Wow that was quite the spicy dark romance between two damaged people looking for the truth in the mounds of secrets and deaths at Mortimer University. I could definitely see shades of Hades and Persephone with Salem being the golden girl and Caz the tormented dark artist who finds a muse in Salem. Some very sizzling scenes and lots of dark chemistry between the two but still the good mystery of finding out why Salem's sister died, along with all the other deaths near the university over the years. If you like dark academia, many shades of love that edges to the brink though still consensual and exactly what both parties wanted, with a good ending and a mystery solved, then you will like this.

The narrators did a good job of bring Salem and Caz to life on the grounds of Mortimer University and the story felt very alive. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me listen to this audiobook for review.

🏛 Dark Academia
⚔️ Rivals To Lovers
🔍 Secrets & Mystery
🗡 Suspicious Deaths

This was really interesting & I appreciated having a FMC that isn't so "stereotypical" for once. 😂 I really loved both narrators & they did a wonderful job. They brought the characters to life, two lost souls that eventually found comfort in each other. Finding someone who accepts all the darkness inside of you, that really sees you for you. Isn't that the dream? 😍

*I received an advance review copy for free in the form of an audiobook (advanced listening copy) from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is my honest feedback about the book as an avid reader.*

This is my first RuNyx book I've read & I am curious to get to Gothikana sitting on my tbr cart. 🙂

Huge thank you to the author, McMillan Audio & NetGalley. 💜

Available for purchase on April 29th, 2025

This book was so very well written. It kept me engrossed the entire time. I do think it gave more Romeo and Juliet than hades and Persephone. The ending was perfect though and I am extremely pleased with it from start to finish.

Enigma by RuNyx was a dark academia ride that gave me all the Wednesday Addams vibes in the best way. From secret societies to twisted riddles, this story kept me intrigued from start to finish.

I really enjoyed following Salem as she tried to unravel the mystery behind her sister's death, all while diving deeper into the enigmatic world of Mortimer University. The atmosphere was moody, immersive, and perfect for fans of gothic academia.

The chemistry between Salem and Cazimir? Chef’s kiss. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic was full of tension, banter, and those delicious slow-burn moments that make your heart race. I just wish we had more chapters from Cazimir’s POV—he was such a compelling character, and getting inside his head a bit more would’ve added another layer to the story.

One thing that stood out to me was the mental health representation—it was handled thoughtfully and added emotional depth to the characters.

That said, I wasn’t entirely clear on how this was meant to be a Hades and Persephone retelling. The vibes were dark and mythic at times, sure, but the parallels didn’t feel fully fleshed out for me.

I listened to the audiobook version, and the narration was fantastic. Special shoutout to Aiden Snow, who brought Cazimir to life with the perfect mix of intensity and charm!

If you love secret societies, morally gray love interests, and brooding academic settings, this one might just be your next obsession.

I really enjoyed this and liked the vibes of this book with all the gothicy romance and dark academia, but the ending was underwhelming. If you take anything from my review, take this: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞. 𝐇𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞, 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐬.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 ✮⋆˙

Things I liked:
🐍 Both the FMC and MMC were interesting characters. Gothic romance characters can often be a little unrealistic, but I feel like they had a good balance. Salem, with her ice queen facade and claustrophobia and inner loneliness, and Caz with his anger issues and stubbornness (and his possessiveness).
🐍 The secret societies and the dark academia setting never miss for me
🐍 The canvas altar scene iykyk
🐍 Just the vibes were right. Gothic and macabre, they were well written in every scene
🐍 I enjoyed the spice actually. Not too long, not too quick, not gross. It was nice
🐍 The old-money society families and the corruption within the school

