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This is a special edition of Echo which includes bonus material not included in the original, and a different cover.
The Devils of Vitality always hit their mark.
Rabbit Trace is a musical prodigy with a secret.
Ever since an event that took place a year ago, he gets terrible stage fright before every performance. With a famous mother who's dedicated her entire life to her craft, and the weight of her expectations heavy on his shoulders, Rabbit is only one panic attack away from crumbling. He knows it'll be easier to escape if he stops running from the memory of that night, but he's stubborn and doesn't want to remember something so horrible his mind thought fit to erase it for him. Monotony has helped him make it through, and he's settled into a dull routine that keeps his mind occupied, the worst of the attacks limited to just before performances. That is until one of the infamous Devils of Vitality suddenly takes notice and decides to invade his life, whether he reciprocates or not.
Baikal Void has many titles.
Each of them comes with a responsibility attached to it. Future Dominus, head of the Vitality Brumal Mafia, is just one of them. He's always known he'd one day have to take the crown, he just never realized it'd be so soon. With his father dying and the inevitable changing of power looming, Baikal struggles to keep his deranged nature under control as he grapples with the upcoming loss. Then one night he's dragged to a recital for his university and sees him for the first time. After one glance he knows he's found his saving grace in Rabbit, the reserved musician who looks like he's battling demons of his own. Just like that, he's got a new title to add to the list. He's going to be the owner of one little ethereal bunny.
Rabbit doesn't understand Baikal's sudden and intense interest, or why the Brumal Prince has gone out of his way to collect enough dirt on his mom to force his hand. Blackmailed into a relationship of sorts, Rabbit fights against Baikal's constant advances and his own tumultuous feelings. Everything Baikal inflicts on him is wrong and twisted, and yet the longer he's made to endure, the more codependent Rabbit finds himself becoming. Baikal promises freedom from the predetermined fate he's always been a slave to, but only if he gives himself over to him completely.
And if he doesn't do so willingly? A devil is always prepared to take what they want, and Baikal Void is no exception.
Trigger This is a stand-alone dark romance which means there are many themes that some might find disturbing. Some of these include, but are not limited to, dub-con, violence, a seriously obsessed male lead, and explicit sexual content not suitable for all readers. Please be sure to read the Author's Note for a complete list of warnings! HEA guarantee!
The Devils of Vitality always hit their mark.
Rabbit Trace is a musical prodigy with a secret.
Ever since an event that took place a year ago, he gets terrible stage fright before every performance. With a famous mother who's dedicated her entire life to her craft, and the weight of her expectations heavy on his shoulders, Rabbit is only one panic attack away from crumbling. He knows it'll be easier to escape if he stops running from the memory of that night, but he's stubborn and doesn't want to remember something so horrible his mind thought fit to erase it for him. Monotony has helped him make it through, and he's settled into a dull routine that keeps his mind occupied, the worst of the attacks limited to just before performances. That is until one of the infamous Devils of Vitality suddenly takes notice and decides to invade his life, whether he reciprocates or not.
Baikal Void has many titles.
Each of them comes with a responsibility attached to it. Future Dominus, head of the Vitality Brumal Mafia, is just one of them. He's always known he'd one day have to take the crown, he just never realized it'd be so soon. With his father dying and the inevitable changing of power looming, Baikal struggles to keep his deranged nature under control as he grapples with the upcoming loss. Then one night he's dragged to a recital for his university and sees him for the first time. After one glance he knows he's found his saving grace in Rabbit, the reserved musician who looks like he's battling demons of his own. Just like that, he's got a new title to add to the list. He's going to be the owner of one little ethereal bunny.
Rabbit doesn't understand Baikal's sudden and intense interest, or why the Brumal Prince has gone out of his way to collect enough dirt on his mom to force his hand. Blackmailed into a relationship of sorts, Rabbit fights against Baikal's constant advances and his own tumultuous feelings. Everything Baikal inflicts on him is wrong and twisted, and yet the longer he's made to endure, the more codependent Rabbit finds himself becoming. Baikal promises freedom from the predetermined fate he's always been a slave to, but only if he gives himself over to him completely.
And if he doesn't do so willingly? A devil is always prepared to take what they want, and Baikal Void is no exception.
Trigger This is a stand-alone dark romance which means there are many themes that some might find disturbing. Some of these include, but are not limited to, dub-con, violence, a seriously obsessed male lead, and explicit sexual content not suitable for all readers. Please be sure to read the Author's Note for a complete list of warnings! HEA guarantee!
551 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2023
578 people are currently reading
3264 people want to read
About the author
Chani Lynn Feener
68 books1,527 followersLibrarians, please don't add books. I stay up to date and add them myself and have ended up with many multiple copies because others add them later. Thank you!
Chani majored in Creative Writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn’t writing, she’s binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. She is the author of the Xenith trilogy, and the teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the penname Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut.
Have a question? Check her blog! https://chanilynnfeener.wixsite.com/a...
Find her on Instagram @TempestChani
Chani majored in Creative Writing at Johnson State College in Vermont. To pay her bills, she has worked many odd jobs, including, but not limited to, telemarketing, order picking in a warehouse, and filling ink cartridges. When she isn’t writing, she’s binging TV shows, drawing, or frequenting zoos/aquariums. She is the author of the Xenith trilogy, and the teen paranormal series, The Underworld Saga, originally written under the penname Tempest C. Avery. She currently resides in Connecticut.
Have a question? Check her blog! https://chanilynnfeener.wixsite.com/a...
