The Judas Strain: A Sigma Force Novel

The Judas Strain is what, the fourth SIGMA book? But while I often get bored with some series, Rollins keeps Painter, Gray, Kat, Monk and the rest interesting by pulling no punches and having no fear when it comes to twisting their lives in new directions, sometimes good, sometimes painful. In this way, the characters grow more interesting with each novel. But the characters are not what keep me reading Rollins' books...it's the concepts. I'm constantly marveled by Rollin's ability to come up with a unique angle on science and religion and he does it again in The Judas Strain. From angelic scripts to a sinister bacteria that kills some, heals others and makes the rest raving mad. From the ruins of Angkor Watt (sp?) to the crab infesting Christmas Island, Rollins keeps the pages turning in the Judas Strain. Well worth the read! -- Jeremy Robinson, bestselling author of Pulse (A Chess Team Adventure) and Kronos

The elite scientific military team Sigma Force tackles a dangerous mystery involving a seemingly incurable pandemic with centuries-old ties that seems capable of turning all of nature against humankind, and to stop the threat, they are forced to recruit the assistance of an untrustworthy adversary. This Indiana Jones type adventure was a blast to read. Exciting from start to finish. Rollins ability to write these types of novels does not seem to be waning. Bringing the past to the future and mixing science with history usually always makes for enthralling reading. Keep up the good work James Rollins. From inside: "...Scientists have even coined a name for these Ancient strain of viruses, one that turns friend to foe: 'The Judas Strain' its capability of turning all bacteria into killers" Highly recommended.

James Rollins is getting better with every novel he writes. Unlike other popular novelists with a series, he hasn't fallen into formula or stock characters. He reaches and stretches in every novel, both in plot and idea and character development. The Judas Strain doesn't disappoint. Rollins has endearing characters that you really care about, a very interesting premise, and non-stop action. He moved up to hardcover with Black Order, and is now on my "pre-order" list. To see an author get better and better with every novel is a real treat.

I have to admit that I'm a die-hard James Rollins fan. Cracking open his new book is one of the highlights of my summer. Sure his action can be a bit over-the-top and a few details slightly hyperbolic, LOL. I mean, what's a thriller without the thrills? But the books are consistently well-researched, deftly plotted, and very, very smart. Probably my favorite aspect of Rollins' thrillers is their integration of science into the story. After all, his team of protagonists, the Sigma Force, is part of a government agency that recruits former special forces operatives and educates them to the Ph.D. level in scientific disciplines. They've got both the military training and the scientific knowledge to investigate technological and scientific phenomenon around the world on behalf of the US government. Not a bad starting premise. The plots of Rollins' novels tend to be complex, multi-stranded affairs that are difficult to summarize. In Judas Strain, as has been noted by other readers, there is an urgency brought on by a possible pandemic outbreak of bacterial infections. That, in and of itself, is not the most original plot. But in a Rollins novel, it's never that simple. Did you know that only 10 percent of the cells that make up your body are human, and the other 90 percent are alien--bacteria, parasites, etc? It's true, absolutely true. Did you know that the difference between a commonplace, harmless bacteria and a potential killer disease is just the tiniest alteration to its genetic code? What would happen if something altered all the zillions of harmless bacteria we have contact with daily and suddenly they turned on us in the most horrific way imaginable? And I do mean the most horrific way imaginable, because James Rollins is a bit of a sicko, and nothing seems to be off limits for him. What he puts his poor "patient zero" through is--yuck--awful! But what does all this have to do with the travels of Marco Polo? The architecture of Angor Wat? The behavior of red crabs on Christmas Island? The development of "Angelic" text? The religious beliefs of cannibals? How the heck does Rollins COME UP WITH all this stuff? And most impressively, how the heck does he tie all the strands together! Because he does, most satisfyingly. Although, it must be warned that The Judas Strain leaves readers with a simply terrible cliff-hanger that will have us all on tenterhooks until next summer. Waiting for the next book in the series is going to be torture!

James Rollins does what many authors fail to do: He continues to get better. While I still believe 'Map of Bones' to be his best all-around novel, 'The Judas Strain' is certainly no light-weight follow-up. This is great storytelling, simply put. While you would be hard-pressed to find an action/adventure oriented novel by almost ANY author that doesn't stretch the limits of credibility to SOME extent, I like that no matter how difficult some of Rollins' stories seem to be, he manages to put enough believable science into the mix to make what would otherwise be hard to swallow right into the What If category. I liked the premise from the first page, which is ALWAYS a good sign in my book. The voyage of Marco Polo from Asia back to Italy was beset by some kind of major tragedy which nearly wiped out all those who participated on the journey...a voyage which Marco never spoke about to seemingly anyone, even at his deathbed...or DID he? Yet another fantastic What If scenario begins as we jump to the modern day world where what seems to be a particularly nasty plague is infecting, and then altering the very DNA of those inflicted. It seems to be originating from the ocean, and after a very short time, scientists from Sigma Force kidnapped by the infamous Guild are working side-by-side attempting to stop what could very well be a planet-wide catastrophe. As always, those in the Guild may or may NOT be what they seem, and all the while we factor in the Vatican and surprisingly the possibility of an actual language of the Angels being translated which somehow seems to be all connected. But to what end? Never fear...Mr. Rollins has control, and he takes us on another thrilling roller-coaster ride that never fails to entertain as well as inform -- which always seem to be the best kind of books to read (IMHO). For those familiar with the novels by Rollins, this is one of those No Brainer decisions: you simply MUST get this book, it really IS awesome...however, for those who may be new to these books, by all means, buy, read and then run to go purchase the complete works by Mr. Rollins. IF you have the chance, while you do not have to, I would buy and read his books in the order they were released. Entertainment written by a real master...and definitely worth the wait. Kudos again to James Rollins boundless imagination. Now the wait for the NEXT Sigma Force novel begins...