Gothikana: A Dark Academia Gothic Romance: TikTok Made Me Buy It!

For my first gothic romance I hit the jackpot with this book, which is another brilliant masterpiece from my favorite author. I fell in love with the style of her writing in the Dark Verse series and this new genre takeover just proves what I already knew; not even the sky is the limit with her talents! Gothikana serves you mysteries, bone-chilling plot-twists in true RuNyx fashion (she is better than M. Night Shyamalan, let me tell you!), steamy romance and intense characters with complex personalities. Corvina Clemm receives an admission letter to the mysterious University of Verenmore. Having lost her mother, she has been left adrift and is in need of a fresh start. The raven-haired girl arrives to the mountain and finds herself attracted to a dark and enigmatic man, Vad Deverell, who is a part-time professor working on his thesis at Verenmore. An ever-present fog, both literal and figurative, surrounds the eerie, faraway mountain, protecting its secrets like an impenetrable wall of grey. The woods of lush verdant hide the darkest of secrets in their depths. But darkness has never frightened Corvina, she feels at home in it. And Vad, the silver-eyed devil, commands the darkness with his very presence, bending it to his will. Their inevitable collision is pure animalistic passion, raw in its ferocity, brutal in its intensity. Flammable in its forbidden nature and so, so unexpected in its tenderness. I am absolutely mesmerized by the hauntingly beautiful melodies, visuals, scents and sights the story fills the mind with. The tale of the Little Crow and her Silver-Eyed Devil is a complete maelstrom that consumes you completely in mind, heart, body and soul. It is angels singing and devils roaring in unison. The way the story weaves its threads over and under, over and under, is perfection so absolute it leaves you breathless. "Calling it a castle was an understatement. It was a monstrosity, a beautiful, stunningly constructed monstrosity." Verenmore is a being with wants and desires of its own. The descriptions of the castle's eerie groans at night, only feed the image of a slumbering dragon that breathes its secrets into those groans, singing its own haunting melodies into the darkness. Like the castle, all the elements and forces of nature play a role in the story. They have personalities, moods, likes and dislikes. The fog can be either soft and gentle, or dark and threatening. A storm can be both soothing and energizing. The castle is not just a backdrop, but one of the main characters. It is a live creature that has seen it all, heard it all. Creature that knows all the deepest and most gruesome of secrets that are yet to unravel... The writer's way of describing everything with the accuracy of an arrow hitting the bullseye penetrates the mind like a storm rushing at you in full speed, creating vivid 6D images in technicolor and complete with surround sound. Her ways of building the mystery, of dropping small breadcrumbs here and there and still catching you completely by surprise once it's time for answers, leave me gasping for breath every time. Watch out, Agatha Christie! In Gothikana we are teetering at the very edges of reality, dancing in between dimensions and left wondering what is and is not real. There are things in this world we have no explanations for and the castle itself is a representation of that. The grand, majestic presence of the castle on top of an unknown mountain is like a ghost one has heard spooky stories of, but never seen with one's own eyes. And nothing is more frightening that things unknown or unseen. In the book, the rest of the world doesn't really have a clue Verenmore even exists and the fact that it does, makes everything that much more bone-chilling, the maze of secrets that much more terrifying. "Corvina wanted to belong, to be loved, to be absolutely adored, no matter what happened, despite her past." Her mother taught her to be self-sufficient, to be able to take care of herself. While independent, Corvina is starved for the things she has read in books. Fiercely. To be claimed and to be adored. She is famished for human touch, for closeness and affection. She longs to be chosen, no matter where she comes from, or what her background is. It is a basic human need to crave to be cherished, to be wanted. To be chosen out of free will by someone, to be theirs with every cell of her being, is a hunger that gnaws on Corvina's very bones. "He was... magnificent. Haunting in the way only very few living things could be." Vad is melancholy and temptation otherworldly, the most beautifully painted picture of the Devil himself. While unconventionally handsome, he is more alluring than any mortal man should be. The Devil cannot be resisted. Deadly and lethal is the seduction of his mercury eyes, their intensity like the sun itself. Haunting like the Ink Moon. Eternal like time itself. While kill us it might, to immerse ourselves into the deadly flames of this attraction, for that split second, will make us feel more alive we have ever felt in our entire lives, and it's worth it. To feel that alive, that cherished, that wanted, for even only momentarily, is worth everything. "He smelled like burning wood and heady brandy" The ways each character has their own distinctive scent, is something I cannot read a book without anymore! The ways this writer describes the unique traits of her characters is something I'm hopelessly, completely and irrevocably in love with. "The dark god who played like it was both a curse and blessing." His music paints pictures. Beautiful, vivid pictures that tell a thousand stories. When he plays, the melodies born from his long, elegant fingers are things never experienced before; colors unseen, sounds unheard, scents unrecognizable. Yet they hit you like a DeJa’Vu with an odd sense of familiarity. With a certainty of something you were always meant to experience. Into his music he channels himself, all that the is, the notes becoming words for the stories he is writing those melodies with. And into those words he communicates the most beautiful of emotions, the darkest of secrets, the naughtiest of desires and everything that does not have a name. The music he plays is like the very air she breathes...and with every breath she's inhaling him, her Devil...with every note, he's claiming yet another part of her. "His eyes said a lot." The queen of writing intense eye contact, ladies and gentlemen!! The way his eyes communicate in the most primal of ways, has the panties flying off in a nanosecond! His eyes claim her long before his words do and that, is hot as heck. Sometimes the things not said are the most powerful of all. The most erotic of all. Sometimes, the mind filling the gaps can leave you hotter than sunbathing in the devil's backyard. This is a barbaric need to possess, to eliminate, to own. This is madness. Like a storm is their passion, their emotions a whirlwind spinning faster and faster...gaining speed and momentum like a hurricane. It is wild and primal, raw and uncontrollable, like the force of nature their collision is. Beautiful and unstoppable in its madness. “This will last until the day roses on my grave stop sharing roots with the roses on yours,” he declared. “I will have you even in death, little witch. I am your beast. I am your madness. And you, you’re my afterlife.” Her Devil. Her Madness. Her Mountain.

