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Codex Unfertho: An Ergodic Dark Academia Horror Novel
A maze of language, an ancient mystery, a literary challenge: an elusive codex on the edge of being decoded, now pushed into the public eye.
Trapped in a haunted library in the middle of a hallucinatory desert deep in the decaying west, two rival scholars collaborated to decipher an ancient esoteric text rumored to have descended from fallen angels.
In pursuit of forbidden knowledge and inhabited by an obsession older than time, reclusive philologist Solivan Campbell Lucero and notorious occultist Grigori Asir dove into this cryptolect in search of answers and vanished. All that is left of them are their notes. A labyrinth of signs, scraps, footnotes, ciphers, and redactions.
Locked away amongst the pages is a primordial secret, lost incarnations of a past life. A thread of evolving language and anti language protecting the story of a truthseeker lost beneath. This is a persecuted knowledge that can only exist in shadows, in the refuge of the mind.
This time, you must traverse the labyrinth to understand the monster.
Are you willing to destroy this book to solve the mystery?
An experimental-ergodic challenge in the form of an occult linguist's dark academia psychological horror novel. Linguistics, esotericism, and angels. Ciphers, art layouts, (optional) page cutting. Academic rivals to lovers, mm t4t.
For the curious minds who willingly braved works like House of Leaves, Pale Fire, Cain's Jawbone, and Katabasis.
Trapped in a haunted library in the middle of a hallucinatory desert deep in the decaying west, two rival scholars collaborated to decipher an ancient esoteric text rumored to have descended from fallen angels.
In pursuit of forbidden knowledge and inhabited by an obsession older than time, reclusive philologist Solivan Campbell Lucero and notorious occultist Grigori Asir dove into this cryptolect in search of answers and vanished. All that is left of them are their notes. A labyrinth of signs, scraps, footnotes, ciphers, and redactions.
Locked away amongst the pages is a primordial secret, lost incarnations of a past life. A thread of evolving language and anti language protecting the story of a truthseeker lost beneath. This is a persecuted knowledge that can only exist in shadows, in the refuge of the mind.
This time, you must traverse the labyrinth to understand the monster.
Are you willing to destroy this book to solve the mystery?
An experimental-ergodic challenge in the form of an occult linguist's dark academia psychological horror novel. Linguistics, esotericism, and angels. Ciphers, art layouts, (optional) page cutting. Academic rivals to lovers, mm t4t.
For the curious minds who willingly braved works like House of Leaves, Pale Fire, Cain's Jawbone, and Katabasis.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2026
About the author
Kienn Nguyen
5 books37 followerskienn nguyen | vietnamese american author from the southwest | indie horror and experimental ergodic fiction | fruit tea forty...
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July 5, 2026THULE INSTITUTE CONTENT ADVISORY
July 6, 2026
Disclaimer: I received an ebook-copy from the author.
Set in a remote research facility hidden in the desert, two scholars, one specializing in linguistics, the other in occultism, are tasked with figuring out the secrets of an ancient text from the Second Century CE. A lack of funding, a strange haunting, isolation, hunger, desire, paranoia, delusions and possession soon send them spiraling and as they unravel the mysteries of the text, so do the characters.
Sol is a fascinating main character, obsessive and paranoid, desperate to prove himself and deeply possessive of his work. I really enjoyed getting to see him work with the text, especially once the more disturbing hallucinations and sleepwalking forced him to cling to linguistic analysis in an attempt to hold onto some sense of structure. While I found myself wishing for his character to have been established on firmer ground initially, wanting a safe space from which I would be able to watch his unraveling, it was ultimately deeply enjoyable to instead only be presented with a very minimally established character and to still be treated to a narrative of destruction without an ideal of former wholeness to refer back to. Asir is a bit less well defined, remaining mysterious for the most part, equally intriguing and unsettling.
Sol’s relationship to Asir is described as rivals to lovers and their relationship is certainly a troubled and competitive one. Shaped by jealousy, distrust, desire and occult ritual, they attract and repel each other in similar measures. Trust is often shattered and painstakingly rebuilt as Asir seems to know much more than he lets on, and it was incredibly interesting to follow their stories as their truths were revealed. The romantic/erotic relationship between Asir and Sol was a fun one, but not really the biggest part of this story. I really enjoyed that, but if you’re looking for romance to drive the story forward, you probably won’t find that here.
