Enigma — noun:
A person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand… and this book is exactly that in the best way possible. 🖤🌫️

This dark academia, gothic romance checked all my favorite boxes:

— Murder Mystery 🗡️
— Dark Coastal Setting 🌊
— Found Family vibes 🖤
— Secret Societies and Dangerous Games ⏳
— An Elite, Old University 🏰
— Rivals to Lovers tension so thick you could cut it with a knife ⚔️
— Push/Pull Dynamic: She’s Ice, He’s Fire ❄️🔥
— Possessive of each other in the best way 🖤
— Public Claims… swoon 🥵
— Mysterious Artist MMC + Morbid Criminology-Obsessed FMC 🎨🔬
— High Stakes & Constant Danger lurking around every corner ⚠️💀

Salem and Caz were pure magic together. She’s always been invisible — overlooked, cast aside by her family and the world — until him. The way he truly sees her, even in the quietest moments, had me in my feels. 🥹

Their connection was intense, addictive, and full of that delicious angst I crave. They try to stay away… but fate (and obsession) had other plans.✨

The high stakes, constant danger, and secret society tension kept me flipping the pages, and the dark, misty vibes pulled me all the way in.❤️‍🔥

This one gave me all the gothic feels I loved from Gothikana — but honestly? Even better. If you’re into secret societies, twisted romance, and characters who were absolutely made for each other, Enigma will own you. 🖤

I was really hoping to enjoy this more, especially after some of my recent Runyx reads haven't quite hit the mark .i was hoping this one would. The beginning was promising, but it just didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Enigma by RuNyx is exactly the kind of dark academia romance I love to dive into. It’s marketed as Hades and Persephone meets The Secret History which seems accurate. Plenty of gothic vibes, shadowy secret societies, and sizzling chemistry—basically everything you'd want for a moody, immersive listen.

Salem Salazar arrives at Mortimer University with a mission: uncover the truth behind her sister’s mysterious death. She's smart, inquisitive, and determined—exactly the kind of heroine I adore. Salem’s journey from withdrawn to strong and confident was incredibly satisfying to experience.

Enter Cazimir van der Waal: dark, enigmatic, and complicated. His interactions with Salem are nothing short of electric, making for some seriously steamy scenes. While I absolutely loved their dynamic, I found myself craving more chapters from Caz’s perspective because he was such an intriguing character. A deeper look inside his head would have elevated the story even more.

Plot-wise, Enigma delivers plenty of twists and suspense, though if you're familiar with secret society tropes, you might anticipate some of the revelations. Even so, the story was well-executed, making for an immersive and enjoyable ride.

As for the audiobook, Jaclyn Kelso nailed Salem’s character perfectly. She truly captured Salem’s strength and curiosity. While I'm usually a huge fan of Aiden Snow’s narration, I'm not entirely sure his smooth, suave voice matched Caz’s grittier character. It was enjoyable, just perhaps not the perfect fit this time around.

Overall, Enigma was a highly entertaining listen and a great introduction to RuNyx’s writing. It’s dark, spicy, and atmospheric, earning a solid 4.25 stars from me. This might have been my first RuNyx book, but it definitely won’t be my last!

Many thanks to RuNyx, Macmillan Audio, and NetGally for the opportunity to listen to this ALC!

