𝖲𝖺𝗅𝖾𝗆 𝖲𝖺𝗅𝖺𝗓𝖺𝗋 & 𝖢𝖺𝗓𝗂𝗆𝗂𝗋 𝗏𝖺𝗇 𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝖶𝖺𝖺𝗅

🐦‍⬛ Dark Academia
🐦‍⬛ Secret Society
🐦‍⬛ Gothic
🐦‍⬛ Family Secrets
🐦‍⬛ Mystery/Loss

I seen the trope Forbidden romance, But there really isnt much forbidden about the romance....

I wasnt blown Away, the Audio was brilliant though.

Soooo

Salem Starts at Mortimer University to study and try and find out the reason her sister died while at the school, On Campus she meets teachers aid Kaz and After Iniatially being a bit gruff they soon start up a repoir.

I loved the way the Author wrote Salem, and all the feelings and confusion that came with her as well as her self isolation... it was a really deep character, and beautifully fleshed out.

The Author sets the scene Beautifully, the descriptions are really artistic.

The rest was good... But it wasnt gripping, the plot, it was a bit underwhelming and predictable - I love Keri Lake and was recomended this Author to try but apart from Kaz's art it wasnt really that dark.... it wasnt amazing But wasnt Bad a solid 3 stars.

This was an incredibly fast paced listen, and I had no trouble completing it within 2 days! The dual narration was a great choice, as both narrators perfectly captured their characters.
The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were a brilliant addition to the story. Many of the quotes are my absolute favorites, so it was exciting to have these used throughout the book. It was clear to see that each was strategically placed for emphasis on the story.
The characters were well written; though I did yearn for even a bit more background time with Olivia. Having both main characters having a similar background and motive for searching answers helped make them feel even more connected.
The spice was not too over the top, just the right amount!
The epilogues were appreciated, to see how the characters landed in their arcs!

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇 5-Bat Review: Enigma
by RuNyx

This book? Pure dark romance perfection. Enigma wrapped its ink-stained fingers around my heart and did not let go. The story was gripping from start to finish, with a plot that pulled me deeper and deeper into its shadows and characters so vivid, they felt like whispers in the dark corners of my own mind.

Salem was beautifully broken—haunting, vulnerable, and strong in a way that made my heart ache. And Caz? That man was danger dipped in desire. My favorite line—“I want to be the only villain you see. I want to be the only devil that drags you to hell.”—is etched into my bones now. The way RuNyx crafts atmosphere, emotion, and intensity is absolutely spellbinding.

If this is just a taste of what she’s capable of, I’m ready to devour everything she’s written.

#Enigma #RuNyx #DarkRomance #VillainLove #BeautifullyBroken #BatRating🦇 #RomanceWithBite #GothicReads #Obsessed

There are two narrators to this edition and while I liked the female narrator a lot, I had some issues with the male narrator that I ultimately could not get past. I found his voice just too deep, it was at odds with the content of the book and was just distracting to the point I ultimately skipped those sections. This may not be an issue for other listeners.

Ok ok ok... I am SO pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this!! I've never read a RuNyx novel before and I can go either way with dark romances so was hesitant but oh yeah, I ate this up!

* dark academia
* Forbidden love
* steamy and suspenseful
* secret societies
* family legacies

Dark. Twisty. Steamy. Swoony. Hopeful. Suspenseful. Mysterious. UGH this was just SO GOOD.

I loved Salem and Caz - opposites on paper but so deeply similar on the inside. The development of this relationship was just SO good and I. ate. it. up.

This was my first RuNyx book and I have been missing out!

This book was delicious. I consumed it in less than 20 hours, tandem reading the audiobook and the hard copy. Aiden Snow is one of my favorite narrators, from Carissa Broadbent's Crowns of Nyasia series.

If you love dark academia, romance, sprinkled in with a little bit of murder mystery, this is IT for you. The dark and broody main male character is chef's kiss and the spice is well done.