In terms of layout and narration, this is an incredibly interesting story. The main text is often interrupted by untranslated text (which can be translated with the translation table at the back), text that is (literally) interrupted or spiraling, art, blacked out spaces, notes in the margins, letters fading out, parsing trees, vowel charts and puzzles. Additional mythology and facts about magic are narrated in footnotes or through academic texts that function as interludes.
I don’t have the physical version of the book, which I think would really invite readers to scribble their own translations into the margins and fill in the crossword, as well as solve the puzzles that ask you to cut and fold parts, but I also really enjoyed the PDF version, since it allowed me to copy the blacked out text one I was finished with my initial read through and find out about the hidden mysteries.
If you like stories that play with language, (un)reality, perception and style and that ask you, the reader, to try and puzzle it out alongside the characters, you will enjoy this ergodic piece of literature. I really enjoyed my time with this novel and if you want to enjoy this linguistic mystery, you should check this out!
TW: alcohol, arson, cannibalism, death, decay, disordered eating, hallucinations, injury, memory loss, phagia, ritual self-harm, ritual animal sacrifice, starvation, unsanitary, violence, vomit
Set in a remote research facility hidden in the desert, two scholars, one specializing in linguistics, the other in occultism, are tasked with figuring out the secrets of an ancient text from the Second Century CE. A lack of funding, a strange haunting, isolation, hunger, desire, paranoia, delusions and possession soon send them spiraling and as they unravel the mysteries of the text, so do the characters.
Sol is a fascinating main character, obsessive and paranoid, desperate to prove himself and deeply possessive of his work. I really enjoyed getting to see him work with the text, especially once the more disturbing hallucinations and sleepwalking forced him to cling to linguistic analysis in an attempt to hold onto some sense of structure. While I found myself wishing for his character to have been established on firmer ground initially, wanting a safe space from which I would be able to watch his unraveling, it was ultimately deeply enjoyable to instead only be presented with a very minimally established character and to still be treated to a narrative of destruction without an ideal of former wholeness to refer back to. Asir is a bit less well defined, remaining mysterious for the most part, equally intriguing and unsettling.
Sol’s relationship to Asir is described as rivals to lovers and their relationship is certainly a troubled and competitive one. Shaped by jealousy, distrust, desire and occult ritual, they attract and repel each other in similar measures. Trust is often shattered and painstakingly rebuilt as Asir seems to know much more than he lets on, and it was incredibly interesting to follow their stories as their truths were revealed. The romantic/erotic relationship between Asir and Sol was a fun one, but not really the biggest part of this story. I really enjoyed that, but if you’re looking for romance to drive the story forward, you probably won’t find that here.
In terms of layout and narration, this is an incredibly interesting story. The main text is often interrupted by untranslated text (which can be translated with the translation table at the back), text that is (literally) interrupted or spiraling, art, blacked out spaces, notes in the margins, letters fading out, parsing trees, vowel charts and puzzles. Additional mythology and facts about magic are narrated in footnotes or through academic texts that function as interludes.
I don’t have the physical version of the book, which I think would really invite readers to scribble their own translations into the margins and fill in the crossword, as well as solve the puzzles that ask you to cut and fold parts, but I also really enjoyed the PDF version, since it allowed me to copy the blacked out text one I was finished with my initial read through and find out about the hidden mysteries.
If you like stories that play with language, (un)reality, perception and style and that ask you, the reader, to try and puzzle it out alongside the characters, you will enjoy this ergodic piece of literature. I really enjoyed my time with this novel and if you want to enjoy this linguistic mystery, you should check this out!
TW: alcohol, arson, cannibalism, death, decay, disordered eating, hallucinations, injury, memory loss, phagia, ritual self-harm, ritual animal sacrifice, starvation, unsanitary, violence, vomit
August 28, 2026
I should have known when there were a few too many uncritical 5-star reviews that this one wasn't going to hit.
I got halfway through the book before I had to call it quits. It's a light popcorn read that tries very hard to sound intelligent by using prose so purple you cannot see the plot, and that gave me nothing to decipher until the back end and largely felt like it was wasting my time.
The book fails to deliver on any of its promises. These rivals have no rivalry, these academics do borderline nothing related to academia, there is no gradual slip into obsession or madness as the main character is already erotically charged and certifiably bonkers by page 3, the ergodic elements nothing more than making you turn the page over and over to read in a spiral, the character who doesn't believe in magic is drinking his "rival's" blood by page 30, and the T4T elements are so thin they come off more as a marketing gimmick than a part of the narrative.
