Ravished by the Revenant: A Dark Monster Romance

by Liana Valerian

She ran from monsters.

She found something worse.

When Clara flees into the forest in the dead of night, she stumbles upon a decaying castle hidden among skeletal trees.

She thinks she’s escaped.

Until night falls.

Because when darkness comes, he steps out of the shadows—a man as beautiful as he is grotesque, his body caught between life and death.

The revenant is ancient.
Bound to the crumbling castle.
And utterly convinced that Clara is his.

The longer she stays, the more alluring she finds the castle’s master… until fear is no longer the only thing taking root inside her.

He wants her trembling.
Unraveling.
Breaking beneath his touch.

And the scariest part? She's starting to want it too.

But even as Clara watches the revenant's ruined heart beat beneath a cage of bone, she can’t tell if the monster is truly capable of love... or just needs another soul to keep him from rotting alone.

260 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 21, 2026

About the author

Liana Valerian is a passionate gamer, obsessed bookworm, enthusiastic sci-fi and fantasy nerd, and self-proclaimed crazy cat lady. She crafts dark fantasy romance novels filled with humor, spice, and mythology, blending gothic and romantic elements in shadowy realms where darkness reigns.
Liana's debut novel, The River of Fire, the first in The Rivers of Hell series, is a steamy romance set in the Underworld, where angels, demons, and forbidden love collide. Now, Liana is branching out into sci-fi, taking readers on thrilling, otherworldly adventures filled with romance, intrigue, and the unknown.
You can follow her adventures and connect with her on social media @liana.valerian.

Reviews

[theshadyivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🫦🫦🫦
☠️☠️

Believe me, Liana created another masterpiece 💎 She's able to turn every story into a gem, no matter the genre.

This time, we meet Clara, a modern young woman trapped in a toxic relationship. When she finally runs, she happens to stumble across a cursed castle hidden in the woods 🏰🌲 — and from one moment to the next, she can't leave.

Besides having to leave all modern amenities behind, she explores the castle and soon realizes she can't be the only living being there. Enter Aldric, a revenant, cursed together with the castle, thirsting for company 🖤

Liana hooked me from the first line, and I love the bratty banter between the FMC and the morally dark monster lord trying (and failing) to behave properly 😏 She also added a sidekick, and what other animal than an imperiously adorable cat 🐈‍⬛ could possibly fit this story.

Go read this story if you love morally grey MMCs who can barely contain their urges, slow-burn tension that snaps in an instant, and a heroine who gives as good as she gets 🔥

🏰 Revenant x Human
🐈‍⬛ Cursed Castle
🏰 Cat
🐈‍⬛ Banter
🏰 Brat
🐈‍⬛ Fierce FMC
🏰 Touch Her & Die
🐈‍⬛ BJ, 69, Dirty Talk, Comes in his pants, pierced MMC, Jacob's ladder

❗️Check TW❗️

96/26

[neeshreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

Liana Valerian has done it again! What can’t she write?! Aldric and Clara’s story is everything I love to see in a monster romance – a broody MMC who thinks he’s incapable of love and is proven wrong by the spitfire woman who crosses his path, he’s OTT obsessive and possessive and ready to get his greatsword to protect her at a moment’s notice, and he’s got the biggest asset that “will fit” 👀🔥🥵…10/10! Highly recommend!

🖤Monster Romance with Beauty & the Beast Vibes
💙Ancient Revenant x Modern Human
🖤Cursed, Undead Morally Gray MMC
💙He’s Touch-Starved & C💦ms in His Pants
🖤She’s on the Run…
💙He’s Pierced, Scarred & Tatted
🖤Possessive & Obsessive
💙Touch Her and...
🖤He Stä|ks Her in His Castle
💙Captive / Captor Dynamic
🖤His “little intruder”
💙“Come for your lord”
🖤Arguing as Foreplay
💙He Draws Her A Hot Bath, Washes Her Hair & Cooks For Her

Clara ran from monsters and found Aldric instead…

Running into the forest in the middle of the night was the best plan Clara had in the moment, and stumbling upon a decaying castle is her saving grace…until out of the castle’s shadows comes a man caught between life and death. Aldric is an ancient revenant bound to his castle and he’s convinced that Clara is his. And the more time they spend together? The more Clara realizes she’s not afraid, but drawn to him. He wants to bring her pleasure like she’s never known…and Clara? She wants that too. But, can Aldric’s heart feel love anymore? And will her heart survive if he can't?

