Tutored under the stern Professor Marsh (Peter’s Grandfather and his only family) they form a coven and embark on a journey together, even though they are in it for different reasons.
The story weaves easily back and forth between their youth to where they are now, each dealing with the aftermath of all that came before. It doesn’t flinch from the ugly parts of friendship, or of life. It does, however, definitely leave you wanting more of their story to continue. So, if Mr. Hamill is so inclined to ever write a sequel to The Dissonance, I will be first in line to read it!!
**Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!**
June 21, 2024
Unpredictable from most dark fantasies, Hamill’s latest work is another breath of fresh air.
July 21, 2024
Ahhhh!!
This book had so many things I loved! Maybe my favourite read of 2024?
I'm going to need some time to put my feelings into suitable words!
This book had so many things I loved! Maybe my favourite read of 2024?
I'm going to need some time to put my feelings into suitable words!
July 24, 2024
[4.5/5] If you’re looking for a book with Stranger Things/IT vibes, this is it! 🙌
This dark/urban fantasy novel has:
-A group of misfit teens
-Found-family vibes
-Dark fantasy/cosmic horror that still feels surprisingly grounded
-An interesting magic system (that’s not too complex to follow)
-A small-town Texas setting
If you’re a fan of Stephen King’s IT, you’ll love the similarities here! It’s got small town vibes, a found-family friend group, and an evil presence they must defeat to save their town. It even has the dual timelines that switch back and forth between the characters’ teen years and their adulthood.
I found it super easy to root for the characters, and the underlying magic system (the “Dissonance”) was unique and interesting. ✨
This story is on the longer side, but it felt like a quick read because of how easily it hooked me. Definitely recommended for fans of dark/urban fantasy and horror novels!
**Thanks to Pantheon for the gifted review copy!
This dark/urban fantasy novel has:
-A group of misfit teens
-Found-family vibes
-Dark fantasy/cosmic horror that still feels surprisingly grounded
-An interesting magic system (that’s not too complex to follow)
-A small-town Texas setting
If you’re a fan of Stephen King’s IT, you’ll love the similarities here! It’s got small town vibes, a found-family friend group, and an evil presence they must defeat to save their town. It even has the dual timelines that switch back and forth between the characters’ teen years and their adulthood.
I found it super easy to root for the characters, and the underlying magic system (the “Dissonance”) was unique and interesting. ✨
This story is on the longer side, but it felt like a quick read because of how easily it hooked me. Definitely recommended for fans of dark/urban fantasy and horror novels!
**Thanks to Pantheon for the gifted review copy!
May 4, 2024
Another ARC I got from Emerald City Comic Con at the Penguin BookWorlds booth. Thanks for being there and for the free copy!
This is a tough one to rate. As written and structured, I'd give the book 3 stars, but after I read it sort of out of order I'd give it 4. Full disclosure, I did not read the last half of the book the way the author structured it. One part of the book is about a group of teens (Peter, Athena, Hal and Erin) who stumble onto what is essentially magic (the Dissonance is a sort of power or energy that is in the world but which only a few select people have a connection to) one night and then spend the next. Peter's grandfather has secretly been studying the Dissonance for decades and takes it upon themselves to teach them until a disastrous thing happens that splits up the group. The other part takes place 20 years after that incident when Hal, Athena and Erin are in their late 30s. This part shows how what happened to them as kids has followed them into adulthood and affected how they live now. The book begins as they all get an invitation to the 20th anniversary of the horrible thing that happened to split them up and return to their hometown to face each other and what happened.
There is a secondary story about Owen, a kid who, through his own tragedy, gets drafted by a possibly malevolent entity, which has him drive it to the same town the Dissonant kids were from. This is about as much as I can say without spoiling anything more than is on the cover of the book.
The problem initially is with the structure. The sections set in 2019 keep getting interrupted abruptly by the ones from the late 90s, which interrupts the flow of the 2019 sections. The 2019 sections are so short they barely give you any relevant information before flashing back for 70-80 pages of the teenagers and their lives and it's disorienting because there doesn't seem to be a point. Usually when a time skip is used this way it's to slowly reveal things from the past that are relevant to the future, but in this case, most of the most relevant things about the past can either be readily inferred from the first few 2019 sections or from the first section in the past. The fine details aren't immediately clear but you get enough of an idea that it's unclear what the point of this structure was.