Things that didn't work for me:
🐍 I just feel like with both this and Gothikana (my only other RuNyx read) that the mysteries aren't quite there. Like the entire time, I had a guess that seemed really, really simple, and it ended up being correct with not much of a twist. It left for an underwhelming ending. I enjoyed the book and honestly was debating giving it 5 stars, but then there wasn't really a twist, and I almost felt robbed of a true mystery. I felt like the book could have been longer, so we could have really delved into the conspiracy more. The ending was rushed and disappointing.
🐍 The characters aren't smart. Like they're supposed to be, but it almost takes them forever to connect dots that I thought were already connected. And the scene where she was smart in psychology was about super super basic stuff, like her nature versus nurture statement was nothing profound, but I think we were supposed to think it was?
🐍 Some of the writing wasn't right for me. I liked a lot of it, but there were some craft-level things that I thought could make the book any better. She uses the words "She felt" and "seemed" a lot, which makes the characters distant from the reader. Emotions were a little over-explained rather than felt, and as I said above, the characters aren't smart.

Overall, a good gothic read, and I'm so happy that I got the ARC, but the ending could have been better. It wasn't enough to ruin it for me, but I looked forward to listening to this, and now I'm like "oh. ok."

ALC review
Publication date: 29 Apr 25

"Enigma" by Runyx is a romance, set in a dark academia world.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

I feel in love with Runyx's writting while reading the "Dark Verse" series, that became my favorite dark romance series ever.
Also, "Gothikana" is a great dark academia/gothic romance that I loved.
So, I was looking forward to reading Enigma. And it is even better than I expected.

Salem is a Mortimer University legacy and she tries to find out what happended to her missing older sister.
Caz is her mysterious TA, with a dark past and many secrets.

What I liked:
- the dark academia setting
- a lot of mystery
- secret societies
- the atmosphere is dark and adds to the suspense
- Salem is a smart and fierceless character
- Caz is protective (even if he is a bit too possesive)
- the tension and the spice
- dual POV
-the writting
-the quotes at the beginning of the chapters

The audiobook is narrated by Aiden Snow and Jaclyn Kelso. They both did a good job and helped me get even more engaged in the story.
Their voices captured the characters well and they both managed to bring out their feelings and personality well.
I was so invested in the story that I finished the book in less than 24h.

If you liked Gothikana, I also recomend this book.
Even if it is not as dark, I recomend reading the content warnings before if you have any triggers.

Enigma by RuNyx

Okay this had me gripped from start to finish. I FLEW through this. I was lucky enough to get an Advance Listeners Copy of this bad boy and it did not disappoint. There is mystery, pining, tension, secrets, and intrigue. If you’ve loved RuNyx writing before I think it’s safe to say you’re gonna love this one. I loved the dual narration, the narrators did a fantastic job and i feel were perfect for the roles portrayed.

As always, PLEASE READ ALL TRIGGER WARNINGS AND PROTECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. Your mental health is important, read those babies and judge for yourself.

Feral Rating 4/5 🦝🦝🦝🦝
Spice Rating 3.5/5🌶️🌶️🌶️🫑

What you can find:
- Dark Academia
- Gothic Romance
- Rivals to Lovers
- Mystery & Secrets
- Suspense & Intrigue
- Secret Societies
- Tension for Days
- Possessive Artistic MMC

Summary:

Strange things have been happening since before she could remember, from the events that occurred when she was young leading up to her sister’s death and father’s breaking point. There were just too many unknowns, and for Salem she wanted to crack open the unknowns and reach for the truth. She does just that but making it her mission to figure out what happened to her at Mortimer University. Having always been called strange due to her fascination with forensics, she’s decided to use this interest to her advantage and get to the bottom of it. All is well until another master is launched into her path, Cazimir van der Waal. She can’t decide where he fits into all of the games at play, but what she does know is that there are secrets buried deep and a murder a large. And Salem will stop at nothing until she finds the answers she seeks.

✨✨✨ ALC NetGalley Review ✨✨✨

Tropes:
Dark academia
Secret society
Rivals to 🖤
Suspense

3⭐️
3🌶️

🎧 Narrators:
Jaclyn Kelso and Aiden Snow

I probably would’ve liked this better reading it, which is unusual for me. I *loved* the female narrator, but the male narrator gave me the worst cringe. The sexy scenes were okay in that voice, but his entire voiceover was… weird to me.

