Gothikana

4.5/5 star rating

Yummy…delicious, absolutely yummy is what this book was.

I’m obsessed…I didn’t have the biggest expectations for this read when I went into it, all I knew was cool-looking dark castle vibes, a hot professor, and mystery’s to be uncovered.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! I need a paperback immediately to annotate!

I did have some trouble with the first couple of chapters but that was just because the third person's pov takes my mind a little bit to process, but after a few chapters went by I fully was into it!

I'm obsessed, it kept me on my toes with the little twists and turns, and my jaw was on the damn floor with that plot twist. I truly loved the relationship between vad and her, it was so intriguing! You couldn’t help but love the guy even knowing you shouldn’t, and he was always there, watching her and keeping her safe... entirely in love!

I flew through this book in a sitting, not able to eat much less move from my very spot until I devoured this book whole,

It's about this girl who gets an invitation to this school in basically this hidden type castle, there she uncovers some truths that weren't expected when she arrived, she found love, a new meaning to certain things, and answers. It was filled with intrigue, a little mystery, and a keep you on your toes almost forbidden type of love with a student and her teacher (to me the age gap wasn't a big deal at all, she’s 21, he’s 27)

I won't say much more because it's the kind of book the less you know going in the better! I had so much fun finding answers along the way, being confused, and then on the edge of my seat when a crumb of information with given that could answer our questions. There's a happy ending by the way!

Gah, I can keep talking but I’m sure you don’t want my babbling! I Loved it so much😫

4.5/5 star rating⭐
3/5 spice rating🌶️
4/5 tension rating🔥

This was the first dark academia book I've picked up in a while, and I devoured it! It is a book you can finish in one sitting and feel satisfied with how you spent your time.

The beginning was promising; I was sucked up by the book little by little. It was so enchanting. The perfect combination of spice and paranormal suspense. RuNyx made us witness a forbidden love on school grounds, all while a mystery was happening at the castle.

The unique world-building was different from what I usually see in darker books, and I loved every second of it. The plot twists and the whole gothic vibe were so intriguing!

While the book was dark, surprisingly, the best part was the romance. There were also many sub-genres like rom-com and many others where you usually need help finding the amount of romance and chemistry you want. Still, in this book, the attraction, the want and the love was AH-MAZING.

The tension between Val and Corvina was exceptionally well written. Val is telling Corvina to stay away from him but also being the one who gravitates towards her. While Corvina is so courageous and calls him out on his behaviour despite battling with her own attraction to him.

Val's possessive love for Corvina built this darker chemistry between them, but it works so well. The chemistry. The attraction. The tension. Everything worked so well.

What an unravelling and reveal of the mystery surrounding the mountain is just so electrifying to read. The witch and the devil will live in my head rent-free. They are my madness.

Also, the new paperback edition... it's insanely beautiful!! Love, love, love. I need to get my hands on it ASAP.

This book was exactly what I needed in my life.

Dark, twisty, gothic, mysterious, moody, magical and sexy - it really has it all!

This is a dark academia romance featuring forbidden love. I read this book in bed in the dark with just my clip on reading light while it was raining - I had the whole entire dark vibe going and it was such a great experience. I loved how eerie and paranormal the scenes were in this, so descriptive and well written, it makes you feel as if you are right there beside the characters. I could have probably binged this entire book in one night but I had to force myself to read it slowly because I truly did not want it to end. I absolutely loved the characters, the spice, the darkness, everything!

If you are wanting to read this I HIGHLY recommend getting the paperback version. It has these absolutely beautiful and dark aesthetic pages that make the book that much more incredible and moody.

I love this author’s work and this book was no exception. Her stories and the writing style really calls to me and her characters are so layered and fascinating. Absolutely loved it!!