If you read it the way I did from about page 200 on, then the pacing issue, for me anyway, resolves itself. The sections set in the late 90s, introducing you to the kids and showing you their lives, the way they are, the things that have formed them, and how they relate to each other, their teacher and the Dissonance are given time to breathe if you read them all at once. When I read it alternated, I spent a lot of the 90s sections half paying attention because I wanted to know what happened in the next 2019 section. I don't know if that invalidates my rating of the book, reading it the "wrong" way around like I did, but since that was my only big problem with it, I don't know.
Now don't get me wrong, I really like books that play with time and have odd structures where the past happens before the present or alternated with it, and I've loved them. It can be a really effective way of telling a story, but in this case, it was just imbalanced and I didn't fully understand what the point of the back and forth was. The 90s sections are really good at showing you who the kids are and making them into pretty fully formed characters. There's a slow buildup through the sections to what eventually ends up happening which makes it even more powerful when it does. If the author had just put these all together and let the reader experience them at once without the future poking it's head in I think I would've enjoyed it more.
The 90s part is like a slow build to looming disaster where the 2019 parts don't take long to go full on "oh crap something bad is coming SOON". This difference in pacing creates an urgency in the 2019 parts that isn't there in the 90s part and so the 90s part just ends up feeling like an obstacle in the way of the resolution of the 2019 plot. Which is not fair to the 90s part, because, as I said, I *like* that part. I like both parts. I just like them both told in a linear fashion.
I know it is not my book. I'm not the author, and I'm sure that he made his decisions for a reason that made sense to him. I just felt like it worked better for me (personally) to have the first 2019 part as an introduction to all the present characters and their issues, with hints towards what might be going wrong for them and the impending Bad Thing, and then head back to the past and stay there through the past disaster, before coming back to finish up fully in 2019.
Other than the structure (which I suppose is kind of a big thing? but easily solved if you just read the past parts first and the present ones second), I really liked this book. As mentioned before, both parts have their merits and achieve what the author intended. Seeing the older Hal, Athena and Erin and how they were changed and still affected by what happened to them 20 years later is truly interesting, as is seeing how they were when they were kids and what led them to the point they're at as adults.
With one exception, I found that they all passed a vital test for me personally, which is "even if the character is doing something I think makes no sense, does it make sense for THEM and for THEIR circumstances." Too often characters do things that don't seem to make sense for their characters as established just because the plot needs to go in a certain way. For the most part, all of their motivations made sense, both as kids and as adults. Especially as kids, the author captured the feeling of being confused or left out or angry or just not knowing what to do or say, even with people who you care about, of trying to impress adults around you even if you don't like them, or even if they're telling you to do something you don't necessarily feel is right. As adults, you can see how the choices they made as kids have affected them as adults, and how in some ways they're all trapped in those old memories.
(the one exception is probably a moment that counts for me as the most irritating in the book. it felt way too much like a contrived third act conflict in a tropey romcom, designed simply to get the characters upset with one another because the plot needed them to be. This was one moment where I wished the author could've found a better way to get them there)
I also found the character of Owen and his relationship with Philip (who begins the book as Erin's... partner(?) and ends up becoming the catalyst for a lot of the Bad Thing that happens in the 2019 era)... odd. Their whole relationship felt rushed and I get that they were in a very stressful situation, but everything happens very fast with them. Also (SPOILER) what Philip is makes me question their whole romance. He was created to be someone's ideal romantic partner and then seems to morph into Owen's ideal romantic partner within the space of a day or two and then they're in love. and it feels... weird to me. The whole thing happens so fast and then the two of them get shoved out of the focus of the narrative so quickly after that that you don't get too much time to dwell on it but it is something that struck me as odd. Maybe it would even more so if I considered it longer. (END SPOILER)
The magic system was original (although the Professor would be angry at me for calling it magic instead of Dissonance) and pretty well fleshed out, although it's also made clear that there's still a lot (a WHOLE lot) that isn't known about it, so that when the finale comes along, and a lot of weird stuff we've never necessarily heard of starts happening, it felt like it could be part of Dissonance because there's so much that's not known. I feel like that didn't make sense but let's say I liked the magic system.
The lesson basically boils down to the power of friendship and connection, and having faith in those friendships, but not something that you're battered over the head with, and there are also themes about becoming older and reaching an understanding of yourself as it happens, coming to peace with your life as it and knowing what things (and people) are worth fighting for.