I could not get enough of Aldric and Clara! The Lord of Blackthorn Keep can follow me around his castle from the shadows any day of the week, okay?! I don’t blame Clara one bit for not being able to resist him – all that muscle and a pole she made sure she could climb to her heart’s content. I loved their banter, the way Clara put Aldric in his place when he needed it, and Aldric’s caretaking tendencies were unmatched. I’d like to see you be unaffected by a man carrying individual buckets of boiling water through his castle to give you a hot bath…that’s right, it’s impossible to not fall in love right there! The way these two figured out how to work together was relatable and the magic surrounding their bond kept me on my toes! And the spice? LORDT. HAVE. MERCY. That man is PACKING, knows how to use it AND he’s very willing to learn some new things thanks to Clara (cough 69 cough cough).

Just do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

[Adelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this book! 😍 This was *perfection*

The gothic vibes, the curse, Aldrik, their love story, Shmoo and the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and hooked. I just couldn’t stop reading it yesterday. Everything about the story, writing, characters and the humor kept me entertained. I had the best time reading this book.

I didn’t even feel that it was a shorter book. I would have loved kept reading it, but the story rounded up perfectly nonetheless. I felt their love story was hauntingly beautiful. And let me just say Aldrik with his most imperfect ways was just perfect. They just were perfect for each other and after the initial and natural stand off moments, they just made perfect sense together. I thought that the acceptance and love they had for each other was beautiful. That they found their final home together. 🥹

I will have to give honorable mention to Shmoo. Our perfect furry friend. He just tied the story up into a prefect little bow. He was so sweet and funny. Love our protective judgmental cat. 🐈‍⬛

Thank you Liana for this perfect ARC read, I absolutely loved it. I would read even more of this if you happened to write more. 🤭

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:

Gothic romance
Furry friend
Curse and mystery
Forced proximity
Steamy
Possessive MMC
Beauty and the beast retelling
Snarky FMC


Rating: 5/5

[Chasing Silhouettes · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Ah,” he hisses, pulling back so he can glower at me. “You’re a wild thing, aren’t you? I’ll take great pleasure in making you fall to your knees.” (Ch 8)

Dark Gothic Monster Romance | Cursed Undead Monster | Tattooed & Scarred MMC | Morally Grey | Forced Proximity

A runaway bride stumbles upon a seemingly abandoned castle and finds a monster more dangerous (to her heart) than those she fled from.

'Then I stand alone in my cellar, in the blue light of my own ruined heart, with the goblet at my feet and her words ringing in my tattered ears.' (Ch 22)

This kind of has beauty and the beast vibes, but without the servants.

'I need to stop thinking about those hands. He’s a seven- hundred- year- old corpse. He is my jailer. He is not a Food Network fantasy.' (Ch 14)

They bicker. They disagree. They smolder. And they do a whole lot more. 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥

“The worst part is that my body doesn’t care. My body is out here acting like his possessiveness is a love language. Do you know how humiliating that is? I escaped one cage, and my hormones immediately went shopping for a bigger, gothier cage.” (Ch 12)

Aldric is a lot softer (not physically, heh) than I'd imagined, and Clara is the opposite. Love their love story!

4.5🌟 eARC courtesy of BookSprout / author

[Lara Loves Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is there not to love about Aldric? Yes, he’s a seven-hundred-year-old corpse, but he also draws you a bath with rose petals, cooks for you and makes you scream his name in pleasure… how could you resist? This beauty and the beast inspired monster romance had me devouring it in one sitting!

My Synopsis:
Running away from marrying into the mafia, Clara escapes through the Black Forest. As her pursuers gain on her, suddenly an old castle looks like her best option for refuge. Appearing abandoned at first, Clara takes cover in the castle and sets about making herself comfortable only to find out later that it’s not abandoned at all. Aldric, the Revenant, has been trapped there for thousands of years and is craving human contact and touch… and Clara is the first woman to interest him in centuries, so he’s not about to let her go.

As always, Liana’s writing is all at once descriptive, humorous and touching. With a pierced, tattooed and scarred MMC who will do anything to protect and care for his FMC, this captive/captor, touch her and 💀 paranormal romance, makes it to my favorites of 2026 list!

[Phoenixinruin P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️
4/5🌶️

I’ve got some words for you!!

First and foremost, I DEVOURED this book! Aldric is🥵🥵 give me a cursed warlord, with a castle, a pierced 🍆, and knows how to 👅🐱 because I’ll take 6!

The banter in this book, had me kicking my feet giggling because what do you mean Clara insults him with 21st century talk and his 700 year old self doesn’t understand a lick of it, but still tries to comeback it!

The plot is very easy to follow and the character development from Aldric is completely what I expected from a man that is learning the ways to navigate a woman from the 21st century compared to centuries ago.

I loved that Clara stood up for herself multiple times throughout the book and did not let it ruin her or become an annoying FMC! We love an FMC that stands her ground, and fights for what she wants. Shmoo definitely was the main character and I don’t care what anybody says, he is the best thing!

Now I know you’re wanting to know… yes it was spicy and I loved every word that was said by Aldric. This is one of my favorite Dark Monster Romances!

