Thank you Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for the ALC!

I love a dark academia, gothic romance but I felt this didn’t quite deliver for me. It started strong with the haunting prose and mystery, but I felt it didn’t get much darker and focused heavily on the couple for majority of the book. There was a lot of tension, push and pull, and unhinged obsession. But I did have trouble connecting with the characters and taking them seriously because of the instant attraction and desire. Things that also missed the mark for me was a lot of telling and not showing and the ending was a bit unsatisfactory.

Narrator for Salem was perfect, however, the narrator for Caz was OK. I felt the inner narration was forcibly deep that it took me out of it, but his dialogue narration was great.

Unfortunately, I think I’ve outgrown RuNyx and they’re just not for me anymore. 😭 If you’ve enjoyed Gothikana, you should definitely give Enigma a try.

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan audio for the free alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This was a dnf for me at about 12% I was not prepares for the content or knew anything about it before starting it. Definitely would not have requested is had I known about the content.

Dnf

Enigma by ruNyx completely consumed me from the very first page. I lived for the dark, intense atmosphere that never let up—it was haunting, mysterious, and addictive in all the best ways. The writing pulled me into a world that was twisted and unpredictable, and I honestly didn’t want to leave.

What really made this book stand out was the romance. It was everything. The tension, the push and pull, the raw chemistry—it was so well done. I especially adored the "I hate everyone but you" trope. That dynamic just hits, and ruNyx nailed it. Every moment between the main characters felt electric and dangerous in the best possible way.

And the mystery? So good. I was constantly guessing, constantly wrong (in the most satisfying way), and on edge with every twist and turn. Nothing felt obvious or overdone. It kept my mind spinning and my heart racing.

If you're into dark romance with a heavy dose of suspense and emotionally charged characters who burn the world for each other, Enigma is a must-read. I’m still thinking about it—and probably will be for a long time.

I’m so obsessed with the aesthetic Runyx is posting and how blue it is so I wanted to make something similar!
and for the love of God, please go and listen to the playlist because it is elite 🔥

the atmosphere—because wow, I don’t know if it’s because of all the misty-blue aesthetic moodboards the author kept posting, but those visuals completely took over my brain while I was listening. I love when a book has that specific vibe you can feel in your bones while reading, and this one nailed that eerie, melancholic, gothic academia mood.

the writing is solid as hell. Runyx’s prose always feel like a warm, familiar hug. her writing style is poetic, layered, and she has this effortless way of wrapping up raw emotion in beautiful descriptions. It’s like her sentences breathe—they linger, they hit. that part of her craft was easily one of the best things about this book, no question.

when it comes to characters—this is where I’ll give Runyx her flowers. as individuals, the characters in this book were incredibly well-developed. She really took the time to dive into their flaws, their philosophies, their trauma, their family dynamics, their inner monologues… all of it.

She peeled back their layers and showed us who they were beyond just plot devices or love interests. their views on life, their issues with friends and family, their internal battles—everything was explored in a really intimate way. I genuinely think this might be the book’s strongest suit: how fully fleshed out Salem and Caz are as individuals. that part felt real, honest, and nuanced.

I love this audiobook. RuNyx has the ability to write such creepy atmospheric stories. Says a huge Gothic, I really enjoyed the characters. They were all very unique and the romance was great. I really felt sucked into the story and the mystery. I think this would be a great book to read in the fall and then a lot of people will love it. The narration was excellent and I would definitely recommend the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan audio, and RuNyx for this ALC

I was slightly nervous after hearing the feedback on Gothikana how this book would go, but the premise sounded really good so I wanted to give it a try.

I was surprised at how much I liked this book and was engrossed in it. I was able to get an advanced copy of the audio book and the narrators did an amazing job! The book was pretty quick and I loved that it was a standalone, or at least is set up that way. The whole book was very gothic and moody set in a very old college with secret societies!

I will say I was a little thrown off although this started as like an enemies to lovers they were very quickly just lovers?

Thank you to NetGalley, RuNyx, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

The audiobook was excellent. Aiden Snow and Jaclyn Kelso were the perfect voice pair. They both did an excellent job with their characters. They brought the characters to life making them feel like real people.

4 stars

This is my first book by RuNyx and it won’t be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The summary of the book sounded perfect to me. I just wasn’t sure it would be too dark. I didn’t feel like it was. I adored Salem. She is a curious, observant, and intelligent woman. I loved the fact that she was interested in how someone died. I would have loved more of that aspect in the book. I did find the case she was investigating wrapped up too quickly. I wouldn’t have minded if the book was longer. I honestly didn’t want it to end. If you love a darker romance then I would recommend this book. Don’t forget to check TW.