Oh and one other small issue: the entire epilogue could've used more space to breathe, but especially the last chapter from Athena's point of view, which covers what seems like way too much plot AND emotional territory for the seven pages its allotted. I felt like for all that it covers and for how important that stuff is... it felt like that chapter alone could've been 20+ more pages.
All in all, I recommend this one.
(Although as a side note, I feel I need more books where teen girls and boys are friends and they don't somehow end up paired up somehow. Where are all the platonic mixed sex groups of friends in literature? Am I just missing them? I feel like i've read them before and then suddenly forget about them when I'm getting mildly irked that there always have to be couples in these friend groups...)
This is a tough one to rate. As written and structured, I'd give the book 3 stars, but after I read it sort of out of order I'd give it 4. Full disclosure, I did not read the last half of the book the way the author structured it. One part of the book is about a group of teens (Peter, Athena, Hal and Erin) who stumble onto what is essentially magic (the Dissonance is a sort of power or energy that is in the world but which only a few select people have a connection to) one night and then spend the next. Peter's grandfather has secretly been studying the Dissonance for decades and takes it upon themselves to teach them until a disastrous thing happens that splits up the group. The other part takes place 20 years after that incident when Hal, Athena and Erin are in their late 30s. This part shows how what happened to them as kids has followed them into adulthood and affected how they live now. The book begins as they all get an invitation to the 20th anniversary of the horrible thing that happened to split them up and return to their hometown to face each other and what happened.
There is a secondary story about Owen, a kid who, through his own tragedy, gets drafted by a possibly malevolent entity, which has him drive it to the same town the Dissonant kids were from. This is about as much as I can say without spoiling anything more than is on the cover of the book.
The problem initially is with the structure. The sections set in 2019 keep getting interrupted abruptly by the ones from the late 90s, which interrupts the flow of the 2019 sections. The 2019 sections are so short they barely give you any relevant information before flashing back for 70-80 pages of the teenagers and their lives and it's disorienting because there doesn't seem to be a point. Usually when a time skip is used this way it's to slowly reveal things from the past that are relevant to the future, but in this case, most of the most relevant things about the past can either be readily inferred from the first few 2019 sections or from the first section in the past. The fine details aren't immediately clear but you get enough of an idea that it's unclear what the point of this structure was.
If you read it the way I did from about page 200 on, then the pacing issue, for me anyway, resolves itself. The sections set in the late 90s, introducing you to the kids and showing you their lives, the way they are, the things that have formed them, and how they relate to each other, their teacher and the Dissonance are given time to breathe if you read them all at once. When I read it alternated, I spent a lot of the 90s sections half paying attention because I wanted to know what happened in the next 2019 section. I don't know if that invalidates my rating of the book, reading it the "wrong" way around like I did, but since that was my only big problem with it, I don't know.
Now don't get me wrong, I really like books that play with time and have odd structures where the past happens before the present or alternated with it, and I've loved them. It can be a really effective way of telling a story, but in this case, it was just imbalanced and I didn't fully understand what the point of the back and forth was. The 90s sections are really good at showing you who the kids are and making them into pretty fully formed characters. There's a slow buildup through the sections to what eventually ends up happening which makes it even more powerful when it does. If the author had just put these all together and let the reader experience them at once without the future poking it's head in I think I would've enjoyed it more.
The 90s part is like a slow build to looming disaster where the 2019 parts don't take long to go full on "oh crap something bad is coming SOON". This difference in pacing creates an urgency in the 2019 parts that isn't there in the 90s part and so the 90s part just ends up feeling like an obstacle in the way of the resolution of the 2019 plot. Which is not fair to the 90s part, because, as I said, I *like* that part. I like both parts. I just like them both told in a linear fashion.
I know it is not my book. I'm not the author, and I'm sure that he made his decisions for a reason that made sense to him. I just felt like it worked better for me (personally) to have the first 2019 part as an introduction to all the present characters and their issues, with hints towards what might be going wrong for them and the impending Bad Thing, and then head back to the past and stay there through the past disaster, before coming back to finish up fully in 2019.
