October Night is determined to get her life back on track as she recovers from a severe bout of depression that saw her dealing with a spiteful, antagonistic voice in her head, all the while losing the connections with her loved ones. Lucas Wendig has a mission, though some might say an obsession. His life’s goal is to hunt down otherworldly artifacts and creatures to contain the danger they pose to humanity. Both of their lives are about to collide when October encounters an ancient, malignant entity in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The same monster Lucas knows he must stop, for not only does this creature enjoy tormenting people and spreading misery, it also delights in stealing its victim’s skin.
S. Alessandro Martinez is a Bram Stoker Award® -nominated author of Mexican and Spanish descent who writes horror and fantasy from middle grade to adult. He lives in a haunted manor and loves playing video/board games, practicing necromancy, watching bat videos, collecting skulls, visiting cemeteries, and generally lurking in the dark. His work includes several books, as well as short stories and poetry which have appeared in magazines, anthologies, and websites. You’re always welcome to contact Alessandro here or by email at salessandromartinez@gmail.com with any comments, questions, esoteric rituals to bring forth ancient evil from times untold, or whatever you’d like.
First of all, S. Alessandra Martinez is an amazing person. His books are so creative and well written. Enigmata is one of my favorite books. It brings to life a lot of my greatest fears in the most intense and satisfying way. Nathan, the bearded dragon, is also my favorite mascot out of all books. I was even gifted a mini figurine of him that I keep on my desk! This is a must read for horror lovers.
First book in a long time to make me go ohhh now that's creepy. Also, it's the first book I have read that has a bearded dragon as a side character was really neat. Very well written, descriptive, engaging, quick story line. Each point of view is clear and separate with chapter headings to tell you who is the POV for the chapter. There is a little bit of mixed media, that is used to enhance the story and helps to fill in some gaps or to further the story. There are no side track romance just realistic reactions to events happing at any given time, without going over the top or blowing things out of proportion. The horror aspects are good and are not done for shock value but fit the story and work very well. The level of gore is not high; the horror aspects are more of a creepy unknown aspect. However, there is a lot of death. There are a range of ages within the story however majority are middle-aged adults. so that was nice. The portrayal of age ranges, gender, race, ethnicity is really well done, with time take to give speech patterns, ascents, and even really good broken English along with some funny as Romanian insults and such that are not derogative but are used in content of someone whom speaks English as a second language defaulting to their native language due to trying to remember the English words or being scared or hurt, so very well done. The story line works well with an ending that is satisfying. The small foreshadowing made a few things semi predictable but more in an ohhhh now it comes into play, not a oh well I don't have to read any more type of foreshadowing. I really enjoyed the story overall, ended up binge reading the full book in one evening. I will be looking into more that this author has written as I really like there writing style.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was amazing from beginning to end! I can’t wait to see what the next book brings!!! I’m a sucker for folklore horror and this one brings that and so much more…. For fear of spoiling anything I won’t give away too much information other than this is a horror about what I can only describe as skinwalker type monsters! I loved it and the writing was amazing! Calling all my horror loving friends to check this hidden gem out immediately! Also I’d love to see this one made into a movie at some point!
While this is not my typical genre to read, the book has a solid and interesting premise.
The pacing is a bit off, and I feel the author worked to start too many storylines for future novels, and thus jumped around plot-wise a bit too much. Despite appearing horror-ish, I didnt find it as frightening as I anticipated.
Note: I received this as a goodreads giveaway. Thanks!
Enigmata: The Watcher from Within is an atmospheric supernatural horror story that brings together two very different characters whose lives become connected by a terrifying otherworldly threat. October Night is trying to rebuild her life after a difficult period, while Lucas Wendig has dedicated himself to hunting dangerous artifacts and creatures.
What stood out to me was the contrast between October's personal struggle and Lucas's relentless mission. Their stories come together when October encounters a disturbing entity in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, creating a strong sense of danger and mystery. The creature itself adds an unsettling element that makes the story feel genuinely eerie.
Overall, Enigmata is a compelling choice for readers who enjoy supernatural horror, dark mysteries, strange creatures, and atmospheric storytelling. The combination of personal conflict and otherworldly danger gives the novel an intriguing premise and plenty of suspense.
I had so much fun reading this! It has such likeable characters and I love the extensive lore & world building if this story. It's fast paced, includes an awesome mystery, and the horror/creep factor throughout is top tier! I look more to reading more from this author!
Fantastic story that drew me right in. The main characters are relatable, the pacing keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the intrigue is more than enough to keep you guessing. I'm certainly looking forward to the next one!