I love how RuNyx paints a scene makes it come to life in my mind. The dark gothic vibe of this book had me in a chokehold from the beginning and Caz made sure I never wanted to leave. This story and its characters are so addicting. I am absolutely in love with Caz and Salem, their energy and pull towards each other was felt between the narrators so intensely, I would die for a bond like theirs! The old castle vibes of the school and secret society mysteries made sure I ate this book up in 1 sitting! If I could give it 6 stars I would. RuNyx has done it again ladies and gentlemen!!

Why do you keep doing this to me, RuNyx?! The tears I shed, the anxiety I felt, the GASPS while reading this book! But also the laughs I literally couldn’t contain and the smiles that were ear to ear. An amazing dark academia that reminds me how much I love the genre but even more, reminds me how much I love the AUTHOR! Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ARC, I have already preordered my hardcover trophy that will allow me to reread this beautiful story in the future 🖤

Rating: 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4)
Spice Level: Three chili peppers
Genre: Medium-level Dark Romance

I thought this was a pretty good read overall. The plot was strong and well-developed—it wasn’t just centered around the romance, which I really appreciated. The storyline held its own and kept me interested the whole way through.

I personally wouldn’t read the physical copy; I’d go with the audiobook again. The performance was fantastic and really brought the story to life.

One thing that stood out (in a weird way) was the repetitive use of certain phrases. It felt like they were overused to the point of being distracting. Also, I really wish we had gotten more of the male POV—his side of the story felt a little underexplored.

Still, it was a solid book and a good dark romance if you’re looking for something with more plot than just steam.

I devoured this book. I love Gothic academia dark romances and this hit the mark for me, added bonuses were murder mystery and forensic student. I adore Salem and I enjoyed her relationship with Caz. I also loved her friendships with Adetiti and Melissa and how she learned to embrace their friendship even though having friends was new to her. I am so glad Salem and her mom's relationship was able to heal throughout the book. Caz and Salem's shared trauma of loss and then getting closure for their lost siblings was needed. I loved this book. As much as I loved Salem, Adediti is probably my favorite character I just adore her lol.

Salem Salazar comes to Mortimer University to get to the bottom of her sister's mysterious death. There, obsessed with forensics, she discovers there have been a lot more unexplained deaths on the campus. Her search leads her down a dark and dangerous path to a secret society and to Caz.
Cazimir van der Waal is himself another mystery to unravel. Is he just an art student, a man living a double life, or a murderer? While also at the university seeking answers for his brother's death, Caz has a lot more to him than meets the eye.
Secret forces are at play in Mortimer and no one is safe. As Salem tries to go under the radar and Caz tries to block her path, somehow, they both end up in the crossfire of a powerful, secret society. They are forced to work together to discover the truth or risk losing their lives.
Loved this even more than Gothikana! RuNyx is one of my new favs! Loved listening to the dual POVS.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

Dark Romance Done Right!

It’s giving Wednesday Addams, but without the humor. A brooding, morally complex male lead and a sharp, curious female lead. I really enjoyed the book, but fair warning, it’s dark. If you’re into twisted, dark romance, this one’s for you. The author nails that eerie, unsettling vibe throughout.

Aiden Snow and Jaclyn Kelso absolutely killed it as the narrators. They became their characters, every inflection felt spot on, making the whole experience immersive and compelling.

Pretty solid listen and great narration, but unfortunately I just never really felt fully hooked by the story. Such a bummer!

So thrilled to have received an ALC for this beauty!

i was so invested right from the beginning and I was hooked the whole book! I may or may not have finished it in one day while at work 🤣 it was just to good

Salem and Caz were just 🤌💋 the development of these two was just beautiful. And the possessiveness heck yes!

RuNyx just seems to have a way with words that I cannot get enough of!
thank-you for the ALC for an honest review!

if she writes it I'll read it

⭐⭐.5 rounded up to ⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️
Decent start and swift fall off not too long after. Did not get Hades and Persephone from this at all. I was almost put to sleep many times during the majority of the middle of this book. Maybe I am just over rich good girl swoons for a seemingly bad boy with tattoos who doesn't belong in my rich kid school flavored stories right now. If you enjoyed this book or enjoy those vibes then skip this review.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC.

