Purge of the Pure

Monarchs & Monsters

by Laney Clover

The Monarch must die...and I'm just the girl to take his head.

When The Meld came, it merged all of us together: ethereal, fae, spawn, and human. Except for a powerful few, like the Pure. They think because they make the rules they're above them. They're not.

After years of being on the run, I exist for one thing only.

Revenge.

But it's not so easy to destroy the Pure monarch who killed my family, not with his many gangs running the city. So I'm fighting back in secret. Problem is, the most powerful monsters on the street are close to learning my identity. I'm number one on the Choir Boys' hit list.

The vampire wants to suck me dry.

The werewolf wants to eat me.

The fae wants to put me under his spell.

And the brooding giant... I'm scared AF of the quiet one.

When they find out who I really am, I'm as good as dead.

But they offer me another way out. I have to take it to avenge my family.

Even if it means giving them exactly what they want, and what I can't afford to lose.

Me.

Note: this is a dark, reverse harem romance with adult themes. Violence, assault, sexual situations, and themes of death and consent may be problematic for some readers.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Why Choose, Fae, Romance, Paranormal Romance

610 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[gonzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5??…

I don’t even know where to start. There were definitely aspects of this story that were entertaining but so much was just confusing and… boring…?. I hate that 90% of the spicy scenes were “my mind says no but my body says yes” I hate that crap. I almost gave up so many times because there was just so much internal dialogue it was exhausting! The big climax at the end enraged me and not in a “oh my god this is so amazing and action packed and I can’t wait to see what happens” kind a way. More like a “oh my god this s**t is so dumb and makes zero sense but I’ve already made it 90% and I refuse to stop here so hurry up and get to the point!” Kinda way.

I may update this review at a later date because right now I’m just irritated by the whole experience lol More than likely this book will become a fever dream.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! So many magical creatures! Werewolves, vampires, angels.. AND A DOG😍 This author wrote Raine (FMC) able to hold her own and be independent.. well you’ll have to read and watch her relationships develop and grow for a different perspective(;

I received this ARC for an honest review, all thoughts/opinions above are completely my own.

[Anna Park · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. But aside from seeing how hard everything is for everyone and how tragic everyone's backstories are I couldn't find any reason to root for the characters. It was gruesome and depressing with no real hope things would improve. DNF at 57%.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steam:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes: 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐌𝐅𝐌𝐌𝐌, 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐦𝐜, 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐦𝐜

This is a very good book! It has romance, action, danger, spice, and angst. The political & magic aspect is interesting and a fresh take. In this world, humans are rare and if you are 100% human, you are considered the Pure. They have immense power and become monarchs, ruling cities. The other population is a mix of all paranormal creatures. Everyone is a blend of something.

Raine is a necromancer with shadow fae blood that moonlights as a vigilante. Necromancy is the most hated type of magic. Anyone that is a necromancer is immediately put to death. Raine has multiple reasons for becoming a vigilante but the biggest is because the ruler of her city, a Pure known as Ulrich, killed her family. So it’s her mission to kill him and cause chaos for the Pure and the gangs in the city. She also has a Robin Hood mentality though.

The gang that runs the city is called the Choir Boys and the leaders of it are known as The Four. Cutter is a werewolf, Silas is a fae, Bale is a giant, and Vaughn is a vampire. They all have very distinct personalities and easy to tell apart in the story.

The Four have been tasked by Ulrich with finding the vigilante, Nova aka Raine. Raine catches their interest after they ask her what she knows of Nova. After some bad intel, they come after her and take her. Of course they are all fascinated by her and her otherness.

This is a high spice book. Raine and one of the MMC is a virgin. Another MMC has past trauma and doesn’t like to be touched. I really loved Cutter, the werewolf, for just how gone he and his beast was for Raine.

𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐬, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. “𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐏𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐡𝐞𝐫.”
𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬. 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭. 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞.

Raine is snarky and holds her own against the Four. There is a lot of instalust for some of them. This isn’t a lovey dovey story - there is plenty of mistrust between Raine and the men. I felt like it did wrap up a little quickly for being 600 pages. I wanted to see more of their happy ending. Overall, I was very interested and read this book within a day!

[Micronova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me obsessed from the start!! It is dark and violent with some good angst! Be sure to check your TW!!

