Book Review: Passion by Lauren Kate

Passion is the third installment in Lauren Kate's Fallen Novel collection. I started reading this series as the idea of soul mates connected through an endless amount of time really drew me in. Perhaps this is because I focus on something similar in my own novels and was curious about another author's interpretation of the soul and its unknowns.
Passion is a little difficult to understand without reading the prior two novels 'Fallen' and 'Torment'. That's not to say the story is heavy, simply that there's a lot of background information needed to truly appreciate the direction this clever little story is heading.
Lucinda, or Luce as she's commonly referred to throughout the story is on a journey to unlock the secrets of her soulful connection to the fallen angel Daniel. Fighting against time, she opens pathways into her past, diving into the depths of the love tragically cut short between her and Daniel in every life, fighting to discover the key to break this seemingly unending curse. Never fully having a chance to appreciate the love they share, she is determined to discover the truth of their bond, understand the connection, and unravel the mystery of where it all goes wrong.
The author takes us on a clearly researched journey of the past, ducking and weaving the many integral characters through time, exploring and describing scenes with absolute clarity. The descriptive content was fantastic and what kept me turning the pages when there was little plot development to get the reader to start thinking for themselves.
The highlight of the book for me was the chapter exploring the rift between heaven and hell, the fall of the angels and the beginning of Lucifer's reign. So often we see and read about the aftermath, but so little do we get a descriptive passage detailing the decision that led to this point. I know it is only from the writer's perspective, but after so much detail of the past and the clear definition of characters and choices, it was easy to believe the scene laid out before me.
I enjoyed this book's clever writing and descriptive content, but wouldn't necessarily recommend the read without checking out the prior two novels. What I didn't enjoy (and this is only a personal opinion) was the lack of growth in the story. It was similar to reading about some very long dream that the main character finally wakes up from, finding themselves back where they started and only marginally educated for it. But apart from that, Lauren Kate is extremely talented and has challenged me to step up to the plate and pursue my own soulful endeavours!
Wish me luck and I'll keep you posted!

Kristy :)