Other than the structure (which I suppose is kind of a big thing? but easily solved if you just read the past parts first and the present ones second), I really liked this book. As mentioned before, both parts have their merits and achieve what the author intended. Seeing the older Hal, Athena and Erin and how they were changed and still affected by what happened to them 20 years later is truly interesting, as is seeing how they were when they were kids and what led them to the point they're at as adults.
With one exception, I found that they all passed a vital test for me personally, which is "even if the character is doing something I think makes no sense, does it make sense for THEM and for THEIR circumstances." Too often characters do things that don't seem to make sense for their characters as established just because the plot needs to go in a certain way. For the most part, all of their motivations made sense, both as kids and as adults. Especially as kids, the author captured the feeling of being confused or left out or angry or just not knowing what to do or say, even with people who you care about, of trying to impress adults around you even if you don't like them, or even if they're telling you to do something you don't necessarily feel is right. As adults, you can see how the choices they made as kids have affected them as adults, and how in some ways they're all trapped in those old memories.
(the one exception is probably a moment that counts for me as the most irritating in the book. it felt way too much like a contrived third act conflict in a tropey romcom, designed simply to get the characters upset with one another because the plot needed them to be. This was one moment where I wished the author could've found a better way to get them there)
I also found the character of Owen and his relationship with Philip (who begins the book as Erin's... partner(?) and ends up becoming the catalyst for a lot of the Bad Thing that happens in the 2019 era)... odd. Their whole relationship felt rushed and I get that they were in a very stressful situation, but everything happens very fast with them. Also (SPOILER) what Philip is makes me question their whole romance. He was created to be someone's ideal romantic partner and then seems to morph into Owen's ideal romantic partner within the space of a day or two and then they're in love. and it feels... weird to me. The whole thing happens so fast and then the two of them get shoved out of the focus of the narrative so quickly after that that you don't get too much time to dwell on it but it is something that struck me as odd. Maybe it would even more so if I considered it longer. (END SPOILER)
The magic system was original (although the Professor would be angry at me for calling it magic instead of Dissonance) and pretty well fleshed out, although it's also made clear that there's still a lot (a WHOLE lot) that isn't known about it, so that when the finale comes along, and a lot of weird stuff we've never necessarily heard of starts happening, it felt like it could be part of Dissonance because there's so much that's not known. I feel like that didn't make sense but let's say I liked the magic system.
The lesson basically boils down to the power of friendship and connection, and having faith in those friendships, but not something that you're battered over the head with, and there are also themes about becoming older and reaching an understanding of yourself as it happens, coming to peace with your life as it and knowing what things (and people) are worth fighting for.
Oh and one other small issue: the entire epilogue could've used more space to breathe, but especially the last chapter from Athena's point of view, which covers what seems like way too much plot AND emotional territory for the seven pages its allotted. I felt like for all that it covers and for how important that stuff is... it felt like that chapter alone could've been 20+ more pages.
All in all, I recommend this one.
(Although as a side note, I feel I need more books where teen girls and boys are friends and they don't somehow end up paired up somehow. Where are all the platonic mixed sex groups of friends in literature? Am I just missing them? I feel like i've read them before and then suddenly forget about them when I'm getting mildly irked that there always have to be couples in these friend groups...)
July 19, 2024
TL;DR Review: Stranger Things meets The Magicians, as written by Stephen King. A dark, brooding, mysterious urban fantasy story of fate-defying friendships.
Full Review:
The Dissonance introduces us to a whole new way of seeing the world, a world where pain = magic. Intrigued? I know I was.
The explanation given was quite fascinating:
“Dissonance theory is based on the hypothesis that something is broken in the foundation of creation: a gap between how things should be and how they are. A disharmony. Most people feel this disharmony. It’s why they aren’t happy, why we’re all preoccupied with visions of could or should. It’s why so many world religions have a “fall” or “original sin” narrative. They want to make the brokenness make sense. What these religions don’t know—or allow themselves to admit—is this broken foundation creates a friction, a sort of energy users call Dissonance.”
How dark is that?
That alone should give you a very clear picture of the story you can expect in the pages of this novel.
The Dissonance follows four young adult characters—Erin, Peter, Athena, and Hal—each of whom is damaged in some way (abusive or neglectful parents, turbulent home life, physical trauma, etc.). The pain in their lives opens them up to this “Dissonance” magic, and their shared fascination by and exploration of this magic brings them together to form a coven.
