Ravager

by Karina Halle

All Cherine Cadet has ever known is desperate circumstances—crushing poverty,
cruel servitude, and no hope of escape. When a band of Vikings attacks the estate
where she lives, her old life goes up in flames. On the verge of death, she’s rescued
by an unexpected savior—Erik the Axe, second in command of the Viking fleet.

Erik claims her as a spoil of war, and takes her back to his leader, Rolf the Walker.
Erik is dark and sensual to Rolf’s brutal and commanding. Subject to the whims of
both men, Cherine is once again left with no choices and no hope. She’ll have to
discover her own warrior spirit before the desires of these two men leave her
burned down to ash like the life she left behind.

VIKINGS VALHALLA meets HOOKED in this Dark Viking Romance 50K word novella by NYT
bestselling author Karina Halle. If you like your heroes morally gray, ruthless, and
looking like a Skarsgård, get ready to be RAVAGED. as this book is dark, please
take heed of the content warning inside the book.

Genres: Dark Romance, Novella, Dark, Historical, Romance, Historical Fiction, Forced Proximity

199 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2024

About the author

Karina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Grave Matter, Blood Orange, & The Royals Next Door, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you're into, she's probably written an HEA for it.

When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This should have stayed back in 2012.

[Amanda Marie]

Unfortunately had to DNF

[bella fazzati · Rating 1 out of 5]

what in the wattpad was this? 🥴🤢

[Silvy (silvylinings) · Rating 2 out of 5]

the paper cutout of flat stanley i made in second grade was still more dimensional than these characters.



ok but truly though this is peak “my dick has led me places i wouldn’t even go with a gun” bc ovulating and a passion for good viking books (lyx robinson!!!) made me leap at “dark smutty MFM vikings” and this was a huge miss. too short to be developed well, but great if you’re in the mood for something violent, rife with TWs (seriously check them before reading), smutty, and yet somehow still boring.

[Kali Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short. Sweet. Spicy. Absolutely Delicious.

Karina Halle does it again and in less than 200 pages!
A dark Vikings romance- SAY LESS

[Αγάπη Μπουντούρη · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Nordic stars 🌟

Didn’t expect this to be so brutal but oh how I LOVE Vikings!

[Courtney Renolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

The smut was smutting, but the plot was not. This was probably my worst Karina Halle book to date, but it’s not deterring me from reading any of her other books. I’ve liked all I’ve read so far except this one. There was some poor editing and especially during the final Cherine chapter where Erik was almost murdered by Ross and then magically comes back to life, it made no sense. Also, girlfriend went from having just lost her virginity to now taking two giant dicks in both holes at one time, for sure hard to believe. It was hot, don’t get me wrong, but it was odd as well.

[Shannon]

Ravager

I Picked Up This Book Because: I fell for the cover.

Media Type: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: 1/15/25 - 1/17/25
Stars: DNF - No rating

The Story:
This book was everything it claimed to be in the trigger warnings, I just overestimated my ability to put away my squeamishness when it comes to violence

[georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i gotta say is love me some sexy ruggish vikings
— not my favorite karina halle book but definitely worth the read if you’re loooking for some good smut and an easy (and dark-ish) read

overall rating: 3.75 ⭐️
spice rating: 1.75 🌶️

[Kylie Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leave it to Karina to kick start 2025 with an outrageously addictive Viking love triangle. What a wild ride following Cherine’s new life, with all the sudden, and forced emotions. Erik the axe saves Cherine and sees a life with her; the man he answers to has different plans. Rolf has a truly wicked sense of humour, and an impactful way with words; you question where his brutality comes from and where his story is going. It was so difficult to tell which of the two were honourable (or at least as honourable as Vikings get), and who really has Cherine’s best interests in his heart. The three of them have some spicy encounters you will not forget…

I completely devoured this one and now I need a novella about Knut next. 🙏 PLEASE.

I always feel novellas are rushed the closer they get to the end, so I wish this ending had been more intense. I understand it’s a novella, but I’m always wanting more.

🚨SPOILER AHEAD:

The whole way through I was rooting for Erik; I just can’t get enough of brutal cinnamon rolls vs egotistical controllers apparently. 😅 I was overjoyed when I read Erik & Cherine have a HEA and their little Leif. 🥹

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

MEN👊🏼

EVERYONE CLAP I FINALLY READ MY FIRST BOOK OF THE YEAR!! My reading slump is over!!! (Hopefully😅)

[Nina ~ Meleth Bookaddicted ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I wish it was a bit longer and more fleshed out.

[Joanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this one bit. . . 🥴

▬ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: historical, polyamorous (MMF)
▬ 𝐭𝐰: violence, death, dubious consent

[Jessica Roszko-Doucet · Rating 1 out of 5]

***DNF***

[Poppy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Way too much dubcon for me. Not my vibe.