If you just skim the egregore instructions and angel mythology on the bottom of the pages, you'll solve the mystery before it even begins. Don't bother trying to do any linguistics work yourself, just flip the page and everything will be decoded for you! The plot hits a strange awful middle ground of having no pacing whatsoever. We rocket into the middle-to-end of every plot and character arc while also Nothing Happens for 100+ pages.
The long and short of it is that it's a tiktok book with tumblr prose and it relies on its readers being the type of people who prefer LOOKING like they study instead of actually studying to work.
I got halfway through the book before I had to call it quits. It's a light popcorn read that tries very hard to sound intelligent by using prose so purple you cannot see the plot, and that gave me nothing to decipher until the back end and largely felt like it was wasting my time.
The book fails to deliver on any of its promises. These rivals have no rivalry, these academics do borderline nothing related to academia, there is no gradual slip into obsession or madness as the main character is already erotically charged and certifiably bonkers by page 3, the ergodic elements nothing more than making you turn the page over and over to read in a spiral, the character who doesn't believe in magic is drinking his "rival's" blood by page 30, and the T4T elements are so thin they come off more as a marketing gimmick than a part of the narrative.
If you just skim the egregore instructions and angel mythology on the bottom of the pages, you'll solve the mystery before it even begins. Don't bother trying to do any linguistics work yourself, just flip the page and everything will be decoded for you! The plot hits a strange awful middle ground of having no pacing whatsoever. We rocket into the middle-to-end of every plot and character arc while also Nothing Happens for 100+ pages.
The long and short of it is that it's a tiktok book with tumblr prose and it relies on its readers being the type of people who prefer LOOKING like they study instead of actually studying to work.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I am officially obsessed with this book! One of the best books I've read.
It's a Dark Academia Rivals to Lovers t4t story, where two academic rivals are working together to translate a mysterious documment, isolated in an old library building. However, Sol, the protagonist, quickly realises there is a lot of secrets being hidden from him, and his rival may not be as trustworthy as he thought.
I loved all of the elements in the story. The way it is written, how the writing itself illustrates everything beyond a description; the characters are fantastic, there's a lot of clues for every little secret and mystery within, and the way the story itself develops is brilliant.
The religious elements are well developed, I loved the author's take on angels, the scenes are disturbingly beautiful, I can't describe how I felt reading them, and THAT ENDING!!!
It is one of those stories that don't leave your mind, no matter how much time has passed since you read it
It's a Dark Academia Rivals to Lovers t4t story, where two academic rivals are working together to translate a mysterious documment, isolated in an old library building. However, Sol, the protagonist, quickly realises there is a lot of secrets being hidden from him, and his rival may not be as trustworthy as he thought.
I loved all of the elements in the story. The way it is written, how the writing itself illustrates everything beyond a description; the characters are fantastic, there's a lot of clues for every little secret and mystery within, and the way the story itself develops is brilliant.
The religious elements are well developed, I loved the author's take on angels, the scenes are disturbingly beautiful, I can't describe how I felt reading them, and THAT ENDING!!!
It is one of those stories that don't leave your mind, no matter how much time has passed since you read it
July 25, 2026
This was my first time reading ergodic lit. Apparently all it took for to finally get me was a lil erotic cannibalism and a lot of t4t wrongs. I loved the tension between Sol and Asir as their hunger for knowledge devolved into a mess of envy, lust, and greed.
I was a bit intimidated going in, but it ended up being pretty beginner-friendly! I probably could have followed along without notes but I plan to reference my notes when I re-read... especially after I grab a print copy. I certainly haven't solved the case just yet. Still undecided whether I will take it apart or let it be and use printed pages instead.
Thanks so much to Kienn Nguyen for the chance to read an advance copy and thanks for putting up with my intermittent ramblings in your inbox. This book is rad and clearly took a ton of work to pull off.
I was a bit intimidated going in, but it ended up being pretty beginner-friendly! I probably could have followed along without notes but I plan to reference my notes when I re-read... especially after I grab a print copy. I certainly haven't solved the case just yet. Still undecided whether I will take it apart or let it be and use printed pages instead.
Thanks so much to Kienn Nguyen for the chance to read an advance copy and thanks for putting up with my intermittent ramblings in your inbox. This book is rad and clearly took a ton of work to pull off.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Something about the way Kienn writes descriptions and details so vividly is astounding, especially for someone like me with aphantasia. I expected this story to be something that I knew I would adore and it did not disappoint. I am in love with Sol as a character and in love with relationship as a whole. The clues and mysteries making me literally print pdf pages just so I could write on them and highlight things. Kienn had me at a board with red string and I was loving every minute of it.