If you love protective, possessive, broken men who’d raze the earth for the women they love—and you like it all wrapped up in a plot full of murder, secret societies, and searing sexual tension—Enigma will have you in a chokehold from chapter one. When Salem's search for answers about her sister’s mysterious death collides with Cazimir van der Waal’s dark past, secrets unravel, passions ignite, and enemies close in. He’s a brutal, beautiful enigma—an artist with blood on his hands and love in his eyes. She’s guarded, grieving, and driven. Together, they’re electric. And as bodies fall and truths surface, their bond only deepens.
This one is a dark contemporary romance with a high-stakes mystery, secret societies, elite corruption, and "touch her and die" alpha energy that fans of RuNyx’s work crave. Aiden Snow’s narration as Caz is Chef’s. Freaking. Kiss. His deep, gravelly voice captured Caz’s possessiveness and vulnerability flawlessly. A+ casting. Jaclyn Kelson as Salem is gritty and guarded, with just the right touch of emotional fragility. Her performance really brought Salem’s internal world to life. The dual POV narration is immersive and dynamic. Hearing both sides of this twisted, tender love story added serious depth and kept the pacing snappy.
Cazimir van der Waal is top-tier book boyfriend material. Dangerous, devoted, emotionally damaged – but oh so romantic in his own way. His art, his declarations, his watchfulness… I was kicking my feet every time he spoke. Salem is strong, scarred, and real. Her evolution – from self-protective and closed off to willing to accept love and vulnerability – was handled with subtlety and heart. Their banter is fire. Chemistry? Magnetic. Spice? Whew. But what really made it hit was the emotional build-up—Caz didn’t just love her, he understood her.
The plot is a tangled web of family tragedy, forbidden love, elite corruption, and dark secrets. The mystery kept the pages (or rather, the audio) turning. RuNyx explores themes such as healing through love, the fragility of grief, the power of being seen, and the dangerous price of truth. The plot is taut and well-paced, with tension balanced between mystery and romance. The slow unraveling of Caz and Salem’s relationship mirrored the larger plot unraveling in a really satisfying way.
From laughter to tears to serious blushing, this audiobook took me through it. That ending? That epilogue?? Left me breathless and desperate for a physical copy when it drops April 29. Solid 4.5 stars and a must-listen for dark romance lovers. Caz is a man who paints his love in blood and beauty, and Salem’s resistance only makes their connection burn brighter. Secret societies, brutal men who fall hard, and trauma-healing-through-love girlies—this one’s for you. Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook in advance.

As usual, I listened to this around 2x speed (probably could have gone higher if the app would allow for it), but didn't find any issues with the distortion or anything lost by listening at that speed. I loved both of the narrators and definitely think they were great picks for the story!

Full transparency, I didn't care for Gothikana. I LOVE dark Academia (Nocticadia and Grave Matter are two of my all time favs), but Gothikana by this author just wasn't it for me. But this one? This was MUCH better for me--the story was great (even if a little insane), and the vibes were definitely there. While I enjoyed the dual POV, I honestly don't think it was necessary for the story itself. It was great for the relationship development, but from a story perspective I think I would have preferred it all to be from Salem's POV. But if you're a romance reader first, this is definitely going to work for you!

If you like a dark academia mystery with a rivals to lovers subplot, you'll definitely enjoy this! If you went through life always being in the shadow of a sibling, or feeling like you don't matter as a person to anyone--you're going to really enjoy Salem. I was definitely rooting for her the entire time.

It isn't as dark as I expected it to be, given the subject matter, if I'm being honest. Especially with the list of TWs at the beginning (which, please make sure you look at!). I don't know if it's because most things on that list were really only brought up in passing, if it's because I related to Salem a LOT (and therefore her trauma doesn't seem that insane to me), or if I'm just not bothered by things. Being said though, it is still on the darker side and if there are themes you'd like to avoid, definitely read the list--there are quite a few of them on there that can definitely ruin your day if you have an issue with them.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
I was nervous when I realized the MCs were in their very early twenties (FMC was exactly 20, I believe), but I ended up enjoying this book a lot. The character growth for both MCs felt very earned and authentic.
The narration was excellent.

This was so odd, and dark, and I loved it.
Enigma is my first RuNyx book but won't be my last! I went and got Gothikana after I finished this.

The Alternative POVs were great and I LOVE audio with dual narrators!

I felt like it wrapped up a little rushed but I did like the time jump. Overall, this was a great dark romance read.

I loved it so much I pre-ordered a physical copy. Brilliant dark romance. The narrators were fantastic. Highly recommend!

This book is a real page-turner! The author did an amazing job of creating a mysterious love story. The male character’s voice was so well-written, it felt like I was right there with them.

“Enigma” by RuNyx combines dark academia, murder mystery, and romance. Salem’s quest to uncover her sister’s death captivated me. Jaclyn Kelso’s narration was exceptional, and I eagerly anticipate more. Aiden Snow’s performance enhanced the audiobook experience. As an avid listener, narrators greatly influence a book’s success.

This book gives me LIFE.
I love the story, the detailing of her inner thoughts, EVERYTHING

The narrators did such an amazing job as well I can't imagine their voices as anything else

This story was so reflective and dark (though not overly so) with deep, well developed characters. The story was interesting, kept you engaged and was full of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

My first Runyx book, but will not be my last. Dark academia, mysterious, eerie, and oh so sexy. Loved the way this story peeled, layers of secrets and connects.

Steeling this group chat name: NDA (no daddies allowed), only issues

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan for the audio ARC, narrators were absolutely fantastic!