We have our FMC Raine, human (or IS she?) and The Four MMC’s. Cutler, the werewolf. Bale, the golem. Vaughn, the vampire. Silas, the fae mage.

We’ve got The Choir Boys, a monster mafia and we have The Pure, ethereal, spawn, fae, werewolves, vampires, golems, humans etc…

There is so much depth in this novel. Raine has been hiding amongst the lowly common folk for years, passing as human but hiding because she knows she has some shadow abilities. She truly wants to see improved conditions and is tired of seeing the folk of Saints Bowery get trampled and beaten down by The Four and The Choir Boys.

Then Nova comes along! The Hero of Eden! A vigilante that provokes the monster mafia and stands up for the weak and battered. Because of Nova, Raine is thrown directly into the lives of The Four and the adventure is full speed ahead from there.

There is so much mystery and so many plot twists that are revealed. There are fantastical fights, a magic system to die for, a SPICY reverse harem love story, massive character development and world building!! Strong support characters that help the development of our characters. This book has it all!

I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment of the series.

I received an advanced reader copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

This was a surprising delight. Awesome characters. Vivid world building. Dark, gripping plot. Sexy chemistry that morphs into deep romance. Gah!! My only complaint would be the lack of an epilogue. The ending was sad in its own way, up until almost the very end when we see our HEA on the horizon. The book ends pretty quickly after that moment so we don't really make a full transition into that state of happy which left me feeling a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, this story was so well done. It just barely missed the mark of a perfect ending for me.

[Lexi H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, struggle to finish

[Jax · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author did a fantastic job balancing edginess and sensitivity. The way she was able to explain some of the darker undertones in this book without making it a gore feast was impressive. As a reader, you get to understand the depth of the brutality in this world without being overwhelmed by it. Some books that are edgier can be extremely descriptive and triggering, which excludes some readers. I was impressed with the author's ability to be delicate when describing the horrors that exist in this universe.

Another part of this book that intrigued me were the few chapters of Ulrich and Abbadon's POV. I appreciate how she very clearly outlines their narcissism and cruelty. However, with the amount of build up in this book, I think the author could build more backstory into their descent into depravity by having flashbacks into the boy's childhoods. I would've liked to get the scene from when Bale was found and again when he bonded with Vaughn. A flashback to when Ulrich barred Eahmoc from being a part of Silas. The author defines the parent-child relationship between all of the boys and Ulrich as something true to the feelings of wanting validation, support and love from him, despite Ulrich being a harbinger of pain. It denotes one's love for a parent that has hurt them over and over again, yet still craves a good relationship with them. This was a very relatable part of the book and it seemed very realistic. For example, small habits you have in your thinking patterns towards your parents that are ingrained in you ("They always did their best", "They love me and don't want to hurt me", etc.)

The characters seemed to be well-fleshed out with the exception of Raine. At least until the very end of the book. Raine's life is quite monotonous when her only jobs are at the bakery and doubling as the city's vigilante. After meeting the boys, she starts to grow a bit, but I think her real development occurred at the end of the book. She wasn't necessarily the badass heroine that we see in other books, but she did play a role. I think the character that had the most growth and seemed the most realistic was Bale. Not just because he became a real boy (not from wood like Pinnochico, but from clay like a golem). When he began to become a real boy, you could understand the enormity of learning to understand and overcome the wealth of emotions he was experiencing. I'm sure most of us have experienced times when we felt like we were feeling too much and very extremely overwhelmed by it, especially as children. So, in my opinion, it brought me back to my own experiences and just made him seem much more realistic.

There was a lot of build up in the book, almost too much. It is 610 pages long and most of it is exposition. I got to chapter 90 (pg. 477) and was unsurprised that it was going to be a cliffhanger; only to be more surprised when I turned the page and it wasn't. The book kept going, almost dragging itself along at the end. It felt like when an essay requires a word count and you're doing your damnedest to fill it. I think those last handful of pages could've certainly been condensed. The relationships are a bit too insta-love as well. There isn't much of a crescendo into that, but otherwise this book was pretty good!

[Bookalyptic · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars :)

Purge of the pure is the first book in the Monarchs and Monsters series.

The Pure are an elite race, untainted and few in numbers. Raine’s family was killed by a Pure Monarch and the only thing she lives for now is revenge. She wants the monarch dead.