But at the beginning, we see that the coven is broken. All the friends have gone their separate ways and dread seeing each other. So how did it happen? How did the inseparable friendships that kept them together through impossible events and life-threatening dangers eventually crumble?
That mystery—along with the mystery of the Dissonance itself—is teased out slowly. We’re drawn deeper and deeper into their four stories, and layer by layer, the truth is revealed, secrets are teased out.
The focus on the strong core friendship evoked Stranger Things to my mind, but with the darker, grittier understones of The Magicians and the works of Stephen King. There’s a bit of horror woven into the dark, urban fantasy adventure, and this heady cocktail makes it a story that you just can’t scape. All the while, a growing sense of foreboding looms in the background and builds in you a feeling of dread for what is to come. And when all is revealed…well, you’ll just have to read the book and find out for yourself.
The Dissonance was definitely one of the most unique books I’ve read this year, and one that kept me burning through the pages to find out what comes next. Not a light-hearted or upbeat read, but a powerful look at friendship and love that can outlast death and defeat impossible odds.
Full Review:
The Dissonance introduces us to a whole new way of seeing the world, a world where pain = magic. Intrigued? I know I was.
The explanation given was quite fascinating:
“Dissonance theory is based on the hypothesis that something is broken in the foundation of creation: a gap between how things should be and how they are. A disharmony. Most people feel this disharmony. It’s why they aren’t happy, why we’re all preoccupied with visions of could or should. It’s why so many world religions have a “fall” or “original sin” narrative. They want to make the brokenness make sense. What these religions don’t know—or allow themselves to admit—is this broken foundation creates a friction, a sort of energy users call Dissonance.”
How dark is that?
That alone should give you a very clear picture of the story you can expect in the pages of this novel.
The Dissonance follows four young adult characters—Erin, Peter, Athena, and Hal—each of whom is damaged in some way (abusive or neglectful parents, turbulent home life, physical trauma, etc.). The pain in their lives opens them up to this “Dissonance” magic, and their shared fascination by and exploration of this magic brings them together to form a coven.
But at the beginning, we see that the coven is broken. All the friends have gone their separate ways and dread seeing each other. So how did it happen? How did the inseparable friendships that kept them together through impossible events and life-threatening dangers eventually crumble?
That mystery—along with the mystery of the Dissonance itself—is teased out slowly. We’re drawn deeper and deeper into their four stories, and layer by layer, the truth is revealed, secrets are teased out.
The focus on the strong core friendship evoked Stranger Things to my mind, but with the darker, grittier understones of The Magicians and the works of Stephen King. There’s a bit of horror woven into the dark, urban fantasy adventure, and this heady cocktail makes it a story that you just can’t scape. All the while, a growing sense of foreboding looms in the background and builds in you a feeling of dread for what is to come. And when all is revealed…well, you’ll just have to read the book and find out for yourself.
The Dissonance was definitely one of the most unique books I’ve read this year, and one that kept me burning through the pages to find out what comes next. Not a light-hearted or upbeat read, but a powerful look at friendship and love that can outlast death and defeat impossible odds.
July 6, 2024
QOTD: Do you enjoy fantasy/ fantasy horror? (FULL REVIEW IN BIO (TOP LINK) AND HIGHLIGHTS).
"In a bold move, that may alienate half of the website’s readership, I must confess that fantasy has never really been my cup of tea. Since I was a mere gremlin, I’ve been voraciously consuming horror, and whilst I did have a VERY fleeting, scarcely discussed “book-tok,” dalliance, fantasy, or even fantasy horror, has largely eluded me. “The Dissonance,” by Shaun Hamill is a novel that defies convention, a novel that ponders the balance of power, pain and friendship…and a novel so compelling, it might just change my ways. A genre-bending, coming-of-age, somewhat liberating odyssey, that allows readers to briefly accept the possibility that magic might just be real, Shaun Hamill’s latest should not, nay, can not be missed. Thank you Titan Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC; worlds will collide upon its release- July 23rd.
