Enigma: A Dark Academia Romance

by RuNyx

A new breathtaking tale of unforgettable romance, set in a dark academia world of secret societies, lush suspense and sizzling sensuality, from RuNyx, the New York Times bestselling author of Gothikana.

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 in her way and 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 another 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 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.

In this magnificent, steamy dark academia romance from RuNyx, sparks will fly, rivals will become lovers, and terrible secrets will be unleashed.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Dark Academia, Fantasy, Dark, Romantasy, Gothic

496 pages, Hardcover

First published April 29, 2025

About the author

RuNyx is a New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of romance. Her stories range across subgenres from dark contemporary to gothic to historical to fantasy and more, and are currently being translated into over 10 languages.

Her pen name has a very special meaning to her. When she's not writing, she's reading, traveling, meditating, daydreaming, and most of all, procrastinating.

Join her newsletter tribe for all updates and stalk her on her social media.

Website ➡️ https://runyxwrites.com
Newsletter ➡️ https://runyx.myflodesk.com/newsletter
Instagram ➡️ instagram.com/authorrunyx
Reader Group ➡️ facebook.com/groups/runyx

Reviews

[Marianna Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this low key ateeeee…???? I feel like the reviews are so mixed on this book and I totally see why, but I had so much fun with this!

I personally hateeeeddd Gothikana but love love love the Dark verse series so I went into this with zero expectations, and I think that’s the way to go with this! I love dark gothic romance and this delivered on the gothic from for sure. I feel like this was a vibes read for me and I’m not at all mad about it!

Dark spooky academy setting, murder mystery, secret society, an absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS, sizzling hot romance that had me slightly feral… CAZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!! My psychopath, unhinged, semi-stalker artist who is just SO OBSESSED with her I canttttttt oh my god I’m so done I fell in love with him immediately. And then Salem, gahhhhh I loved her too! She was so different as far as FMCs go and I loved her quirky, deranged brain.

The ending was a bit disappointing and underwhelming, I definitely wanted more, but like I still couldn’t put this down once I picked it up. But I cannot say it was anything revolutionary. Right book right time for sure

[Clace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Give me pre-syndicaters runyx back pls 🙏🏻
__
ANOTHER DARK ACADEMIC ROMANCE BY RUNY!?!? 😫 IM READY TO BE DESTROYED‼️

[Maddy ✨ ~The Verse Vixen {AFK brb}]

"Another one… THANK YOU!"🫡
Dark academia? Check. Secret societies? Check. Enemies to lovers? Is that even a question? . This is the ultimate girl dinner! 😋 "Mother Runyx is back, and she's about to wreck us all again!💥 Salem is all order and precision, while Caz is a walking hurricane of chaos—this dynamic is going to end me, I just know it.
Salem: “I make the rules.”
Caz: “I break them... on purpose.”💅

The art? Slaying. The vibes? Immaculate. My patience? Gone like yesterday’s TikTok trend📚🔥
Bring on the chaos🥂

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

idk. Meh. I don’t think I vibe with Runyx.

Don’t let my rating discourage you, this is the 4th or 5th book I’ve read from this author and we just don’t mesh.

I thought this one started out better and with a better premise than Gothikana, but it felt pretty insta to me as well. I couldn’t connect with the characters.

The pacing was a little all over the place for me which I think made it hard for me to stay engaged.

If you typically enjoy Runyx, I think you’ll enjoy this one. But then again, who knows after the way her 'fans' bashed her last book.

These last min arcs are kinda killing me lol. Excited to jump into this one though! I’ve gotta start it now…

🖤Dark Academia
🖤Standalone
🖤Rivals to Lovers
🖤Mystery x Suspense
🖤Secrets
🖤Secret Society
🖤Gothic Romance

Expected Pub Date - 04/29/25

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advanced audio copy, all thoughts are my own. 💐

[manas (suffering) · Rating 1 out of 5]

everyone in this book speaks like a founding father.

[cora · Rating 1 out of 5]

the only enigma is how this got published.

[SK]

Dark academia + secret societies + RuNyx's writing? I NEED THIS LIKE I NEED AIR 😩😩

[Fairuz ᥫ᭡. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.65 stars?
and trust me, that’s being generous. the only thing keeping me turning pages was Baron.

