Fiction / Fantasy/Horror
327 pages / 588 KB
4 Stars
It's been several years since I read Blood of the Lamb, and
didn't realize there was a sequel to it until recently. I think The Reckoning
can be read as a stand alone, but it will probably make more sense if you read
Blood of the Lamb first.
Peter Carenza is a young priest, who through a series of
events and "miracles" becomes Pope at an early age when the Pope
suddenly dies in Peter's arms. Peter can do good, but also has the power to do
evil, which he has done.
What I don't remember reading in this book, is the story of
how Peter came to be. A small cadre of Cardinals extracted DNA from the Shroud
of Turin, found a young, innocent, and virginal nun and convinced her she must
carry the baby, which was then given to an orphanage. The Cardinals followed
Peter as he grew, influencing him to become a priest, who on his 33d birthday
began to perform miracles.
When Peter becomes Pope, he immediately begins a process to
bring the Church into the current times. He decides to reinstate the marriage
of priests, and plans to set the example by marrying the love of his life—who
does not necessarily love him back.
The Cardinals who created him wanted to help God with the
long-awaited Second Coming. Did they succeed?
This book is more complex than I remember the first one, and the
characters are more developed. Many interesting people are introduced who
propel the story along until we reach the satisfactory end of the book. It's
also an interesting insight into how the Church may or may not actually be run.
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