* 4.25⭐️ 3🌶️
* Such a dark gothic feel. The chapter illustrations are the perfect touch.
* Scary vibes. From the first couple of chapters Salem and cazs run ins were hot AF.
* She’s a black cat and he slowly tears down her walls.
* Arts related. Caz is the best artist the university has seen but he’s been on a hiatus, uninspired until he meets his muse.
* The one downside was there was sooo much build up, like 80% of the book to the mysterious element of this book and then in 2-3 pages it was all resolved. I kept thinking I missed something or right when I got happy I was going to get my my heart smashed in the next chapter, but it never came. It just seemed way too quick of a resolution.
* Read this if you like: dark academia, gothic vibes, perfect for fall, pictures throughout, black car FMC, MMC is the one breaking down walls, pencil play, touch her and die, naked painting outside, secret societies, loneliness, loss, healing, so much found family two amazing epilogues that span a total of 10 years.
* Yes, no, or maybe? YES!

I'm so happy to be back in another dark academia setting, especially one written by RuNyx. I absolutely love Salem and Caz. Salem is a character I feel as though I can relate to on a deeper level. She's quiet, overlooked, and invisible. She's the "black sheep" of the family. I felt for her, I related to her. I felt seen by her. Soon someone finally sees her, Caz. Everything about their relationship was perfect. Their chemistry was unmatched and not to mention the ANGST!!!

Mystery, intrigue, secrets & slow burn romance…

Love RuNyx’s books and for any who enjoyed Gothikana, think you’ll love this!

I really enjoyed this book! Right from the beginning it grabbed me. I liked Salem, love her name by the way, she's an interesting character and has issues but who doesn't. she's closed off at the beginning but Caz gets through to her and breaks down her barriers. I love him, he's a hot,sexy artist but with other motives for being there. I love the mystery of what's happening with the school. very strange and keeps you wondering. The ending was really good as well.

RuNyx never misses, she is one of my favorite authors for a reason. Her writing and story telling is magical, her words captivate me every time. I highly recommend reading all her books but this genre might be my favorite by her.

After absolutely loving RuNyx’s Gothikana several years ago, I had HIGH expectations for Enigma. With the same spooky dark gothic romance feel, I fell in love all over again with her writing and characters. I related to and saw so much of myself in Salem, and Caz was so dark and dreamy, I ate up their romance. The mystery element was a bit lackluster but still interesting, just think it could’ve gone a bit father after all the build up. Regardless, a 4.5 star read. I can’t wait to see what RuNyx brings us next!

1.5 (rounded up) - I feel like absolutely nothing happened...

The premise of this books sounds super interesting (which is why I requested it on NetGalley): Salem (MFC) goes to Mortimer University to find out about her sister's death. Her sister (and a bunch of other students) who received a prestigious award all end up meeting the same fate - death; however, there are no signs of these individuals wanting to die by suicide, yet that is how most of them die. Caz (MMC) also attends the university and is seeking his own answers for a different different. The two end up crossing paths because of a powerful secret society.

There was lots of spice, but where was the flavor? These characters lacked any chemistry and basically only hooked up because they were physically attracted to each other. I also found it so cringey that the MFC kept saying how big the MMC's junk was and how she could still feel him the following day...gross. This book had no business being nearly 500 pages...I was incredibly bored.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Bramble for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm going to say this every time RuNyx releases. She's a GENIUS!!! Her characters, her stories, her plots, her vision...it's EPIC!!! It's so unique that had me MIND-BLOWN every time!!!

Caz and Salem have me in a chokehold!! Caz is seriously everything I love about a book boyfriend. His unhinged and protectiveness have me loving him immediately. And Salem. Oh this girl is seriously so strong and brave. I really don't want to say much because I don't want to spoil anything. You'll need to experience it for yourself.

Definitely pick this one up!!!

I don’t know that I would call this a dark romance in the way I usually think of dark romance (HD Carlton type) but more of a Dark Romantic Thriller/Dark Academia. I really enjoyed the mystery and storyline. I like trying to figure out the pieces with the FMC. I loved the edging and the angst it was *chefs kiss*.

