DNF - I really struggled with the writing style, as well as some of the aesthetic elements. It felt somewhat clunky and awkward at many points, and while some people can take worn out fantasy tropes (like a protagonist with violet eyes) and play with them so they're interesting or thoughtful, a lot of them here seemed to be taken on uncritically and unthinkingly, and it just made it feel simplistic.

But the main problem was the writing style - it's very direct and simple, to the point of patronising. Short sentences, limited descriptions, very little abstract thought, just a straightforward summation of events, without any flavour or character. I thought at first it was meant to represent the child's perspective of the character in her early chapters, but it persisted well into the parts where she's 21, where it no longer felt relevant or reasonable, so clearly is just the style of the prose. Very much did not feel like a grown up story, more middle-grade, in terms of the prose, but the content is very much for adults, so it's a weird mishmash.

Disappointing, as I was hoping for a fun, gothicky escapist read.

Based on what I’ve seen from other readers, this is a book that you’ll either love or you’ll hate, and I have to say - I LOVED IT. It’s a gothic romance with deeply flawed characters, a creepy castle/school, and a decades-old mystery about missing and murdered students. There’s also an ambiguous element that it’s hard for me to describe, but suffice it to say that I just loved the way this book made me feel. For me, that’s the big difference between a 4* and 5* book - did it cause an emotional response in me, and this book definitely did.

It’s my understanding that this book was originally published in 2021 but is being rereleased under a different publishing house and with a new cover (and hello sprayed edges and illustrations!). I got to read the ARC from NetGalley and Bramble by Tor, but I have already pre-ordered my hardcopy! I am unsure if the book has been revised from its original version, but I felt like it was well-written and edited.

Some parts of this book were relatively predictable, but I was way off base with which characters I trusted and how I thought the book was going to end. There are a lot of red herrings that you think are going to be important, and not everything gets explained, but to me that just added to the whole gothic atmosphere of the story. I can definitely understand why some readers don’t love this book, and it’s by no means a literary masterpiece, but its writing was both lyrical and evocative, and I really felt “in” the book if you know what I mean.

This is my first book by this author, but it won’t be the last! I used to say that I didn’t like reading romance, but I’ve since realized that what I meant was that I don’t like contemporary romance. This dark gothic romance was everything!

I wish I could lay the blame for this rating either on poor writing or poor editing but unfortunately it's both. And then some.

But right away, at a sad 2%, I had a bad feeling. By 4%, I could see the (poorly structured) writing on the wall. And then as the main character was introduced to us through her own surroundings.. it got worse. Corvina's characterization is a mash-up of everything I hate to see in a main character, especially a female one, but they also contradict. She's somehow both sheltered and naive but also faux-edgy (she eschews bras and underwear so you know she's just nOt LiKe oTheR giRLS and we discover this in like chapter three so, I mean, there you go); she's completely out of touch and unsocialized, but manages to dress like someone who grew up in a Hot Topic instead the.. woods, and seemingly accepts of the fact that she transitions so easily into a new experience that encompasses friends and school and romance (none of which she's had or done before) even though the author <b>tells</b> us all the time that she makes people uncomfortable or is quiet and awkward despite.. almost never acting that way. She gives off main character manic pixie dream girl energy but isn't deserving of the title and stupidly everyone around her reinforces her speshulness and I just can't make sense of it.

Also, the nicknames. Please. I cannot.

The fact that her love interest couldn't keep his mouth off her nose ring just added to it. Seriously, was everyone in this book an alien? Acting like everything she did was unique and that every facet of her being had never been seen before by human eyes.

This also applies to the fact that people were out here wandering the woods with a lantern when flashlights exist. When I started this book I honestly thought this was supposed to be a weird historical fantasy but no. The author just tried very hard to hold onto the spooky dark academia vibes for the marketing cachet but ultimately this was just a spoiled rich people academy in a crumbly old building for no reason whatsoever.

But back to the love interest. He can be summed up with one word : no. Okay fine, three words : no thank you.

Truly, the more I think about this, the more my brain breaks. This was a romantic concept buried into a plot that doesn't make sense to attempt to provide tension in and around the horribly cliche and typically rote scenes the characters interacted in only to drag out the inevitable and, again, market off the vibes. Now that I've finished suffering through it all I'm realizing just how angry about the whole thing I am.