[End of Serious Review Part]
Oh my goddddddddd Sol is me fr fr. I need to draw these losers right now.
[End of Serious Review Part]
Oh my goddddddddd Sol is me fr fr. I need to draw these losers right now.
August 30, 2026
Very fun read! Clearly a lot of work went into this. I haven’t read House of Leaves yet but I can see that sort of influence. The vibes are excellent, very unnerving and often grotesque. The story is very cerebral and I’m not sure I understood exactly what was happening but I loved trying to puzzle it out! It kind of reminded me of Library at Hellebore and You Weren’t Meant to Be Human combined with A Study In Drowning, those sort of creepy, slightly chaotic horrors with a linguistic/academic mystery.
Looking forward to reading this author’s other work soon!
Looking forward to reading this author’s other work soon!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is incredibly intelectual, in a very engaging and interactive way. Very didactic. Consistently completely compelling. *ahem* 👀 I busted my brain for that "consistently"... Heey who said that?
ANYway... The main characters were mysterious, interesting, one an academic and another an agent of the occult. I could not stop reading, Asir, Sol, both magnificent in their own way.
I love the metaphor element to the narrative, I love a challenge, and searching for those double meanings and hidden messages, which is most what this mesmerizing book is about. Of course one would have to add plot twists and shocking juicy revelations. I absolutely loved how the author unveiled the plot, little by little, it was fascinating. Also it's very very well written! The transness, the queerness, the darkness, the esoterism, and the occultism... captivating. I was immediately captivated by the author's words, and the gorgeous sick plot! Just riveting.
Okay, tbh, I still haven't recovered from That ending! I'd have to read this remarkable book again before I make a fool of myself and fail miserable with weak theories 🤣.
ANYway... The main characters were mysterious, interesting, one an academic and another an agent of the occult. I could not stop reading, Asir, Sol, both magnificent in their own way.
I love the metaphor element to the narrative, I love a challenge, and searching for those double meanings and hidden messages, which is most what this mesmerizing book is about. Of course one would have to add plot twists and shocking juicy revelations. I absolutely loved how the author unveiled the plot, little by little, it was fascinating. Also it's very very well written! The transness, the queerness, the darkness, the esoterism, and the occultism... captivating. I was immediately captivated by the author's words, and the gorgeous sick plot! Just riveting.
Okay, tbh, I still haven't recovered from That ending! I'd have to read this remarkable book again before I make a fool of myself and fail miserable with weak theories 🤣.
July 29, 2026
This is a great book for those who are intimidated by house of leaves and want to try reading an ergodic book that isn't as long or as in-depth but still manages to achieve that same sense of mystery and unease. It is not as solid in its narration but I liked that it left me to form my own conclusions about the story and characters.
August 29, 2026
Wow! I definitely will be reading this more then once. It is very experimental and plays with type in many interesting ways. I really enjoyed the use of the book medium and how that works alongside the plot.
Sol’s pursuit of knowledge at the beginning and its descent and change over the course of the book.
Sol’s pursuit of knowledge at the beginning and its descent and change over the course of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2026
one of the most difficult books I've ever read, it was like a puzzle to figure out the plot, but I kinda liked it.
It made me feel both smart and very confused.
And I looked like an idiot spinning the book around to read the spiral pages, but I would do it all again.
Probably the most interesting book of the year so far, and it's September.
It made me feel both smart and very confused.
And I looked like an idiot spinning the book around to read the spiral pages, but I would do it all again.
Probably the most interesting book of the year so far, and it's September.
August 22, 2026
Honestly the writing was really intriguing the different styles like upside down texts codes etc the story it self was good and it’s clear the author was very passionate about it sadly I couldn’t fully connect with the book I would still recommend to read it tho
August 3, 2026
I have never in my life read something like this before.
But it was amazing.
But it was amazing.
August 6, 2026
This book was genuinely, everything I love all in one, currently trying to get all my friends to read it as well. I will be thinking about this for a good long while… thank you
August 10, 2026
Need to think about it. Will probably revisit in due time
September 5, 2026
Oh my fucking god this was amazing oh my GOD
September 10, 2026
1.75/5
Review of advance copy
📚📜 Codex Unfertho by Kienn Nguyen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
⬆️ Ebook ARC
👉 First-Person POV
🎨 Cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
👉 Standalone
🧩 Ergodic Dark Academia Horror
🌈 MM T4T Romance
👉 High Angst
📍Set in a Remote Research Facility in the Mojave Desert
🔎 Mystery & Suspense
👼 Biblical & Psychological Horror
🧠 Experimental Fiction
📑 Interactive Reading Experience
🧩 Puzzles, Footnotes & Hidden Clues
💞 Academic Rivals to Lovers
📚 Haunted Library
🖋️ Occultism & Linguistics
👁️ Reality vs. Madness
😇 Angels & Esotericism
🔐 Forbidden Knowledge
📜 Ancient Codex & Ciphers
🌈 MCs:
📖👉 Solivan Campbell Lucero, He/Him:
-Reclusive philologist.