I had heard excellent things about Gothikana and tried for the e-arc of this book and am still left on pending almost 6 months later so I figured I would shoot my shot with the ALC and got accepted pretty fast, yay. Sadly this was just not it for me. I tried really hard to overlook the insane level of pick-me vibes FMC Salem has going on but I think what broke me was the ideas that MMC Caz was such a prodigy painter but no one sees his work. Pair that with the weird comments written like some robot or young person with no sexual experience, like "take care of my pussy." There are times and places where these kinds of phrases work but it was not ever in this book. Epilogue was pure fluff and filler to add page count and runtime, could have been condensed into 2 paragraphs to say the same things. None of this book or the characters came off dark & mysterious more like I'm an edgelord and this is so deep. I'll still give Gothikana a chance, but it might be the last one for this author.

Jaclyn Kelso really tried, but she couldn't save this ship wreck. I feel worse for Aiden Snow because he has that dark & mysterious shadow daddy voice going on, and it was wasted here. Would love to hear more from both with a story that can actually hold my attention.

A steamy, dangerous dark academia romance from RuNyx that has hearts racing with enemies to lovers, secrets that reveal the evil within that is so much closer than anyone knows.

Salem Salazar attends Mortimer University, an elite school, to get answers about her sister's mysterious death. She left clues that she is having difficulty deciphering, but she knows something bad happened here and will not stop until she gets answers. As she digs deeper, she finds more unexplained deaths on the campus, and one professor is high on her watch list. As she searches down this dark and dangerous path, she also discovers Caz, who makes her head and her heart spin.

Cazimir van der Waal is constantly in her way. He is mysterious and drives her insane. Who is he? Why is he always around? Is he a suspect? Caz knows something, and the only way to find out is to get closer to him, but will that put her in danger?

Why should you love him, whome the world hates so? Because he loves me more than all the world - Christopher Marlow

Mortimer has major secrets, and Salem will get to the bottom of it all, even if it puts her life in danger. A major roadblock is Caz, who always seems to block her path. Can she trust him, or will he be her undoing? They are forced to work together to discover the truth about what happened to people they both love and have lost. Will they come out alive?

The deadly game he'd been playing was coming to a head soon, but as he moved his mouth over hers, devouring her for everyone to see, he sent a very clear message to everyone watching. Knowing THEY would be watching. She was OFF LIMITS again. She was HIS, and coming for her would make them understand WHY they called him Death in prison.

She looked at the tattoo on the side of his neck, one she got with him. Her only tattoo, and the words that said, Memento Vivere - Remember to Live.

Have a bit of patience with this one. There are layers to unfold to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ALC of this book. It is set to publish on April 29th. Happy Reading!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars
RuNyx is one of my favorite authors, so it’s no surprise that this book has been a highly anticipated release for me. Enigma delivered everything I want from a RuNyx book: gothic vibes, unique characters, and wildly intoxicating romance. I adore how perfectly RuNyx is able to write black-sheep characters, and I related so much to Salem’s experiences and personality. While the relationship between Salem & Cazmir was beautiful, I loved that there was a heavy emphasis on the friendships Salem was making as well. But on the topic of Cazmir, he so thoroughly understood Salem who went her whole life feeling the opposite. Beyond the romance and relationships, the underlying mystery was full of twists and turns, and I loved the slow build of information that was dropped leading up to the climax. This book was a perfect mixture of romance with dark, thrilling elements. Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook!

This book just didn’t hit for me. I was hoping for more than what was given. It was still a good read, I was just expecting it to be darker than it was. This is more of a gothic fantasy. Which for that was great.

4.25 rounded to a 5 💫

I have screamed this since reading Gothikana but RuNyx has a niche for writing dark academia. It is her knack and where her true talent lies. I am on the side who loved Gothikana for its vibes, her writing, the story, the characters, the atmosphere, everything… and Enigma gave me that same exact feeling.

I was sucked in from the very first chapter. You’re following Salem Salazar, who is obsessed with forensics and the inner workings of all things death related (she’s a morbid girl, okay.. and we love her for it). She goes to Mortimer University to get to the bottom of her sister’s mysterious death. While there she uncovers a string of unsolved unexplained deaths on campus and her search leads her to a secret society and to Caz Van Der Waal.

If you love crime, dark academia, secret societies, poetic writing, spooky and gothic atmospheres, with a hint of mystery then I seriously think you should pre-order this one. It comes out on April 29th, 2025.

I cannot sing enough good praises for this book. I will be going back through once I get the hard copy in the mail to annotate!

Thank you NetGalley and RuNyx for this ARC! 📖🕯️✨🕵🏼‍♀️🗝️⚰️🧬