Find her on Instagram @TempestChani
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 467 reviews
December 29, 2025
Second reading 12/2025
A dash of Rabbit was definitely the right medicine the doctor should have prescribed. It didn't cure the slight cold, but it definitely lifted the mood.
First reading 08/2023
I'm quite smitten with Chani's writing style and her way of building a sci-fi world. There are probably better books out there, but right now this year these books are absolutely perfect for me and Chani can do no wrong. This is the fourth book I've read and her magic still works on me 🤩.
This is a dark book but not as dark as others. Definitely - Rape/Non-Con/Dub-Con - should be mentioned as a trigger, for more warnings please read the author's foreword. One that I really extremely love, all other authors should read this, it's perfect for the safety of the readers.
Baikal Void had better things to do with his time than sit around listening to anything that wasn’t the sound of a person taking his fist or his cock. 🖤🥀🖤
Baikal didn’t even know the man’s name, but suddenly he knew one thing with absolute perfect clarity. The beautiful performer would belong to him. 🤩🖤🤩
So Baikal is the bad guy. He wants to play Rabbit like the latter plays his instrument. And he will, but at the same time Rabbit plays Baikal. The chemistry between the two is really delicious. But first Rabbit has to accept that he can't get away from Baikal. The first few encounters between the two are a bit off because there wasn't enough time to get to know Baikal. You understand that he is possessive, but the way he tries to deal with Rabbit is bad bad bad. Later you will understand Baikal's methods, but at first they are not very nice ...
If this was kissing, Rabbit was glad he’d never experienced it before. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t focus. Every time he opened his mouth wider in an attempt to suck in much-needed oxygen, all he got was a deeper stroke of that demanding tongue and a hard push of that mouth against his own. He felt like he was being torn open and eaten from the inside out and nothing had even happened yet aside from one damn kiss. 🔥🖤🔥
Rabbit tries to run away, but he is only a little bunny and the big bad wolf will always catch him. But he also has a strong, beautiful core. At first there are only glimpses, but even at the beginning he pushes back. The dialogues are a wee bit repetitive as Rabbit keeps saying no to Baikal and they go around in circles. For me, though, that's only a tiny annoyance.
Mostly the sexual encounters are non-con/dub-con. It is difficult to describe. Not everything is on the dark side between those two. It's a really fine line between non/dub and con. I don't think I'm making sense now, I don't have the right words. Let's have some of the book:
Once he did finally have him on his back, those legs spread wide, his hole greedily sucking on his cock…It would make all of this waiting advantageous. 🥵
Last night had been both a nightmare and a fantasy come to life. Rabbit couldn’t lie to himself and say he hadn’t enjoyed it. Even being dominated the way he had been. 🖤
Part of him wanted to submit and obey, wanted to give in to whatever Baikal had planned next for them, just to see what that plan entailed. 🥀
“I like the way you make me focus on nothing else but the things you can make me feel. I like the way you look at me like I’m important to you.” 😍😍😍
A dash of Rabbit was definitely the right medicine the doctor should have prescribed. It didn't cure the slight cold, but it definitely lifted the mood.
First reading 08/2023
I'm quite smitten with Chani's writing style and her way of building a sci-fi world. There are probably better books out there, but right now this year these books are absolutely perfect for me and Chani can do no wrong. This is the fourth book I've read and her magic still works on me 🤩.
This is a dark book but not as dark as others. Definitely - Rape/Non-Con/Dub-Con - should be mentioned as a trigger, for more warnings please read the author's foreword. One that I really extremely love, all other authors should read this, it's perfect for the safety of the readers.
Baikal Void had better things to do with his time than sit around listening to anything that wasn’t the sound of a person taking his fist or his cock. 🖤🥀🖤
Baikal didn’t even know the man’s name, but suddenly he knew one thing with absolute perfect clarity. The beautiful performer would belong to him. 🤩🖤🤩
So Baikal is the bad guy. He wants to play Rabbit like the latter plays his instrument. And he will, but at the same time Rabbit plays Baikal. The chemistry between the two is really delicious. But first Rabbit has to accept that he can't get away from Baikal. The first few encounters between the two are a bit off because there wasn't enough time to get to know Baikal. You understand that he is possessive, but the way he tries to deal with Rabbit is bad bad bad. Later you will understand Baikal's methods, but at first they are not very nice ...
If this was kissing, Rabbit was glad he’d never experienced it before. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t focus. Every time he opened his mouth wider in an attempt to suck in much-needed oxygen, all he got was a deeper stroke of that demanding tongue and a hard push of that mouth against his own. He felt like he was being torn open and eaten from the inside out and nothing had even happened yet aside from one damn kiss. 🔥🖤🔥
Rabbit tries to run away, but he is only a little bunny and the big bad wolf will always catch him. But he also has a strong, beautiful core. At first there are only glimpses, but even at the beginning he pushes back. The dialogues are a wee bit repetitive as Rabbit keeps saying no to Baikal and they go around in circles. For me, though, that's only a tiny annoyance.
Mostly the sexual encounters are non-con/dub-con. It is difficult to describe. Not everything is on the dark side between those two. It's a really fine line between non/dub and con. I don't think I'm making sense now, I don't have the right words. Let's have some of the book:
Once he did finally have him on his back, those legs spread wide, his hole greedily sucking on his cock…It would make all of this waiting advantageous. 🥵
Last night had been both a nightmare and a fantasy come to life. Rabbit couldn’t lie to himself and say he hadn’t enjoyed it. Even being dominated the way he had been. 🖤
Part of him wanted to submit and obey, wanted to give in to whatever Baikal had planned next for them, just to see what that plan entailed. 🥀
“I like the way you make me focus on nothing else but the things you can make me feel. I like the way you look at me like I’m important to you.” 😍😍😍
July 6, 2023
✰ 2.5 stars ✰
“I saw you and I just knew.” Void lifted a single shoulder as if that explained everything.