"Enigma" by RuNyx had me so hyped going in. The vibes? Immaculate. That dark academia aesthetic, the Hades x Persephone promise, the mystery, the forbidden obsession… like YES??? Inject that into my veins. But what I got? Felt like biting into a gooey-looking brownie only to realize it’s dry as hell on the inside.

Let’s start with the good (because there was some):

The chapter enders? Gorgeous. Every time I reached one, I had to stop and soak it in—highlighting, Googling, and falling down literary rabbit holes. They added this elegant, brainy touch to the story that I loved. And the atmosphere? Absolutely spellbinding. I swear I could feel the chill in the air, hear footsteps echoing in ancient corridors, and see candlelight dancing on the walls. If there's one thing RuNyx never misses, it's the vibe.

And Salem?
She was lowkey fascinating at first. Ice-cold, trauma-shielded, death-obsessed— I was INTO IT. She had that hot girl tragic energy I live for. But then she just… fizzled.
Like, after the halfway point she lost her flavor. She went from mysterious loner to basic heroine real quick. Girl went from "I don’t need anyone" to "Caz plz ruin me" in one sec?? Not buying it.

Caz?
Listen. I usually live for the broken artist archetype. Dark eyes, haunted soul, fingers stained with paint and grief? That should’ve worked. But hot?? Eh. Interesting? Kinda. Swoon-worthy? Not even close. He had angst, sure, but not the kind that makes you spiral or write midnight fanfic. Just… mid.

The romance was such a letdown. There were crumbs of chemistry at the start—banter that had potential, lingering glances that hinted at tension. But then it just… vanished. Once they got together, there was no build, no fire, no angst, no tension —nothing. It felt like insta-lust disguised as deep emotional connection and I HATE that. One minute she’s dead-eyed and numb, next minute she’s thirsting over him like it’s Wattpad. Make it make sense.
Also, the sex scenes? Felt forced. Not RuNyx hot. More like "I guess we’re doing this now???" shrug

Now, the plot. oh boy.
Started off like a thriller. I was intrigued. I was INVESTED.
And then? Chaos. Just pure chaos. It tried juggling secret societies, missing girls, art, trauma, generational wealth, cults, romance, existential dread— like slow down. There’s only so many things I can track at once. By the end, it was just info-dump after info-dump, every big twist crammed into like ten pages, and I was exhausted. That final secret society showdown?? Embarrassing. No buildup. No emotional payoff. Just… okay, guess that’s over now.

I wanted chills. I wanted obsession. I wanted a love story so intense it hurt. Instead I got a Pinterest board with dialogue.

I’m not saying it was awful. The writing? Still solid. The vibe? Top tier. Baron? Give that man a book immediately.
But Enigma didn’t grip me. It didn’t shake me.
And for RuNyx? That’s just disappointing.

Final thoughts?
Atmosphere carried.
Salem had promise.
Baron is the ✨moment.✨
But Caz didn’t deliver, the romance flopped, and the plot fell apart.
Would I read the next book? Maybe. Out of loyalty. But only if Baron’s the star.

2.65/5
And that’s me being nice.

Tropes:
📜 Dark academia
🖤 Obsessive male lead
📜 Secret societies
🖤 Tragic pasts
📜 Emotionally guarded FMC
🖤 Muse x artist
📜 Power imbalance
🖤 Instalust
📜 Dark Secrets
🖤 Trauma Bonding

CW (Content Warnings): Death, Suicide, Trauma, Violence, Mental health struggles, Obsession, Sexual content, Cult behavior

You want obsession, mystery, and passion? Read Gothikana.
Not this.

[veerali · Rating 1 out of 5]

so much spice, yet the characters had no flavor.

[cherie ^_-★ (semi-ia) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star ⭐

so… the third time was in fact NOT the charm. honestly, what even was this?! (400+ pages of absolutely NOTHING, that’s what.) the whole book was unnecessarily dragged out until the last two chapters, and even then, the ending was one of the most underwhelming i’ve ever read.


pre-read
i’ve read two books by runyx so far and neither really worked out for me, but i’m hoping this one will since i’m a sucker for dark academia romances 🤞🏻

br with my bb vee 💋

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WHOLE LOT OF F-CK YEAH.

bow down to RuNyx.

(Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of Enigma)

[Bailee Latham · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I went into this with such low expectations and I’m so pleasantly surprised!!! I loved the gothic vibes, and I really liked the main characters. The mystery to it had me so intrigued! I love a secret society element. I do feel like the reveal was anticlimactic, but I had fun getting to it, so at least there’s that! This was fun!

[Laura Greenhalgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

gothic vibes, academic setting, murder mystery, secret society AND a dark and mysterious MMC who is utterly obsessed with the FMC?? ABSOLUTELY YES PLEASE.

[ashlyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh boy. This was rough. There’s some fun going in, but once you’re inside… it’s just a whole lot of nothing. It’s like being promised a rollercoaster and ending up on one of those sad mall trains that goes two miles an hour.

The unnecessary in-depth details were a full-on sensory attack. And the mmc? Why does he sound like a predator lurking in plain sight? I was less worried about romance and more worried about filing a missing person report.

This is my second book from this author and at this point I think it’s time for us to see other people. Every time my friends asked how it was going I just stared into the void and whispered “Bored.” The last few chapters finally picked up but by then I was emotionally checked out and halfway planning my escape.

My first thought after finishing was “I’M FREEEEE.” Picture me running through a field, arms wide, screaming with joy. This book may have taken hours of my life, but at least now I can frolic in peace.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc 💗


Pre read - AAAA I GOT THE ARC!!!

[Alya · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She had started it all for her dead sister. He had started it all for his missing brother"

Thoughts
It's official RuNyx has redeemed herself after book 6 in The Dark Verse series with this emotional yet dark and seductive story! The emotional depth this read carried took me by surprise and I ATE IT UP I was so invested in their story as individuals and together that I found myself getting all giddy even during their smuty scenes, I was rooting for them from the first "meet scene" if I'm honest and yes Caz entering the storyline reminded me of Edward Cullen in a good way like I'm not even mad at it because Caz has my heart 😭 Salem is another one of my all time favourite FMC's RuNyx has written to date, I saw bits and pieces of her in myself, questioning her self worth and her value in other people's life... ( I hate being vulnerable but yeah it's me lol )

MMC: Cazimir "Caz" exudes an icy confidence that both intimidates and intrigues, hiding scars and secrets behind sharp words and unreadable expressions. As his connection with Salem intensifies, cracks begin to form in his stoic facade, revealing a man who’s been surviving in the shadows far too long. HIS BACK STORY WILL HURT😭❤️

FMC: Salem is fiercely determined and emotionally guarded, driven by the unresolved disappearance of her sister. She carries the weight of grief and suspicion like armor Beneath her resilience is a quiet vulnerability, and as the mystery deepens, Salem finds herself not just questioning the world around her, but her own instincts. I found myself rooting for her from start to end❤️‍🩹🥹

Tropes
▪︎ Dark academia
▪︎ Secret societies
▪︎ Rivals to lovers
▪︎ Painter MMC
▪︎ Morbid criminology obsessed FMC

Plot Summary
When Salem Salazar joins Mortimer University, it’s not just for the education—she’s hunting for answers about her sister’s disappearance. Her search leads her into the path of Cazimir van der Waal, a mysterious student with secrets of his own. As they dig into the university’s dark underbelly, secrets, danger, and undeniable chemistry collide.

Final Thoughts
I was hesitant going into this due to reviews lol so just a gentle reminder that books are subjective what might be someone's least favourite might end up being your all time favourite!🫶🏻 with that being said: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS READ

[Iqra]

If RuNyx writes it I’m reading it 🗣️🗣️

Also dark academia rivals to lovers?! Oh this book is gna eatttt

[brittany:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release Day!!✨
4/29/25🗓️

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. 🖤

[kimberly ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡. (semi-ia) · Rating 2 out of 5]

❝ she had looked like a goddess, a mystical creature hovering over the dead, come to life from the sea behind her. and in that one instant, she had become his muse. ❞

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ enigma is a novel that tries so hard to be cryptic and clever that it falls so flat that i flipped to the very end, hoping that i would disappear just like the victims in this book, too.


₊˚꒰ 🕰 ꒱ ⊹ i. plot. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ so, remember the secret history by donna tartt? this book clearly does. it tosses us into a mysterious elite college that practically acts like a cult with missing sisters, suspicious professors, and murder. except, nothing ever happens!

