Customer Reviews

The Passion

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Compelling, absorbing, and lyrical... Ms. Boyd can sure tell a story. She spins a tale of a subculture of urbane werewolves that exist and live amidst humans, unbeknownst to most of them. They are wealthy, elegant, intelligent, well-educated, and powerful: the consummate "beautiful people" known as the Devoncroix clan.

It is a story that is sinuous in its imagery and sensual in its use of language. The author expertly weaves the tale of Alexander, head of the Devoncroix clan, and his connection to the all too human Tessa. It is Tessa's fascination with Alexander and his fascination with her that is at the heart of this novel.

The author's description of werewolves and their subculture is intriguing and spellbinding. She draws you in and before you know it, you are caught: hook, line, and sinker. You dread coming to the end of the book, and when you do, you cannot wait to go out and get the sequel. Anne Rice, beware! Here comes the heir apparent. Anyway, the book is a great read.

This book is an amazing read but also extremely distressing(at least for me). Part of the book made me cry for half an hour. It is not a romance at all. In fact, if you're expecting romance, don't read this. The book was well-written and caught hold of my emotions with a strangling grip. The characters were flawed, as all of us are, which somehow made the book better. It is an engrossing story and you will not be able to put it down until you're done. Wonderful thing to have when you want to ignore the outside world for a time(like perhaps in a noisy situation with nothing to do--schools, airports).

I must say this, I tend to be sensitive to rape situations in books. For those like me, it might be a good idea to skip over this as the author does a fairly graphic and horrifying description of it at one point. If I'd known of this before I read the book, I'd have still read it(it's that great) but...I know better than to think others would do the same.

After reading the reviews here on this website, I immediately went out and bought both The Passion and The Promise. After devouring The Passion, I must say that the writing is first rate, which is the reason I gave five stars. I didn't want to stop until I was finished. Donna Boyd truly deserves the praise.

But, I must say, that because I am one, I became really offended at the way Tessa, the human, was treated by the werewolves, and especially by Alexander. How could he say he loved Tessa at all and then treat her so harshly. He knew Tessa's love for him was as a human woman for a human man - especially since his werewolf wife, Elise all but gave him options at the sentencing other than to commit her to exile to Alaska where he knew she probably would not survive? His brother, Denis, became the more sympathetic figure for me. I was overjoyed that Alexander and Elise lost their firstborn. Maybe I'm being too critical, but maybe Ms. Boyd could have taken us into Alexander's mind during the time of Denis and Tessa's dangerous schlep across Alaska and for us to see how tormented he was by his decision. It would have given me satisfaction. The elitist attitude of the werewolves to the very end also became annoying to me.

I am a fan of Happily Ever After. If you are, too, then this isn't the book for you, but if you are into a good read, then by all means, buy it.

All that said, I finished the book in two days, I just couldn't stop reading - The Promise is just waiting to be read -- and isn't that what books are all about?

I was not prepared to find such a treasure in this book. Being a fan of Anne Rice's books (all of them) and knowing her upcoming book is the last one on her supernatural series of witches and vampires, I was looking for something to read on the genere of the supernatural and the occult. I happened to be roaming around Amazon, reading reviews, and I found this newcomer, Donna Boyd. I bought "The Passion". And this, my friends is what I think of this story.

First of all her writing style is beautiful. She takes you from one scene to the other flawlessly. The book is well written and very organized, you don't feel lost in the world of this creatures. She does not bombard you with many characters and keeps the storyline straight all the time.

About the story itself, all I can say is that it is the only story about supernatural characters that has made me cry.

Alexander Devoncroix's character is charming, smart and arrogant; but you are able to forgive the arrogance, for he makes it up with a very human heart even though he's a werewolf. He meets his dead human best friend's daughter, Tessa, in a very peculiar situation. Needless to say they become inseparable. He is bent on "educatin her" just for his amusement and to repay all the kindness his old best friend showed him during the time they spent together. Tessa's character is kind of slow, weak and simple in the begining, very predictable, but as the story develops you find Tessa's soul is very strong; stronger I think than Alexander's.