“Knew what?” Rabbit didn’t get it. Maybe he never would.
He sighed and got to his feet. “I knew you’d be mine,” he said, and then his gaze hardened. “And so you are. That’s non-negotiable. It’s a fact. You belong to me, little bunny. My tiny little obsession. Nothing and no one is going to take you from me.”
the book is the definition of a crash and burn for me. the first 50% was a solid 4 stars. i was loving the storyline, the push and pull was nearly perfect, baikal's obsession was off the charts plus with the chemistry and tension between them was palpable. their relationship was very very toxic, and everything about them and how they get together was hella unconventional. which i don't mind if there is something to root for in the their relationship and if i actually believe in their connection (this wasn't really the case here though). one thing i did enjoy was how baikal helped rabbit confront his demons and get over them. how he did it was in the complete wrong way but you have to suspend all morals, values, and beliefs when reading this or you won't be able to enjoy it. and well, maybe that's why i couldn't fully enjoy this 🤡 this book turned out to be such a disappointment, that it made it almost impossible to do so. 💀
Only a devil could defeat a monster. And Baikal Void was the biggest devil Rabbit knew of.
if you have read the A Whisper in The Dark series by this author, baikal is basically a copy and paste of odin, and i don't mean that in a good way. however, baikal did have some moments where i actually liked him unlike odin. baikal is the type of man who gives you the option to pick from a very bad choice or a lesser bad choice. if rabbit didn't want either of those, then baikal would force him into the worse option. he does not take no as an answer. it was not very cute, but honestly what did i expect with a book like this? however, what really bothered me was that baikal would say that he doesn't want to control, or to force rabbit at all and he wants rabbit to love him and to be his own person. he voiced this a lot, but unfortunately, based on the 3 books i've read from this author, they are a fan of having only tell and no show in their books. baikal gave me severe whiplash, his character was so sporadic and he made no sense.
example he would say this:
“We aren’t acting,” he corrected, “and I’ll only hover like this until I’m certain the man who attacked you has been dealt with and is no longer a threat. Believe it or not, Rabbit, I don’t want to control you. I like who you are, and I’m not in the market for a pet. My life is too hectic to raise another living creature.”
but then he was like:
“Spread those milky thighs and let me come inside this tight hole?” He wiggled his fingers, causing Rabbit to gasp. “I forced your legs apart,” he reminded. “I drove my cock into your body despite your pleas for me not to, and when you begged me to stop, I emptied my load deep inside of you,” he shoved those fingers in, pushing them as far as they would go, “again, and again, and again.”
like HUH?? dude make up your mind. this book has a list of triggers. i knew there was going to be dub con/non con going into this so that didn't bother me. what bothered me was baikal always doing the opposite of what he said or just not doing it at all. it’s like the author would finally give us a slither of hope that baikal actually genuinely cared even a little bit for rabbit but then it would be ripped away. baikal insisted he didn't want to control rabbit but that's exactly what he did the whole time. by the end of the book, do i believe they actually loved each other? i guess so. but it was only because baikal didn't give rabbit a choice other wise. he basically wore him down until rabbit gave up. it was very clear that baikal had all the power here and if rabbit wanted something different, well, that didn't really matter. i wish their relationship would have been more balanced but it does kinda get there but not until the very end of the book.
this is going to have spoilers from here!
The crowd was already standing and applauding before he finished, and through his haze, he couldn’t process why. Until a twisted ribbon of teal, bright and glowing, drifted past his field of view. Teal, like Void’s eyes. Teal, a color Rabbit had never produced with the beiska before. After years of painstaking struggle and practices that had lasted until daybreak, Rabbit had finally unlocked a new color.
now what really threw me over the edge when i started disliking the book was when rabbit unlocked the new color playing his bieska. i was so happy because rabbit is a musical prodigy and he finally unlocked a new color after a couple of years and it was all because of baikal. he started to have some actual genuine feelings, feelings that didn't feel forced upon him because of baikal even with how fucked up their relationship was. rabbit started to see the good sides that this relationship with baikal could have. after his performance, baikal disappeared for a whole week and ghosted rabbit. it wasn't even explained why he was gone or why he couldn't have at least contacted rabbit once. rabbit ended up getting drugged and almost kidnapped and baikal wasn't there to protect him the one time rabbit needed him. now all those feelings that developed got squashed. after FINALLY seeing a little light after all in this book and FINALLY seeing a slither of actual connection between them, it all went down the drain. disappointed was an understatement. it didn't seem like he really cared for rabbit as much as he said he did. we were back to square one like it was the beginning of the book again. there was little to no relationship or character development. rabbit would be like "i'm not sure how far i want to go with baikal" at 90% and then at 98% he wants to marry him???
now for delusional rabbit:
“You’re the first person who’s given me a choice.” He chuckled humorlessly. “Even if the choices aren’t really choices at all. Even if the end always leads back to you, at least you let me decide how I get there. You let me set the pace.”
