Immortal Reign (The Judas Chronicles Book 2)

Maybe it was the surprise factor of the first book that made it better. Judas still alive looking for his 30 pieces of silver. With his modern day son helping him. Well, Judis is still looking and his son is still helping and the bad guy is back from the dead.

I want to enjoy this series and I'm not giving up on it yet. But this second book didn't grab me like the first one did.

I completely enjoyed the first book in this series "Plague of Coins". The concept of Judas Iscariot - the betrayer of Christ being alive today and in search of the original thirty pieces of silver that he was paid to betray the Son of God is very interesting to say the least. The first book was great and I looked forward to the second installment. After finishing "Reign of Coins" I'm somewhat satisfied with the book. It continued the story and ended solidly. I found that the book started a little slow and at a couple of points started to "drag" a little bit. Overall I still enjoyed the book and business did pick up at the end. I will definately continue to read the series, but I do feel like the second one was not quite as good as the first.

***POTENTIAL SPOILERS***
Im writing this after having read the first two books in the series.

I think the author does a decent job with the writing in general. The story moves fairly quickly, has an interesting plot, and has enough action to keep a reader's focus. Where it fails, to me, is in the voice. The teller of the story is supposed to be Judas Isacariot -- THE Judas Isacariot. In other words, he has been alive for a bit over 2000 years. To my mind, someone that long-lived and someone who knew he could not die would likely have a different mindset and viewpoint than a "regular guy." And, to be fair, there are some mentions of this in the story. But, the mentions are more in passing than they are part of the fiber of the character. I never get the sense that I am reading the words and thoughts of someone 2,000 years old; someone who has seen technology evolve from what it was to what it is; someone who has seen the rise and fall of empires.

Secondly, I was a bit taken aback when it was revealed that there are lots of other "immortal" beings out there. I went into the series thinking of it in terms of Judas being the only one, not one of several hundred. I was looking at the series in more of a serious way, not as much of a campy way. The people involved in the story see all this incredible stuff and take it completely in stride. Angels, other immortal humans, magical crystals, reverse aging, and more and no one bats an eye. It's like the citizens in Batman seeing the Joker for the first time. That's what I mean by campy. I wasnt ready for that to be the tone and I was a little disappointed by it.

I probably will not read the rest of the series unless they are free and I am out of other material.

The idea of immortals may not be too difficult to swallow…it’s fiction after all…but Judas seeking his discarded pieces of silver? It could be that starting with The Judas Chronicles #1) might help, but…..

Great premise, interesting take on immortals. This book was very hard to get through. Too much detail about inconsequential things slowed the pace, and dialogue was stilted and also made for a slow to. Won't bother with any more stories from this guy.

WOW, right from the beginning I was hooked. This book is riveting and action packed from the first sentence and I was hating to get to the last sentence. This book contains mystery, suspense, action, history and romance all rolled into one of the best story plots I have read in awhile. Aiden brings you into the book like you are watching it unfold in person instead of reading it. I can't wait for the next book to see where William/Judas takes us next. The best thing about the Judas Chronicles is each story can stand alone and be a great read, but when you read them in a series you see the experiences that make William/Judas who he is and gives an interesting perspective into how he is becoming who he wants to be and the type of person he wants to be for his family. I LOVED THIS BOOK. Thank you Aiden for sharing your talent with us. I will be waiting for the next adventure.

The first novel was a fun romp through time weaved into the present. The second novel never quite evolves from the historical tapestry to his current incarnation. The novel jitters as it peeps into 2000 years of an immortals life and seeks to augment with implausabilities. Super humans with powers to either shape shift or pull your head off hint at a lack of content that would be better served with historical R&D rather than interactive padding. His son is a constant whining bore who is all of a sudden this chick magnet.
A character like this is built upon his past so why not develop it?

Not at all what I expected and certainly not what I wanted. What truely detracts for me though is the weak and stilted dialog. Worse still, I could not care about the characters. Recommend only to those who can abide poor character development for the sake of what should have been a good plot.

While I enjoy The Judas Chronicles as a whole, this book by Aiden James is lacking character development, plot depth and was awkwardly written. James is good at story concept and plot outline but fails to fill in the details making his book interesting. This reads like it was quickly written the night before its deadline.

Judas still alive trying to collect his solver again to be redeemed. I still live this idea for a story. Not only has the author taken the thriller/action novel and excelled bit wit this twist of the immortals it has brought a new level. The story picks up a while after the first book and stars right in to it. E Barrow's are on the run again and find a new ally plus Judas is found out by everyone. Either so!some has to
D the CIA or they figure it put by his actions or words.
The story telling is as good as the first. The new characters are well rounded. The old ones are built up more and are becoming more rounded. The plot is like the first find the coin, but is not a repetitive story.. I would still recommend this to anyone. O have book 3 in my Kindle Library and can wait to see how the next coin gets found.

