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A review by brooksie03051
Gothikana by RuNyx
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Corvina Clemm had lived her life as an outcast, never accepted by the people around her. After losing her mother to an insane asylum, she receives an admission letter from the mysterious University of Verenmore. Being alone now, she accepts it to try and start her life over again. The school however isn't what she expected. It is an ancient, secluded castle on top of a mountain that seems more like a prison filled with secrets, deceit, and death.
The only good thing she found was a friendly outgoing roommate who tried to include her in everything and invite her to join her and her friends in activities at school. Corvina didn't have any friends and found them to be genuine and fun to be around. That and her mysterious new teacher Mr. Vad Deverell who is not only a teacher at the school but also a student. A part-time professor working on his thesis, Vad has been around long enough to know the dangers the castle possesses. The moment he crosses paths with Corvina, he knows she is a danger to everything that he is. He stares at her like a panther and she is his next meal and she doesn't mind it one bit. He is young for a teacher and poetically handsome. When he looks at her, it's as if he is trying to read her soul.
"Your eyes have such hunger. Your soul is starved, and your flesh is famished. Tell me Miss Clemm, do you want relief?"
Their attraction is mutual, however they cannot be. Teacher-student relations are forbidden at the University, but they can't seem to stay away from each other. A century-old mystery pushes them closer together impossible for them to stay away. This University's dark past seems to haunt them both. For over a hundred years, people have disappeared every five years and the voices in Corvina's head are pushing her for clues to unravel it all, while Vad seems to be a part of it as he keeps a close eye on her.
"If this is madness", she whispered almost against his lips, "drown me in it."
If this is madness", he told her, echoing her words against her lips, "I've already descended too far."
A story about mysterious deaths in an eclectic school filled with rumors of horror and a young woman fighting her inner demons looking for the truth behind the voices that have plagued her entire life. The one thing that makes her feel safe is Vad, who seems to be keeping the truth behind the school's past from her and although may be dangerous, trusts him with all that she has.
"Your the mountain I build my castle on brick by brick. You stand, I soar. you crack, I crumble."
I've heard mixed reviews of this book, with some being negative. When I read a book I can't put down, it's a win for me. The story might not be perfect, and not for the masses, but I enjoyed it and do not regret reading it.
The only good thing she found was a friendly outgoing roommate who tried to include her in everything and invite her to join her and her friends in activities at school. Corvina didn't have any friends and found them to be genuine and fun to be around. That and her mysterious new teacher Mr. Vad Deverell who is not only a teacher at the school but also a student. A part-time professor working on his thesis, Vad has been around long enough to know the dangers the castle possesses. The moment he crosses paths with Corvina, he knows she is a danger to everything that he is. He stares at her like a panther and she is his next meal and she doesn't mind it one bit. He is young for a teacher and poetically handsome. When he looks at her, it's as if he is trying to read her soul.
"Your eyes have such hunger. Your soul is starved, and your flesh is famished. Tell me Miss Clemm, do you want relief?"
Their attraction is mutual, however they cannot be. Teacher-student relations are forbidden at the University, but they can't seem to stay away from each other. A century-old mystery pushes them closer together impossible for them to stay away. This University's dark past seems to haunt them both. For over a hundred years, people have disappeared every five years and the voices in Corvina's head are pushing her for clues to unravel it all, while Vad seems to be a part of it as he keeps a close eye on her.
"If this is madness", she whispered almost against his lips, "drown me in it."
If this is madness", he told her, echoing her words against her lips, "I've already descended too far."
A story about mysterious deaths in an eclectic school filled with rumors of horror and a young woman fighting her inner demons looking for the truth behind the voices that have plagued her entire life. The one thing that makes her feel safe is Vad, who seems to be keeping the truth behind the school's past from her and although may be dangerous, trusts him with all that she has.
"Your the mountain I build my castle on brick by brick. You stand, I soar. you crack, I crumble."
I've heard mixed reviews of this book, with some being negative. When I read a book I can't put down, it's a win for me. The story might not be perfect, and not for the masses, but I enjoyed it and do not regret reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Suicide
Moderate: Death