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ salem salazar arrives at mortimer university, all bright-eyed and trauma-trained, to investigate why her sister kicked the bucket. at mortimer, rich kids are being elitist, there are secret societies that potentially murder people, and students who literally throw themselves off a cliff. enter cazimir van der waal, a tall, broody, mysterious dreamboat with the emotional intelligence and bland personality of a traffic cone. he appears from the shadows every now and then to say something creepy, and then vanishes.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ oh, i'm sorry, did you want a thrilling plot about missing siblings, secret rituals, and conspiracies? well, that's unfortunate. i wanted that too. also, this book had absolutely no right creeping past 400 pages when the entire "grand mystery" was solved in roughly two paragraphs like an afterthought.


₊˚꒰ 📜 ꒱ ⊹ ii. writing. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ we get these long descriptions and sentences that seem to drag on for an eternity, which literally made me forget where i was, who i was, and why i started reading this in the first place. look, runyx can clearly write a sentence. she can write a very pretty sentence, too. but these pretty sentences reads like it's that one friend who never stops talking.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ then, you have full fledged adults talking like, "he's such a hunky chonk of a man! like who's this brooding beefcake?" that literally had me crashing out because this book is supposed to be spooky and gothic with all these creepy dark academia vibes, and then there's this monstrosity.


₊˚꒰ 🕯 ꒱ ⊹ iii. romance and characters. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ salem and caz bond seemly over, well, nothing. every shared moment feels to me like a hostage situation. as much as she swears she's not a serial killer in the making, she has a murder kink. nothing says "happily ever after" like a guy who can literally carve you up with a knife if you piss him off. like, bro is turned on by panic attacks. you should be running away, salem, especially when you're getting pinned up against the wall during said panic attack.


₊˚꒰ 🤎 ꒱ ⊹ iv. conclusion. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ listen, i'll give the book this. the aesthetic and vibes are immaculate, but i was promised a mystery and not 400 pages of nothing.

y'all, this book made me so angry, i wrote this review in 15 minutes. i'm probably going to come back to this and edit it a bit. i'm incredibly hateful when i feel like i've wasted my time.

— 1.5 stars. ⋆˚☆˖°.ᐟ


.° ༘🎧⋆ favourite quotes 🖇₊˚ෆ
“because i was a man on the path to damnation and i saw salvation instead. because being near you makes me feel something beyond rage. because the chaos inside me quietens when i’m near you. you’ve become my muse, little asp.”

“i never dreamed i’d find love, much less contemplate the idea of marriage to anyone. i know it’s my own issues, but now that i have you, that i have us, i want to be better. i want to go into it with you knowing you’re getting the best me i could be.”

“you give me a modicum of peace in a world of chaos.”

“love, deep, true love, was immortal.”

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ (exams i.a.) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 stars!!🖤

02:17 ━━━━●───── 04:34
ㅤ ㅤ ⇄ ◀ 𓊕 ▶ ↻
Now playing- The Awakening- Peter Gundry

𝕰𝖉𝖌𝖆𝖗 𝕬𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖓 𝕻𝖔𝖊 𝖝 𝕯𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖆 𝕿𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖙

Set in the gothic halls of Mortimer University, the opening scene was just-✨✨✨!!!
The book opens with a disappearance and spirals into a tale of obsession, death and unholy attraction.

Salem Salazar, the autopsy-obsessed black sheep of a scandalous family, arrives not to study—but to exhume the truth behind her sister’s vanishing. Neurodivergent-coded, emotionally fractured and gloriously unsalvageable. She’s not here to be fixed—she’s here to dismantle everything!!

Caz van der Waal, a tattooed teaching assistant with a sketchbook full of secrets and a gaze that could burn through steel. Chaos incarnate. He haunts!!

Their first meeting over a corpse on a moonlit beach was-
🔥🔥🔥💀💀💀

“My purpose here forbids me from even being around you, much less anything else.”
“Then why are you here?” she murmured, her heart beginning to pound as she waited for his answer.
He considered her, his eyes roving over her face. “Because I was a man on the path to damnation and I saw salvation instead. Because being near you makes me feel something beyond rage. Because the chaos inside me quietens when I’m near you.” His words were shaking by the end of his sentence, his hands holding her possessively. “You’ve become my muse, little asp.”