-Brilliant, determined, and endlessly curious.
-Obsessed with deciphering the impossible.
📜👉 Grigori Asir, He/Him:
-Notorious occultist.
-Mysterious, intelligent, and impossible to ignore.
-Sol's academic rival... and a perfect ally... 🤔
⚠️ Content Warnings:
👏 Brilliant Character Development
🧠 Mind-Bending Mystery
😱 Incredible Atmosphere
🤯 Ending Left Me Speechless
💭 My Thoughts:
📖👏 I absolutely loved this book. It's an incredibly well-written book and so immersive that I felt like I was inside the story the entire time. Even though it's an experimental novel that demands your attention, everything is so cleverly put together, it's surprisingly easy to follow. Every clue, every page, and every revelation pulled me deeper into the mystery.
🤌😙🍿 The suspense had me holding my breath more than once, and the eerie atmosphere felt like watching a beautifully crafted psychological horror film. 👀 I couldn't stop reading, and that ending completely blew me away.
▪︎FAV QUOTES▪︎
💝 Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year!
😉 Thanks for reading, hope this helps you out!
I received this book as a gift from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review.
Socials: https://linktr.ee/sunnylemonadereads
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
⬆️ Ebook ARC
👉 First-Person POV
🎨 Cover: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
👉 Standalone
🧩 Ergodic Dark Academia Horror
🌈 MM T4T Romance
👉 High Angst
📍Set in a Remote Research Facility in the Mojave Desert
🔎 Mystery & Suspense
👼 Biblical & Psychological Horror
🧠 Experimental Fiction
📑 Interactive Reading Experience
🧩 Puzzles, Footnotes & Hidden Clues
💞 Academic Rivals to Lovers
📚 Haunted Library
🖋️ Occultism & Linguistics
👁️ Reality vs. Madness
😇 Angels & Esotericism
🔐 Forbidden Knowledge
📜 Ancient Codex & Ciphers
🌈 MCs:
📖👉 Solivan Campbell Lucero, He/Him:
-Reclusive philologist.
-Brilliant, determined, and endlessly curious.
-Obsessed with deciphering the impossible.
📜👉 Grigori Asir, He/Him:
-Notorious occultist.
-Mysterious, intelligent, and impossible to ignore.
-Sol's academic rival... and a perfect ally... 🤔
⚠️ Content Warnings:
👏 Brilliant Character Development
🧠 Mind-Bending Mystery
😱 Incredible Atmosphere
🤯 Ending Left Me Speechless
💭 My Thoughts:
📖👏 I absolutely loved this book. It's an incredibly well-written book and so immersive that I felt like I was inside the story the entire time. Even though it's an experimental novel that demands your attention, everything is so cleverly put together, it's surprisingly easy to follow. Every clue, every page, and every revelation pulled me deeper into the mystery.
🤌😙🍿 The suspense had me holding my breath more than once, and the eerie atmosphere felt like watching a beautifully crafted psychological horror film. 👀 I couldn't stop reading, and that ending completely blew me away.
▪︎FAV QUOTES▪︎
■ Asir worshipped knowledge. I had everything to offer.
I wanted to be his ideal, I wanted him to chase me, I wanted him to
obsess over me, I wanted him to dig into me until I became everything
he knew up to the very moment his mind melted and collapsed. (Sol)
■ I would ruin him and make him mine. (Sol)
■ I huffed. Hugging my arms. "What would I be without your obstinate opinions?"
"And what I'd be without my guiding star." His eyes shined. "I think we could go on to do great things together."
"Is that an official proposal?"
"A tentative offering." He said. "There's still room to sweeten the deal."
Sweeten the deal? If the devil knocked on my door I knew exactly what I'd say to him. I wanted Asir for myself. Just as Asir wanted me. (Sol)
💝 Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year!
😉 Thanks for reading, hope this helps you out!
I received this book as a gift from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review.
Socials: https://linktr.ee/sunnylemonadereads
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