3.5 ⭐ 3 🌶️ 5 🎧

I'm pretty torn about how I feel about this story. This was my first RuNyx book and I really loved the beginning. It was poetic with a beautifully set scene, dark and fun with the enemies to lovers vibe and a mystery I couldn't wait to solve. But the end just kinda fell off for me. There was all this lead up and then it ended in 3 seconds flat... I just wanted... More.

The audio was great. I adore Aiden Snow and he was a big reason I picked up this book, and Jaclyn Kelso did a wonderful job as well. I devoured this listen.

I have read two books from RuNyx and both books she has managed to create a cryptic, beautifully atmospheric world of dark academia. Her writing is poetic and lyrical. Her characters are interesting and well written. Caz had my attention immediately, his tortured artist vibes were everything I didn’t know I needed in an MMC. His possessiveness towards Salem was sexy as hell.

This book has everything I want in my dark romance, spice, a plot that will keep you turning pages, a thrilling mystery and an MMC that will have you wishing you could jump into the pages.

I wish I could have received the ebook over the audio because even though the narrators did a phenomenal job, I feel like I wouldn’t have missed as many details with a physical copy. I definitely plan to reread this with a physical copy once it becomes available.

⭐️5/5 stars- Dark, Addictive, and Utterly Binge-Worthy⭐️

I binged Enigma in a single day because there was just no way I was stopping. The story is dark, twisted, and completely addictive — the kind of slow-burn tension that makes your chest ache (in the best way). And the audiobook? Incredible. The voice actors nailed every emotion, every charged moment — I was in it. Runyx has a chokehold on me now, and honestly, I’m not even mad. 5 stars, zero regrets, and absolutely no sleep.

Enigma #review

Huge thanks to Netgally, RuNyx, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book to review ❤️

This wasn’t my typical read/listen, but I already had Gothikana on my bookshelf. So when I saw RuNyx was coming out with another book, I rannnn 🏃🏻‍♀️ to request it on #Netgally

I LOVED the names of the characters in this book. Salem Salazar, and Cazimir Van der Wal? The names dripped gothic elegance, and I absolutely adored them. Never thought I would fall in love with the name Salem for a girl, but here we are. Obsessed 😂

Narrators Jaclyn Kelso and Aiden Snow did such an amazing job bringing these characters to life. There was quite a bit of inner monologue, but honestly it was all so intriguing and well performed by Jaclyn that it kept me enraptured the entire time. I also loved the ending. I feel like it wrapped everything up soo well, while leaving small openings for further explorations if RuNyx would ever deign to turn it into a series.

Even tho the characters on their own seemed soo odd and eclectic, you couldn’t help but fall under their spell and quickly become enraptured. I absolutely loved that Salem finally found her people and place while at Mortimer after everything she had been though growing up.

Along with the suspense, intrigue, mystery, and dark academia vibes, below it lies an Epic gothic love story. It kept me just as enthralled as Salem and Caz were by each other. For this kind of book, RuNyx deserves all the props in the world for that.


Overall rating-5✨
Narration- 4.5✨
Spice- 2.5🌶️

4.5 stars - I devoured this book! I think I’m on a bit of a dark gothic academic romance kick after reading Nocticadia. Enigma by RuNyx did not disappoint as I continue on this journey! I’d recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys this genre. I really enjoyed the quirky non-conventional main characters. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators did a fantastic job! Check this book out! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

In this magnificent, steamy dark academia romance filled with taut suspense, sparks will fly, rivals will become lovers, terrible truths will be revealed, and an epic love will change everything.

To say I was excited to get to listen to the Audiobook ARC for #Enigma would be understatement! As expected RuNyx absolutely blew out it out of the park! I literally devoured this and it left me sad when it was over. Salem is everything I want in a MFC💙 While Caz left me 🥵. I loved that the depth building in the characters was perfectly balanced out by just the amount of spice 🌶️ The narrator's were absolutely perfect! I have the special edition on pre-order, although I have listened to it I have to have a copy of this beauty for shelf! Huge thanks to #netgalley & #Bramble for allowing me the honor of being able to listen early!

I listened to the audio version. The narrators make you really feel like you’re part of the story! This story is academia thriller, with a mysterious secret society. Salem and Kaz are so perfect in this story. I love their back stories and where they are during this story. Characters are diverse and grow throughout! I love this story, well written! 10/10 recommend!