Blog Tour Review: Purgatory Reign by L.M. Preston

Today the blog tour for Purgatory Reign stops here! Let's dive right into the review, shall we?

The story follows Peter Saint, an orphan with some unusual talents, who is on the run from an evil organization. He's not alone, soon being joined by scruffy Angel, a small kid with surprising fighting skills and lots of secrets. The two try to find sanctuary while attempting to unravel the mystery of two opposing organizations, the power they wield, and what exactly they want with Peter and Angel.

The is a good, tense, action driven urban fantasy. There's violence, magic, car chases, and mystery layered on thick. It's never boring, and that's very important.

I liked all of the characters a great deal. I found Peter an interesting mix of honorable rule breaker and survivor. I liked Angel a lot as well. I felt like their relationship  developed a bit too quickly, and I was frustrated by the lightning jump from dislike to implicit trust, but that's a common sin in books and I can't complain too much.

My other primary frustration with this book was the style of the world building, which uses a lot of withholding to keep the story mysterious. Personally, I prefer to have the rules of the world and what is going on in it laid out early in the story. I like to know who the players are and what the stakes might be, so I can focus on the action within the plot. That's not to say that the world building isn't intriguing, because it is. The villains are scary, the settings are creepy, and the magic sufficiently believable. The fact that I prefer my explanations clear and early in the story is a matter of personal preference.

To conclude, this book is worth a read if your a fan of urban fantasy steeped in religious/magical history. The pace is snappy, there's plenty of action, and the end will not disappoint you. 3.5 stars.