i flat out laughed at this. "you are the first person to give me choices even though they aren't even choices" i'm sorry what??? that makes no sense. from my understanding of this book, baikal did not let rabbit set the pace or decide how to get there at all. it was all baikal controlling and manipulating everything. i had this same problem with the A Whisper in The Dark series, i feel like the author tries to make something seem a certain way, but it doesn't come across that way. like they are words on paper that baikal is saying rabbit can make his own choices, but they are just words with no meaning because there is no evidence that proves those words are true. idk how to explain it.
anyway, i knew going into this that this is not a redemption arc for baikal, he is unapologetically himself and he's a spoiled mafia prince who always gets whatever he wants. but it would have been nice to feel like there was some connection between them that was believable. but once baikal finally gets what he wants, in the end he would do anything for rabbit, it just takes to the last possible moment to actually see it. if you like dark romance, don't mind reading a LOT of dub con/non con (because there was i think 1-2 actual fully consensual scenes in this book and it was basically at end....), toxic and overly possessive obsessive mmcs, touch him and die, along with some cool sci-fi and fantasy elements, you'll enjoy this!
“I saw you and I just knew.” Void lifted a single shoulder as if that explained everything.
“Knew what?” Rabbit didn’t get it. Maybe he never would.
He sighed and got to his feet. “I knew you’d be mine,” he said, and then his gaze hardened. “And so you are. That’s non-negotiable. It’s a fact. You belong to me, little bunny. My tiny little obsession. Nothing and no one is going to take you from me.”
the book is the definition of a crash and burn for me. the first 50% was a solid 4 stars. i was loving the storyline, the push and pull was nearly perfect, baikal's obsession was off the charts plus with the chemistry and tension between them was palpable. their relationship was very very toxic, and everything about them and how they get together was hella unconventional. which i don't mind if there is something to root for in the their relationship and if i actually believe in their connection (this wasn't really the case here though). one thing i did enjoy was how baikal helped rabbit confront his demons and get over them. how he did it was in the complete wrong way but you have to suspend all morals, values, and beliefs when reading this or you won't be able to enjoy it. and well, maybe that's why i couldn't fully enjoy this 🤡 this book turned out to be such a disappointment, that it made it almost impossible to do so. 💀
Only a devil could defeat a monster. And Baikal Void was the biggest devil Rabbit knew of.
if you have read the A Whisper in The Dark series by this author, baikal is basically a copy and paste of odin, and i don't mean that in a good way. however, baikal did have some moments where i actually liked him unlike odin. baikal is the type of man who gives you the option to pick from a very bad choice or a lesser bad choice. if rabbit didn't want either of those, then baikal would force him into the worse option. he does not take no as an answer. it was not very cute, but honestly what did i expect with a book like this? however, what really bothered me was that baikal would say that he doesn't want to control, or to force rabbit at all and he wants rabbit to love him and to be his own person. he voiced this a lot, but unfortunately, based on the 3 books i've read from this author, they are a fan of having only tell and no show in their books. baikal gave me severe whiplash, his character was so sporadic and he made no sense.
example he would say this:
“We aren’t acting,” he corrected, “and I’ll only hover like this until I’m certain the man who attacked you has been dealt with and is no longer a threat. Believe it or not, Rabbit, I don’t want to control you. I like who you are, and I’m not in the market for a pet. My life is too hectic to raise another living creature.”
but then he was like:
“Spread those milky thighs and let me come inside this tight hole?” He wiggled his fingers, causing Rabbit to gasp. “I forced your legs apart,” he reminded. “I drove my cock into your body despite your pleas for me not to, and when you begged me to stop, I emptied my load deep inside of you,” he shoved those fingers in, pushing them as far as they would go, “again, and again, and again.”
like HUH?? dude make up your mind. this book has a list of triggers. i knew there was going to be dub con/non con going into this so that didn't bother me. what bothered me was baikal always doing the opposite of what he said or just not doing it at all. it’s like the author would finally give us a slither of hope that baikal actually genuinely cared even a little bit for rabbit but then it would be ripped away. baikal insisted he didn't want to control rabbit but that's exactly what he did the whole time. by the end of the book, do i believe they actually loved each other? i guess so. but it was only because baikal didn't give rabbit a choice other wise. he basically wore him down until rabbit gave up. it was very clear that baikal had all the power here and if rabbit wanted something different, well, that didn't really matter. i wish their relationship would have been more balanced but it does kinda get there but not until the very end of the book.
this is going to have spoilers from here!
The crowd was already standing and applauding before he finished, and through his haze, he couldn’t process why. Until a twisted ribbon of teal, bright and glowing, drifted past his field of view. Teal, like Void’s eyes. Teal, a color Rabbit had never produced with the beiska before. After years of painstaking struggle and practices that had lasted until daybreak, Rabbit had finally unlocked a new color.
now what really threw me over the edge when i started disliking the book was when rabbit unlocked the new color playing his bieska. i was so happy because rabbit is a musical prodigy and he finally unlocked a new color after a couple of years and it was all because of baikal. he started to have some actual genuine feelings, feelings that didn't feel forced upon him because of baikal even with how fucked up their relationship was. rabbit started to see the good sides that this relationship with baikal could have. after his performance, baikal disappeared for a whole week and ghosted rabbit. it wasn't even explained why he was gone or why he couldn't have at least contacted rabbit once. rabbit ended up getting drugged and almost kidnapped and baikal wasn't there to protect him the one time rabbit needed him. now all those feelings that developed got squashed. after FINALLY seeing a little light after all in this book and FINALLY seeing a slither of actual connection between them, it all went down the drain. disappointed was an understatement. it didn't seem like he really cared for rabbit as much as he said he did. we were back to square one like it was the beginning of the book again. there was little to no relationship or character development. rabbit would be like "i'm not sure how far i want to go with baikal" at 90% and then at 98% he wants to marry him???