Salem Salazar has been obsessed with death since she was a child. Now an adult, she’s attending Mortimer, the most prestigious college in the world and the place where her older sister died. Within days of starting, she comes across a dead body on the beach being sketched by a handsome, mysterious man.

This is my second RuNyx novel, and I think it’s clear we just don’t vibe because this is all vibes and minimal plot. And the vibes are not great. The language doesn’t invoke a dark, atmospheric setting but instead reads as a word salad. That said, it is more coherent than Gothikana and has far fewer plot holes. And Caz, despite his lies and living situation (undergraduate girls will put up with anything– perhaps the most realistic part of the book), is somehow a better love interest than Vad.

I thought this book would give me butterflies…
Instead it gave me tunnel vision, blackout-level obsession, and a fantasy I’m now permanently trapped in.
One minute I was casually flipping through Enigma by Runyx.
The next? I was pacing like a lunatic, screaming into the mist, ready to enroll in a cursed university and fistfight a secret society (they wouldn’t survive me).
I fell hard. For the mystery. The obsession.
The cold girl. The firestorm of a man who would’ve burned the whole institution to the ground for her.
The jealousy. The rivalry. The tension so thick it practically had a pulse.
And now that it’s over?? I’m cradling the book like it’s a lost love and I’m the widow at the funeral.
TAKE ME BACK TO THE NIGHT WE MET.
Because I would sell my soul, my sleep, and my sanity to experience this story all over again.

One of my most anticipated reads of the year and sadly I was not a fan like I was hoping this story was going to be for me which is disappointing. I am still giving it an almost 3 stars but the story just wasnt what I was hoping for. Which sucks because I have loved all of RuNyx's other books.

It took me awhile to get through this one because it was hard to keep my attention to this story. The pacing was all over the place. I didn't feel that a lot was happening and just kinda dragging on. I needed something exciting to happen and it just didn't.

“Because I was a man on the path to damnation and I saw salvation instead. Because being near you makes me feel something beyond rage. Because the chaos inside me quietens when I’m near you.” 🤧 My man Caz 😭

Enigma had me absolutely hooked the entire time. Truly had an amazing time reading this dark, gothic romance!

If there’s one thing that I love it’s when a romance story is mixed with a murder mystery. This story follows Salem, the FMC, as she tries to find out who murdered her sister while simultaneously finding herself and falling in love with the mysterious tattooed recluse, Caz.

I loved how Salem and Caz’s relationship was slowly developed. It started with a few short encounters that eventually led to Caz pursuing her until she finally gave in. This had the “he fell first” trope and I devoured it! Caz’s POVs were also my absolute favorite! I need a man who talks about his woman as passionately as Caz does 😩

Along with the romance being amazing, the murders, secrets, and the overall gothic atmosphere helped create a completely engaging story. I loved how curious Salem was and how she never stopped trying to figure out the truth even with the threat of death. To top it all off, Caz never tried to stop her from being herself. He always encouraged her to embrace her dark side, which ultimately was what allowed them to mesh together so well.

Highly recommend checking this one out!!

So this was a newish genre for me to try. Custoers request this author quite frequently, and I can see why if you enjoy this genre. But can we talk about the cover? Loved it. I think people will need this on their shelf even if it's on their read at a later time list. Nailed the cover. Book was good,hard to review beyond this because it's not my normal genre to read but that being said, I did like it.

This was my first read from RuNyx and I really enjoyed it! The dark academia vibes were gothic, and the dark romance aspect of it I think had to do more with Caz’s actions and what they were both into. Salem was into dead things and figuring out the why behind it— leading her to study forensic sciences. Caz was an incredibly talented painter— but the scenes he painted were morbid. He was also very possessive of Salem, and was into some crazy sh*t, but he loved her with every fiber of his being.
Salem was really at Mortimer looking into her sister’s death. She knew it wasn’t a suicide. She’s incredibly intelligent, but even she came too close a few times to being caught, and that could have literally meant death for her. The societies in the school are no joke. There have been multiple deaths over the years, and she believed them all to be connected.
I think the resolution was a little anti-climatic, but I really did enjoy the mystery leading up to it, and trying to figure out who Salem could trust. It was also wonderful to watch Salem grow. She was perceived as an ice queen, but she felt a lot inside. I could relate to this and it was amazing watching her grow out of her shell as she made two real friends, and found the love of her life. It wasn’t exactly all normal, but she also isn’t normal. It was all her brand of reality I think.
I also really loved the quotes before each chapter, and the narrators did an excellent job with keeping us in the ambiance of the story.