“If this is madness, drown me in it.” […]
“If this is madness, I’ve already descended too far.”
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Gothikana è il primo libro che ho letto dell’autrice, mi sono innamorata del suo stile di scrittura e nell’arco di due settimane ho recuperato tutti i suoi libri😂 (prima o poi vi porterò le recensioni dei vari libri della Dark Verse). Avevo questo libro da un po’ in tbr e a convincermi è stata @unspokenbooks 👀 best scelta ever🙌🏼.
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📖Emarginata per tutta la vita, la vita di Corvina Clemm cambia quando riceve una lettera di ammissione dalla misteriosa Università di Verenmore. Quindi, prendendo questa come la sua possibilità di una vita migliore con nuove opportunità, accetta di trasferirsi lì. Corvina ha sempre sentito delle voci, voci che l’hanno accompagnata per tutta la vita e che in questa situazione la convinceranno ad andare. Una volta arrivata a Verenmore, Corvina diventa amica e coinquilina di una ragazza di nome Jade che ha avuto un piccolo incidente l’anno precedente all'Università che l’ha obbligata ad allontanarsi, ma è tornata per completare gli studi. Corvina poi incontra l'enigmatico Vad Deverell, un professore temuto da tutti perché nessuno sa nulla di lui e bramato dalle studentesse e dal personale per il suo aspetto accattivante. La chimica tra Corvina e Vad è immediata, la si può respirare nell’aria sin dal primo momento. Tra sguardi intensi e terribili avvertimenti, cercano di resistere all'attrazione ma senza successo. Nel frattempo qualcosa di oscuro circonda Verenmore: diversi studenti iniziano a togliersi la vita e anche il tempo in cui diversi studenti ogni 5 anni scompaiono misteriosamente si avvicina sempre di più. Corvina e Vad risolveranno il mistero dietro tutto questo o la storia si ripeterà di nuovo?
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Il libro mi ha presa sin da subito e sicuramente questo ha a che vedere con l’ambientazione dark e gotica. Non tutto viene rivelato, alcune cose rimarranno segrete e non ne verremo mai a conoscenza. Il fatto che sembra esserci l’elemento del sovrannaturale ma non ne siamo completamente sicuri è fatto benissimo e attira il lettore nella trappola.
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Anche la caratterizzazione dei personaggi è fatta benissimo. Corvina è una ragazza impavida, quasi sociopathic borderline per via dell’assenza delle sue emozione che vengono portate a galla solo quando è in compagnia del caro professore😏. Vad è intenso e vi farà seriamente mettere in dubbio la vostra sanità mentale🙃. Le scene tra di loro non possono essere descritte se non così: 🤌🏼🔥🚨🥵😮‍💨😈👅. A parte gli scherzi, io sono una grandissima fan della teacher/student trope e qui è fatta divinamente. L’age gap non è troppo differente ma anche se lo fosse stato non avrebbe influenzato la mia valutazione, just saying.
“𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐈 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧, 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐈 𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐫. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐈 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞.”
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La trama è avvincente e il mystery rende il tutto ancora più intrigante😍 non vedo l’ora che uscirà a Arkana per leggere di più delle vicende che riguardano Verenmore👀.
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Ho già citato alcuni dei trigger warning nella trama e nella recensione però vi lascio qui la lista della spesa: suicide, murder, death, mentions of mental illnesses, neglectful parenting, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of human sacrifice.
Il libro c’è anche in italiano, è stato tradotto dalla @virgibooks 🤍
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Thank you @netgalley for sending me the ARC of the new edition🤞🏼✨

A Dark Academia Gothic Romance - that in my opinion, everyone needs to read! My first ever dark academia and I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved the storyline, the setting and, of course, the spice 🔥🔥🔥

This book is about Corvina Clemm and her relationship with Vad Deverell, a part time teacher at her new university - they are unlike any couple I’ve ever read about. I loved how their relationship unfolded and was just rooting for them from the outset.

The story focuses on some mysterious events that have happened at Verenmore university over the last century. There is so much darkness, mystery, murder and love - the perfect combination! I was absolutely engrossed in this book from the moment I started reading it and I devoured it. I can’t wait to read more from RuNyx

I loved this book when I read it first time round and I loved it even more the second time! RuNyx is a master of dark academia and I will forever love and recommend this book to whoever will listen.

"I’m in your head, in your blood, in your very veins. I’ve claimed you before anything else ever could. Your body, your heart, your mind, your f*cking soul, it’s all mine..."

After losing her mother, Corvina receives an admission letter from the University of Verenmore. She's lived most of her life as a recluse and yearns for just a touch of normality so sees this as an opportunity for a fresh start.

