Not my usual romance genre of choice, but I enjoyed this! First RuNyx read for me! Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts!

I was sucked into this dark world of academia/secret society where murder is a normal occurrence.

We meet Salem when she's standing over a dead body, and a dark man in the shadows startles her. He turns out to be her TA, Caz, but he's also so much more.

This book was so twisty and twisted that I didn't want to put it down. Both narrators were perfect in their roles. The two main characters had secret motives as to what they were up to, away at college, after tragedy struck both of them in different ways. The way their lives were so intertwined left me on the edge of my seat.

Read if you love:
- tragic love stories
- death, murder
- morally gray heroes
- secret society
- dark academia
- mysteries to be solved
- friendships that bloom in darkness
- college romance
- high society
- twists + twisted storylines
- morally gray HEAs (lol)

4 stars. This book was fantastic via audio. Would recommend.

🎧 Enigma by RuNyx 🎧
Audiobook ARC
Narrated by Aiden Snow and Jaclyn Kelso

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio Production from Bramble Books for the audiobook ARC.

Had fun listening to this spicy, dark romance. You get immediately sucked in to the mysteries surrounding Mortimer University. Salem and Caz have electric chemistry and narrators Jaclyn Kelso and Aiden Snow were the perfect cast.

Tropes:
Dual POV
Dark Academia Romance
Rivals to lovers
Mystery
Suspense
He’s obsessed with her
*Make sure you check out the Trigger Warnings

3/5. Releases in audio 4/29/25.

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

Searching for the truth about her sister's death, Salem Salazar heads to the mysterious Mortimer University, where she meets (and gets entangled with) her mysterious-er TA, Caz van der Waal. If only Salem wasn't pursuing an award that seems connected to many mysterious deaths...

The Review:

I picked this up because RuNyx is one of those authors you hear a lot about, and I'm always down for a bit of creepiness with my romance novels. Unfortunately, while I came away from this completely understanding her popularity... I can't say this was for me.

I was initially sucked into the novel, because there is a lot of atmospheric energy. And I mean, you're immediately plunged into something Real Weird. I found, however, that Real Weird sort of clashed with the college setting, rather than truly settling into dark academia. There's a scene early on when the heroine and her friends are daring each other—not something I'm oppose to—and one of the dares is "dance sexy in front of a boy for thirty seconds". "Dance sexy" is a direct quote, and I shall be real, this wording felt more middle school than college-aged to me. And frankly, all I could imagine was that poor girl doing a bit of a noodle move in front of a shocked boy.

I feel like this kind of book does best in a timeless setting, and this just wasn't timeliness. Salem's bestie repeatedly refers to Caz as a "hunky chonk of a man", and. I'm sorry. "Chonk of a man" should not be in a spooky, ghostly dark romance to ME. It totally took me out of the story!

On a romance level, I felt that Salem and Caz had tons of chemistry, and the heat was there. But the actual love story felt underdeveloped. I felt that RuNyx spent a lot of time on vibes and not quite enough time on making me believe these two would actually LIKE each other.

So why is this a 3/5? I mean, I was entertained, and I did like the atmosphere. And I see where the audience is here. It did feel very much like that space between YA and adult romance, which fits the college setting perfectly. The writing has a campy quality that feels very fic-ish, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It did sometimes get a little confusing—mainly in that tonal contrast that didn't feel quite intentional enough for me to be on board. I feel that if RuNyx leans more into a mature vibe in a future novel, she could play to her strengths a bit more.

The Sex:

You definitely get somewhat more adventurous content here, like light CNC (a lot of care is taken to clarify consent with this practice). I did feel it overshadowed the emotional development, but overall, this was one of the stronger points of the novel.

The Conclusion:

Not really my cup of tea, but I get why people are addicted to this author. Far be it from me to yuck the yum.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this advanced copy!!


RUNYX!! You’ve gone and done it again. I love the dark creepy atmosphere you paint in this novel. That alone with the romance component that had me literally SWEATING, it’s one of my new favorite books of 2025.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Enigma by Runyx was amazing 🤯🖤—a total 5-star read for me! From start to finish, I was completely hooked. The plot struck the perfect balance between intense action 💥 and deep character development 🧠. Salem was such a relatable protagonist 🙌, and Caz? Let’s just say he was both intriguing and scorching hot 🔥😮‍💨—a top-tier MMC for sure.

While I did find the storyline a little predictable 🤷‍♀️ (I guessed the climax before it happened), it didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all. The journey was so well written and compelling that I didn’t even care.

One major highlight for me was the audiobook 🎧—it truly brought the story to life! I loved both readers and thought their voices fit the characters and tone perfectly. It made everything feel even more immersive 😍.