Between the inconsistencies, incomprehensible character choices, choppy writing and poor word choices alongside minimal (or so it felt) editing and consideration for pacing (nothing happens for like 80% of the book except some "I want you but can't/won't have you okay I want you and will have you now" push and pull, followed by countless sex scenes [smushed up against the most cringey horrible romantic dialogue exchanges I've ever read], and then a bunch of unsatisfying action that gets summed up and rushed through in like two pages), as well as just my overall dissatisfaction with the plot that couldn't manage to even fractionally redeem the rest.. this was not it for me.

Extremely old castle turned into a university, possible curse that happens every five years under the full moon, enjoyable professor, some spice, and an intriguing FMC with violet eyes makes for an amazing story. Going into the book I was not sure what I was getting into...now after reading, I want more! I loved the mysteriousness of the castle, not being able to trust almost anyone the FMC comes into contact with, and tragedy made this book amazing. I am hoping there will be more of this story continued in the future!

The physical arc I received as well has beautiful chapter page artwork and I love the purple sprayed edges this new edition will have. I had heard all the hype about this book and was excited to read it.
I was very surprised by all the things when I actually read it. I love a good dark academia romance or mystery but I don't think this one was it for me. Maybe I am not the targeted audience because all of the characters felt very young and overall it gave a ya vibe, which made all the steam feel out of place. But this may be a total me issue.
My favorite character was actually Verenmore itself. I believe the new edition will include a map and that will be awesome. It is such a cool spooky place. There were quite a few loose threads by the end (particularly about Verenmore) and I would have loved to tie those up but we did at least get some closure on the romance between Corvina and Vad.

A dark gothic romance that takes place on the estate of Verenmore, a university full of students with troubled pasts. Corvina and Vad are inexplicably drawn toward each other while trying to not to fall into an affair. Teachers at Verenmore are forbidden to be involved with students but Corvina proves too tempting and anyway, it seems to be fated.
There is also the mystery involving strange disappearances every 5 years and perhaps the university's own serial murders. All in all, a very entertaining read. (Seems like there may be more to come!)

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor for this e-arc.*

Gothikana brilliantly merges Beauty and the Beast with Dracula, creating a interesting tale of dark romance, mystery, and murder. This gothic masterpiece is set in a spooky dark academia, where supernatural elements add an extra layer of intrigue. The steamy romance is heightened by picturesque descriptions of the academy, making every page an immersive experience. If you crave a captivating blend of classic tales, mysterious academia, and intense passion, Gothikana is an absolute must-read. Prepare to be entranced by its dark allure and transported to a world where every shadow conceals secrets.

Thank you so much @torbooks @macmillanusa and @brambleromance for sending me this advanced reader copy of the republished edition of this book, I really enjoyed this one. I love the gothic dark academia vibes and all of the creepy haunting things, and the twist at the end was both surprising and unexpected! My only complaint is that the ending seemed a little rushed and left a lot of unanswered questions. However, overall I would definitely recommend if dark academia is your jam!

“If this is madness,” she whispered almost against his lips, “drown me in it.” ✨

Intoxicating, stunning, bewitching, and sensual are some of the words I’d use to describe this book.

We have a girl with purple eyes who hears voices who finds herself in a forbidden romance with one of her teachers, who has white eyes. The attraction and sexual tension between the two of them is electric from the moment their eyes meet. Corvina’s background is tragic and puzzling, and Vad is dark and dangerous.

Not only is this a deeply sexy forbidden romance, but there is something seemingly paranormal going on. Without warning students who have never displayed suicidal tendencies are killing themselves, there are old legends about serial killers on the property, and there is a ball that always ends in death.

Not only are the characters and the romance captivating, but so is the scenery and the atmospheric vibes. If you couldn’t tell by the cover art, this is a dark academia book/gothic story and they’re all staying at a big castle on a mountain, which is also a university.

There wasn’t a ton of twists, but the few twists there were made me gasp. This book is on Kindle Unlimited and deserves way more attention.

I also used an audible credit and the audiobook was soooo wonderful. My only complaint is that there was a male narrator, but he only narrated a few short chapters. I wish they could have swapped back and forth for the dialogue.

Read this if you love: dark academia, forbidden love, gothic romances, tarot reading, all things spooky, possessive but considerate MMCs, crows, witches, pianos, masquerade balls, and lighting candles while you read romances in the dark.

