Official Review: Purgatory's Angel by B Hughes-Millman

[inaramid]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Purgatory's Angel" by B Hughes-Millman.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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B. Hughes-Millman’s paranormal romance, Purgatory’s Angel, explores a disturbingly dark premise: Our inner demons run rampant in our dreams, and they can kill in our sleep. In the planes beyond consciousness, the most depraved sides of people manifest in some form, creating a nightmare from which there can be no awakening.

Jaime Connor is a dark angel. When she falls asleep each night, she is thrust into the demons’ hunting grounds, their victims’ dreams, where she must either kill or be killed. Without Jaime’s intercession, the victims could die in real life, “the cause of death precise to how they died in their dreams.” Jaime has been at this for decades, but tragedy after tragedy has made her cynical and self-destructive. One morning, she wakes up injured from one of her nightly battles, unable to recall all the details of the dream she’d been in. To complicate matters, the impossibly gorgeous demon she thought she had killed shows up in her workplace. His name is Collin Leary, an Irishman, and his interest in Jaime feels both ominous and exhilarating. Is he trying to kill her? Shouldn’t she kill him? Will her attraction to this enemy be her undoing? And if so, would death be such a bad thing?

Purgatory’s Angel offers a fascinating spin on the mythos of angels and demons, situating a tightly knit plot in the realm of dreams. The parameters surrounding Jaime’s powers, the demons’ abilities, the dream world, and everything else in between are defined clearly. Through Jaime’s perspective, these supernatural elements are slowly revealed as the story unfolds, allowing readers to get immersed in Jaime’s and Collin’s storylines without being alienated or overwhelmed.

The romance between Jaime and Collin is riveting, as Jaime’s desire for Collin goes far beyond the physical. There’s chemistry here, but a darker element underpins the attraction: Jaime’s pervasive longing for her own demise. Readers who dislike insta-love scenarios might balk at Jaime’s internal monologues during the early chapters, as she often alternates between wanting to “slit [Collin’s] throat” or “fervently kiss him.” However, a deeper connection between the two is revealed towards the end, partly explaining plot points that might not make a lot of sense at the beginning. There’s destiny at work here, which seemed like too much of a stretch when it was revealed, but it tied in well with Jaime’s backstory. An additional romantic aspect between Jaime and another character is also explored, so readers who enjoy love triangles will find the middle portions of the book quite entertaining.

Jaime’s torturous existence is portrayed in graphic detail. Her internal turmoil aside, the things she had endured—and continue to endure on a nightly basis—are not for the weak of heart…or stomach. Readers who may be triggered by mentions and depictions of rape and other forms of sexual assault should stay away from this book. Torture, aggression, and violence also abound, the gruesomeness intensifying with each chapter. While gratuitous at times, there’s a disquieting truth behind these morbid situations. After all, what acts have the “demons” in the story committed—be it rape, torture, or murder—that a regular human being hasn’t done in real life?

On the technical side of things, there are a few typographical errors sprinkled throughout the work, usually involving the erroneous use of words (e.g., undue instead of undo, hick-ups instead of hiccups, pour over instead of pore over). That said, the copy I got was an uncorrected proof, so these problems might have been rectified in the final version. There are also a few details that aren’t as well-established as could be. Jaime’s photographic memory, for instance, is mentioned so suddenly towards the end of the book that it almost felt like an afterthought.

While I find the worldbuilding satisfactory, the timeline seems a bit off. Jaime descended to earth after an epic battle in heaven that ended in Lucifer’s fall. This implies that Jaime should be older, practically ancient if this were the case. However, she reveals that she’s 70 years old but apparently retains the appearance of a young woman in her mid-20s. She reminisces about crucial events that took place when she was 11 and 15, suggesting that her body ages normally. Jaime had parents and a grandmother, but whether they retained their youth isn’t clear to me. Perhaps these inconsistencies will be addressed in the next book in the series.

