There’s something uniquely compelling about stories where heroes operate in the margins, where salvation comes not from armies or governments but from solitary figures willing to bear impossible burdens. Aaron Ryan’s Talisman: Subterfuge delivers exactly this kind of story, wrapped in layers of supernatural intrigue, post-alien-invasion recovery, and the timeless question: what would you sacrifice to bring back the person you love most?
Coming from the author who gave us the sprawling Dissonance alien invasion saga, Subterfuge represents both a homecoming and a bold new direction. Ryan returns to the universe devastated by the gorgon wars but shifts his lens from large-scale military operations to intimate, personal warfare. The result is a novel that feels simultaneously epic in scope and achingly personal in execution—a rare balance that keeps pages turning while hearts breaking.
The Man Behind the Medallion
Liam Fox Mayfield isn’t your typical reluctant hero, and that’s precisely what makes him fascinating. When we meet him, he’s already deep into his supernatural mission, eight years past the tragedy that transformed him from decorated war veteran into something that exists between myth and reality. Ryan wisely drops us into the middle of Liam’s journey, letting us piece together his past through carefully placed flashbacks and revelations.
What emerges is a portrait of a man who lost everything—parents to the initial gorgon invasion, his wife to a stray survivor years later, his sons to grief-fueled estrangement, his friendships to the weight of secrets he cannot share. The cosmic beings known as the Aeterium Axis didn’t choose a blank slate for their talisman; they chose someone already shattered, someone desperate enough to accept any bargain. Ryan’s genius lies in showing us that Liam’s supernatural abilities—teleportation, precognition, enhanced combat skills—matter far less than his very human determination to reclaim what was stolen from him.
Talisman – Subterfuge never lets us forget that beneath the glowing glyphs and impossible rescues beats the heart of a father, a friend, a husband. When Liam reflects on his sons Joseph and Carson, the prose shifts from action-thriller cadence to something more vulnerable, reminding readers that all the cosmic power in the universe can’t mend a relationship damaged by loss and blame.
The Hunt and the Hunted
Onyx Sleater bursts into the narrative with the energy of someone who refuses to let impossible stories remain untold. As a journalist for The Washington Post, she’s chasing rumors of a vigilante who defies physics and leaves behind mysterious golden trinkets at rescue sites. Ryan uses Onyx’s investigation as our window into understanding the scope of Liam’s activities—the lives saved, the patterns emerging, the growing legend of “The Dark Ghost.”
What makes Onyx’s character arc so satisfying is watching her evolve from skeptical reporter to believer to inadvertent participant in events far larger than any story she could publish. Her resemblance to Liam’s deceased wife Janine adds psychological complexity. Ryan handles this carefully, showing how Liam both seeks and avoids Onyx’s company, drawn to what she represents while knowing he cannot replace what he lost.
The push-pull dynamic between investigator and subject drives much of the novel’s tension. Onyx wants answers; Liam needs secrecy. Yet both share a fundamental belief that individual actions matter, that one person can make a difference. When their paths finally converge, the resulting alliance feels earned rather than convenient, built on mutual respect rather than romantic inevitability.
Cosmic Horror Meets Superhero Fiction
The Zorander stands as one of the most disturbing antagonists in recent science fiction. Ryan’s decision to present his chapters in archaic, formal language immediately signals his otherness—this is an alien consciousness wearing human skin, and it shows in every word choice, every thought pattern, every casual dismissal of human life. Where Liam fights to preserve his humanity despite supernatural transformation, The Zorander has abandoned any pretense of caring for the species he superficially resembles.
The backstory Ryan provides—that The Zorander was once a talisman like Liam, bound to the same cosmic bargain but who ultimately failed or rebelled—raises fascinating questions about the Aeterium Axis and their methods. Ryan deliberately keeps these beings mysterious, allowing readers to form their own theories while providing just enough information to make The Zorander’s vendetta comprehensible.
The combat sequences between Liam and The Zorander crackle with energy and inventiveness. Both possess similar abilities—teleportation, enhanced durability, supernatural awareness—making their confrontations less about raw power and more about strategy, willpower, and the hunger to survive. Ryan choreographs these battles with cinematic flair, creating moments where readers can visualize the blue and orange mists of their respective powers clashing, the disorienting jumps through space, the split-second decisions that mean the difference between life and death.