All were fine, but what was the nickname given to her again? Little asp???? proceeds to give a side eye

☕︎Obsession masquerading as love
☕︎Beauty in decay
☕︎Power dynamics that toe the line between thrilling and terrifying
☕︎Secret societies and rituals that make Ivy League look like preschool

I liked the plot and the mystery a lot!!!
Plus... poor Caz was so much like Landon!

[ଘRory]

I am ready 🤺🤺🤺🤺🤺
______________________________________
*🤸🤸🤸I found a buddy read
𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘆𝗮 we should wait till April🧘to dive into it angel 💘

*I think it is my most anticipated book in 2025 📢📢📢

[Tricia Levenseller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot get enough of this author’s voice. Absolutely devoured both of these gothic boarding school romances.

[*•MJ•* · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite read this year 👏🔥

•Salem had always thought nothing could beat death, that nothing could be immortal. She’d been wrong. Love, deep, true love, was immortal•

Caz & Salem were…. 🥵🥵👏👏

*Memento Vivere — Remember to Live* ❤️🖤

[Hoda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing i loved about this book was the dark academia vibes. And the mystery. But the romance was so insta-lusty and so sudden i didn’t feel anything for them tbh. And caz was yess hot but also bland idk!! I just didn’t care about them tbh. But the dark academia vibes ate to be honest its what made me continue 🧍‍♀️

An i satisfied with the rating? No. But it will have to do for now🧍‍♀️✋🏻

[Laura Jane ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✮⋆˙You give me a modicum of peace in a world of chaos✮⋆˙

Mother Ru has done it again! Gosh, I adore her writing style so much and this didn't let me down! Dark academic romance is one of my favourite genres and this eerie and gothic atmosphere was perfect for it, paired with her beautifully descriptive story telling, I felt like I was right at Mortimer. 

The plot was on point! Expect an dark and misty academic setting with lot of mystery, secret societies, steamy romance, rivals to lovers with lots of tension, a possessive MMC (🤭), strong female friendships & lots of second guessing yourself!

Firstly, Salem, I adored as an FMC. She is different but fascinating. She isn't in your face but her presence is so loud throughout this story, the way she holds herself and doesn't shy away from being herself. Understanding her struggles growing up, through not being accepted due to her own fascinations that are out of the ordinary in a well to do society, mixed in with her grief and feeling of having no one stay for her. Then seeing her being loved unapologetically by multiple people, she deserves it all. 

Caz, obviously I am obsessed with him. The enigma. The voice of rumbling seas and raspy smoke. He takes possessive and runs with it and I love me a fictional man who is so disgustingly possessive he looses his mind when another man so much as looks at his girl. Not to mention he is down so bad for her. Touch her and die will literally never get old. Of course we want him threatening people over her, of course! 

"I want to be the only villain you see. I want to be the only devil who drags you to hell."

The romance, I was sat and seated for Salem and Caz. The way the complimented each other so well, not to mention the tension and the angst was, chefs kiss. They aren't my favourite Ru couple but she still knows how to write romance beautifully, every time she draws me into the most epic love stories. 

'Maybe they were both the poison. Maybe they were both the antidote. Maybe what they thought would infect them was going to cure them after all'.

As much as I loved this book, I will say it was on track to be a 5 star read, however; I felt the ending and finding out the truths was wrapped up so quickly! After such a enthralling story, I just wish we had spent a bit more with the Salem and Caz in the aftermath, rather than jumping straight to the epilogues. Therefore I felt my rating drop towards the end.
I would be down bad for a Baron book!! 

Favourite Quotes:
"She might not know anything else about him, but she knew that he hasn't left her alone when he had all the reasons to, and that was enough for now."

"Because I was a man on the path to damnation and I saw salvation instead. Because being near you make me feel something beyond rage. Because the chaos inside me quietens when I'm near you" 

"Because life with you feels greater than death"

"Salem always thought nothing could beat death, that nothing could be immortal. She'd been wrong. Love, deep, true love, was immortal"

[vanessa ⋆.☕︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars.
So I was giving this book a 4 stars cause it is good but after thinking a lot, I was just like meh…yeah it was mid.

