Cross of Blood

It turns out Cathy is pregnant.

Which is impossible. At least, theoretically impossible, since humans and Newcomers aren't supposed to be able to produce children (being two different species.)

This causes Matt a lot of problems, thinking for a while that Susan has been cheating on him, but it turns out she hasn't. The Purists are back, spreading their anti-Newcomer hatred by violent means, but this time they are not alone. A group of rich Newcomers themselves are quite willing to use violence to stop the doctor who has shown that humans and Newcomers can, indeed, produce children.

If that wasn't enough, George gets involved in some form of strange cult called the Beings of Light, and a doctor that was supposed blown up in a lab explosion is actually still quite alive. Not for long, though.

The leader of the Bringers of Light seems to be the same person George killed in Dark Horizons. Meanwhile, an assault group attacks the hospital and steals Cathy and Matt's child.

There's also been a side-story about Albert picking products that might sell well for a company, then Grazer getting Albert to push his own books and tapes.

The rest of the book is about what happens to the baby and another child, the Purist kidnappers, Buck and a friend of his, and the guy from Dark Horizons.

The main part of the book, the plot dealing with the Newcomer-Human hybrids, is quite good, again examining the nature of prejudice and hatred in our society and how it can become incredibly violent. The part of the book about Albert and his “picking,” though, seems rather silly and unnecessary. It actually detracts from the overall quality of the book, thus making it a mixed bag rather than a solidly-good novel.


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