Right from the start of the book we get to know more about the districts, lands, races and Raine (protagonist). There is a lot of action, like it is packed! Raine is fighting in secret, trying to keep her identity hidden from all the gangs and powerful monsters in Saints Bowery. And then there are the Choir Boys, who have Raine as number one on their hit list.

At first it was kind of difficult getting into the story, but quite soon in the book I started getting more and more into it. I got so invested into the story that I laughed, cried and ached with Raine and the others. And the story isn’t just fighting and f*cking. The more I read, the more I see the deeper messages the book has. The choices you make in life decide and change the future. Trust and love always finds it's way back to the respective owner.

I haven't read quite something like this before. It's extremely smutty and explicit, but the story, the demons, spawns, golems, gods and archangels, the pure, fae, vampires... it's such a unique world and storyline and I really like it. It's something new, something pure yet tainted (no pun intended). I enjoyed reading Purge of the Pure and will certainly be reading the second book in the series.

Thanks to the author Laney Clover for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC, my opinions are my own and my review is voluntarily.

https://bookalyptic.com/

[Nicolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was....
So to be honest the first 30% wasn't so bad. It was interesting to a degree but things started to go down quickly people.
- By 70% of the book you might think OKAY the guys are on board, they like her...right? therefore they are nice to her... hmmmm... NOPE. They are as*holes. They tell her so many times " You are nothing that a wet p*ssy, and u are breathing bc we allow it" and she is upset mentally but having s*x with them in the next page. So, really how upset is she?
- Bale he is a cutie BUT he acts like he has the mental capacity of an 8 year old. It gets creepy to see a guy acting like he is 8 years old with a murdering power have s*x. FEELS WRONG.
- Bale grown a d*ck will never be forgotten and not in a good way. So this guy grows a d*ck and he starts to feel "funny" downstairs in the pants area. And he doesn't know whats going on, he feels like he needs to f*ck but has no idea what it is. Bare in mind, he has been living with two horn dogs f*ck boys in a MC. I would assume he would know what a d*ck is, and what it is for.
But no, so here we get the fmc what needs to give him a lesson of what to do with his d*ck and she is ordered by one of the guys (alpha obviously) to f*ck Bale. SO MANY WRONG THINGS WITH THIS.

- At some point in 80% I couldn't do it anymore. This was beyond ridiculous.

[Amanda Crossland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

So much happened, I’m really glad this was made into 1 book. It has dbl the amount of pages in a normal book. We are introduced to Raine, aka Nova. She’s the Robin Hood of Saints Burrow, in Eden. With Vaughn our resident vampire, Bale our special Golem, Silas the fae and Cutter the werewolf, they work for their POS adoptive father Ulrich, the Pure and his right hand, another POS Angel Abbadon. Raine is caught by the Four, and they start to get to know her and start to fall for her. Bale always treated good, he was quiet, but he was always there to protect her when he could, and when Raine saves a hellhound puppy and asks him to protect it, was a turning point for him. He saw her as his to protect. His character was probably my favorite. He was naive but deadly, loyal and loving. He was my favorite I think. He never said anything cutting to her, even when the guys all treated like crap at the beginning. We got to read a view of all the guys and a chapter or two of Ulrich and Abbadon. I’m really glad that Bale came back, and Urco. My heart hurt to read they died. I was invested in this story, I didn’t want to put it down. I loved all of the main characters. They grew on me and made up for how they treated Raine in the beginning. Love this book!

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! For a debut novel, this was brilliant and so engaging.

Raine is the FMC and we all know I adore a good strong FMC in my romantasy so I was obsessed with her. She’s a loved baker and is trusted by her community, but secretly plots against the monarch for revenge. This leads her to meeting the Four, which inevitably become her lovers, of course.

You’ve got Cutter, the werewolf who is instantly obsessed. Silas, the sassy fae who pretends he’s using Raine, but really he’s just as obsessed as Cutter. Bale, the curious golem-esk being, who’s silent but deadly before he meets Raine, and suddenly becomes a hot version of the BFG? And then Vaughn, the vampire leader of the group who doesn’t let others close due to trauma and abuse. The Four run the area underneath the Pure monarch and his right hand archangel, but plan to kill them for the abuse they’ve suffered by their hand, and the way they rule.