I went into this book with such high hopes because the setup was so good creepy atmosphere, twists that actually had me second-guessing myself, and that delicious sense of “something big is about to happen.” For a while, it really felt like it was building toward something epic. But then… it just didn’t deliver. The pacing dragged, and when things finally did start to happen, it was messy instead of thrilling. The plot threads felt scattered, like the author threw too many ideas at the wall and didn’t tie them together. And that ending? Brutal in the worst way. Rushed, anticlimactic, and lacking any real payoff. What could have been a jaw-dropping finale ended up leaving me frustrated and unsatisfied.

➛ Salem:
Salem had me in the palm of her hand at the start. Cold, mysterious, trauma-wrapped, death 'obsessed' she was giving me everything I wanted in a heroine. I loved how unapologetically sharp she was, like she didn’t need to be palatable for anyone. But somewhere around the halfway mark… it was like a switch flipped. The moment she got with the MMC, all that sharpness dulled. She slipped into this generic, watered-down role, and it hurt because the version of her I met at the beginning felt so powerful and unique.

➛ Caz:
And then there’s Caz. Dark, tortured, broody artist with that obsessive streak—on paper, he should’ve destroyed me. That’s literally my kryptonite. But instead of slow-burn obsession that simmers, his fixation on Salem just hit out of nowhere and way too hard. His potential was right there, but without more depth and history to his character, it felt surface-level.

As for the romance… oof. Those first crumbs of chemistry? GOLD. The banter, the subtle glances, the quiet tension, it had me ready for a feast. But instead, the tension evaporated the second they got together. No build-up, no angst, no fire, just insta-lust disguised as some kind of deep connection. Honestly, it left me questioning if Salem even knew Caz at all. What could’ve been electric fizzled into something flat and forgettable.




“Every hallway whispers, every locked door hides a sin, and every kiss feels like a warning.”
⋆.˚☁️⋆ Honestly, I’ve had my eye on this book for what feels like forever, but for some reason I just never picked it up. Now that I’m finally here, I’m kind of hyping myself up while also side-eyeing all those one and two star ratings everyone keeps giving it. Like…I want to be excited, and I am, but not as much as I thought I’d be. It’s giving cautious optimism vibes that I’m ready to dive in.
But I’m bracing myself just in case it doesn’t live up to the dark, twisty potential I’ve been imagining.

The Vibes?
dark secrets with twisted romance.

[Deepak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is just two boring ass lullaby people having amazing unhinged sex. Darkly and ravenously sexy in smut , childish in story. I rest my case 🤦🏻‍♂️.

[Soft Nectarine ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

STEAMY dark academia with all the dark gothic vibes! 🖤🏰 incredibly intense & full of obsessive passion!

detailed RTC

[˚₊꒰ა Jii ໒꒱₊˚ (catching up) · Rating 1 out of 5]

˙₊➴ ꒰ 1-star★ ꒱ ꒷⊹࣪˖

❝ But weren’t they all rotting, at different speeds and to different degrees? ❞

Fascinated by death, Salem has always been drawn to the dark things others avoid. But when death begins to follow her, leaving behind more than just questions, her obsession turns into something far more dangerous.

Now that she's a student at Mortimer University, an elite school shrouded in legacy, secrets, and shadows. Salem is pulled into a mystery buried deep in its past. Yet as she searches for answers, she must decide: will uncovering the truth save her, or lead her to her own grave?

⊹ ࣪ ˖ੈ Characters

⟡ Salem Salazar - she is peculiar and fascinated with death. Most would call her weird, icy, and stoic, yet she has more to her than what she lets out. She is intelligent, overly curious, and will always see to it that whatever crosses her mind finds its answers (but it would take the whole book before she does, cause she needs to satisfy her curiosity about Caz before all the mystery surrounding Mortimer). Salem has gorgeous curls and curves that will be stated many times in the story.