now for delusional rabbit:
“You’re the first person who’s given me a choice.” He chuckled humorlessly. “Even if the choices aren’t really choices at all. Even if the end always leads back to you, at least you let me decide how I get there. You let me set the pace.”
i flat out laughed at this. "you are the first person to give me choices even though they aren't even choices" i'm sorry what??? that makes no sense. from my understanding of this book, baikal did not let rabbit set the pace or decide how to get there at all. it was all baikal controlling and manipulating everything. i had this same problem with the A Whisper in The Dark series, i feel like the author tries to make something seem a certain way, but it doesn't come across that way. like they are words on paper that baikal is saying rabbit can make his own choices, but they are just words with no meaning because there is no evidence that proves those words are true. idk how to explain it.
anyway, i knew going into this that this is not a redemption arc for baikal, he is unapologetically himself and he's a spoiled mafia prince who always gets whatever he wants. but it would have been nice to feel like there was some connection between them that was believable. but once baikal finally gets what he wants, in the end he would do anything for rabbit, it just takes to the last possible moment to actually see it. if you like dark romance, don't mind reading a LOT of dub con/non con (because there was i think 1-2 actual fully consensual scenes in this book and it was basically at end....), toxic and overly possessive obsessive mmcs, touch him and die, along with some cool sci-fi and fantasy elements, you'll enjoy this!
Read
November 12, 2024My 3 week slump was fixed with this book and it was... good.
(Apollo still wins)
(Also, where is the bonus material? 👀)
(Apollo still wins)
(Also, where is the bonus material? 👀)
February 7, 2024
I never met a trigger warning I didn't like.
Everything Chani has been putting out in the past year has become my new favorite flavor of book. It's like when you walk into an ice cream shop and there's all these crazy new flavors but your eyes keep glancing back to your tried-and-true. You know you're gonna get it. You may ask for samples to flirt with some of the other flavors but come on, be real, you know what your heart really wants. For me, that's apparently literally anything that this woman writes. (Coincidentally, my actual tried-and-true ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip - I implore you to read the book and find out why I would even bring that up; you won't regret it.)
Rabbit, a musician who plays a beautifully unique instrument called a beiska, catches the eye of Baikal, the planet's mafia prince and a wolf if I've ever seen one. The hunt begins before our little bunny even knows he's being pursued and by the time he catches on, it's far too late as the wolf chases him around the tree and straight down into his sweet little rabbit hole.
There is so. much. to the story - tons of tiny little details that I'm stupidly obsessed with: the gorgeous elements of the beiska, the planetary relationship between Imperials and the mafia, Baikal and his dad, the history of Shouts, the glowing trees, even the fucking school uniforms. I could quite literally go on and on about the attention to detail that Chani puts into all of her books and EVERYTHING is just fucking *chef's kiss*.
Idk who the real devil is, Baikal or Chani Lynn fuckin' Feener, cause listen, I would unquestionably sell my soul to her for nothing in exchange other than for her to continue writing these deliciously dark books. While not as dark as previous books, it still left me happily sated (yet inexplicably starving for more).
Everything Chani has been putting out in the past year has become my new favorite flavor of book. It's like when you walk into an ice cream shop and there's all these crazy new flavors but your eyes keep glancing back to your tried-and-true. You know you're gonna get it. You may ask for samples to flirt with some of the other flavors but come on, be real, you know what your heart really wants. For me, that's apparently literally anything that this woman writes. (Coincidentally, my actual tried-and-true ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip - I implore you to read the book and find out why I would even bring that up; you won't regret it.)
Rabbit, a musician who plays a beautifully unique instrument called a beiska, catches the eye of Baikal, the planet's mafia prince and a wolf if I've ever seen one. The hunt begins before our little bunny even knows he's being pursued and by the time he catches on, it's far too late as the wolf chases him around the tree and straight down into his sweet little rabbit hole.
There is so. much. to the story - tons of tiny little details that I'm stupidly obsessed with: the gorgeous elements of the beiska, the planetary relationship between Imperials and the mafia, Baikal and his dad, the history of Shouts, the glowing trees, even the fucking school uniforms. I could quite literally go on and on about the attention to detail that Chani puts into all of her books and EVERYTHING is just fucking *chef's kiss*.
Idk who the real devil is, Baikal or Chani Lynn fuckin' Feener, cause listen, I would unquestionably sell my soul to her for nothing in exchange other than for her to continue writing these deliciously dark books. While not as dark as previous books, it still left me happily sated (yet inexplicably starving for more).
October 23, 2024
Interesting concept. Good bones. Weird as fuck name choices. Execution a bit flip-floppy and the characters personalities are all over the place.
Trigger warning for non-con/dub-con. There is an author note in the beginning that discusses this. Personally I would have preferred a bit more lead up/slow burn, a bit more getting to know Baikal before it jumps into the non-con sex scenes. The first half is quite heavy on the sex scenes, I got more into the story in the second half/last third when the plot opened up and we got to know the characters more. Although then the ending felt a bit rushed and did a complete turn around in terms of feelings.