The Supporting Cast’s Hidden Depths
Cameron “Jet” Shipley’s reunion with Liam provides some of the novel’s most emotionally resonant moments. These men fought together, survived impossible odds together, became brothers in every sense that matters. The scene in Jet’s backyard, where they sit drinking beer and watching the sunset while discussing cosmic obligations and family responsibilities, perfectly encapsulates their relationship—men who have seen too much to ever be truly comfortable but who remain bonded by shared experience.
President Vance Cordova’s role adds political intrigue and familial complication. As Liam’s father-in-law, Cordova blames him for Janine’s death, a resentment that no amount of world-saving heroics can erase. Ryan expertly portrays how personal grief can cloud judgment, how power can be wielded as weapon even by those who once fought for freedom.
Wayne Trudeau, operating under the codename Cain, serves as Liam’s sole confidant and logistical support. His loyalty, tested when The Zorander captures and tortures him, never wavers. The friendship between Liam and Trudeau, built on trust rather than history, demonstrates that family isn’t always determined by blood or shared trauma.
Themes That Resonate
Talisman – Subterfuge explores grief’s transformative power with unflinching honesty. Liam’s journey isn’t about “getting over” Janine’s death but about what he’s willing to become, what he’s willing to sacrifice, to undo it. Ryan asks uncomfortable questions: Is it selfish to risk everything for personal happiness? Can love justify moral compromise? At what point does dedication become obsession?
The concept of balance—embodied in Liam’s mantra “one away or one to stay, and balance anew”—operates on multiple levels. There’s the literal balance of lives saved versus lives taken, the cosmic balance the Aeterium Axis claims to maintain, the emotional balance Liam seeks between his mission and his relationships. Ryan suggests that true balance might be impossible, that every choice creates new imbalances requiring correction in an endless cycle.
Talisman – Subterfuge also examines how society recovers from collective trauma. Seventeen years after the gorgon wars, humanity is rebuilding but remains deeply scarred. People check the skies reflexively, defensive architecture defines cityscapes, and trust comes grudgingly. Ryan captures how fear can be weaponized, how quickly heroes become villains when narratives shift.
Worldbuilding Through Action
Ryan demonstrates masterful restraint in his worldbuilding approach. Rather than pausing the narrative for exposition dumps, he reveals his world through action and dialogue. We learn about Blockades—the underground shelters where humanity survived the gorgon occupation—through casual references and character memories. The political restructuring following the wars emerges through interactions with Cordova and President Lynch.
This technique keeps the pacing tight while building a world that feels fully realized. Readers interested in deeper exploration of this universe can seek out the Dissonance series, but newcomers to Ryan’s work won’t feel lost. The author trusts his audience to piece together context clues while maintaining forward momentum.
A Series Launched with Purpose
The novel’s conclusion sets up future installments brilliantly. With Liam’s sons in The Zorander’s clutches, his secret identity exposed to the world, and his allies gathered in The Refuge, the status quo has been demolished. Ryan has maneuvered his pieces into position for what promises to be an explosive confrontation while leaving numerous questions tantalizingly unanswered. What are the Aeterium Axis’s true motives? Can The Zorander be defeated or must Liam find another solution?
These questions drive anticipation for the next volume while providing satisfying resolution to immediate conflicts. The introduction of Liam’s hidden sanctuary—The Refuge, buried four hundred meters beneath Svalbard’s glaciers—represents both practical preparation and symbolic isolation, a fortress where no one can touch him yet also a prison of his own making.
For Fans Of…
Readers who enjoyed the moral complexity of superhero deconstructions, the cosmic scope of Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos, or the grief-fueled determination in Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls will find similar pleasures here in Talisman – Subterfuge. The novel shares DNA with Max Barry’s Lexicon in its blend of supernatural abilities and conspiracy, while the post-apocalyptic recovery aspects echo Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. For those who appreciate military science fiction with heart, John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series or Marko Kloos’ Frontlines books offer comparable combinations of action and emotional resonance.
A Testament to Human Resilience
Talisman: Subterfuge succeeds because Aaron Ryan never loses sight of the human story beneath the supernatural trappings. Liam’s journey resonates not because he can teleport or see the future, but because his grief, determination, and desperate hope feel authentically human. Ryan has crafted a novel that works simultaneously as thriller, character study, and meditation on loss, creating something that lingers long after the final page. This is storytelling that remembers why we read—to see ourselves reflected in impossible circumstances, to believe that love and determination matter even when the universe seems indifferent, to hope that redemption remains possible no matter how far we’ve fallen. Ryan delivers a powerful opening to what promises to be an unforgettable trilogy.