❝ Death was a curious thing. Planned or unplanned, mitigated or unmitigated, cruel or comfortable, it was the only universal truth that everyone lied about. ❞

❝ Forensics never lie, professor. No matter how deeply buried, it always carries the truth. One just has to unveil it. That’s my job. I will uncover the truth. ❞

⟡ Caz van der Waal - he is the overly mysterious and broody double-door refrigerator built man, who is an art genius at Mortimer. He is the thorn in Salem’s side and also the thrill down her spine. He smells like paint and petrichor, possessive and aggressive, and has swirly tattoos, which will be mentioned numerous times in the book as well, cause this will be the only description that will shape his personality (I'm still looking for it).

❝ Try it. Try walking off a cliff, I will block you. Try making yourself bait, I will catch you. And try being with another man, I will use his blood and make you the canvas. ❞

❝ Because I was a man on the path to damnation and I saw salvation instead. Because being near you makes me feel something beyond rage. Because the chaos inside me quietens when I’m near you. You’ve become my muse, little asp. ❞

⊹ ࣪ ˖ੈ Thoughts

❝ Salem had always thought nothing could beat death, that nothing could be immortal. She’d been wrong. Love, deep, true love, was immortal. ❞

I fear this will be a hate review with the emotions Cora and I had reading this. If you loved Enigma, this probably isn’t the review for you. So, please consider clicking away. Thank you!

I love a good atmospheric book. It's often the deciding factor in how much I enjoy a story. In the beginning, Enigma’s writing and world-building hooked me in, but to make a book all mysterious and shadowy to the point that it fogs the whole plot of the story just made me question if the mystery was even relevant to begin with. The mystery didn’t deepen; it just blurred into obscurity. Because what do you mean we were already 70-80% in the book, yet the overall mystery felt like a pimple inside your nostril (it’s there and it's bothering you, you can feel it but can’t see it, and you just want to pop it and move on). And that reveal? wth was that? It felt like a random weekend night that ended just cause an uninvited guest entered the venue.

Now onto the characters, who unfortunately had all the depth of a shadow, no chemistry, and had the most random lore/back stories. Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely liked Salem and was fascinated with her in the beginning, but it slowly took a turn when she prioritized her curiosity with Caz more than finding out the haunting that Mortimer has (mind you, she was obsessed with solving the school's mystery for half of her life, then magically, she sees Caz, and now he has become the only thing orbiting around her brain. I was intrigued by the obsession and possessiveness connection they had, and I wanted a deeper exploration of it. Unfortunately, it just gave us more spice scenes and a reveal that made you think they had a deeper history.

❝ Death still was inevitable, but life was more beautiful somehow because of it. ❞

Honestly, this could go on longer, but I'm just going to cut it short. All I can say is that this would have been a 0-star if not for the gothic and eerie build-up of Mortimer. Other than that, it was disappointing to read. I had high hopes, especially as a fan of the Dark Verse series. I was sure this would be the one because it had everything that I wanted (gothic vibes, dark academia, mystery, and romance). But lo and behold, it did not. Nonetheless, thank you for the atmospheric writing, good start, and gothic vibes. 1-star for that.

彡 💌 Huge thanks to Cora for holding my hand as we trudged through the shadow of this book. Even though we knew deep down we were likely heading toward disappointment, we kept reading, hoping it might surprise us. It didn’t. Not even a little. But hey, at least we had each other. The real plot twist and reveal was that we survived this! Peep her review here🖤


The stars in the eerie dusk sky have finally aligned! buddy-reading with my dark rom loving babe, Cora!🥀🩶

[Kaila.Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ughhhhhhh.

Tortured-soul stalker x bookworm loner obsessed with dead things. It had the recipe to be phenomenal… dark academia? check. mystery? check.

But here’s the problem: the relationship had zero chemistry, angst, or tension. I kept waiting for sparks, yearning, something. But instead we got a little creep from an SVU episode lurking in the bushes popping out every now and then to say something cryptic.

Mystery was ok but ending was lacklustre.

This one is going in the MAYBE pile.

[Grace Btrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a RuNyx book, so the review won’t be short by any means, even if I can just go ahead and tell you:
“A Caz art masterpiece wrapped in Salem’s skymind, written in soul, poetry, and an abyss of echoes and feelings. All threaded with mystery, chemistry, and meaning.” – Grace, an undone reader
But I can’t just tell you that now, can I?
So here are my thoughts:

⭐Rating
My heart says 5 stars. My gut says 4.5. It feels unfair to go lower when so much care, grief, and art were poured into this story.
Yes, I had questions. Yes, I needed more closure.
But yes, I felt this story in my bones.
Sometimes we have to find closure in the unknown, and that’s something RuNyx taught us with Morana and in Gothikana, specifically.
So I’ll meet myself halfway and say:
RuNyx gave us a book that speaks to grief, chemistry, chaos, and the quiet act of choosing to live.
It’s not perfect. But it’s sacred.