As she tries to adjust to life in the haunting and secluded halls of the castle, she finds herself attracting the attention of Vad Deverell, a part-time professor working on his thesis.

As a series of horrifying events unfold, it soon becomes apparent that Verenmore is hiding a twisted past riddled with dark secrets. After students witness an apparent suicide within the castle grounds, a disturbing century-old mystery steeped in blood starts to unravel and Cornina and Vad find themselves inexplicably tethered to one another in the hope of uncovering the truth.

Gothikana is an atmospheric, dark academia romance that is sexy and addictive. The story was steeped in mystery and melancholy which I found unexpected and intriguing. I really enjoyed the forbidden romance element and the spice was incredibly well written; seductive and satisfying. It was a fast paced read that I devoured in one night.

Everyone needs to read this book!

I was hesitant at the beginning, but once you start it's addictive and I couldn't put it down.

It has all of my favorite tropes in one, enemies to lovers with an alpha hole that falls first.

I loved the world building in this dark academia environment, the story kept me on my toes, whenever I thought about something it was the other way around.

Mysterious, intriguing and spicy.

Thank you for this gift!

At this point, Runxy could write anything and I'd absolutely love it. The writing, the atmosphere, everything about this book is perfect.

Has a book ever made you feel so utterly complete that you don’t know how anything will ever compare? Gothikana is it for me.

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

I was instantly submerged into the beautifully macabre world that is the University of Verenmore. RuNyx built a mysterious and fascinating tale that I never wanted to end. I knew from the first chapter that this book was different, every single aspect had me itching for more.

The atmosphere captivated me from the word go. A secluded castle on a mountain surrounded by forest and cliff edges, filled with bright individuals all dealt a bad hand in life, what could possibly go wrong? Are the stories just that? Spooky tales passed in whispers as a way to keep students out of the woods. Or is there any truth behind the voices Corvina can hear begging for help?

Vad Deverell and Corvina Clemm. The dark and broody professor we know we shouldn’t want and the raven haired, purple eyed girl who defies everything you thought she would be. The Devil and the Witch. The Lovers. I have never read spice quite like how RuNyx writes it, every scene had me internally screaming “holy sh*t”. The pace is perfect, the dialogue alone is toe curling and their love will leave you envious. I’m also 99% sure my body temperate was a whole 5 degrees hotter for the entirety of this book.

I found myself falling down the beautifully poetic rabbit hole that is Gothikana, and I genuinely believe this book will stay with me forever. RuNyx has quickly become an all time favourite author of mine and I cannot wait to read, and no doubt adore, Arkana.

If you are looking for a dark, searing and raw romance, with a hypnotising original love story, this book is for you. It is packed with an eerie, preternatural, sexy atmosphere that will leave you begging for more.

“The molecules in her body recognized the molecules in his, the madness in her blood recognized the madness in his, the melancholy in her soul recognized the melancholy in his.”

“Steer clear of me, little crow,” he muttered, his eyes piercing, flaying her open. “You might be a luring siren but I’m no ordinary sailor. I’m a mad pirate and I’m trying to resist your call. If I land on your shores, I will plunder and take away everything worth having. Be very careful giving me those eyes.”

If I could describe Gothikana in one word it would be macabre.

This whole book was a mood. I fell in love instantly with Corvina and the world.

I highlighted majority of this book just because it was so damn good. It’s was mysterious and spooky and damn hot.

Vad and Corvinas tension and energy really gripped me and had me rooting for them. The spice was *chefs kiss* but we expect nothing less from our RuNyx!

This book is now my personality. I am in utter awe and love. I can’t really say any more than that!

Entertainment:🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿/5
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶️🌶/5
K*nk: 🪢🪢🪢/5
Feels: 🎭🎭🎭🎭/5
MMC: 😈😈😈😈/5
Mood: 🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇/5

Gothikana is a gothic dark romance and is so unique and magical than I don’t know why I have waited so long to read it. As usual, check the triggers before you start the book.