But anyway, onto the plot. This has plenty of twists and turns, some of which I saw coming, some of which I didn’t. It’s pretty linear and easy to follow, with plenty of breadcrumbs to lead you along. Definitely dark academia, with lots of secrets. This is classified as a dark romance, but it isn’t overly erotic. There are descriptive scenes, but they don’t make up the majority of the book. I would rate this 2🌶️, it could be way spicier, but the author chose to have the plot be the forefront.

The characters are intriguing and very different, not conventional at all. Both are social pariahs in their own right at the beginning of the book, but by the end they have friend groups and social lives. The development is really nice, even if their relationship is more than a little… unusual. We even start to care about side characters by the end of the book.

The writing is very easy to follow, and honestly I recognized so many of the quotes the author used in this book, which makes me happy for no real reason.

Honestly, I’m glad I picked this one because the story was really interesting, but I’m discovering dark academia isn’t a major love for me. I enjoy them, but I’d just as soon read a traditional thriller or mystery. Worth the read, but the male narrator just isn’t for me.3.75⭐️

I love a good dark academia and this met all qualifications - mystery, FMC with wit and personality, a romance with a dark and broody MMC, and a plot that keeps my interest. I loved that the FMC & MMC had backstories and lives outside of their relationship. That added a layer of complexity and kept me entertained and drawn in.

It ended beautifully with the mystery solved and epilogues that to give the characters their “where are they now” wrapped up with a bow summaries. I will definitely read whatever RuNyx publishes next.

I listened to the audiobook arc and while I wish it was more of the dual narration throughout the conversations, I did enjoy both narrators on their own.

Hades and Persephone vibes
Dark Academia Romance
Mysterious
Murder mystery elements

Dual Narration- Aiden Snow & Jaclyn Kelso
Great narrators

I struggled to get into this one. The way it is told was tough to get into the mood. I stuck with it and I did enjoy it however it just didn’t hit the way I had hoped.

Salem has enrolled at Mortimer university which is a prestigious academy for high society college age kids. She is there to find out what truly happened to her sister.
There have been a number of on campus deaths and she is determined to crack the case open.
Caz the MMC has many secrets. We don’t get a lot in his pov. Salem and Caz become entangled together and he is a mystery to Salem.

I would definitely recommend this to a dark romance reader.

Wow. This book was everything I could ever have wanted in a dark romance. A bright, self aware heroine, a swoony hero, and a setting full of secrets.

Salem Salazar has gone through plenty in her young life. Even though she comes from a wealthy, prestigious family, she has never felt like she fit in. Her relationship with her family is surface at best, she was betrayed by someone in a group who leaked photos of her, and she is attending the elite Mortimer University to find out why her sister died there under suspicious circumstances.

When she meets the mysterious Caz van der Waal, the attraction is immediate and mutual. Caz has plenty of secrets of his own, but he makes no secret of the fact that he wants Salem. Lust turns into a possessive and mutually distrusting relationship, scorching hot and intense, and as Salem finds out more and more about what happened to her sister and other people who also died at Mortimer, the more she wants to know what Caz is hiding.

Salem is an amazing character. She is always on guard, always examining every detail. I loved her mind, how fiercely she loves even though she has experienced so little love in return, and how she reacts at a crucial moment near the end of the book. Caz is completely taken over by Salem. His every thought is of her, he is consumed by her and despite all the things he has been though, he does not waver in his love for her.

This book has it all - I loved RuNyx's Dark Verse series and I obsessed over this story. Whatever RuNyx writes, I will read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Bramble for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

First let me start by saying they could not have picked better narrators for this book! RuNyx knows how to write so beautifully! An atmospheric dark academia full of secret societies, emotion, spice, and personal acceptance. Two grieving people come together to solve the mystery of mysterious deaths occurring at Mortimer University and also find love. Salem being such a relatable character and Caz with his art, protectiveness, touch her and die made this such a good read. I didn’t want it to end.

Audiobook Review:

Enigma is dark academia collage romance that brings you dark backstories, high society, secret societies, loss, and murder.