🖤 Voice of Smoke and Sea
No one writes voices like RuNyx. She should seriously get an award just for that.
I could hear Caz before he even spoke, and it did something to my insides.
The audiobook as a whole was a perfect vessel for Enigma.
Jaclyn Kelso, the narrator, was incredible. She embodied Salem so well, her male voice was chef’s kiss, and while I do wish we had a duet narration, her performance helped me savour this world and transported me there.
Aiden Snow did not miss either; he delivered on the voice of smoke and sea, and goodness, it was like a balm for my soul.

🧬 The alchemy of RuNyx’s love stories
The romance in Enigma isn't just chemistry—it’s alchemy.
RuNyx lovers aren’t just written to fall for each other. They’re already connected. By something deeper. Threaded together by a kind of chemistry that feels fated, electric, ancient. The silent communication, the mirrored wavelengths, the magnetic pull that exists before a word is spoken.
And yes, for some readers, it might feel like insta-love, but for those who really look, it’s two souls whose lives have been quietly moving toward one another, until they collide and recognise each other at the precise moment they’re most needed.
This isn’t sudden—it’s inevitable, just like death. And it becomes immortal and immortalised.
The way Caz and Salem orbit each other? The kind of love Ru writes about teaches us that love can be silent, wordless, and still louder than anything else. Runyx’s characters don’t need to say “I love you” for you to feel it.
It teaches something powerful: that love can be known without words, understood in a glance, and felt in the marrow.
It invites us—old and new generations alike—to unlearn narrow definitions of love and open ourselves to something deeper, truer, wilder.

⚰️ Life, Death, and the Art of Breathing
RuNyx writes contrasts like no other. The way death and life interweave from morbid curiosity and an inevitability, to the act of coming alive and living life despite that is to be studied.
Death in Enigma makes me feel like I want to live life where I can meet mine with a smile, whether it will be a star in the sky or a simple biological equation.
The story doesn’t shy away from grief, loss, or the painful silence between family members. Knowing that RuNyx wrote this while grieving her own mother makes this narrative even more powerful. It’s catharsis on paper. And I genuinely feel privileged to be able to read this and for her to share it with us.
We saw Salem’s forensic brain at the start, sharp and curious. While it did fade into the emotional arc later on, I loved that shift—it marked her growth. Loneliness, which was once a loud ache, became an old friend, and Salem made new and “present” ones.

🖋️ Writing and Storytelling
Here’s the deal—I usually take RuNyx books for what they intend to be, and Enigma is, at its core, a story about loneliness and understanding death. For that? It’s a 5-star book.
However, there are questions left open. I was okay with not knowing everything, but I needed a few more crumbs about some main plot threads. 🌀
But,
RuNyx doesn’t spoon-feed her readers. She writes like someone who knows every detail in the back of her mind (because, duh, she does) but chooses to give us only what the MC know or how they process the world and things around them. I love this. Her writing shifts based on whose POV we’re in, proof of her brilliance.
💫And, every time she drops a Ru-verse mention, my heart grows a little and does a happy dance. I felt like we were being gifted little Easter eggs. 💫

🔎What I need more of:
I mean, if RuNyx blesses us with all of this? Yes, please.
• More Caz. RuNyx men are so complex and deep, and her love of psychology shines in them, and I need everything.
• A longer fallout arc – the behind-the-scenes and the aftermath (the answers to some of my questions)
• More Caz-Baron interactions



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Pre-read:
It's here and it's the only reason I am rushing to meet my work deadline.
Kdn, it's work, but Ru is motivation!

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Ugh THIS couple!
From RuNyx's newsletter:
Where she is ice, he is fire; she's organization, he's chaos; she is precision, he is passion.
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Salem = Peace / Cazimir = Destroyer of peace / Mortimer = To die
I love RuNyx's brain and her symbolism.
April 2025 can't come any sooner!