Tessa is regarded as a pet, an amusement to all werewolves who meet her and Alexander shows her off with pride. Tessa doesn't mind for as predictable as her character is in the beginning, she falls in love with her werewolf friend.

Into the picture comes Denis, Alexander's renegade brother and Elise, Alexander's love interest. Denis is bent of forwarding his position in the pack through a plan that involves marrying the new pack leader, Elise. Alexander of course does not want this for he is, even though he doesn't know it at first, in love with Elise.

Denis' only great characteristic is his ambitiousness. Other than that he's not a complicated character, but as with Tessa's character, Denis' development and evolution will leave you breathless.

Elise is the pack leader, a smart, strong and levelheaded female werewolf with a heart. Elise as the leader has plans of her own and this human girl, Tessa, is just the tool she neeeds to push her cause. Denis, on the other hand, has plans for Tessa too.

The outcome of this story is absolutely unpredictable and completely heart wrenching. I loved every detail and every emotion felt by Alexander, Denis, Elise and Tessa.

If you want a story where werewolfs are portrayed in a very different manner to that which they have been subject throughout history, this is your story. It's a must read. I highly recommend it.

I don't usually take the time to sit down and write a review for every book I read, for then I would be sitting at the computer almost daily. But I think that Donna Boyd has done a tremendous job of this story and I wanted to tell anyone who gets to read this review "BUY IT".

"The Passion" was an intriguing book to read. I had a hard time deciding if I really, really liked it; or if I really, really hated it. Hence, the tepid rating.

The story revolves around the relationship between the secret subculture of werewolves and a human, Tessa LeGuerre. It is set primarily in late Victorian-era France. The author depicts werewolves as being the elite of society, possessing superior intellect and strength; and are responsible for most of the advances and superlatives in the world. Tessa LeGuerre is the daughter of the best friend of one of the werewolves, the upper-class Alexander Devoncroix. Believing that Alexander is responsible for her father's death, Tessa infiltrates his household staff and nearly succeeds in murdering him before coming to the realization that she erred in her assumptions about him. Tessa is more or less adopted by Alexander and is allowed entree into the secret world of werewolves which is forbidden to humans.

Werewolves are insufferably arrogant and snobbish about their superiority to humans. I found that this theme became tiresome and annoying but then I suspected that this was part of the author's message. Despite their image of superiority, Alexander and the werewolves mess up time after time due to their arrogance. Alexander condemns his own brother and Tessa to exile after an abortive attempt at murder for which Tessa was innocent; even though the truth could have become known to them all if only they had a shred of humility or sense of justice. Even the most likeable werewolf, Elise, proved to be a failure in that she knew of Tessa's innocence but allowed her to be condemned. Tessa, the poor weak human, proves herself to be superior to the werewolves for outsmarting them repeatedly, showing initiative, and for surviving in her harsh exile.

The entire story is told by Alexander to his son decades later. The ultimate question in the story is whether or not the werewolves will begin a war on humans in order to prove themselves superior; or if they can put aside some of their arrogance and learn a little humility. At the end of the book, we are uncertain as to to which course will be taken by Nicholas, Alexander's son.

The author weaves her tale in an intriguing and masterful fashion which makes the story flow effortlessly. However, it does not have a satisfying resolution which may frustrate the reader.

A compelling and romantic read about werewolfs that is difficult to put down. This novel begins a series that, perhaps, might surpass the allure of the "Vampire Chronicles" by Ann Rice. Donna Boyd has created an emotionally gripping tale of werewolfs who control a far reachng finacial empire controlled by the Devoncroix Corporation and their leader, Alexander, who enjoys the company of humans, but always remains loyal to the pack. The most deftly created scenes are those where the werewolf change from human form to their natural wolf form called the "passion". These scenes are so richly imagined and thought provoking that you wish you could become one of the pack and experience the freedom and power of being a wolf--but, through the beautifully written prose of the author, you actually do. If Ms. Boyds next book, The Promise, is anywhere near as good as this one, Ann Rice can step aside--their is a new leader of the pack. Experience "The Passion"

This book had my emotions in knots; I think I got whiplash from all the turns here. I wanted Alexander to fall in love with Tessa, and that course seems to be charted, but then he falls in love with Elise. Not to mention that we go from hating Denis, to encouraging his love for Tessa.