⚠️ also, please look up the TWs for this one. I already mentioned suicide, but there are some others.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tor publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Overall, I really enjoyed this gothic, dark romance written in alternating points of view. I felt invested to the main characters and enjoyed the chemistry between the two of them from the start. I loved the dark academia aesthetic throughout the book. I can't give it five stars because the ending was a little strange. I thought things were neatly wrapped up, and Vad and Corvina had their happily-ever-after ending. But then there were two more chapters at the end that left me with questions. Maybe this was intentional so there could be a sequel? I can't tell.... But if you're into Dracula, Beauty and the Beast, or Jane Eyre, you'll love this book.

This book was everything I expected it to be!

You have a sense of Dracula mixed with Beauty and the Beast, just in the settings alone. A massive castle turned into a college?

A young woman who has dealt with a strange mother, gets invited to an exclusive college at the age of 21. This woman has been raised as a recluse, homeschooled, with minimal human interaction for fear of being taken away from her mother; Corvina has always been the odd one out.

Always having "Mo" as her guide, she reluctantly accepts the invitation to Verenmore. The castle has a dark gloom about it, and a mysterious professor that everyone has named the "Silver-haired devil."

Corvina can't seem to escape the glare of Mr. Deverell, a man everyone has warned her against.

Does she go running away from him in the forbidden forest or does she end up running into the hauntings that have plagued her entire stay at Verenmore?

I am blown away by this book. The atmosphere, the tension, the mystery.... Gothikana had me in a choke hold for the entire 6 hours it took me to read it. I need more!

Publication date: January 23, 2024

Gothikana is a dark academia gothic mystery by RuNyx. This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed the writing.

Corvina Clemm receives an admission letter from the secluded university of Verenmore perched on the mountains in an old castle. The letter comes at a perfect time in her life when she is a little lost about her future.

Corvina joins the campus and makes a small group of friends where she learns of the mysteries of the castle, the grounds, and ancient rituals and magic that have plagued the school for decades.

Vad Deverell is Corvinas English professor, a former student finalizing his thesis while teaching the junior students. Vad is off limits, there is a no tolerance rule around teacher/student relationships but Corvina cannot deny the connection she seems to have with him.

Vad and Corvina struggle to stay away from each other and deny their growing feelings the ancient curse surrounding the castle grounds continues to unsettle the students, especially when one of their own takes his life.

As the students come to gripes with the aftermath of a friends suicide, Corvina struggles with voices in her head she thought were long buried. Can Vad and Corvina uncover the secrets of Venmore before it’s too late?

I really enjoyed Corvina and Vlads story. Corvina was vulnerable and Vlads ferocious determination to protect her was incredible. I’ll also be adding Vlad to my list of morally grey book boyfriends! This was a great story (4 stars for me!) but I highly recommend reviewing trigger warnings before reading: suicide, mental illness, cult references etc.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #RuNyx #gothikana

I love dark academia and books with Beauty and the Beast vibes, but this book sadly did not deliver for me. I enjoyed the setting; it felt delightfully spooky and cozy at the same time. What turned me off was the writing- it didn’t feel developed and came off as a bit juvenile.

DNF @ 20%

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Actual 3.5
*Mild spoilers throughout review*
This book has SO MUCH potential to be mindblowingly awesome, but I felt a bit let down by how it all ended.
Our main character, Corvina Clemm, was raised in almost isolation by a single, schizophrenic mother and after her mother is institutionalized she is invited to apply to Verenmore University, a spooky university on a mountain with tons of missing persons attached to its history. Despite her less than traditional upbringing, she is surprisingly well adjusted even though she also occasionally hears voices in her head. She is characterized by her purple eyes, her love of maxi skirts, and not liking underwear (? - this felt like a weird detail, especially in how it was presented outright in the exposition since we could have learned in a more natural way later on during one of the many spicy scenes).
Corvina falls into instalust with her English teacher, Vad Deverell, and while I don't mind/usually like teacher/student forbidden relationships (especially when they are both consenting adults) this didn't really feel all that forbidden or taboo because: 1. this was not the first time he had hooked up with a student, and 2. there were really no stakes or consequences if their relationship was discovered.
This book is being marketed as a dark academic romance, but it felt like more of a dark academia aesthetic over a paranormal mystery. It was a very fast-paced read, which I liked, but I felt like it left so many big questions unanswered about Corvina and how and why she had a connection/insight into the missing students and it was dismissed as some things are better left a mystery. Did she truly have some kind of supernatural connection to Verenmore or was it just the voices in her head because of her genetic predisposition to schizophrenia from both of her parents - apparently we'll never know...