Hal Isaac is a murderer awaiting trial. Athena Watts teaches sex magic seminars. Erin Porter is just at a bit of a loss. They each lead different (messy) lives, but are tethered together by a powerful magic. Professor Marsh, was a private man, and whilst reading a book from his private library felt like an intrusion, it seemed as if the group was meant to find it. It’s that night that they discovered “The Dissonance,” an ancient, unexplored magic that harnesses its power from all of the disharmony in the world, violence, anger, exclusion. Under the clandestine guidance of secret, magic bad-ass Professor Marsh, the friends spent a Summer learning and honing their own dissonant capabilities. Even 25 years later, the aftermath of that summer are still haunting the lives of the estranged but home-bound group. Today, current Clegg-resident and closeted teen “Oscar,” finds his life also dramatically changed by a strange magic, a botched seance that leaves his friends mangled and his crush possessed by a murderous entity. Whilst Owen attempts to outsmart his demonic abductor, Athena, Erin and Hal begin to realise that the events of that Summer have everything to do with the apocalyptic, horror-filled hellscape they find upon their return home."
I'm glad that this particular read is a banger, because this post going live tragically marks the beginning of my three week review hiatus. Less tragically, I'm travelling Bali for 3 weeks! I'll be around in stories and messages, and will do a vacation reading wrap-up upon my return, but no full length reviews. Have you been to Bali?? Are you jetting off this year?
Peace!
"In a bold move, that may alienate half of the website’s readership, I must confess that fantasy has never really been my cup of tea. Since I was a mere gremlin, I’ve been voraciously consuming horror, and whilst I did have a VERY fleeting, scarcely discussed “book-tok,” dalliance, fantasy, or even fantasy horror, has largely eluded me. “The Dissonance,” by Shaun Hamill is a novel that defies convention, a novel that ponders the balance of power, pain and friendship…and a novel so compelling, it might just change my ways. A genre-bending, coming-of-age, somewhat liberating odyssey, that allows readers to briefly accept the possibility that magic might just be real, Shaun Hamill’s latest should not, nay, can not be missed. Thank you Titan Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC; worlds will collide upon its release- July 23rd.
Hal Isaac is a murderer awaiting trial. Athena Watts teaches sex magic seminars. Erin Porter is just at a bit of a loss. They each lead different (messy) lives, but are tethered together by a powerful magic. Professor Marsh, was a private man, and whilst reading a book from his private library felt like an intrusion, it seemed as if the group was meant to find it. It’s that night that they discovered “The Dissonance,” an ancient, unexplored magic that harnesses its power from all of the disharmony in the world, violence, anger, exclusion. Under the clandestine guidance of secret, magic bad-ass Professor Marsh, the friends spent a Summer learning and honing their own dissonant capabilities. Even 25 years later, the aftermath of that summer are still haunting the lives of the estranged but home-bound group. Today, current Clegg-resident and closeted teen “Oscar,” finds his life also dramatically changed by a strange magic, a botched seance that leaves his friends mangled and his crush possessed by a murderous entity. Whilst Owen attempts to outsmart his demonic abductor, Athena, Erin and Hal begin to realise that the events of that Summer have everything to do with the apocalyptic, horror-filled hellscape they find upon their return home."
I'm glad that this particular read is a banger, because this post going live tragically marks the beginning of my three week review hiatus. Less tragically, I'm travelling Bali for 3 weeks! I'll be around in stories and messages, and will do a vacation reading wrap-up upon my return, but no full length reviews. Have you been to Bali?? Are you jetting off this year?
Peace!
July 23, 2024
I have to say this is my second novel/story by Shaun Hamill and it’s easy to say he is becoming a favourite. My First was his Conan short story Lethal Consignment. The Dissonance was a gripping read that I became fully engaged with, within the first page.
The more I read the more captivated I became. Being a 90s girl and a horror fan this did give a bit of a The Craft or IT vibes but then sort of melded into Dreamcatcher all while being completely original. The main thing that drew me in was the tone and atmosphere of the novel, followed closely by the characters.
I never like spoilers as we know so I won’t go into great details but I will say that this is probably one of the best dual timeline novels I have read in a while. I also liked how Hamill manages to combine these two lines together but leaves a few little strings loose so potentially we might see the characters in the future.
If you enjoy horror and fantasy this one will be for you. I will definitely be looking into Hamill’s other works now since everything from the atmosphere to the writing and characters were brilliant. I could hardly put this one down.
Thank you so much to Titan Books and Netgalley for my copy. My review is left voluntarily and is honest.
The more I read the more captivated I became. Being a 90s girl and a horror fan this did give a bit of a The Craft or IT vibes but then sort of melded into Dreamcatcher all while being completely original. The main thing that drew me in was the tone and atmosphere of the novel, followed closely by the characters.
