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dark
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
thank you evermore for gifting me an advanced copy of this book, super grateful đź’ś
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this was my first book by RuNyx and it did not disappoint!!! the storyline hooked me straight from the beginning and i saw some of myself in salem, mainly because of the criminology degree.
i went into this book pretty blind, i wasnt sure what to expect but i love dark romance and one set in a university? incredible.
the romance itself? *chefs kisses* i loved salem and caz, oh so so much.
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this was my first book by RuNyx and it did not disappoint!!! the storyline hooked me straight from the beginning and i saw some of myself in salem, mainly because of the criminology degree.
i went into this book pretty blind, i wasnt sure what to expect but i love dark romance and one set in a university? incredible.
the romance itself? *chefs kisses* i loved salem and caz, oh so so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Murder
Minor: Death of parent
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A lot of thoughts, most of them not fantastic.
So, as you can assume from my title, I wasn't obsessed with this, which is really disappointing since I've been looking forward to this book since its announcement. The first 30% of this book was good; I was so sat for the setup, and the last 30% was pretty good too (with some grains of salt, the salt being plot holes). But the middle 40% so stupid, slow, and reiterating shit we already knew about. All of the villains were easy to guess, and there was no plot twist because you could literally see everything coming from a mile away. The characters felt so one-dimensional that I was so over the author trying to make us feel like they were deeper than they were. And there were a few times where Salem would mention something like it was a revelation when we had already discussed and discovered that chapterssss ago.
Now, I have a gripe with secret society plot lines because often they are poorly done. And lo and behold, we have another poorly done secret society plot line. What do they do? Who knows! Why do they do what they do? Your guess is as good as mine! It was irritating to have this plot line built up and then have absolutely no explanation as to what the societies are actually doing. Like, what is the point?
I enjoyed Gothikana, but dislike RuNyx's other works, so I figured that Enigma would be right up my alley. Now I'm thinking that Gothikana was a one-hit wonder for me, and everything after, and before that, is nonsensical bs. And I know, this is kind of a scathing review, but there were things that kept me reading and enjoying the novel to a certain extent. The romance was somewhat good! I enjoyed scenes between Salem and Caz when they weren't being fucking stupid for no reason.
Overall, while I was very excited for this book and it gripped me in the first part, the way the plot played out left me wanting, and not in a good way. RuNyx hides behind the saying that she wants her books to be imperfect and still have mystery. I think this is an excuse to be lazy and leave the book shoddy, put together with plot holes galore. I think I'm done with her books after this. Combined with all of the issues the Syndicater had, it's not looking good for Miss Ru.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide, Violence
Minor: Gun violence, Rape
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
thank you to RuNyx, Bramble Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC of Enigma in exchange for an honest review!
In this we follow Salem, who has just arrived at Mortimer University. Salem is secretly searching for answers to what happened to her older sister because the story her family was told just doesn’t add up. On her hunt for information, she discovers her sister wasn’t the only student to mysteriously go missing at the University. Then we meet Caz, the dark and mysterious artist that won’t let Salem out of his sight. As Salem continues trying to uncover the dark secrets of Mortimer, she falls into the dangerous world of secret societies and decides to use her self as bait, much to Caz’s dismay.
I absolutely devoured this!! This was full of secrets, intrigue, suspense, dark, lush descriptions and lots of chemistry. The audiobook narration was so well done!!
RuNyx knows how to write a brooding, tortured artist so well! I love Salem and Caz’s characters so much! The romance between Salem and Caz was so fun. Caz definitely had me kicking my feet and giggling at the things he would say to her!! 🤠His comments to her were so unhinged sometimes and Salem’s reactions to them were priceless!!
I loved the way they really understood each other’s dark secrets and comforted one another the way nobody else could! I loved following Salem on her journey of solving the mysteries lurking through Mortimer, finding herself and finding people who truly loved her along the way!
I highly recommend this for a twisty, mysterious, and steamy dark academia read!!
