I just finished reading, The Passion by Donna Boyd last night 
(10/8/02) and quite frankly, I’m still reeling.  The book is 
adequately named because its been a long time since I’ve read 
anything that evoked such depth of passion in myself that I could 
scarcely take a breath much less get any sleep last night.  In a word…
Powerful! This story and its author has the ability to reach out from 
the pages, down your throat, and drag out such a myriad of deep-
seated emotions, you will literally be floored, on your face, 
exhausted by the time you put it down. In my humble opinion, its that 
good.

Many of the critiques on the covers of the book will compare Ms. 
Boyd’s writing to Anne Rice and her enthralling Vampire Chronicles, 
but I would dare go even farther than that.  As I made my way through 
the pages, I recognized many notions and/or teachings of the classics 
including Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, Dr. Zhivago, 
Frankenstein, and yes even my personal favorite was most prominent, 
Les Miserables.  Yet the borrowed themes did not detract from the 
story at all, but rather added to the grandeur scale of it.  

Within the pages, Ms. Boyd not only re-creates an in-depth panorama 
of human society and culture with all of its strengths, weaknesses, 
frailties, prides, and prejudices, but she equally creates a species 
of werewolf separate from our own culture revealing very similar 
characteristics and faults.  The werewolf in her world is not 
descended or mutated from the human species at all, but rather is a 
separate-but-equal (or higher ranked depending on the view) race.  
She then intricately interweaves both of these species’ cultures, 
openly displaying the necessity to co-exist, alien to each species’ 
primitive nature versus individual and collective reluctance to 
abandon tradition, pride, prejudice, arrogance…goodness I could go on 
forever…and make efforts to see the good on the other side. And Ms. 
Boyd does this on so many different levels, its breathtaking. At one 
point, I found myself shocked at the intense reaction I had to the 
idea that humans weren’t the dominant species on the planet and 
another species actually had the audacity to look down on us.  I’ve 
not experienced that depth of emotion from any other preternatural 
book even though many times the “monsters” were superior in speed, 
strength, cunning, mystical arts or what have you.  Here however, it 
was positively gut-wrenching. I also often found myself alternately 
laughing with the characters, crying, commiserating, and wanting to 
throttle them for their stupidity when they were supposed to be of 
superior mind. I even found myself at one point feeling for the bad 
guy and THAT hasn’t happened to me since Darth Vader died.  

I will warn you, ladies and gentlemen, that it is very much a tear-
jerker.  I, who have lived too close in proximity to Mickey Mouse and 
therefore suffer a rather severe case of happily-ever-after syndrome, 
kept turning the pages hoping beyond hope that something would turn 
the tide and save the day.  The result however painted such a stark 
reflection of reality versus fantasy, that I’ve been rendered 
heartsick which I can now only hope a balm can be found in the 
sequel, The Promise which I have not yet read. I find myself 
wondering if I have the courage to pick it up.

In short, this book, though exquisite in detail and artistry, is 
definitely NOT for those weak of stomach.  However, if you enjoy 
having your intellect teased in multi-layered meditations of 
morality, ethics, or noblesse oblige.  If you can fathom a wild ride 
of emotions literally ripped from your very soul as no roller coaster 
on earth could hope to surpass, then you will definitely enjoy this 
book. But fasten your seatbelts.  It’s a VERY bumpy ride.