I never like spoilers as we know so I won’t go into great details but I will say that this is probably one of the best dual timeline novels I have read in a while. I also liked how Hamill manages to combine these two lines together but leaves a few little strings loose so potentially we might see the characters in the future.
If you enjoy horror and fantasy this one will be for you. I will definitely be looking into Hamill’s other works now since everything from the atmosphere to the writing and characters were brilliant. I could hardly put this one down.
Thank you so much to Titan Books and Netgalley for my copy. My review is left voluntarily and is honest.
June 9, 2024
The Dissonance definitely has vibes you would get from a Stephen King novel. I don’t think that Shaun Hamill quite puts it all together in a way that’s as palatable as King does unless you really like this type of genre, which I admittedly generally don’t. The book alternates between two time periods, one with a group of teenagers learning Dissonance from the grandfather of one of the group, and later when they’re adults and the actions of their past have come back to haunt them once again. It is a horror fantasy, but there’s a lot of things that happen without a natural progression within the story and backstory that could provide some context but isn’t given. The book already clocks in at close to five hundred pages, so I don’t think longer would make it better; I just felt like there were plot holes that made it even more difficult to follow along with the book. I also felt like the ending was really ambiguous. I don’t know if Hamill intended it this way, or he’s setting up for another book tied into the story. If he is, I won’t be reading it. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 23, 2024
An equal blending of fantasy(dark magic) and horror elements(intricately described and gorily detailed) that works well in this tale of friendships, mistakes and eventually forgiveness, in time.
The story begins with a group of friends at a sleepover, where they promised to follow the rules of the only adult present and as teenagers do, they break that promise and chaos ensues.
Fast forward twenty years and the once friendly teens are now distant adults, joining together once again by the forces of dark magic.
Will they pool their resources together and save the day? Or will the magic grow too dark and consume everything in its path?
The elements of both fantasy and horror pair seamlessly-each element keeping the other from either being too dark or too wild to fit the imagination scale.
Characters are likable from both early teen years through adulthood and most seem fairly realistic.
The descriptive scenes and battles of good and evil are atmospherically charged.
Absolutely brilliant!
I would like to thank Pantheon/Penguin Random House for this arc and to read/review something very different from my normal genre. Loved every page of this story!
The story begins with a group of friends at a sleepover, where they promised to follow the rules of the only adult present and as teenagers do, they break that promise and chaos ensues.
Fast forward twenty years and the once friendly teens are now distant adults, joining together once again by the forces of dark magic.
Will they pool their resources together and save the day? Or will the magic grow too dark and consume everything in its path?
The elements of both fantasy and horror pair seamlessly-each element keeping the other from either being too dark or too wild to fit the imagination scale.
Characters are likable from both early teen years through adulthood and most seem fairly realistic.
The descriptive scenes and battles of good and evil are atmospherically charged.
Absolutely brilliant!
I would like to thank Pantheon/Penguin Random House for this arc and to read/review something very different from my normal genre. Loved every page of this story!
July 27, 2024
The remaining members of a coven met up for the twentieth anniversary of major disaster that claimed most of the students at the high school. Twenty years earlier a chance encounter with a magical book introduces four kids to another reality, where a magical force can be used with a twist of the hand and a magical spell (in another language of course). Some members of the newly formed coven thrive with their new abilities, but Hal does not, instead he is given a magical sword and told someday he will be the Defender of the Universe. Back in modern times, Hal has been charged with murder, and the other members of the coven are now eking out a living as a barista and an occult bookstore owner. And Peter is dead.
Told through several timelines, leaving the reader always wanting to know what happened next from each cliff hanging end of chapter. While dealing with magic, secret societies, monsters, forbidden information end of the world events and time travel, perhaps the major theme is friendship, the kind that last decades, even when you are not currently talking to each other.
3.5 Stars
Told through several timelines, leaving the reader always wanting to know what happened next from each cliff hanging end of chapter. While dealing with magic, secret societies, monsters, forbidden information end of the world events and time travel, perhaps the major theme is friendship, the kind that last decades, even when you are not currently talking to each other.
3.5 Stars
July 28, 2024
Outstanding!! This book is just wonderful and I could gush about it all day. I think I first heard about this book on the Talking Scared podcast, I believe it was one of Rachel Harrison's recommendations. She loved it and so do I.