This book is monster fucker meets mafia romance and we are here for it! This was a great book, and it absolutely deserves more traction than it’s getting! Also I SOBBED at the ending omg

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purge of the Pure by Laney Clover is book one in the Monarchs & Monsters Series. What an amazingly well done book! I’m obsessed, I absolutely loved it. I read this book in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down. I was so invested from the opening chapters all the way until the last sentence. This book has so much great things about it to make it a fantastic read. There’s action, suspense, magic and some violence to name a few. But I loved the why choose aspect of the story; I loved that Raine made her mates work for her. She just didn’t fall into bed with them. The worldbuilding was phenomenal and Laney Clover’s descriptions were on point, it was easy to imagine everything that I was reading. In my opinion all the characters were so well done, the banter and chemistry were top tier. I loved reading them overcoming all their insecurities while fighting their enemies. They rule. And the ending was fantastic!!! I adored this book and can’t recommend it enough! Plus, how great is the cover!!

Final review:
5 out of 5 stars.

[Kathy Coatney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Monarch must die...and I'm just the girl to take his head.

When The Meld came, it merged all of us together: ethereal, fae, spawn, and human. Except for a powerful few, like the Pure. They think because they make the rules they're above them. They're not.

After years of being on the run, Raine exist for one thing only.

Revenge.

These are the first paragraphs of the blurb for the Purge of the Pure book one of the Monarchs and Monsters series by Laney Clover. While I don’t normally read dark fantasy, it immediately drew me in and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved this book from beginning to end. It has everything. Monsters, vampires, werewolves, angels, magic, good versus evil in a battle to the death.

This was a page turner from beginning to end that kept me reading late into the night. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was definitely unique to say the least. Raine isn't fully sure what she is but she knows some of what she can do and uses it to become the shadow, Nox, to protect people. She is taken by 'The Choir Boys' who are in turn hunting for Nox. What happens when she falls in love with a vampire, a werewolf, a fae and a gollum? What happens when they find out who she really is? What happens when she finds out who she is and meets her father?

Size wise this book may be a bit overwhelming at 608 pages, but in my opinion it is definitely worth it. The characters are absolutely amazing. The world creation is extremely well done. There were some brief moments where the flow and pace didn't work well for me at all. But beyond that it was an excellent book. I look forward to seeing what happens next for these characters.

[Alina Bădică · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise—in the best way possible! From the very first pages, I was hooked. Purge of the Pure delivers a gripping reverse harem fantasy with a perfectly balanced mix of spice, danger, magic, and emotional depth.
The plot? Full of twists I couldn’t see coming.
The characters? Unique, morally grey, and unforgettable.
And the romance? Dark, twisted, and deeply satisfying.
Laney Clover creates a world where power and trauma collide with desire and loyalty. It’s hot, it’s intense, and above all—it’s beautifully chaotic.
If you love high stakes, dark pasts, broken boys, and a heroine who learns to stand tall in the middle of it all, Purge of the Pure is your next obsession.

[Rachel Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a crazy ride!!
This book will capture your attention from the start and have you wanting more!!
There were wists and turns throughout. Secrets and lies, that will keep you guessing.
Full of action, magic, spice, humor and adventure. It also brings up lots of emtions.
I loved Raine. Her strength, courage and love for others.
Vaughn, Bale, Cutter, and Silas were all so different. I couldn't pick a favorite. The author did a fantastic job keeping them separate.
The banter and love the guys had for each other was perfect.
Together, Raine and her guys conquered!
I thought it was a fantastic read and had the perfect ending!!

[Melo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

I enjoyed the different take on the supernatural creatures. Although I couldn't wrap my head around how pure humans were more powerful, just had to go with it. Reign is an interesting character but I feel a bit cheated out of her using her powers. There was a bit too much of her insisting she couldn't use her powers. But I suppose if a book is over 600 pages some of it does become rinse and repeat.

We spent the whole book gearing up for the huge take down but honestly they had a no plan, plan. Sadly there wasn't a bang it just fizzled out, not a bad thing though as I was starting to get bored.