I don't know where to begin my review for this book. It had been on my TBR for more than a year and a half, sitting on my shelf patiently waiting for me to pick it up. I decided to go for it and I felt things. Going in completely blind, I never read reviews but had heard SUCH good things about it. I was not expecting to love this book as much as I do right now. Gothikana is exquisitely written in a way that had me feeling melancholy towards the end. I literally shed a tear or two, maybe five. I hadn't realized that this book was between a professor and student, I don't typically gravitate towards these kinds of reads but once I started reading, I could not put it down. It's amazing how an author can encompass so many emotions into a book and execute it perfectly. I was giddy, I was literally kicking my feet and I was constantly wishing to find a love. Just like Corvina had wished for before she met Vad. I had no idea how this book would unfold. I had small theories lining up as I was reading but then the plot shifted and I was left flabbergasted. A lot of the things in this book came unexpected to me and it just made me realize that I have to cherish my loved ones around me. Corvina was so strong. She is strong. I can just imagine feeling alone and having no one to speak with and the possibly creating someone to fill that void. I think her character was very well written and her fears are something I can definitely relate to. Vad was very mysterious and I had some doubts about him, especially given that we didn't know much about him until well into the book, and even then, I had conflicting feelings about him. He had such a way with words and then when he had those small moments of jealousy, I was like "PLEASE. When will it be me?" Although they met and started falling in love in such a dark place, I absolutely think that their love for each other is what ended up saving them. It's the good kind of love. Definitely the one that most people can only dream of (which is probably why it's mainly written in books). This is only one book, but it felt like I was reading an entire series. I don't know how the author was able to fit so much into this book and not make it feel rushed. Although the main characters were introduced shortly after the book began, I loved how the author was able to provide a lot of information with the right choice of words within a paragraph. Not everyone can do this, and it was done flawlessly. The book was written in third POV, and there are no complaints from me. As long as it's done well, any POV works. Towards Chapter 29, I kid you not, I was screaming so loudly "NO" because I had a bad feeling the ending of the book was taking another heartbreaking turn. Luckily it did not but man, I almost panicked. I really want to talk about Corvina's mother and Corvina's fear of her potential disease given her genetics. I resonated so profusely with her and her feelings. The fear of forgetting your loved ones is daunting to me, especially since I have a loved one who is currently in the beginning stages of this horrible disease. Corvina's fear and her thoughts about it made me cry, but the way that Vad reassured her and himself literally did things to my heart that I can't explain. This book has quite a few spice scenes, which were good, but I think the overall topics and plot covered in the book gave it the five stars for me. Yes, it's dark but it's also very realistic with the emotions the characters felt. Grief, loneliness, doubt, fear, and love are things we all experience. I felt connected to the characters oddly enough and given that they're in the same age group as me, I felt I fit right in. The overall big plot twist in the end was something I was NOT expecting. I had truly loved this character and could've never seen their actions coming. The end satisfied something in me and felt very realistic with an opening that could lead to another story between the main characters. I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone!

