Review: Devil's Descent I: purgatory by Claudia D. Christian

Devil’s Descent I: purgatory 
by Claudia D. Christian

Publisher: DelSin Publishing, LLC

Release Date: July 13th 2010

Series: Miserable Love Series, Book 1

Julian Douglas exists solely for the night he finds his human pet Lily.

Lily Walker exists solely for the night she finds peace from the nightmare that is Julian Douglas.

Julian finds Lily.

Lily suffers Julian.
In the end, who finds freedom? The master who is a slave to his pet? Or the pet who never wanted to run away from her master?

WARNING: If you like your romance sweet, your vampires gentle, and your heroines flawless---this isn't for you. This is a dark, unconventional love story meant for readers who prefer morally ambiguous tales. 
~ From Goodreads

Please take notice of the warning in the Goodreads blurb. This book is an extremely dark love story. There is nothing beautiful about it except for the protagonists. Anyone that is uncomfortable with anything besides romantic sweet love stories should not read these books. These characters are really dark and this “love” story is pretty twisted. But if you’re ready to step outside your comfort zone, buckle up and take a ride into this “Miserable Love Series.”

Devil’s Descent I: purgatory starts in the middle of Julian and Lily’s story. Julian Douglas has chased 21 year old, Lily Walker to Montreal, Canada. Lily has been on the run for 2 years, ever since she was expelled from the town of Vickery Hill, Georgia. Lily is the former Resurrector of this secret town that is inhabited by twelve families of mixed human and vampire lineage. 

When Julian shows up at her apartment Lily is both shocked and relieved to see him. Though she knows she should make him leave, Lily’s sick need for her vampire lover has her submitting to him all over again. Lily is so obsessively in love with Julian that she allows him to physically and emotionally torture her. Beatings, drowning, forced orgies, infidelity - it doesn’t matter what twisted,  humiliating things Julian subjects her to, Lily always comes back for more. Julian is a sick, sadistic bastard who gets pure joy out of breaking Lily down. He knows that she craves the violence and disturbingly she enjoys it. But Lily also yearns for Julian’s love only he doesn’t seem capable of giving it to her.

”Time has proven to me that I’m not worthy of sustaining love, only destroying it. That’s what I do. That’s all I am…all I’ll ever be. I won’t survive love. I’d rather be dead than know I’m in love with this pet.” ~Julian

Julian and Lily have a love hate relationship with each other. As a reader I had those same feelings for these two characters. I wished both of them would just finish each other off. But at the same time I was completely captivated by their perverse obsession with one another. Oh and the sex scenes were jaw-dropping, twisted goodness. 

Claudia D. Christian is a gifted storyteller who draws her readers into this warped and miserable tale. As I said before this is an intensely dark read but I found myself wanting to know more about these complex characters. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this Miserable Love Series. 
I give Devil’s Descent I: purgatory 4 out of 5 stars.