At times things felt a bit repetitive with Rabbit resisting and Baikal pushing but then Rabbit’s change of mind felt sudden. There was some good scenes but I would have loved more on page interactions showing Rabbits mindset changing. I think writing non-con to lovers well needs a skilled writer to be able to show the complexities of this kind of relationship. I didn’t believe that Rabbit went from being raped by Baikal to falling in love with him with what little relationship development was shown on page.
I wanted more show and less tell. I kind of felt what the author was telling us about Baikal and Rabbits personalities and what was going on between them was different to what was actually shown. It all felt a bit wishy-washy and confusing at times as to what was actually going down with Baikal’s plans for Rabbit.
Overall this was rather good but didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’d still consider giving the author another go and the beginnings of the world building are promising.
Trigger warning for non-con/dub-con. There is an author note in the beginning that discusses this. Personally I would have preferred a bit more lead up/slow burn, a bit more getting to know Baikal before it jumps into the non-con sex scenes. The first half is quite heavy on the sex scenes, I got more into the story in the second half/last third when the plot opened up and we got to know the characters more. Although then the ending felt a bit rushed and did a complete turn around in terms of feelings.
At times things felt a bit repetitive with Rabbit resisting and Baikal pushing but then Rabbit’s change of mind felt sudden. There was some good scenes but I would have loved more on page interactions showing Rabbits mindset changing. I think writing non-con to lovers well needs a skilled writer to be able to show the complexities of this kind of relationship. I didn’t believe that Rabbit went from being raped by Baikal to falling in love with him with what little relationship development was shown on page.
I wanted more show and less tell. I kind of felt what the author was telling us about Baikal and Rabbits personalities and what was going on between them was different to what was actually shown. It all felt a bit wishy-washy and confusing at times as to what was actually going down with Baikal’s plans for Rabbit.
Overall this was rather good but didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’d still consider giving the author another go and the beginnings of the world building are promising.
July 3, 2024
5/5⭐ 5/5🌶️
Baikal Void is a walking trigger warning.
How amazing was this world?
How ridiculously psycho was Baikal?
How much did i love all of this?
I finally delved into this sci-fi college setting and i get what all the fuss was about.
This is a dark, m/m college romance - but it's sci fi, meaning this.
You know when you read a contemporary dark college romance, and these 'kids' are all into BDSM, they are mafia royalty, rich, buying property left right and centre, are art prodigies, and also somehow are under 25 years old and you think - well this is some unrealistic gossip girl shit, and not at all what college was like when i was in college? Yeah, all of that becomes moot when it's happening on planet Vitality, instead of mafia it's Brumal, and instead of regular music there are musical instruments that make light. Oh, and the prominent Brumal members also have magic powers, their species are called Shouts and they can manipulate shadow. Soooo do you see how when a character like this exhibits unnatural knowledge of anal cavity stretching practices at the tender age of 23 (so his partner can fit him in obviously) you're like - yeah, of course he does.
So once you therefore buy into all the unbelievable and unlikely elements, you are invested.
I loved this world, and the characters, and their NAMES.
Rabbit Trace, a musical prodigy has panic attacks, unresolved trauma, a raging bitch of a mother and is pretty much living his not-best Ace life. Enter Baikal Void, the Brumal Prince, on the cusp of taking over his dying father's conglomerate, straight A student, gorgeous and insanely possessive and basically a psychopath, and part of the group who are infamously known as the Devils of Vitality. He sets his sights on Rabbit, and decides - yeah, he will be mine, no questions. Whenever some people try to warn him - you, like the fucking Genie of the Lamp, cannot make someone fall in love with you - Baikal just shrugs and says "[...]watch me!"
Rabbit is a walking panic attack resulting from complex trauma. He isn't thriving. Unfortunately, Baikal doesn't seem to care one bit (he actually does a lot because he has been stalking Rabbit for a year, but you wouldn't know from his actions, yet).
[...]"You think needing to suck my cock before a performance because it's covered in mint-flavored lube constitutes as functioning, Rabbit?" Hi touch turned delicate, fingers trailing back to stroke the short hairs at the base of his skull. "I have a friend who likes to take people apart because he finds it interesting, and even he functions better than you do."
By the way, this story floats on non- and dub-con which, if not your thing, can be a little jarring. A lot jarring, and in the words of Rabbit himself,
[...]by the time his alarm had gone off signalling he needed to get ready for school, Rabbit's beliefs had been confirmed. Void wasn't a dominant in the traditional sense of the word, he was just fucked in the head. Between his stalking, possessiveness and pressuring virgin Rabbit into doing all kinds of depraved things, culminating in bottoming for him which was scary to read because of course Baikal is gigantic, i was very overwhelmed by Baikal, coz look:
[...]If something was scaring his tiny obsession, something other than him, of course, he'd deal with it. No one got to touch Rabbit and live.
"[...]there's little fun to be had watching you struggle - unless it's because you're choking on my dick."
"[...]you spat on my generosity and now I'm no longer in the mood to cater to your delicate sensibilities."
For half the book Rabbit fights that which Baikal had decided was an inevitability. After he changes his mind (obviously, they always do) and does a 180 and decides he has been falling for Baikal all along. And what's not to love:
[...]There was something thrilling about being kissed like this, like Baikal had forgotten how to breathe and was struggling to find oxygen buried in Rabbit's mouth instead.
There's also trauma healing, helping him get out of his shell and owning his own life and all that, but that's minor detraction from the main insanity that is this man.
Also, he is absolutely the sci-fi equivalent of Nikolai Sokolov from the Rina Kent universe and yeah, you had me at "Niko".
