Purgatory Academy: Class of 666
Draco Amethystus
Storm Dragon Publishing (2025)
ISBN: 979-8999075314
Reviewed by Terri Stepek for Reader Views (10/2025)
I was not prepared for the dark roller coaster ride that is Draco Amethystus’ Purgatory Academy: Class of 666. Sure, I’ve read some pretty great romantasies and fantasies with angels and demons before. But Purgatory Academy sets a new bar with the story of 20-year-old Lily and her unanticipated year at an academy she had no idea existed.
I knew I was in for something different when chapter one threw the reader straight into a torture chamber where Lily is being “interrogated” by a demon. Yep, readers, you’re going to be dropped straight into the fire with this author, so stay sharp and don’t let your guard down for an instant. This demon, Balor, has been instructed to get information out of Lily about something that happened during her year at Purgatory Academy. So, we get to travel along as the demon sifts through her memories of that year.
Purgatory Academy is located in, well, Purgatory; that “overlapping plane of existence that coincides with Heaven, Hell, and Earth.” It’s a place where all Nephilim around the world go in their twentieth year. Nephilim are the descendants of either angels or demons, and humans. Most of the students at the academy knew of their heritage as well as this all-important year at the academy before they were sent here. Lily’s case is different.
Lily grew up in the kind of life many kids dream of. Her parents worked in the circus, so they traveled constantly. Lily’s mom died several years ago, but her dad still works with the circus elephants, and Lily now helps out with the circus. Until one strange night when some death-robed, non-speaking thing appeared in her RV and put a flaming rock in her hand, then whisked her off to Purgatory Academy. Lily had no idea angels and demons actually existed, much less that she was somehow tied to them and carried Nephilim blood. She’s suddenly realizing she’s got a lot to learn, and the learning curve is high, based on the fact that several people around her just mysteriously died. WTF?
Lily is a great protagonist and narrator. She’s smart, she has great survival instincts, and her inner monologue has a touch of snark. She realizes early on that she’s going to need others to help her navigate and survive this completely foreign environment. Unfortunately, the guy she befriended at the gate turned into a nasty puddle of… something. But if her childhood taught her anything, it was resilience and the strength of believing in yourself.
Lily is surrounded by other great characters at the academy: some good, some frightfully bad. But those lines don’t always fall where you expect them to. On the Ascended side, we have those with angel blood: those who are the product of archangels, seraphim, and cherubim. The Descended are products of demons and may be vampires, succubi, incubi, or dragons.
Having now given this background, it should come as no surprise that the most fascinating character is Drake. The Dragon. Or so everyone says.
The dragons are only born to Lucifer directly, are extremely dangerous, and tend to have short but very destructive lives.
Drake, as it turns out, doesn’t talk much, and never about himself. He wants nothing to do with all these petty people and their silly hierarchies. But the Ascended say they believe Drake is the one who is going to usher in Armageddon. Most of the class of 666 is terrified of the enigmatic broody man. Lily finds him fascinating.
There’s also Gabe, the Golden Boy. Son of an archangel, and therefore at the top of the hierarchy for heaven. He’s gorgeous to look at, and so much more than he initially seems. In fact, as the year goes on, we’ll discover that not everyone is what we would expect.
One of the most important things to know about Heaven and Hell is that they aren’t as different as you might think. After all, the original demons were all angels first. Nevertheless, Heaven is far more hierarchical in nature.
Death rules over Purgatory, as if Lily couldn’t guess from her initial moments at the school when hundreds died before her eyes. But there are more creatures here than the Four Horsemen. Lily discovers Purgatory is home to ghouls, wraiths, and gargoyles—to name a few. None of which seem like someone you want to make friends with. Lily’s year at the academy will involve learning about the creatures of the three realms as well as learning to control her magic. It will also include 13 trials, known as Tribulations, that the students will have to pass. Failure is not an option; it’s a death sentence.
Draco Amethystus (who sounds like he graduated from the academy himself) has created a stunning world here. It’s fun, fascinating, and rooted in the traditions of ancient holy books and legends. With an impeccable sense of pacing, he creates scenes of chaos and mayhem followed by moments of pure ridiculousness that only a group of 20-year-olds could come up with. The wit is greatly appreciated, as the Tribulations are intense and fairly graphic. That’s not all that Amethystus graphically portrays, as one considers many in this school fall into the incubus or succubus category. There are a few pretty spicy scenes here, but they’re not the main focus—simply the result of having creatures that prey on sexual energy. There’s also a lot of coarse language, as one might expect in a place that overlaps Heaven and Hell.
If you are a fan of dark fantasy, romantasy, angels vs demons, or sword and sorcery epics, Purgatory Academy: Class of 666 by Draco Amethystus is a story you don’t want to miss. Its fresh and unique take will intrigue many, especially the generation that grew up with the Harry Potter tales. Be prepared, however. The tale doesn’t end with this story. This is just the first installment of a series, and I can’t wait for the next book.