I read... a lot. Found this series through Kindle and was intrigued by the concept of Judas as the protagonist.

The first book felt a little like the author was finding his feet with the storyline, but there was enough there for me to go ahead to #2, though I doubt I would have moved forward if it was not included with the "free" Kindle reads. (Side note: Mr. James, you may want someone to take a second look for editing errors before publishing. Duplicate words, grammar errors, sometimes read as if a translation into English from another language. Sorry to be so blunt but it can be distracting and pulls the reader out of the world of the story)

Then came number two. Hooray! The characters flushed out, the story has color and depth, as I reader I became lost in the story. I now care about the relationship between William and Ali and want to know what will be coming next. There was adventure and suspense to keep the story rolling, while still feeling plausible even with supernatural elements.

Now onto #3... If this continues I may be captivated enough to put up my own shekels for the rest oh the story.

Book Review: Reign Of Coins by Aiden James
Reviewed by J Bryden Lloyd

Writing Style - 3.5/5.0 (Good)
Following the opening instalment of this series, I did expect a little more from the style and the natural development of the author. Although the structure was the same; very solid, nicely balanced and flowing, I did feel that the dialogue was often a little too relaxed in this offering. I also thought that the narrative itself lost a little of its snappiness and edge. Perhaps this can be attributed to already knowing the main characters, but it certainly lacked the same attitude.

Character Development - 3.5/5.0 (Good)
The father and son combination, which makes up the two central character roles, are once again believable and well drawn. Their interaction feels practiced and familiar, despite the situations the plot throws at them, which does make the read a far better journey.
The additional characters on both sides of the plot are well created and work well within the story, but nevertheless, they do feel very incidental.
The female `interest' of the piece is excellent and screams for a more defined personality, but this is frustratingly lacking until very near the end of the tale.
The addition of another immortal does introduce a different variable to the dynamic set down in the first book, which serves to add a flavour of normality to the Judas character.

Descriptive - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)
The detail is excellent. As with the first book, this one is a feast of descriptive.
The reader is immersed in full, well-drawn locations and events. In a way, this makes up for many of the secondary character issues, as the plot seems driven by the events and the descriptive work tows them along nicely.

Language & Grammar - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)
The humour is dulled a little in this second offering, which portrays a far more urgent mission, and the use of language throughout is suitably crisp and precise.
The grammar is excellent and the writing structure builds the text very nicely.
I had occasions where I felt the dialogue needed to be a little more to the pace of the narrative, but in general, that was equally strong.

Plot - 4.0/5.0 (Very Good) - MINOR SPOILERS
Judas is on a return journey to China, where he believes he will find a shekel once owned by Ghengis Khan. With his son now a full and willing participant in his search for the coins, they head off into yet another dangerous adventure.

I have to say, this does not feel as well-worked as the previous book, although the plot and premise behind the few sub-plots are equally superb. The search for the coin takes an unexpected, but predictable twist, which makes the story far more of a quest, and introduces a complication with regards to the recovery of the coin.
I suppose the lesser requirement for a back story does detract a little from the characters, but I equally think the series has to move on with the existing knowledge already in place from the first book, so this is a good continuation.

General - 4.0/5.0 (Very Good)
Another well-written story. A better mixture of the darker side of the hunt for the coins and also, a better balance of dramatic and conflicting scenes.
A few new revelations in the piece to take it forward, make for some more interesting offerings in this series, but whether this will be for the better or not, remains to be seen.
It certainly promises to add far more intrigue into the future parts of this series.

4 Stars. Recommended.

After reading 'Plague of Coins/The Judas Chronicles Part 1', I was anxious for a sequel...and boy, did Aiden James deliver! 'Reign of Coins' is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride into China with William Barrow, aka Judas Iscariot, on the hunt for another blood coin. With a compelling story-line, expertly developed characters, and just enough plot twists and turns, you will surely be glued to each page! The cliff-hanger ending has me salivating for Part 3...Summer 2013 is a long way off, but I am certain it will DEFINITELY be worth the wait!

Great tale continues. I enjoyed the second book in the series very much. Judas continues to be an intriguing and memorable character. Who knew he could be so human and even noble as he attempts to atone for his sin? Enjoyed the action and the humor, as well as new immortal characters. I love historical fiction, but when paranormal sci-fi is stirred into the recipe, I am hooked.

Interesting take on how Judas is living his immortal life! I found the story line to be interesting and character development good! At times Mr. James told me more than I really wanted to know! I would recommend this book!

If you like Action! Adventure! Mystery! Then is is a GREAT book! Aiden James has done it again in this sequel of The Judas Chronicles. Once again we go on the wild ride to look for silver coins with William and Alistair as they search. This book was always moving and never had a dull moment. I am a HUGE Aiden James fan and this ranks right up there as one of my favorites. GREAT JOB Aiden!