[Meagan Honea · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Perhaps ravens are the souls of all the people who have died, flying high & watching over you. That's what I'd like to believe, even when I've found there's so little left to believe in.”

5 ⭐️

Erik is a Viking come to raid Cherine’s village with his leader, Rolf.

Stumbling upon Cherine, Erik attempts to save her by claiming her as his. Rolf doesn’t accept this & wants her to himself.

Erik secretly plans his journey back home to Norway & Cherine escapes with him embarking on a trip that will change the course of their lives.

What to expect:
🪓 Vikings
🐦‍⬛ Touch her & ☠️
🪓 Spice
🐦‍⬛ HEA
🪓 Morally grey men

I am obsessed with Vikings & this book DELIVERED! I am going to need more ASAP!

[Nantia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nordic mythology and Viling legends always speaks to my soul.
Now add to that one of my favorite writer and you have an unbeatable combination.
Karina Halle delivers a short but full of emotions novella that bring to light the barbarian legend of the Vikings, the noble French maidens and how faith isn't a religion, but the trust you put in people.
It is simply mesmerizing how a romance novella can deliver such powerful messages.
Karina Halle is known to add a twisted sense of humanity in anything she writes and I had read enough of her to have a complete opinion on the matter.
I shed a tear or two, not gonna lie.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a bit too gory for me, but that's not Karina's fault. She was very clear in the content warnings and I dove in anyway. I did enjoy the story and the plot, and the pacing was good. I was engaged the whole time and interested in the characters. They were largely unlikeable, but that's what created so much of the tension and drama. I was interested in something new and different and Karina definitely delivered for me there, but I'm not sure this is the genre for me going forward.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The number of times I gasped and screamed nooo on my head! There is so much action packed in this book and the drama, whew. If you enjoy a Vikings/high sea setting, this is a must-read. And it's definitely spicy in all the right ways with a good amount of angst. I still wonder if you know who isn't out there...

[The Caffeinated Grimoire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viking deliciousness

I love a good Viking story. Thanks, Ragnar. So I ate this baby up. When I saw it was MFM, I wasn't sure how it was going to work because Viking men aren't known for sharing. It worked out savagely with lots of lost heads and bl00dsh3d. I loved the twists and how everything paned out. Great dark and spicy novella 🙌

[Chelsey Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite book from Karina Halle, but it was still a fun read. The characters were very interesting and would have loved to learn more about their backgrounds and history. The ending was very sweet, but also felt a little rushed and unfinished. Would have loved to know more about what happens to Rolf in the end.

[Paperback Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok read

I’ve read the original story and now the new revised one. I honestly liked the original better. It was just more believable to me. I am one of the minority that doesn’t need an HEA though. This book was a quick decent read. It’s got some dark parts but nothing too crazy.

[Aya Blackwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really thought I was going to like this more than I did but the characters just meh

[Ives Ferro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eu li, mas tinha esquecido de avaliar. Sentimentos conflitantes kkkkkk, mas é um 2,75. Achei muito chernobyl e violento sem motivo. Não tem história.

[Kaley • thekaleychapters · Rating 5 out of 5]

ATE THIS BOOK UP! I read it in one day, I truly could not put this down. Kicking my feet! Giggling! Gasping! 5 stars immediately!

[Nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I much prefer Halle’s Darkhouse series and the Underworld Gods series, Ravager delivered on its promise of being quick-paced and spicy. It’s definitely a “turn-your-brain-off” kind of book—entertaining for what it is, but not a standout for me compared to her other works.

[Alexandria G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ravager | 🖤😳🔥

“The sensation was one that was unlike anything I had ever experienced before—it was as if we were becoming one entity, our bodies melding together like a creature of lust.”

4✨

I think it’s safe to say I’ve never read anything quite like this, but honestly, I’ll devour anything Karina writes 🙂‍↕️

When I started this book, I had no idea what to expect… and it ended up being a wild ride filled with bloodshed, violence, Vikings, and a seriously intriguing love story 👀

It’s a short read, but I couldn’t put it down. I was craving something different, and this book delivered. I mean, it’s not every day a girl’s entire family gets 💀 and then she’s kidnapped by a group of Vikings… and let’s just say, once she’s taken… things happen 👀🤣

[Nicole H. ✨️nicoledreamsofbooks✨️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
1/125📚

What a banger for my first read of 2025! Karina released this Viking love triangle to kick us off in the New Year and it was a story I never knew I needed 😅🥵. I was definitely team Erik from start to finish. Cherine is one lucky lady with some super spicy encounters with two large brute Vikings.

Since this is a novella I felt the ending was rushed but otherwise a perfect read.

[Ashley Lavender-Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When life with the Vikings who raided your village and slaughtered your whole family is better than life with said family, you end up with the contents of this book. I swear, I will probably never rate a Karina Halle book below 5 stars 🤷🏻‍♀️

Super short erotic Viking novella. Super enjoyable palate cleanser and I mean, who doesn’t love Vikings?