Aiden James

In The Judas Reflections, Judas Iscariot, having failed at his suicide attempt, has been forced, like Cain before him, to walk the world as an immortal, seeking redemption. He is hunting the thirty pieces of silver he was paid for his betrayal of Jesus in hopes that he can buy back forgiveness and his soul. To this end, he has also committed to trying to do good although his old sins of greed and selfishness often get in the way.

In this novel, he is living in London during the time of Jack show more the Ripper. As an act of atonement, he is determined to hunt down the killer himself. Unfortunately, things are not always what they seem and Jack is a lot more of a threat than Judas (now known as Emmanuel) had imagined. It seems there is one more immortal walking the earth and Judas may be outmatched by evil.

I quite enjoyed this tale of sin and redemption. Judas is a likeable and complex character. I was intrigued by Roderick, his Irish partner, whose origins are only hinted at. I also found the descriptions of Victorian England very interesting, especially those of Whitechapel. Author James Aiden does a very good job of evoking the poverty and lack of hope its inhabitants live with daily. Given this is a story about Judas Iscariot, there are some Christian themes involved. However, these aspects add to the story but don't overwhelm it.

I am not sure but I can guess, given the ending of the story, that this is just one book in a series and I look forward to reading more of Judas' search for the coins. show less

Although the premise isn't extremely original, Mr. James manages to infuse his story with enough twists, turns and chills to give it a fresh feel. He makes you care about his characters, so much so that I need to read the second book in the series. Not only to find out what happens, but because I enjoyed spending time with these people. Good job, Mr. James!

I received this book from the publisher for free for an honest review.

For the last 300 years mankind has been on the brink of annihilation. Billions have already died worldwide either from a ravaging virus, toxic weather, or on the orders of global dictator Pye Peters and his Severance organization. This is a desolate world full of despair where even thinking bad thoughts can lead to imprisonment or worst of all execution and revival. Those still alive are collectively called Breathers, show more amongst them are witches who are on the bottom rung of society’s ladder, shunned by all, imprisoned just for existing, punished only by execution, and rape. Even zombies, slaves who have no rights, even the right to think for themselves, are still placed higher than witches.

It is the year 2603, Mars has been colonized and turned into a debauched holiday resort for those unfortunate enough to still be living on what is left of Earth. Blake 187 has heard the stories, no zombie worth his salt wants to work there cleaning up after sex workers and their clients. This is the story of Blake Evan Floray, who is denied the peace of everlasting sleep after committing suicide to escape from a life without his beloved girlfriend Enni, brought back to life by the Severance organization. Severance requires slaves as a cheap labour force, so after revival, multiple operations, continual medication, and reprogramming Blake 187 is to be put to work, Mars beckons.

Blake is as miserable in death as he was in life, but it is his small spark of stubbornness that keeps him going and it is not long before his thoughts turn to escape and dreams of heroes. The hero in question being the legendary zombie escapee Dex and his equally legendary rebel army, who are purportedly thriving out in the badlands even without the medication supplied by Severance.

You might think that zombies have been done to death (pun intended), but it is actually in its relative infancy compared to so many other genres. There has been a glut of zombie novels released in recent times, however, I can honestly say that this is only the second time I have come across the fully sentient walking dead. Indeed the zombies in Blake 187, are trying their hardest to keep rabidity at bay and save their humanity.

The authors Michelle Wright and Aiden James obviously complement each other well, I tried extremely hard, and trust me, I was looking, but I could not find the joins at all.

I liked it, I like miserable people and Blake was wretched enough for me to want to fire up my DeLorean and deposit half my Prozac prescription in his rotting palm. Yes Blake is suspicious and a little bit introspective, but it cannot be much fun being a zombie, and he is a product of an unpleasant childhood not to mention a pitiable life and death. The is no action until the second half of the book which is unusual for a book featuring zombies, but then this is a slightly unusual story. There is a twist towards the end for everyone who loves twisting and the culmination leaves the reader with ample room to send their imagination off on all sorts of tangents.

Maybe there are more zombie books out there following this sentient path, if so, I for one would like to do a shambolic shuffle across some more in the same vein. show less

Emmanuel Ortiz, aka Judas Iscariot, yes that Judas, is on the trail of Jack the Ripper. You have to do something to keep things interesting when you’re immortal. What he discovers at the end of that trail could cost him his immortality and more….

What an intriguing premise. Judas Iscariot aka Emmanuel Ortiz as an immortal who believes (hopes) finding the thirty pieces of silver he betrayed Jesus for will bring him absolution. He’s collected eight so far and is constantly being reminded show more to stay on task by this friend, business partner, and fellow immortal Roderick Cooley. Both have become rich through varied business interests and imports, particularly opium. Roderick, who annoyingly refers to Judas as Manny, was drowned and still retains vestiges of his death in appearance and health issues; while Judas is still battling the selfishness and greed that led to his being a cursed immortal.
Roderick has little patience for the pretensions and restrictions of Victorian society and much prefers his home in Virginia. A fact he makes evident to Judas at every opportunity. As irritating as he could be I really liked Roderick. He’s what every true friend should be, blunt, honest, and not afraid to jerk a knot in you when needed.

Immortality can be tiresome so Judas is constantly seeking adventure, diversions, and distractions. This makes his search for Jack less than altruistic. Passing himself off as an American trained private investigator he goes to Scotland Yard and is politely rebuffed. Judas determinedly continues his investigation by moving into the Whitechapel area to roam the streets in search of information. When he’s given a description by a friend of Liz Stride’s Judas believes he knows who the killer is. He prays to God he’s wrong.

Wonderfully descriptive, THE JUDAS REFLECTIONS: MURDER IN WHITECHAPEL transports the reader back in time to Victorian London. From the tony areas such as Belgravia to the squalor of the east-end, Spitalfields and Whitechapel, the reader can experience an era of stark contrasts and unprecedented growth. The idea of putting Judas, probably the most reviled man in the bible, and Jack the Ripper against each other was inspired.
THE JUDAS REFLECTIONS: MURDER IN WHITECHAPEL is an apropos title. The characters of Judas and Roderick in their conversations, thoughts, and interactions with other characters bring up several ideas worthy of consideration long after closing the book. It’s also entertaining guaranteeing I’m on board for more of this fascinating series.
Reviewed by IvyD for Manic Readers & Miss Ivy's Book Nook show less