And the ending? PERFECTION ✅✨. So many books rush the final chapters or leave things vague, but Enigma gave us all the emotional details we needed for a truly satisfying wrap-up. It felt complete in the best way!

The true crime vibes 🕵️‍♀️ mixed with elite gothic energy 🏰 were absolutely captivating and had me obsessed from the first chapter. This book is at least as good as Gothikana, if not better 😍📚.

Overall, one of the best gothic romances I’ve read in a long time, and it has definitely thrown me into a deep reading slump 😭💀💔. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to Netgalley and RuNyx and their publisher for this advanced reader copy of the audiobook!

this was the perfect gothic academic romance book. the mystery and the secrets and the setting were just amazing. i felt like i could picture the whole thing. Runyx is so good at giving visuals and it was just an amazing story!!

I LOVED THIS AUDIOBOOK!! The narration made me forget that the book was 3rd POV! The story itself was very intriguing and I loved the journey! The spice for this one seemed a bit more than her previous books (I’ve read them all!) but was very well done! I loved their chemistry! I did want a little more story to the secret societies because that seemed to end so quickly once they got to the cave sacrifice.

REVIEW:
This was a highly anticipated read for me this year. I really enjoyed the audio for this. It was dual narration and as someone who doesn’t always enjoy 3rd person POV, it had me hooked. I’m sure it was partially because Aiden Snow was narrating Caz 🫠🫣😍

This is a complete standalone with secret societies in a dark academia setting. Two unlikely allies looking for revenge and finding something else instead!

Tropes:
-dark academia
-mystery
-spiceee
-forced proximity
-morally grey MMC

Great dark academia! If you are like me and enjoyed the writing style of Gothikana then you will love Enigma.
This is a story about the FMC who wants to find out what happened to her older sister. She starts at the same school her older sister attended and right away she can tell she isn't welcomed. Her family's name doesn't bring the most positive thoughts of the students or facility. She uncovers a few secrets and a slightly older MMC that is absolutely infatuated with her. She keeps uncovering more facts. At all costs he will have to keep her safe.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Another masterpiece by RuNyx! An instant buy author for me, I don't even need to read a synopsis or know what the plot is. I just know any book she writes will be full of emotion, tension, and life. The way she digs into her characters mind is stunning, their passions, their fears, their longing. RuNyx's words have a way of digging deep and pulls me completely into her world. I was so blown away by Enigma, by Caz and Salem. It's not what I was expecting, but it turned out to be better.

Yes, the dark academia vibes are strong and the secret society that may or may not be killing girls is interesting. But the relationships and human connection were the whole point of this book to me. I loved how Salem grew throughout this book, into her whole self and with the people in her life. Friends, family, significant other. So many unique, complex feelings and interactions explored. I would be lying if I said Salem's relationship with Caz wasn't my favorite part (blushing face!!) From their first interaction, I was drooling. The fixation on her hair. The pulling! The teasing!! Every time they were together, I just lapped it all up. The physical chemistry was off the charts, but the trust and communication made it that much sweeter.

The epilogue's had me swooning, but I was struck by the blink and you'll miss it mention of Tenebrae City. The RuNyx multiverse. I love the thought of all these amazing characters living in the same time and place.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for a chance to listen to this ALC! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to the publisher for the ALC!

I really enjoyed listening to Enigma! I’m super picky about narrators—it’s hard to hold my attention—but this one absolutely delivered. The narration was smooth, engaging, and brought the characters to life in a way that made it so easy to stay hooked.

I also loved the dark academia vibe—it added such a rich, moody atmosphere to the story. But what really stood out to me was the deep connection between the characters. Their love for each other felt so genuine and powerful, and it added so much emotional weight to the narrative.

This audiobook truly surprised me, and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of emotional, atmospheric stories.

4 ⭐️ 2🌶️

This is my first RuNyx book and my first dark academia and I was not disappointed! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I’m not one to read dark romance so this took me by surprise.

Read if you like:
📖dark academia
📖dual pov
📖artistic mmc
📖crime solving fmc
📖secret society
📖murder mystery
📖academic setting
📖dislike to like
📖he becomes obsessed with her
📖touch her and 💀

Thank you to NetGalley, RuNyx, and Macmillan audio for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh goodness, I devoured this book!
The way RuNyx can get that dark, edgy, gothic, angsty atmosphere with words is like no other.
Boarding school, secret society, enemies-to-lovers, murder mystery, family secrets, coming of age...all major themes and tropes in one fantastic story.

An intriguing and relatable FMC, with a possessive and deep MMC tie two worlds together and show each other, true and everlasting love and family.

I adored the way the Narrators brought the characters to life for the audio and fully captured the dark, edgy feel of the story.

I highly recommend this read for the lovers of gothic romance/mystery.

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!