My Rating: 4/5
Author: Sam Cabot
Title: Blood of the Lamb: A Novel of Secrets
Genre: Paranormal Thriller
Background:
Amazon Description:
“This document, dear friend, will shatter the Church…..
Reading these words in a letter in a dusty archive, Thomas Kelly is skeptical. The papers to which they refer have vanished, but Father Kelly, a Jesuit priest, doubts that anything could ever have had that power—until the Vatican suddenly calls him to Rome to begin a desperate search for that very document.
Meanwhile, standing before a council of her people, Livia Pietro receives instructions: she must find a Jesuit priest who has recently arrived in Rome and join his search for a document that contains a secret so shocking it has the power to destroy not only the Catholic Church, but Livia’s people as well.
As cryptic messages from the past throw Thomas and Livia into a treacherous world of art, religion, and conspiracy, they are pursued by those who would cross any line to obtain the document for themselves. Thomas and Livia must race to stop the chaos and destruction that the revelation of these secrets would create. Livia, though, has a secret of her own: She and her people are vampires.
In a sprawling tapestry that combines the religious intrigue of Dan Brown with the otherworldly terror of Stephenie Meyer, Blood of the Lamb is an unforgettable journey into an unthinkable past.”
Opinions:
Blood of the Lamb is a paranormal thriller that takes place in Italy. Centuries ago a document was formed between the Catholic Church and the Noantri. In a nineteenth century raid, the document – Concordat – was stolen from the Vatican. Threatening to publicize this document the thief goes at great length to hide it in case something happens while also making copies. It was never publicized to the world. Now, both parties are threatened again today. Father Thomas Kelly (a Jesuit priest) joins forces with Livia Pietro (a Noantri) to find the document before the wrong hands get it. A chase is on between multiple parties with different motivations. Just a note to readers who may have problems with religious fiction books: Although this is not The Da Vinci Code, you will have to have an open mind set for it – remember you are reading a work of fiction.
Characters:
The story is written in third person following multiple characters. The two main characters are Father Kelly and Livia. Father Kelly is a Jesuit priest whose mentor and cardinal friend becomes librarian to the Vatican. The cardinal enlists Father Kelly’s help in finding the secret document that threatens the church. Livia is part of the Noantri and is also enlisted by her “conclave” to find the document. These two are an unlikely pair, but must put aside their differences in a joint effort to save the document. The characters are multi-dimensional and face their own battles as they work through the secret clues left by the original thief while being chased by different groups.
Plot:
The plot flowed along well. The beginning was a little rocky for me, but I was hooked within about 75 pages. The chapters are usually short, which is nice if you need to stop. The plot centers on finding the hidden document through multiple parties. Father Kelly and Livia are the main party, but there are two other parties and the Italian/Vatican police that are also involved. The ending has a bit of a surprise, and everything seems to be explained by the last page. One thing that I would have liked to seen in the novel was for Livia and Father Kelly to have a little more difficult time solving some of the clues as they went. It seemed a little too easy for them, although it did make for a faster pace in the book.
The Bottom Line:
Overall, I enjoyed the book. As I have mentioned, if you have problems with stories like The Da Vinci Code, then you probably want to avoid this book. However, if you don’t mind and like paranormal thrillers, then you should definitely give this book a try.
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