Thank you Bramble and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies of this book and for the ALC.

I wanted to love this because I love RuNyx, but it just didn’t do it for me. The atmosphere was great? I love a gothic, academic setting, and the mystery was intriguing. But I found the characters just fell flat and I wasn’t really interested in them or their romance at all.

RuNyx really dove headfirst back into the dark academia vibes with this one, and I ate it up.

We’ve got secret societies, a moody gothic uni, and a FMC (Salem) who’s not afraid to dig into some seriously creepy stuff to find out what happened to her sister.
And then there’s Cazimir van der Waal—hot, tortured artist vibes with a lot of secrets. The man paints like a dream and broods like it’s an Olympic sport. Their chemistry? Off the charts.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵.”

I mean… sir?? Calm down (but don’t). The vibes were immaculate—dark academia, eerie tunnels, and that slow-burn tension RuNyx is so good at.

𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒎, 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆.

Enigma | @authorrunyx

What to expect:

🧊Secret societies
🔥Odd rivals to lovers
🧊She’s ice, his fire
🔥Mystery
🧊Dark romance
🔥Elite exclusive university

𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍.

Salem Salazar is the odd one out within her family, and pretty much life. Her interests, passions and mind make others distant. When family tragedy strikes, Salem takes things into her own hands and vows to get to the truth of disappearing girls so she enrols at Mortimer University to uncover the secrets.

Cazimir van der Waal at Mortimer University for his own reasons and hidden secrets intwines with Salem. She’s ice and his fire and together they just WORK!

𝑰’𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐.

Love love love this book. Secret societies, murder mysteries. Give me it all. The scene setting, the character building, it’s always so damn good.

These characters! I love the complexities to them, their quirks, their differences, it gets me so invested in the world that has been created enabling you to not want to put the book down or for it to finish.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒎. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔.

The core emotions of loneliness and grief are so powerful. I love that it also shows everyone has a story, everyone deals with things differently and you never know someone’s full true truth.

𝑴𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆.

Quick thoughts:
- Salem is my type of girl. I love her.
- Caz’s mind! I wanted to be in it more.
- ‘𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘱’ ❤️‍🔥
- Aditi & Baron pulled me in too. I loved these characters as much as the main.
- Reading this is just a reminder to always be yourself 🖤

RuNyx has done it again!

Dark, atmospheric, rolling waves of tension and mystery, Enigma is a standalone gothic romance perfect for a rainy spring/summer day.

Caz van der Waal takes the crown for the best written RuNyx MMC, in my opinion. I loved his point-of-view, his way of thinking and his creative mind. Salem is sweet, a little spicy, and highly analytical, making them a dynamic duo to keep you on your toes.

I really enjoyed moving through the halls of Mortimer University. It's set in modern times with a wonderful air of gothic, dark, and spooky vibes. And the friendships between Salem and her peers made me giggle and kick my feet.

I'm so proud of RuNyx and this release - we've been waiting for a new story to love and Enigma is a delectable treat.

Thank you so much to Bramble and RuNyx for a copy of Enigma and the opportunity to leave my honest, voluntary review! All thoughts and opinions are my own :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC of Enigma. Enigma is a dark academia gothic romance filled with rivals to lovers, secret societies, mystery solving. Salem Salazar is brilliant, aloof, and beautiful. She attends Mortimer University to learn more about becoming a forensics physicist but to also uncover the dark truths behind this university including her sister’s untimely death. Her paths cross with the broody, enigmatic, and secretive student artist Cazimir van Der Waal. As Salem digs deeper, so do her feelings for Caz, and the line between danger and desire begins to blur. I could feel the chemistry building between Salem and Cal throughout every chapter. The concepts of grief and trust are handled really well and the plots twists kept me on edge. RuNyx nails the dark academia aesthetic with eerie atmosphere, sharp dialogue, and a slow burn romance that hurts in the best way.