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A review by wordsbychiara
Gothikana by RuNyx
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Did I enjoy Gothikana? Overall, yes. It follows a strange girl who hears voices in her head, an enigmatic professor with secrets and it's set in a castle-academy where students have the uncanny ability to end up unalived. I went in looking for an atmospheric and romantic read, and I got it (though I think the romance won't appeal to anyone who doesn't regularly read and enjoy dark romance).
Did I expect more? Also yes. While offering all the elements I mentioned above, this book somehow manages to only scratch the surface of all of them. At its core, that between Deverell and Corvina is a standard student-professor relationship that leaves little room for surprises. It burns hot and fast, and despite attempts to cast suspicion on his character, Corvina never really doubts him. A shame, because I feel like there were all the elements for a tumultuous, angsty slow burn with these two! I also wanted more mystery, more investigation. A lot of times, I felt like Corvina was doing...nothing. That the mystery just happened upon her and elements were "told", but not discovered.
And yet despite all this... I can't say I didn't enjoy the book. Ultimately, I think this is one of those stories that is polarizing, and that readers will react to differently based on a lot of personal triggers, preferences and experiences. So if it's been on your radar before, or you want to try a spicy gothic romance, I would recommend trying it.
Things to expect in this book:
🔥 spicy romance (3-4 level, depending on your personal scales)
📚 academia vibes
🖤 student/professor romance where he is enigmatic and morally gray
🔍 mystery
👻 spooky elements
Did I expect more? Also yes. While offering all the elements I mentioned above, this book somehow manages to only scratch the surface of all of them. At its core, that between Deverell and Corvina is a standard student-professor relationship that leaves little room for surprises. It burns hot and fast, and despite attempts to cast suspicion on his character, Corvina never really doubts him. A shame, because I feel like there were all the elements for a tumultuous, angsty slow burn with these two! I also wanted more mystery, more investigation. A lot of times, I felt like Corvina was doing...nothing. That the mystery just happened upon her and elements were "told", but not discovered.
And yet despite all this... I can't say I didn't enjoy the book. Ultimately, I think this is one of those stories that is polarizing, and that readers will react to differently based on a lot of personal triggers, preferences and experiences. So if it's been on your radar before, or you want to try a spicy gothic romance, I would recommend trying it.
Things to expect in this book:
🔥 spicy romance (3-4 level, depending on your personal scales)
📚 academia vibes
🖤 student/professor romance where he is enigmatic and morally gray
🔍 mystery
👻 spooky elements
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content