Review by hilary89 - Enigma

hilary89 's review for:

Enigma by RuNyx

4.25

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 Salem’s journey from withdrawn to strong and confident was incredibly satisfying to experience.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