My only note is that the end felt a little predictable rushed while the rest of the book was setup so well.

That said, 5/5. No notes. Give me more.

I really enjoyed this book. It had just the right amount of dark romance for me. The murder mystery, secret organization, dark mysterious love interest and misunderstood MC was well balanced.

The narration of this audiobook was really good. I really felt like a narrator voice fits the FMC’s, although I wish there was dual narration since there was a male narrator. I think that would’ve added some extra spice to this story. For the novel itself, I think it was pretty good. It was my first book from this author, and it won’t be my last.

This is the first RuNyx book I've read. I tried Gothikana a little while back, but it didn't resonate with me so I had to DNF. Fortunately, I enjoyed Enigma much more, though I'm not sure RuNyx is the best author for me. I completely respect their work and appreciate the gothic vibes found in Enigma (and Gothikana). Sadly, I had trouble focus on the story, but I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story and how Salem and Caz's stories intertwined. Their meeting was weird but I enjoyed it because I like weird--and it was about what I'd expect to find in a dark romance novel. Also I was oddly into him drawing/painting her in the middle of the woods. I also liked Salem's friendships and seeing her character develop from being a quiet loner to someone who had this close circle she could rely on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC.

Really enjoyed this one. Dark academia, with secret societies and a really engaging plot. It kept me guessing until the end. I liked the characters, Caz was super intriguing, just silent and broody enough without being too dry and one dimensional. I liked Salem, though sometimes I felt like I couldn’t get a solid grasp of her personality. I never felt like I actually knew her, which could very well have been by design.

The audio was great. Aiden Snow and Jaclyn Kelso did amazingly.

DNF 35% in. I've unfortunately chosen to not finished several books over the past month for various reasons, but this one was probably my least favorite of all. Where to begin? Let's start out with the few positives. These narrators are wonderful and I did enjoy listening to them guide the story along. The dark, gothic atmosphere is also a nice addition. However, this desperately needs editing. Because I was listening on audio, I wasn't able to highlight certain sentences to quote them properly in my review, but man. This really wasn't written well. Salem and Caz. Sigh. There's zero connection, chemistry, or yearning that makes sense between these two. Salem is a weird and morbid girl, and that alone is not a bad thing! She's clearly been through a lot, though some of it hadn't been revealed yet. The way she meets Caz near a dead body was too odd for me personally. That was one of my first red flags. Then, all of a sudden, though they've barely interacted, and the times that they have, he's told her to stay away from him, he states that she's his muse? And their next encounter involves him holding her while she has a panic attack, and later during his POV, he states that he'd never been more turned on than he was in that moment? Huh?? It just gave me the ick. Look, I love dark romance and spice, but this literally made zero sense. I need more build up between characters, and I need it to feel natural. This felt forced. Also the coffee/bookshop being named Big Bookish Coffee aka BBC for short - stop 🙃 This book simply didn't work for me. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Not only was this story 5 stars, but the way the narrators brought this story to life was nothing short of amazing.

The dark academia vibes were stellar. The lust and obsession and push/pull from Salem and Caz was just waht i was looking for. Slow burn, but in the best ways.

The narrators were truly the perfect audio embodiment of what I would expect these characters to sound like. I truly cant imagine reading this book any other way except audio!!

I loveddddd this book!! I have heard great things about runyx but never read their books before and I was missing out. This was engaging and fast paced. I love that it’s a standalone in this current era of series that are anywhere from 4 to 9 books long. The narrators we absolutely amazing at bringing this story and the world to life. I felt like I was at Mortimer with them. Absolutely 10/10 across the board

Alright, so Enigma by RuNyx was definitely a wild ride. The characters were complex, which I always appreciate — no one was one-dimensional, and I found myself trying to figure them out the whole time. The storyline had just enough mystery and tension to keep me turning the pages, and I was invested in seeing how it would all play out. Honestly, it scratched that itch for a dark, twisty read.