In this we follow Salem, who has just arrived at Mortimer University. Salem is secretly searching for answers to what happened to her older sister because the story her family was told just doesn’t add up. On her hunt for information, she discovers her sister wasn’t the only student to mysteriously go missing at the University. Then we meet Caz, the dark and mysterious artist that won’t let Salem out of his sight. As Salem continues trying to uncover the dark secrets of Mortimer, she falls into the dangerous world of secret societies and decides to use her self as bait, much to Caz’s dismay.
I absolutely devoured this!! This was full of secrets, intrigue, suspense, dark, lush descriptions and lots of chemistry. The audiobook narration was so well done!!
RuNyx knows how to write a brooding, tortured artist so well! I love Salem and Caz’s characters so much! The romance between Salem and Caz was so fun. Caz definitely had me kicking my feet and giggling at the things he would say to her!! 🤠His comments to her were so unhinged sometimes and Salem’s reactions to them were priceless!!
I loved the way they really understood each other’s dark secrets and comforted one another the way nobody else could! I loved following Salem on her journey of solving the mysteries lurking through Mortimer, finding herself and finding people who truly loved her along the way!
I highly recommend this for a twisty, mysterious, and steamy dark academia read!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting
Minor: Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Classism
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
RuNyx has a way of world-building and creating characters that feels fully fleshed-out, so when I read her books not only am I transported, I can also envision everything very clearly. I always feel her books are perfectly written to be movies, and in my mind they read cinematically. Enigma is no different. I could very clearly picture Salem, Caz and Mortimer University in ways that made the storyline quick-paced and entirely whole. I love this about her books!
This is a dark academia goldmine! Secret societies, possible hauntings, seemingly desolate beach-scape with ominous lighthouse. The mood was spot on. Salem and Caz are a not too slow, slow-burn romance, and have some great tension at the start. Caz may just be your new favorite dark and broody, tattooed, MMC. He has a dark past, he’s territorial, and he’s a mercurial artist. Salem is a curvy FMC, and I much appreciated an FMC that is not the usual body type.
Enigma had multi-faceted themes of found family, finding confidence in self, and learning to trust that really can speak to readers on a deeper level as well.
RuNyx never disappoints. Her books, to me, are great palate cleansers. You can pick them up knowing you’re going to have a hard time putting them down. They move quickly, and you can transport into her Gothic-themed worlds entirely. Perfect for a train ride books. Perfect for a rainy day in bed books. Enigma is a perfect entry level to dark romance books!!
If you loved Gothikana, you will love Enigma. However, if her Dark Verse series is more your cup of tea this might not be dark enough for you. Give it a try though!
Enigma was a joy to read. I was waiting for this after I saw it pop up as to be published and I was not disappointed. 12/10 recommend.
Thank you to RuNyx and Tor Publishing for giving me an ARC of Enigma to read and review.
This is a dark academia goldmine! Secret societies, possible hauntings, seemingly desolate beach-scape with ominous lighthouse. The mood was spot on. Salem and Caz are a not too slow, slow-burn romance, and have some great tension at the start. Caz may just be your new favorite dark and broody, tattooed, MMC. He has a dark past, he’s territorial, and he’s a mercurial artist. Salem is a curvy FMC, and I much appreciated an FMC that is not the usual body type.
Enigma had multi-faceted themes of found family, finding confidence in self, and learning to trust that really can speak to readers on a deeper level as well.
RuNyx never disappoints. Her books, to me, are great palate cleansers. You can pick them up knowing you’re going to have a hard time putting them down. They move quickly, and you can transport into her Gothic-themed worlds entirely. Perfect for a train ride books. Perfect for a rainy day in bed books. Enigma is a perfect entry level to dark romance books!!
If you loved Gothikana, you will love Enigma. However, if her Dark Verse series is more your cup of tea this might not be dark enough for you. Give it a try though!
Enigma was a joy to read. I was waiting for this after I saw it pop up as to be published and I was not disappointed. 12/10 recommend.
Thank you to RuNyx and Tor Publishing for giving me an ARC of Enigma to read and review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Classism