I finally jumped on the hype train from Instagram and read Gothikana, and let me tell you, it lived up to all the buzz! This was my first dive into paranormal romance, and wow, what an introduction. Little Crow is such a fitting nickname for the mysterious Vad. If you're into mediums, spirituality, and the supernatural, this book is a must-read. The mystery around Vad keeps you hooked, and when he finally spills the beans about who he is, the character build-up is just perfect. Corvina, aka Little Bird, undergoes a significant transformation. It's a bit of a bummer that she initially thought she was crazy instead of realizing her gifted ability to find bodies and communicate with the dead. Exploring this aspect could have added an even more intriguing layer to the story. The tension build-up throughout, especially during the Full Moon Yearly Ball, had me on the edge of my seat. The whole book kept me guessing, and the twist at the end was worth it! And let's not forget the flawless writing of the character connections, particularly the constant eye connection that made their relationship feel like a constant re-run – just brilliant! I loved Gothikana and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a mix of mystery, romance, and the supernatural! Rating Breakdown: Overall: ★★★★★ Characters: ★★★★☆ Spice: ★★★★☆

Me gusto mucho todo el libro, la manera de escribir de la autora es súper fácil de leer y la dinámica entre los personajes es PERFECTA😭😭

“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗺𝘆 𝗩𝗮𝗱. 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗵𝗼𝘄, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂.” — It’s no news that I love everything that runyx writes and gothikana was no different. I loved this book sm and in this book we see a new world and a new side of her writing which im in love. I’II never get tired of say that her writing looks like poetry. — Corvina is everything in the end of the book I was fascinated by her honestly she has such a kind soul despite the things that happened. It was so good and different to read in a book about corvina, her mother and the mental health and the issues that come along. — Vad is everything good honestly runyx can make male characters that you want for yourself in real life, even when I suspected him I liked him and I love the way he loves corvina for who she is in a whole. — vadcorvina is chef kiss, they evolving to something more, their conection even the universe knows they’re meant to be, the confessios of love runyx plsss how i can find what they have? — THE PLOT omg in the middle of the book I was like “hmm I think I know where this is going” but then I didn’t know and surprised me. really was such a good plot and history but give me fear cause I read at night 👩🦯 — The world runyx created was so rich of details that I imagined myself there in the castle, in the woods or in the classes when vad talked about literature so just proves how much researchs she does for her books. Another thing that it was so good seeing was corvina believing in crystals, incenses and reading tarot cause it’s something that I believe and seeing in the book as a quality that molds her personality was amazing. *ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for a honest review

The way they both compliment each other is just so real I loved this book..will definitely recommend. Never settle for less than you deserve. Both the characters were amazing ❤️

one of my favorite dark romance. it’s so gut wrenching, toe curling, and spine tingling! gothic, with dark academia vibes, spooky and sensual. highly recommended! smut: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (5)