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gothikana is a very good dark romance. I tend to find dark romances either too mafia like or too barely legal or flat out illegal. Gothikana managed to be a dark romance that was more forbidden romance, and kind of kinky. It didn’t give the ick with a crazy age, gap or uncomfortable power dynamic. Although our MMC is a teacher our FMC is an older student, and somehow the way it was written it didn’t seem as gross to me as some teacher student romances are in dark and regular romance novels. MMC is both a senior student who gets to teach a handful of classes and FMC is a student that came into college later than most people do. She’s 21 and everyone else is 18. This book is VERY atmospheric and has an intriguing mystery. It has ghosts and a modern heroine who dresses in Victorian-type clothes so she looks like a ghost herself. I’m here for this aesthetic and the atmosphere. However, some of it’s a little much. For instance, the constant referencing to our MMC‘s mercurial eyes because he has silver eyes. Every time I read the phrase, his mercurial eyes, his mercury eyes I rolled MY eyes so hard. There’s a lot of emphasis on his silver eyes and her purple eyes so if that’s gonna bother you and take you out of the story, don’t read this book. However, I did enjoy the story, and despite some cringe moments that are very fan-fiction-y ,I think this book is fantastic and I want to purchase it to reread in the future. The author clearly took inspiration from things like Edgar Allan Poe (our main character’s name for one thing) and it definitely gave off Wuthering Heights vibes. If you like: Victorian Gothic, ghostly, rainy, castle on a hill, tortured main characters, might just be crazy vibes this book is 100% for you. It legitimately made me want to wander around in a castle in a long white nightgown with a candle following the eerie sounds of music.

“𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩,” 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙.
“𝙉𝙤, 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙖. 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨.”

“Gothikana” is the story of Corvina and Vad. Corvina is an outcast, a girl with violet eyes who reads tarot cards, loves the nighttime, and hears voices in her head. She receives an invitation to attend the University of Verenmore, a college built on a mountain that caters to students with troubling pasts. There is where she meets Vad, her professor. He’s a mystery, a man of many secrets, including those of Verenmore, a man Corvina can’t stay away from. Like a siren, they’re drawn to one another. A connection so strong it’s inevitable. But as the voices in Corvina’s head lead her to unveiling the secrets of Verenmore, including the passing of students, Vad must protect her from the darkness that surrounds the college before it engulfs her.

This book has it all - a dark gothic romance filled with mystery and suspense on every page. A book filled with twists that will keep you guessing even after you’ve read it. It is written in 3rd person, primarily of Corvina’s POV. I’m excited to see more from this world and hopefully will unlock more secrets of Verenmore. If you love the student/teacher trope with a twist, then I highly recommend giving this a try!

Thank you NetGalley and Bramble for the ARC! Gothikana is a blend of dark academia and romance with a touch of fantasy. Corvina Clemm is surprised by a sudden invitation to a private university (with a full-ride scholarship). As an older student (and one who was homeschooled), she can't understand how or why she's been given this offer, but alone and adrift, she accepts the offer. Once at Verenmore Univeristy, Corvina discovers that the school has a dark and tainted past. What or who is killing the students? Above all, Corvina can't help but be attracted to Vad Deverell, a graduate student and part-time professor. Gothikana is an elaborate (and at times a bit over-the-top) tale with an interesting twist.

I tried so hard but I couldn't get into the writing. The writing felt really immature to me and I never quite got onboard with it. DNF @34%

The Facts: Dark academia vibes, gothic romance, student/professor relationship, insta attraction, college,

Corvina receives an invitation to go to a prestigious and mysterious college and there she meets hottie teacher/student Vad and a whole bunch of ghostly activity and mayhem.
 
This book was THAT GIRL. I was in love the whole time, the writing, the storyline, the characters, THE SMUT! This was such a breath of fresh air. Corvina was such a cool FMC who was such a badass. Vad was mysterious, sexy, and overprotective af. Their relationship fit so well. They were like magnets being pulled together, and the sexual tension was immaculate. The quotes in this book were phenomenal and had me choking for breaths every single time. I'm telling you, I adored this book, and now I will read everything RuNyx writes.

I devoured this book as it devoured me; that's how good it was.