So, i loved this, despite it being riddled with issues of consent and quite rapey.
I also don't love the 3rd person past tense writing.
Read at your own risk. But read!!!
My reviews of the Devils of Vitality Series:
Echo - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
These Silent Stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Call of the Sea - TBR
Devil May Care - TBR
Devil May Fall - TBR
Baikal Void is a walking trigger warning.
How amazing was this world?
How ridiculously psycho was Baikal?
How much did i love all of this?
I finally delved into this sci-fi college setting and i get what all the fuss was about.
This is a dark, m/m college romance - but it's sci fi, meaning this.
You know when you read a contemporary dark college romance, and these 'kids' are all into BDSM, they are mafia royalty, rich, buying property left right and centre, are art prodigies, and also somehow are under 25 years old and you think - well this is some unrealistic gossip girl shit, and not at all what college was like when i was in college? Yeah, all of that becomes moot when it's happening on planet Vitality, instead of mafia it's Brumal, and instead of regular music there are musical instruments that make light. Oh, and the prominent Brumal members also have magic powers, their species are called Shouts and they can manipulate shadow. Soooo do you see how when a character like this exhibits unnatural knowledge of anal cavity stretching practices at the tender age of 23 (so his partner can fit him in obviously) you're like - yeah, of course he does.
So once you therefore buy into all the unbelievable and unlikely elements, you are invested.
I loved this world, and the characters, and their NAMES.
Rabbit Trace, a musical prodigy has panic attacks, unresolved trauma, a raging bitch of a mother and is pretty much living his not-best Ace life. Enter Baikal Void, the Brumal Prince, on the cusp of taking over his dying father's conglomerate, straight A student, gorgeous and insanely possessive and basically a psychopath, and part of the group who are infamously known as the Devils of Vitality. He sets his sights on Rabbit, and decides - yeah, he will be mine, no questions. Whenever some people try to warn him - you, like the fucking Genie of the Lamp, cannot make someone fall in love with you - Baikal just shrugs and says "[...]watch me!"
Rabbit is a walking panic attack resulting from complex trauma. He isn't thriving. Unfortunately, Baikal doesn't seem to care one bit (he actually does a lot because he has been stalking Rabbit for a year, but you wouldn't know from his actions, yet).
[...]"You think needing to suck my cock before a performance because it's covered in mint-flavored lube constitutes as functioning, Rabbit?" Hi touch turned delicate, fingers trailing back to stroke the short hairs at the base of his skull. "I have a friend who likes to take people apart because he finds it interesting, and even he functions better than you do."
By the way, this story floats on non- and dub-con which, if not your thing, can be a little jarring. A lot jarring, and in the words of Rabbit himself,
[...]by the time his alarm had gone off signalling he needed to get ready for school, Rabbit's beliefs had been confirmed. Void wasn't a dominant in the traditional sense of the word, he was just fucked in the head. Between his stalking, possessiveness and pressuring virgin Rabbit into doing all kinds of depraved things, culminating in bottoming for him which was scary to read because of course Baikal is gigantic, i was very overwhelmed by Baikal, coz look:
[...]If something was scaring his tiny obsession, something other than him, of course, he'd deal with it. No one got to touch Rabbit and live.
"[...]there's little fun to be had watching you struggle - unless it's because you're choking on my dick."
"[...]you spat on my generosity and now I'm no longer in the mood to cater to your delicate sensibilities."
For half the book Rabbit fights that which Baikal had decided was an inevitability. After he changes his mind (obviously, they always do) and does a 180 and decides he has been falling for Baikal all along. And what's not to love:
[...]There was something thrilling about being kissed like this, like Baikal had forgotten how to breathe and was struggling to find oxygen buried in Rabbit's mouth instead.
There's also trauma healing, helping him get out of his shell and owning his own life and all that, but that's minor detraction from the main insanity that is this man.
Also, he is absolutely the sci-fi equivalent of Nikolai Sokolov from the Rina Kent universe and yeah, you had me at "Niko".
So, i loved this, despite it being riddled with issues of consent and quite rapey.
I also don't love the 3rd person past tense writing.
Read at your own risk. But read!!!
My reviews of the Devils of Vitality Series:
Echo - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
These Silent Stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Call of the Sea - TBR
Devil May Care - TBR
Devil May Fall - TBR
September 15, 2025
3.5⭐️
oh yeah, мої токсичні гарячі хлопчики, саме за вами я сюди прийшла 😝
та-та, тут великий, загрозливий, власницький, одержимий, «я вб'ю усіх твої кривдників» мен, який змусить вилізти зі своєї скарлупи, допоможе вдосконалити гру на магічному інструменті, а також навчить долати панічні атаки та страх темряви, коли сам володіє тінями 😈
ще й в ліжку, в першу чергу, піклується про задоволення партнера, правда з елементами примусу 🫣😅
по розпусті - тверда 4. гаряче, аж обпікає 🥵
і який тут травматичний досвід та mommy issues. деяким матерям заборонено називати себе такими. в цій книзі приклад однієї такої мадам 😬
трохи не сподобався стиль письма авторки. занадто багато непотрібних роздумів, особливо під час діалогу, от взагалі не люблю такі фішки. якби ці роздуми краще розкривали міжгалактичний всесвіт, або систему магії, яка тут діє, тоді б мені було ок, але тут не той випадок ☹️
і як то кажуть тема shadow daddy до кінця не розкрита. навіщо наділяти гг магією тіней і як слід не показувати, як він ними володіє?