[Miss G · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review - thank you Liana for the advance copy!!

This was a great read and I burned through it in a day or so.

I was expecting it to be very dark and angsty, but it really wasn’t. Yes, the premise is dark, a warlord cursed to become a revenant and a woman who is running from trauma, becoming trapped with him. But it was actually a kinda lovely, and funny, character study about what 700 years of isolation would do to a ruthless warlord, and how he would cope with a 21st Century woman who knows her own mind.

For a man that is missing parts or his body, Aldric is delicious – classic, broody MMC with tats and piercings. Clara is by no means a pushover and stands her ground when she needs to – the banter between the two is great and I have huge chunks of highlighted text that made me chuckle (I'll post these once the book is published!). The spice is 🥵and I’d say a medium to fast burn with yearning, but doesn’t overload the story.

Recommend for a fun, spicy, standalone. Go get it …

[Ecm · Rating 3 out of 5]

*****I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I’m honestly somewhere in the middle with this one. I didn’t dislike it, but I can’t say I fully loved it either.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the way the story ended. Those were definitely the strongest parts of the book for me. However, I struggled a bit with the beginning and with connecting to the characters, which made it harder for me to become completely invested in the story.

Without giving away any spoilers, I also wasn’t a huge fan of the way the characters first met. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if that scene had played out differently and if the book had been a little longer, giving the characters and their relationship more time to develop.

Overall, there were definitely things I enjoyed, especially toward the end, but there were also a few elements that kept me from fully loving it. It ended up being a very middle-of-the-road read for me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cotta_Catto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC via Booksprout and this is a volitional review.

First of...
Oh my.. for a short book, it is pretty eventful.

What i like:
The mood,
The interactions,
The banter,
The yearning,
The spicy scenes,
Schmoo...
And the curse was really interesting.

Aldric was really trying. He was really communicating...

There's a lot of funny scenes/ dialogues and i dont wanna spoil so I'll only include one.

Aldric:"I've heard you arguing with the books"
Clara:"the books started it"

Ahahahaha that really made me laugh.

I just didnt like how they met... and yeah it could've been longer.. it would've been nice to see more of their relationship development.
And the last part of the book with Marco... seemed a bit rushed.
I mean i get it it's not the focus... but there's a level of details in most parts of the story then the consistency fell on that part so it kinda rubbed me the wrong way i guess.
But overall, very enjoyable short book. Can be read in one seating or before bed.
: 3

3 stars

[Charmaine Healy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this ARC! If you’re looking for a dark and atmospheric monster romance with a gothic setting, a mysterious revenant and plenty of chemistry, this one is definitely worth picking up.
I loved the eerie atmosphere of the crumbling castle and the whole human-meets-monster dynamic between Clara and the revenant. Their relationship had the perfect mix of tension, obsession and attraction, and I really enjoyed watching Clara’s feelings change as she became more drawn to him. 🖤
The spice was also exactly what I wanted—enough to add some heat and tension without taking away from the actual story and romance. 🔥
I also really appreciated the length of this book. It felt like the perfect quick read while still giving the characters and romance enough time to develop. And honestly, it was exactly what I needed to pull me out of my reading slump!
Overall, this was such a fun, dark and spicy monster romance, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys their romances with a little bit of gothic darkness and a lot of chemistry. 🖤
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

[Cloud · Rating 4 out of 5]

**ARC REVIEW**
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3 / 5)

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!

Ravished by the Revenant is a sweet, but slightly silly monster romance centered on a modern woman who accidentally stumbles into a revenant's castle. It makes for a quick, fun read, though the overall execution fell a little flat compared to its great core concept.

My main issues stemmed from the characterization and key interactions. I found the main characters' initial meeting off-putting, and the FMC's dialogue and modern references felt a bit cringey. Additionally, despite the MMC being a centuries-old entity, his dialogue sometimes felt a bit too modern to fully sell the historical, undead illusion.

While it didn't completely hit the mark for me, it remains an entertaining, lightweight monster romance for readers looking for a breezy, low-stakes gothic fix.

[Megan Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beauty and the Beast retelling but make it a cursed part zombie Warlord who is sexy, fierce, and pierced but also is willing to learn, listen, and MAKE her a bath because she mentioned she would like one! 🙌🏼 This was nothing that I was expecting from the cover and I am not mad at all! It was witty, hilarious, and so HOT! Absolutely one of the most creative retellings I have read and I could not get enough!

A warlord who was cursed in the 14th century meets his perfect counterpart in the modern day. A young woman on the run from her Mafia finance finds herself in a cursed yet super cool gothic castle with said monster zombie man and finds herself oddly attracted to the “beast”. Their banter is EVERYTHING and they even have a sassy cat. Our MMC is even quite domesticated since the last of the servants have passed. Everything about this story had me drawn in and I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Thank you for the opportunity to arc read this!