Hamill really does a nice job doing his take on magic, this fantasy feels completely unique while taking on familiar themes: coming of age and magic. There feels like there could be SO MUCH more to the back stories or possibly future stories in this 'universe' that Hamill created. I got serious vibes of Harry Potter due to the depth of back story, that wasn't really spelled out but was likely thought out pretty thoroughly. But this is no YA book, there are plenty of adult themes running through it, so don't be scared off by the HP reference.
I loved the characters, loved the coven and their relationships. I loved the quick snappy chapters and the alternating perspectives, both in the past and in the present. This book was a blast from start to finish. One of my favorite books of the year!
Hamill really does a nice job doing his take on magic, this fantasy feels completely unique while taking on familiar themes: coming of age and magic. There feels like there could be SO MUCH more to the back stories or possibly future stories in this 'universe' that Hamill created. I got serious vibes of Harry Potter due to the depth of back story, that wasn't really spelled out but was likely thought out pretty thoroughly. But this is no YA book, there are plenty of adult themes running through it, so don't be scared off by the HP reference.
I loved the characters, loved the coven and their relationships. I loved the quick snappy chapters and the alternating perspectives, both in the past and in the present. This book was a blast from start to finish. One of my favorite books of the year!
July 6, 2024
It took me a bit to get in to this book, but once I was in I found it overall enjoyable. I liked the unique strengths in the main characters. It's a little more fantasy than I would normally read, so at times was a bit much for light reading, IMO. I didn't think the ending of the book was too fast or too slow, which is my most frequent complaint, so it def had that going to it. I felt like I was involved with the story and characters enough that it almost played some scenes like a movie in my head.
July 24, 2024
WHAT A WORLD! Seriously just such great world building its unique and rich with detail.
This feels very much like stranger things or some of the movies from my childhood about a bunch of teenage friends, outcasts living their own adventures.
The magic is cool and unique for everyone, it adds to each character that uses it giving them depth and making things more interesting and ever more complicated.
The character development is on point, without spoiling anything it let’s just say it’s an emotional read, with writing and plotting that’s executed perfectly. One to recommend!
This feels very much like stranger things or some of the movies from my childhood about a bunch of teenage friends, outcasts living their own adventures.
The magic is cool and unique for everyone, it adds to each character that uses it giving them depth and making things more interesting and ever more complicated.
The character development is on point, without spoiling anything it let’s just say it’s an emotional read, with writing and plotting that’s executed perfectly. One to recommend!
August 1, 2024
At one point early in the novel, the characters compare reading dissonant to a magic eye picture. Shaun Hamill's second novel has a lot in common with that comparison. It is an intricately woven tapestry of a tale whose full image only comes into focus close to the end of the story. It's still a tale of friendship and found families. It's as full of heart as his debut, but with a bit more yearning, and that familiar sprinkle of horror.
August 2, 2024
I really enjoyed this! A thrilling read filled with cool magic and creepy monsters, and anchored by a quartet of characters whose friendship is achingly real and beautiful even in its realistic ugliness. There truly is nothing more magic - or terrifying - than sharing yourself with the people you love.
July 31, 2024
This one was very fun. I'm a sucker for dual timelines. Magic and horror were both equal parts to this wild and wacky romp. Heartfelt and deep at times, yet the action sequences were just as great. In a similar vein to IT with the characters both as teens and adults in the two timelines.
March 3, 2024
4.5! Wowwwweeee
March 16, 2024
I receive this ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review
This book hooked me right from the beginning, with complicated and fascinating characters and quick action. The magic system was intriguing, and it had lots of heart. I hope there's a follow-up because I still had some questions. If there was one flaw, it was that the ending didn't quite gel perfectly. Nevertheless, Hamill's writing thrills, and I'm am definitely buying this for my library. Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley.
This book hooked me right from the beginning, with complicated and fascinating characters and quick action. The magic system was intriguing, and it had lots of heart. I hope there's a follow-up because I still had some questions. If there was one flaw, it was that the ending didn't quite gel perfectly. Nevertheless, Hamill's writing thrills, and I'm am definitely buying this for my library. Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley.
July 9, 2024
Every day I descend further into geekdom and I find myself not mad about it
August 2, 2024
Full review inbound.
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