Then things happen with Tessa and Denis which you were led to believe could not happen, which leave you going..."Huh?".

I held on for the ride, and enjoyed it, but it's defintely not a book for the "happily ever after romance fans" out there.

This book is one of the most beautiful I have read. Within the first 5 minutes of reading the book, I was commenting on the simple yet descriptive and insightful BEAUTY of the writing style, and hoped that it continued throughout the book. It did. Its characters all possess tragic flaws, which all culminate in the downfall of each and every one of them in some crucial way. Donna Boyd also took up a difficult task in actually molding a world unique to werewolves and making it seem so convincing as to actually be real, and yet she did exactly that, and with what seems to be (but probably isn't) perfect ease. This book has all of the elements of a classic, and possesses elements of many genres: historical fiction (really), fantasy, and romance. This is a book you dread to finish because it will then be OVER, but simultaneously can't wait to finish because you will then know exactly where the then-separate stories (each told by a different narrator) finally merge again. You won't regret buying this book, reading it, or going hunting for its sequel thereafter.

I have to say that I was quite impressed with this novel. THE PASSION made me nearly tear up at the end, made me gasp with horror, shout with frustration and anger, clench my fists with the impotent desire to intervene and also want to highlight some passages that were especially simple, wise and touching.

I don't know how to express to fellow readers out there how discriminating my tastes are; it is highly unusual for me to feel so fulfilled and yet drained by reading a novel.

There are too many authors out there that do not do what Boyd did with this book: they do not take the time and effort to write the truly difficult stories, the complicated plots, the ugly details of the lows as well as the highs of the characters. Boyd invested in the full crafting of three-dimensional characters--that I loved, hated, and felt pity for.

It is amazing to me how well and how gradually, how subtly and naturally Boyd was able to move me in an emotional journey as I followed the paths of her characters. I was moved from disgust with a character to pity, toleration, understanding and eventually to fondness, affection and love. Conversely, Boyd was able to make me see the flaws of characters that I so much wanted to unconditionally love...and I even loved these characters more for knowing that they are only 'human' (tongue in cheek). Boyd writes with exceptional depth.

I loved how Boyd was able to make the characters symbolic devils and angels. I loved how she was able to make me doubt whether those who so clearly seemed to be evil were evil...or honorable, weak, etc.

There were so many subtle lessons for me. I learned a lot about anger, judgment, pride, what strength is and also about the meaning of love.

Anyway, I just really thought this novel was wonderful and moving. I don't know if I can read anymore in this series though, because of the strength with which the tragedy and beauty of the stories and outcomes upset me and kept me up with dreams nights after I read the novel. I read the entire novel in one sitting, because it was so enthralling.

I always THINK that I want to read writing this good and this deep, but maybe I do like my writing a bit fluffier:-)

Brava, Boyd!

This book was entertaining but disappointing. Tessa was truly annoying and I felt little sympathy for her. A woman treated as she was should have more to say about it. I felt she needed more say in what her destiny was. I would have liked to know her better. Alexander was very like the romance novels' heroes. But I actually did like him. And really, he is the main character. When the book finally became enthralling was in Alaska. I feel that deserved half the novel. The hidden fortress and its history as well as Tessa and Denys were very interesting together. But, alas, that was the briefest part. Werewolves' attitude towards humans didn't entirely make sense. If they are so all-powerful, humans would be in the dog houses and they would have already dominated us. Perhaps the point Ms Boyd is trying to make is the werewolves are deluded about their superiority over us and this is a lesson they will learn in future. It remains to be seen. To compare her to Ann Rice's vampires, however, is unfair. Its like apples to oranges and it set my expectations too high. That said; this series shows promise and I am interested enough to keep reading. Thanks.