[Liana Van Doren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a good time with this book!! I loved everything about the story and the characters.

I was hooked from the beginning and genuinely couldn't stop reading because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

The romance was so well done. I loved watching their relationship develop, and the chemistry was absolutely insane. Every interaction had me smiling like an idiot. And I loved their banter and the humor.

The atmosphere was also really cool and fit the story perfectly. It was easy to get completely immersed, and the writing made the pages fly by. I totally loved the creepy edge to this beautiful story.

And yes... the spice definitely delivered. 🌶️ It was so good without taking away from the story. Liana always writes amazing spice.

Overall, this was such a fun and addictive read, and I already miss these characters. Definitely an easy 5 stars!

[Paula Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book by @liana.valerian absolutely devoured! Very beauty and the beast with an undead twist, so of course it’s going to be one of my new favourite reads.

A 700 year old Revenant Warlord and a 21st Century Woman, you just know it’s going to be fun. The world building in this is amazing, I feel like I know my way around the castle and grounds - I might actually want to live there (revenant included) but thats another matter.

I loved watching this relationship grow - Clara warring with two sides of herself but ultimately standing her ground and finding out who she was and what she wanted. Aldric knowing what he wants but learning how to deserve it without just taking. Their banter as well as the spice was what made this work so well, along with Shmoo who absolutely stole the show.

[Lianne Scheepers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another lovely read by the amazing Liana Valerian! A Beauty and the Beast retelling this time, set in Germany.

Ofcourse I loved Aldric and Clara, their push and pull, the banter, the instant attraction, and ofcourse their build-up. Aldric was cursed to live as a Revenant a couple centuries ago and is bound to his castle, a castle nobody else can see. So he is completed isolated and has no idea how the modern world works, this made for some fun scenes between him and Clara. The first Aldric chapter had me laughing out loud, so did the scenes with Shmoo. I mean, I always talk to cats too, it’s just rude not to. 😂

The story was great, I really loved how Liana integrated Aldric’s past into it. And how a peace of history was literally hidden in this modern version of Beauty and the Beast. The pace is perfect and the balance between humor and angst is the best! I loved it!

[FictionHealsMe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ravished by the Revenant by Liana Valerian

A dark monster romance that gave me a little bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes.

This was fast paced and captivating from the start. Aldric is a 700 year old cursed warlord, while Clara is a strong, witty FMC from the 21st century.

The banter was EPIC! I loved how Clara would say something, and Aldric would casually admit he had no idea what the word meant, only to immediately follow it up with his own witty comeback. Their back and forth was so much fun!

The spice was perfect, the plot was amazing, and I really enjoyed how deep and well developed the characters were.

And of course, Shmoo! The best little sidekick. I absolutely loved this cat!

Overall, this was such a fun, spicy read, and I really enjoyed it!

[bookish1.sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liana did it again! I devoured this and left no crumbs. And eventhough that ending was so satisfying I still wanted more!

The vibes were immaculate mixing two of my favorites; Frankenstein and Beauty And The Beast in the best way possible!

The banter was very much on point like in all of Liana's book and the sarcasm had me giggling frequently.

I loved the ancient revenant X modern woman dynamics and the confusion all the urban cultural references gave our MMC was hillarious but I have to give it to him, he handled it very gracefully! 😂

💀Ancient Revenant X Modern Woman
💀Witches
💀Ancient Curse
💀Banter
💀Ancient Cat Sidekick
💀Gothic Castle
💀Touch Her and Die

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liana kills it again with yet another banger 😜
Who knew a revenant could be so sexy 🥵🥵🥵
When a runaway fiancée stumbles into his castle where no one knows this place exists, our MMC becomes infatuated and must learn more about our FMC.
I couldn't put this one down, loved it.
Witches and curses from the past, horrible Mafia men and an undead man everyone is going to fall for, what more could you ask for?! Oh! Shmoo! How could I forget the sweetest little grimalkin 🥰🥰🥰 he's definitely a major supporter of this story.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Michelle-Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girrrrrrrrl this was a VIBE!!! I can't say a living corpse ever appealed to me before but I am SOLD on Aldric! Omg, bad boy, cursed for eternity, a$$hole Warlord?? Yupppppp! Absolutely devoured this book! It had everything I love about this author and man, have I missed this level of banter between characters! Liana you never, ever, disappoint, and this is going to be another addition in my collection of yours! 💋

[Summer Steelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic! Just what you'd want to curl up with on a cold or rainy night with a warm blanket and a lovely drink. The hard part is putting it down and not finishing it all in one go. Thanks valerian.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hridaya Tyagi · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review-
This was one hell of a read. I laughed the entire book the fmc was so witty and very strong on her boundaries and the mmc was just...I was putty for him. His acts of service😌🤌 I did not want it to end.

5/5⭐️