Has a book ever made you feel so utterly complete that you don’t know how anything will ever compare? Gothikana is it for me.

“If this is madness,” she whispered almost against his lips, “drown me in it.”

I was instantly submerged into the beautifully macabre world that is the University of Verenmore. RuNyx built a mysterious and fascinating tale that I never wanted to end. I knew from the first chapter that this book was different, every single aspect had me itching for more.

The atmosphere captivated me from the word go. A secluded castle on a mountain surrounded by forest and cliff edges, filled with bright individuals all dealt a bad hand in life, what could possibly go wrong? Are the stories just that? Spooky tales passed in whispers as a way to keep students out of the woods. Or is there any truth behind the voices Corvina can hear begging for help?

Vad Deverell and Corvina Clemm. The dark and broody professor we know we shouldn’t want and the raven haired, purple eyed girl who defies everything you thought she would be. The Devil and the Witch. The Lovers. I have never read spice quite like how RuNyx writes it, every scene had me internally screaming “holy sh*t”. The pace is perfect, the dialogue alone is toe curling and their love will leave you envious. I’m also 99% sure my body temperate was a whole 5 degrees hotter for the entirety of this book.

I found myself falling down the beautifully poetic rabbit hole that is Gothikana, and I genuinely believe this book will stay with me forever. RuNyx has quickly become an all time favourite author of mine and I cannot wait to read, and no doubt adore, Arkana.

If you are looking for a dark, searing and raw romance, with a hypnotising original love story, this book is for you. It is packed with an eerie, preternatural, sexy atmosphere that will leave you begging for more.

“The molecules in her body recognized the molecules in his, the madness in her blood recognized the madness in his, the melancholy in her soul recognized the melancholy in his.”

At this point, Runxy could write anything and I'd absolutely love it. The writing, the atmosphere, everything about this book is perfect.

I went into this knowing there was was going to spice, however, it wasn't for me. I skipped the majority of that. I loved the vibes and mystery elements. Corvina as a character was very eccentric and I liked her. Vad not so much. That twist at the end got me.

Overall a good book.

If you are looking for dark romance in a gothic academic setting then this book is for you.
The setting is the best thing about the book, a secluded university on a mountain with spooky woods and a lake - amazing!
The forbidden romance was generally well-done, the teacher/student relationship could have been more taboo with a larger age gap - I felt that Corvina read as a younger character than the 21 years she is supposed to be - so why not just go full illicit?
There’s plenty of spice and possessiveness that wasn’t massively my thing but think this was done well.
There’s mystery in so many forms and the story was giving Netflix Wednesday vibes throughout.
A solid read with mental health representation and plenty of trigger warnings.
3.5 ⭐️

This book has tons of my favourite tropes and themes - gothic, dark academia, paranormal, forbidden romance, it’s spicy and would be a pretty great read for spooky season!

I do think the pacing of the book could be improved but overall it’s a very addictive, enjoyable book to read and hard to put down!

This book had a great start, and the vibes were *chef's kiss* but at the end of the day, I felt the story lacking? Mainly in answering questions I had.
This book made me realize that I'm not a huge fan of 'insta-love' and that is apparent in this story. And that relationship leads to some distractions in the rest of the story, for me.
I was entertained, I LOVED the dark gothic vibes, but that's really about it for me.

Everyone needs to read this book!

I was hesitant at the beginning, but once you start it's addictive and I couldn't put it down.

It has all of my favorite tropes in one, enemies to lovers with an alpha hole that falls first.

I loved the world building in this dark academia environment, the story kept me on my toes, whenever I thought about something it was the other way around.

Mysterious, intriguing and spicy.

Thank you for this gift!

I don't know how I feel about this book. The writing was good and the characters interesting but there's something to the plot that it was missing. I feel like some characters kept making stupid decisions just to make the plot continue and that made me dislike them sometimes. I had hoped for a more realistic intrigue but the plot was too much at once and never enough at others.

I partly enjoyed this book but overall it didn’t really hit the mark for me. The plot was interesting but I just didn’t connect with the characters. I may have to reread but I wasn’t able to fully get into it as much as I wanted.

2,5 stars ⭐️ Okay, I don’t really know how to summarize this book. There were parts that I really enjoyed, like the passion between our two main characters and I really appreciated the plot twist at the end. But, the writing were not for me. There were several passages and sentences I had to re-read several times to understand what the author wanted to tell. Also the decision our FMC made were so reckless and stupid, it really irritated me. The lack of emotion from pretty much every character made the terrible scenes feel very bland and monotone. I like the premise of this story but unfortunately it was not delievered in this book.

Why do they keep having a ball where someone dissapears (presumed dead) every single time? Makes no sense.

You are left with so many unanswered questions at the end.