That said, I wasn’t totally sold on how quickly things escalated between the FMC and MMC. I would’ve loved a bit more slow burn and emotional build-up before things got intense. It just felt a little rushed for my taste. Still, despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who’s into complex characters and fast-paced romantic suspense.

I’m a fan of Dark Romance, Dark Academia, and have read quite a few RuNyx books, but this one just didn’t work for me. RuNyx is great at writing atmospheric books, and that was still true with this one. What ended up falling flat for me was mainly the romance.

I’m personally not a fan of insta-list/insta-love but RuNyx always writes great tension and banter so I was still on board. But it got to the point where I just didn’t really care for the romance. I also felt like the plot got rushed at the end, especially considering the first half of the book had so much intrigue.

This book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for and advance “listen” to this book!

Unfortunately, I’m sad to report- after trying and trying to finish this audiobook- I had to dnf at 67%.
I want to start by saying, maybe “it’s not you, it’s me?” In this situation? Maybe I’m just not into “dark romance” so this wasn’t for me?
The rivals to lovers that fall into insta love were the first turn off for me. We have this big mystery that we are supposed to be digging into- but I feel like it falls flat- bc all she sees is this dude with no personality she’s attracted to. At 65% into the book, I still felt like we had gotten nowhere, and I felt no connection with any of the characters.
Now, if dark romance is your jam- don’t let this deter you. I clearly am not a pro in this genre. Maybe this is the MO?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Enigma by RuNyx! This one was dark, twisty, and full of those mysterious vibes I love. Salem was such an interesting main character—smart, a little weird (in the best way), and determined to get answers about her sister. And Cazimir? Total chaos. Broody, intense, and hard to look away from 👀🔥

The dark academia setting, the secret societies, the tension—it had me flipping pages. It does get heavy though, so definitely check the trigger warnings first.

I still enjoyed the story!

Salem is looking for answer to her sister passing. what she find is a mystery amd more 💀 at Mortimer University. When she head there to looking for answer she meet Caz who is an artist and seeking revenge and the connection that draw them together can be denied. Its a pull that bring them to each other and joined forces to find out what is going on with the school.

narrated by Aiden Snow; Jaclyn Kelso

I feel quite strongly that the description of this book is highly inaccurate. At no point did this read as Hades and Persephone. Instead it was a dark romance in a dark academia setting.

Salem, long obsessed with forensics, enters Mortimer University on the heels of family tragedy. She plans to discover who killed her sister, the sister who supposedly committed suicide. There is no shortage of suspects, with every male character extremely suspicious. She also meets the mysterious Caz, a graduate student and talented artist. They are drawn to each other like magnets, even knowing the other could expose them as they seek truths.

Salem was a strange character, a lot of time is spent with her referring to herself as icy when she is drowning in feelings. Her family makes almost no sense. Caz isn't much better. Then there is repetition. The same facts are rehashed over and over and over and over. This book could have been SIGNIFICANTLY shorter, which would have majorly improved it!

The narrators were okay. She was a bit whiny in her voice and her version of Caz speaking to her was so far from the way the Caz narrator sounded that it was disconcerting and removed me from the story.

I think there will be people who will enjoy this book. While I enjoy dark academia, I do not love dark romance, nor mystery and thrillers. Not to my taste, but maybe to yours?

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

*ARC Review* recieved from NetGalley and Macmillian.

My long waitied anticipation for this book did not end in disappointment! This book took dark academia, murder mystery, and romance to hook readers in from the beginning. A dark, steamy mystery with an intriguing storyline, "Engima" was a huge hit for me!

After reading "Gothikana," also by RuNyx, last year, I knew I had to read more. The setting itself was very misty and mysterious, making the perfect backdrop for our plot. Salem and Caz had such an interesting dynamic that readers saw progress as they attempted to work through the murders happening on and near their campus.

I highly recomend this book to other readers! The writing was great, narrator even better!