The FMC and MMC bring you a relationship that full of acceptance and being your true self. Theres mild spice in this book and a touch her a die vibe. The FMC has Wednesday Addams vibes and the MMC is that sexy, dark enigmatic man.

The narration was a pleasure to listen to and done well.

If you enjoyed Gothikana, Enigma is an excellent read.

Oh my god. This book. AMAZING. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I would’ve binged it in a day if I didn’t have work that’s how much I loved it. The smut scenes were *chefs kiss* and the characters felt so human and yet so mysterious. This is a must read if you love dark romance with secret societies, mysteries, and dark academia. Even if you don’t love dark academia you’ll love this book!

idk. Meh. I don’t think I vibe with Runyx.

Don’t let my rating discourage you, this is the 4th or 5th book I’ve read from this author and we just don’t mesh.

I thought this one started out better and with a better premise than Gothikana, but it felt pretty insta to me as well. I couldn’t connect with the characters.

The pacing was a little all over the place for me which I think made it hard for me to stay engaged.

If you typically enjoy Runyx, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

These last min arcs are kinda killing me lol. Excited to jump into this one though! I’ve gotta start it now…

🖤Dark Academia
🖤Standalone
🖤Rivals to Lovers
🖤Mystery x Suspense
🖤Secrets
🖤Secret Society
🖤Gothic Romance

Expected Pub Date - 04/29/25

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advanced audio copy, all thoughts are my own. 💐

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook. I wasn’t a fan of the narrator, and they made the book drone on. I ended up DNF’ing at 30% it just wasn’t for me

okayyyy lmao i tried so hard not to dnf this one but “take care of my pussy” is my final straw, time of death 70% 💀

i unfortunately just dont think runyxs books are for me. i think they have amazing premises, they start off strong and then for me personally they just never seem to live up to what theyre described as. i shouldnt be 70% into a book wondering where the hell the secret society aspect of this book is.

the relationship shouldnt feel like it was out of nowhere, they have a handful of interactions and then weirdly all of a sudden are together… theres also a huge lack of chemistry for me between the two. FMC is somehow a pick me yet has absolutely no personality, MMC is also insanely bland other than possessive.

theres not a whole lot of actual investigating going on either. plot is kind of also nonexistent?

to sum up my experience of reading it, there are a whole lot of words but not a lot actually happening lol.

The fact that this stuff happens in real like makes me sick to my stomach...
Such a good book! The Narrators were perfect for these characters.

Description
There are secrets she must uncover.
There are secrets he must keep.
Salem Salazar is a Mortimer University legacy and the black sheep of her scandal-ridden, wealthy family. Obsessed with death, she arrives at Mortimer on the hunt for answers about what happened to her perfect, missing older sister. There, she discovers that her sister is far from the only girl to have gone missing at Mortimer. Salem will do anything to discover what dark forces are killing Mortimer's students... even if it means using herself as bait.
And Cazimir van der Waal has caught her scent. He has a dark past, a hidden agenda, and a ravenous appetite for a beautiful, golden-eyed girl who seems determined to risk her life. But he is far from the most dangerous thing at Mortimer.
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.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book!

Enigma
by RuNyx
Narrated by Aiden Snow; Jaclyn Kelso
Publisher Macmillan Audio
Pub Date Apr 29 2025

Thank you NetGalley and RuNyx for the chance to listen to this ALC!

This is the second book by RuNyx I’ve listened to and I absolutely loved it! It was beautifully written and I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story. The characters, the setting, the plot… so good! RuNyx is quickly becoming one of fav authors and I’m looking forward to discovering more from her.

The narrators, Aiden Snow and Jaclyn Kelso, done an amazing job. Their voices fit the charachters perfectly and complimented each other well. They were able to capture the emotions and feelings of the charachters and I was able to stay engaged the entire time.

Caz and Salem had me 🫠 If you love dark academic stories filled with mystery, suspense, secrets, secret societies and steamy rival to lovers romance you’ll love Enigma!