"𝐼'𝓂 𝒷𝓊𝒾𝓁𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝓎 𝒸𝒶𝓈𝓉𝓁ℯ 𝒷𝓇𝒾𝒸𝓀 𝒷𝓎 𝒷𝓇𝒾𝒸𝓀 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓂𝒾𝒹𝒹𝓁ℯ ℴ𝒻 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓈𝓉ℴ𝓇𝓂, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼'𝓂 𝓌ℴ𝓃𝒹ℯ𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝒻 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓂ℴ𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝓊𝓃𝒹ℯ𝓇𝓃ℯ𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝓂𝓎 𝒻ℯℯ𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒸𝓇𝓊𝓂𝒷𝓁ℯ." 𝒮𝒽ℯ 𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓃ℯ𝒹 𝒽ℯ𝓇 𝓃ℯ𝒸𝓀 𝓉ℴ 𝒸𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝒽𝒾𝓈 ℯ𝓎ℯ𝓈. "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."
ℋℯ 𝓁ℯ𝒶𝓃ℯ𝒹 𝒻ℴ𝓇𝓌𝒶𝓇𝒹, 𝒽𝒾𝓈 ℯ𝓎ℯ𝓈 𝒷𝓁𝒶𝓏𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓀𝒾𝓈𝓈ℯ𝒹 𝒽ℯ𝓇 𝒻ℴ𝓇 𝒶 𝓁ℴ𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝓊𝓉ℯ 𝒷ℯ𝒻ℴ𝓇ℯ 𝓅𝓊𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀. "ℬ𝓊𝒾𝓁𝒹 𝓎ℴ𝓊𝓇 𝒸𝒶𝓈𝓉𝓁ℯ, 𝒞ℴ𝓇𝓋𝒾𝓃𝒶," 𝒽ℯ 𝓉ℴ𝓁𝒹 𝒽ℯ𝓇 𝓆𝓊𝒾ℯ𝓉𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽ℯ𝓎 𝒷ℴ𝓉𝒽 𝓌𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽ℯ𝒹 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓋𝒾ℯ𝓌 ℴ𝓊𝓉𝓈𝒾𝒹ℯ. "𝐼'𝓂 𝓃ℴ𝓉 𝓂ℴ𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓌𝒽ℯ𝓇ℯ. ℬ𝓊𝒾𝓁𝒹 𝓎ℴ𝓊𝓇 𝒸𝒶𝓈𝓉𝓁ℯ 𝒶𝓈 𝒻𝓊𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒽𝒾𝑔𝒽 𝒶𝓈 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉."

Now, to the review…if this is your first time reading something written by RuNyx you are for a treat and if this is not your first time you know you will love it. Ru has a especial way with word, they surround you, the description and atmosphere clear in your mind and you can see, feel and experience what these characters do, see or feel.

You will love this book if you like
🖤Forbidden love
🖤Dark academia aesthetic
🖤Off limits romance: professor-alumni
🖤Morally grey character
🖤Mystery and spooky moments
🖤“I will burn the world for you”
🖤Dark romance.


Corvina or Vivi is such an amazing character. She is unique and accepts her uniqueness. She is who she is and she would not lower her standards because some may find her odd. Her journey with fear and mental heath is very interesting. She is not a damsel in distress, she is a badass who will fight for herself.
Love her witchy soul and her style.

Vad…the devil of Verenmore is everything we love in a morally grey character: mysterious, attractive, smart and passionate. He is incredibly supportive and he is a romantic you would not expect.

"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."

The castle, the woods, the mystery. You are here for a spooky, witchy adventure and some of the moments are there to make your heart beat like crazy.
Just saying…that shower scene creeped me out.

Do I want to know the answers to those questions Corvina asked at the end? I do!
Do I want to go back to Verenmore? Definitely!

Overall, another masterpiece!

I’ve been wondering how to best describe this book, other than a gothical romance which is what’s written on the tin! it’s a bit like a dark steamy version of Hogwarts minus the magic but with a forbidden romance in the mix. Set in Mount Verenmore, a university no one seems to have heard of. One which invites slightly troubled young adults to study there. People have disappeared every five years for over a hundred years. No one in the nearby village ventures up to the mysterious school situated at the top of a mountain because of the rumours of students disappearing, suicides, and the hauntings.
It’s a great and in its own way, a magically read- but it is very dark with some disturbing themes running through it.

An easy 5⭐️recommendation