Purgatory’s Angel scores high for its ingenious premise, compelling storylines, and a strong heroine, but because of the typos and the confusing timeline, I give it a final rating of 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to fans of dark paranormal romance and mature readers who won’t be turned off by the book’s violence and explicit contents. I do have to mention that religious figures like Jesus Christ are embedded in the story’s lore, so readers who take an issue with this might want to give this book a pass.

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Purgatory's Angel
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Like inaramid's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Christina Rose]

This sounded great until I got to the part about the gratuitous scenes of rape, torture, and murder. I can take a lot in a book, but when it becomes too cringe-worthy I typically will reconsider finishing. Great review! Thank you

[stacie k]

Thanks for the warning! I’m not a fan of gruesome, violent content. I appreciate your thorough review.

[kandscreeley]

This is an interesting premise. Our inner demons can kill us while we sleep. It's quite disturbing. As unique as this sounds, I'm afraid I would be greatly put off by the graphic content. So, I don't think I'll read this one, but I'm glad that you found it enjoyable. The review was nice.

[londonmartine]

I love your review, and the book sounds like a really excellent concept - what a shame, though, about the violence you describe, because that would totally put me off

[naicme32]

I like supernatural stuff.

[MollyEnter]

Sounds interesting! Thanks for the review! I'll be putting this on my Want to Read shelf!

[Mfonobong Bassey]

amazing story,i like dark paranormal novel. And Great Review

[inaramid]

Thanks for dropping by, everyone!

This sounded great until I got to the part about the gratuitous scenes of rape, torture, and murder. I can take a lot in a book, but when it becomes too cringe-worthy I typically will reconsider finishing. Great review! Thank you

It really does depend on how much a reader can take. Maybe being prepared might make it a lot easier for some.

Thanks for the warning! I’m not a fan of gruesome, violent content. I appreciate your thorough review.

Thank you, too, stacie! I hope the information above helped in your decision.

This is an interesting premise. Our inner demons can kill us while we sleep. It's quite disturbing. As unique as this sounds, I'm afraid I would be greatly put off by the graphic content. So, I don't think I'll read this one, but I'm glad that you found it enjoyable. The review was nice.

I did like the concept very much. It might not be for everyone though.

I love your review, and the book sounds like a really excellent concept - what a shame, though, about the violence you describe, because that would totally put me off

Yes, I thought it was a great concept - just maybe too violent for some.

I like supernatural stuff.

Me too!

Sounds interesting! Thanks for the review! I'll be putting this on my Want to Read shelf!

Thanks, Molly! I hope you enjoy it too.

[inaramid]

amazing story,i like dark paranormal novel. And Great Review

Thanks for dropping by, Mfonobong Bassey! I hope you enjoy this book.

[bookowlie]

Thanks for an interesting, thorough review! Paranormal themes are not my cup of tea. Add in rape and tortune, and the book doesn't sound like it's for me. Still, I am glad you were able to appreciate the creative premise and interesting plot.

[Libs_Books]

Paranormal themes are not my cup of tea. Add in rape and tortune, and the book doesn't sound like it's for me.

With you on that one, bookowlie. Still, inaramid, if anything could persuade me to read that book, it would be your review.

[inaramid]

Thanks for an interesting, thorough review! Paranormal themes are not my cup of tea. Add in rape and tortune, and the book doesn't sound like it's for me. Still, I am glad you were able to appreciate the creative premise and interesting plot.

True. It's really the premise that made this book work for me. It just isn't for everyone.

[inaramid]

Paranormal themes are not my cup of tea. Add in rape and tortune, and the book doesn't sound like it's for me.

With you on that one, bookowlie. Still, inaramid, if anything could persuade me to read that book, it would be your review.

Ha ha, thanks Libs_Books! Looking forward to your future reviews as well.

[NL Hartje]

I feel like this "dark angel" character is new, or at least new to me! Thanks for this review, as a fantasy geek, I'm putting this one on my list!