Okay so I was a bit nervous to read this because I read another story by this author and straight up did not have a good time.

Gothikana, however, is received a solid 3.5 stars from me! It was spooky, it was steamy, and a bit creepy, honestly. I loved the idea, but some of the dialogue between the pair was just...not my fave. That being said, the way that Vad loved her? Lovely. Obsessed. I just found some parts a little repetitive but HONESTLY, if you're looking for a quick spooky read with smut, this is definitely one to grab!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5293653175

This was a gothic, haunting and atmospheric story that I couldn’t put down. It was gripping and engaging the whole way through with a level of suspense and unpredictability that added an extra layer to the storytelling. It was a chilling read that has stayed with me since I read it.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

"I’m in your head, in your blood, in your very veins. I’ve claimed you before anything else ever could. Your body, your heart, your mind, your f*cking soul, it’s all mine..."

After losing her mother, Corvina receives an admission letter from the University of Verenmore. She's lived most of her life as a recluse and yearns for just a touch of normality so sees this as an opportunity for a fresh start.

As she tries to adjust to life in the haunting and secluded halls of the castle, she finds herself attracting the attention of Vad Deverell, a part-time professor working on his thesis.

As a series of horrifying events unfold, it soon becomes apparent that Verenmore is hiding a twisted past riddled with dark secrets. After students witness an apparent suicide within the castle grounds, a disturbing century-old mystery steeped in blood starts to unravel and Cornina and Vad find themselves inexplicably tethered to one another in the hope of uncovering the truth.

Gothikana is an atmospheric, dark academia romance that is sexy and addictive. The story was steeped in mystery and melancholy which I found unexpected and intriguing. I really enjoyed the forbidden romance element and the spice was incredibly well written; seductive and satisfying. It was a fast paced read that I devoured in one night.

I loved this book when I read it first time round and I loved it even more the second time! RuNyx is a master of dark academia and I will forever love and recommend this book to whoever will listen.

This is outside what I would usually read as it is a romance, though dark, and that’s not my thing but I enjoyed this for the gothic elements, the haunting location and the cultic aspects, I also liked the characters.

Corvina has spent her life as an outcast with her mother in the woods, now 21 and alone she receives an invitation to study at an exclusive university in an isolated castle on top of a mountain. It feels strange, wrong, eerie and the atmosphere is heavy with secrets.

Vad is a part time professor and student at the school, enigmatic, intense with an air of danger around him, he realises the jeopardy Corvina will bring to his life and keeps a close eye on her.

Corvina starts to unravel a 100yr old mystery of death and deceit and although they try, they cannot keep away from each other. This speaks of the madness of lust, of forbidden love, of all consuming passion, all of it soaked in dark academia. There is a feeling of intensity and longing in the writing that is palpable

I liked the characters, even the morally grey ones and the underlying story was excellent, it is beautiful written and poetic.

For all my spicy friends, you will love this.

I loved the idea of this story! The vibe and setting was great and I loved the student/teacher trope, however I didn’t feel any kind of connection to the characters, the tension between the main characters just wasn’t there for me and it felt as though the side characters were a little irrelevant. The smut was also a little bit too much too fast for me, but that’s just personal preference. Overall the storyline was great,, I would have just loved for it to have been expanded more and the dark academia side of things focused on a little more than the romance. Sometimes it felt as though the plot was secondary.

I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read this. It has all of my favoritedark fantasy elements/tropes. It is well-written and has interesting characters and an imaginative easy to picture setting. I love the new cover as well. TYSM for the opportunity to read this arc with the gorgeous new cover.

A Dark Academia Gothic Romance - that in my opinion, everyone needs to read! My first ever dark academia and I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved the storyline, the setting and, of course, the spice 🔥🔥🔥

This book is about Corvina Clemm and her relationship with Vad Deverell, a part time teacher at her new university - they are unlike any couple I’ve ever read about. I loved how their relationship unfolded and was just rooting for them from the outset.

The story focuses on some mysterious events that have happened at Verenmore university over the last century. There is so much darkness, mystery, murder and love - the perfect combination! I was absolutely engrossed in this book from the moment I started reading it and I devoured it. I can’t wait to read more from RuNyx

Gothikana felt like a dark academia/gothic, romance and I loved the vibe. I just love these and consume these type of romances on paper so quickly. The world and school was so mysterious. I loved the atmosphere of the setting. Towards the end it did feel a bit messy at the climax/solution where it wrapped very quickly but overall it was a fun reading experience.

I didn't really have expectations heading into this and I don't care for the student/teacher troupe and would have passed based on that. Touted as an unconventional dark academia with gothic vibes, while could be considered true-ish, it just wasn't what I was hoping for. The unique plot and setting descriptions held promise, but it was constantly overshadowed by cringy dialog. If had potential but failed for me.