[Treyonna · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 23%. 2/4 of the harem members have referred to the FMC as " bitch" in their heads, in their POV chapters. The FMC is being kissed and groped without her permission or after explicitly saying "no" to them. She has seen penises that she did not wish to see and has been coerced into jacking off said penis. The MMCs are not redeemable, with the exception of Bale but he's written as a big golem man who is somewhat mentally delayed. She has been forcefully bitten and drank from by the vampire in the group and now they have her acting as their maid. Just no.......too much sexual assault of the FMC by the MMCs, too much coercion and too much misogyny.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raine is such a bad*ss, I love her character so much. Vaughn, Bale, Cutter, and Silas are all so different that I cannot pick a favorite—maybe Bale—but idk, it's a hard choice. This is a FMMMM RH, and the smut? PERFECTION! The boys needed to work, but not too hard. The banter in this book is so good that even at some of the more serious points, one of the MCs would have me dying laughing, but then I was gasping and crying a lot. It's a beautifully written, magical world with many fairytale monsters that will keep you enthralled. I look forward to continuing this series.

[M Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly stunning debut from this new author.

I just cannot believe she is a first time author, the writing is so mature and sophisticated. The plot is complex, interesting and grabs a hold of you from the first page. I literally inhaled this book.

The characters are multi faceted, rich in depth and skillfully woven.

The sex is hot af.

Some new concepts I've never ever read before, do you know how hard that is to find?

Loved everything about this book.

Just wow!! Wow bloody wow and holy fucking shit is this woman talented.

You can tell i liked the book right :)

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

���️ 3.7

It started out so good. She evaded everyone like a pro. She hid her identity (one of my fav tropes, the girl dressed as a guy). She was smart, quick, lethal. The men were ruthless, scary, and egotistical.

Then…very quickly she forgot their horrors. They flipped from being ruthless enforcers to handsome, misunderstood marshmallows. I didn’t like it 😭
Where are my villains?
It dragged. I started skim reading huge chunks of a chapter. It became less actiony and more talky. Oh well.

A decent read but a bit of a slog in the end. Gorgeous cover though!

[Sheila Ryals · Rating 5 out of 5]

😻

I can honestly say I have not laughed or cried this hard in a book in awhile. I mean I have been through a bunch of emotions with books. But, at the moment this trumps them. My god Bale is beyond the best dam character ever that is all I gotta say! Seriously the part where he gets a new body part is beyond priceless! There is also a crap ton of sadness! Still worth reading this book!

[Maki Karnivorous · Rating 5 out of 5]

glare

I hated it. It was so good but it hurt so much. I loved it but I hated it!!
So much death so be ready for that. I’m so glad about bale. So freaking glad. And urco. Gosh. I don’t understand why they couldn’t just tell her though. That part just kept pissing me off. I don’t need that cryptic bull. The spice was okay though really not the best. It needed more details in my opinion. Overall though I have a hate love relationship with this book. Gosh. So good.

[T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purge of the Pure, book one of the Monarchs and Monsters series, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). I liked the idea of the plot, but I didn't care for the relationships. Raine was a solid, likeable character. Good writing style, so my view is entirely subjective, I encourage readers to give it a try, as think this is a personal dislike that may not be shared by others. My 3.5 rating rounded up.

[Tabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing 👏

I couldn't stop reading until I devoured every word!!! Raine sucks you in with her strength and vulnerability & naivety. The Four Holy Hotness. Each has their own awesomeness in their own way. If you love the supernatural with lots of the sexy steamy romance parts too definitely the story for you!!!

[Amberjmca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite

It was a little hard at times to follow what was going on as the writing jumped around. I also wouldve liked more clarification on the differences between the different species, as it was hard to remember. I think with more depth to the story, this would have been a better read. The spice is ok, again it also felt rushed through the scenes.

[Kimberly Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

just…yes

A thousand times yes. This book is beyond words good. It was such a sweeping epic journey, and I’m so glad I got to read this. What a fantastic take on fantasy, with all manner of things that go bump in the night. The story is amazing, the world the author created is epic. Told in multiple pov, this book is everything.

[Melissa Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!!!!

I absolutely loved this book!!!!!! Raine is one of my favorite FMC’s EVER!!!!! The relationship between her and her monsters is precious and filled with some laugh out loud moments!!!! The storyline is extremely unique and I can’t recommend this book enough!!!!!!

[Janelcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I saw this book posted in a Facebook group and just had to read it. I'm so happy I did. This book had everything I wanted and more. I look forward to reading more from this author.