але не можу встояти перед імператорським принцом, який полюбляє носити корсети, тому вже пірнаю за другою парою 💃
oh yeah, мої токсичні гарячі хлопчики, саме за вами я сюди прийшла 😝
та-та, тут великий, загрозливий, власницький, одержимий, «я вб'ю усіх твої кривдників» мен, який змусить вилізти зі своєї скарлупи, допоможе вдосконалити гру на магічному інструменті, а також навчить долати панічні атаки та страх темряви, коли сам володіє тінями 😈
ще й в ліжку, в першу чергу, піклується про задоволення партнера, правда з елементами примусу 🫣😅
по розпусті - тверда 4. гаряче, аж обпікає 🥵
і який тут травматичний досвід та mommy issues. деяким матерям заборонено називати себе такими. в цій книзі приклад однієї такої мадам 😬
трохи не сподобався стиль письма авторки. занадто багато непотрібних роздумів, особливо під час діалогу, от взагалі не люблю такі фішки. якби ці роздуми краще розкривали міжгалактичний всесвіт, або систему магії, яка тут діє, тоді б мені було ок, але тут не той випадок ☹️
і як то кажуть тема shadow daddy до кінця не розкрита. навіщо наділяти гг магією тіней і як слід не показувати, як він ними володіє?
але не можу встояти перед імператорським принцом, який полюбляє носити корсети, тому вже пірнаю за другою парою 💃
May 13, 2024
“Give yourself to me, little bunny, and I’ll make all your dreams come true.”
Wow! I wish I could see Rabbit playing his beiska in person.
I really need to tell you this part!!! Rabbit unlocks a new color on his Beiska.( It's an instrument that colors flow out of when he plays.) So,hes playing at one of his concerts.... with a vibrating buttplug stuck in his ass that Baikal is controlling 🤭..guess what color he unlocks?! TEAL! BAIKALS FREAKING EYE COLOR 😂weee so freaking cute.
I loved this book, Baikal was so bad. He was good. Instantly fell in love with him when he helped Rabbit through his panic attacks. Everything Baikal did was to help his Tiny Obsession... Even covering his dick in mint chocolate flavored lube was for Rabbit 🤭
I was a bit lost during the first 50+ish %. I thought maybe I skipped a book....No world building, just kinda thrown in it. It's okay tho, the book is more focused on their relationship.
The names were so ridiculously confusing... I found out almost at the end that Kal is one of Baikals' nicknames. I thought it was a whole different dude. Oops. Void and Kal is Baikal.
The revenge on Rabbits mother wasn't as much as it could have been.
She deserved more.
I would have liked to know more about Baikals' shadow powers. Hell, even his dad's powers sounded cool. None of the magic is really talked about.
No cheating.
No OM drama.
The end made me so happy.
"There was something thrilling about being kissed like this, like Baikal had forgotten how to breathe and was struggling to find oxygen buried in Rabbit’s mouth instead."
Wow! I wish I could see Rabbit playing his beiska in person.
I really need to tell you this part!!! Rabbit unlocks a new color on his Beiska.( It's an instrument that colors flow out of when he plays.) So,hes playing at one of his concerts.... with a vibrating buttplug stuck in his ass that Baikal is controlling 🤭..guess what color he unlocks?! TEAL! BAIKALS FREAKING EYE COLOR 😂weee so freaking cute.
I loved this book, Baikal was so bad. He was good. Instantly fell in love with him when he helped Rabbit through his panic attacks. Everything Baikal did was to help his Tiny Obsession... Even covering his dick in mint chocolate flavored lube was for Rabbit 🤭
I was a bit lost during the first 50+ish %. I thought maybe I skipped a book....No world building, just kinda thrown in it. It's okay tho, the book is more focused on their relationship.
The names were so ridiculously confusing... I found out almost at the end that Kal is one of Baikals' nicknames. I thought it was a whole different dude. Oops. Void and Kal is Baikal.
The revenge on Rabbits mother wasn't as much as it could have been.
She deserved more.
I would have liked to know more about Baikals' shadow powers. Hell, even his dad's powers sounded cool. None of the magic is really talked about.
No cheating.
No OM drama.
The end made me so happy.
"There was something thrilling about being kissed like this, like Baikal had forgotten how to breathe and was struggling to find oxygen buried in Rabbit’s mouth instead."
August 10, 2023
Officially, Chani’s books are slump-wreckers.
Very imaginative, immersive world with unique and interesting plot and characters.
Rabbit stared at him. “Do you really have no idea how creepy that sounds?”
“It’s not romantic?”
“When you say it while looking at me like you want to sink your teeth into my flesh? No. No, not in the slightest.”
“Well,” he shrugged. “I tried.”
DO NOT skip author’s note in the beginning. Important to read content warnings for this one. Non-con, among others.
Very imaginative, immersive world with unique and interesting plot and characters.
Rabbit stared at him. “Do you really have no idea how creepy that sounds?”
“It’s not romantic?”
“When you say it while looking at me like you want to sink your teeth into my flesh? No. No, not in the slightest.”
“Well,” he shrugged. “I tried.”
DO NOT skip author’s note in the beginning. Important to read content warnings for this one. Non-con, among others.
November 5, 2024
I enjoyed this so much!!!! Totally fell in love with Baikal even though he is a walking red flag - swoon🥰
It was kind of hard to picture the story world setting because it's clear that it's not Earth, and intergalactic travel is the norm, but for the life of me I could not picture what Vitality looked like at all!! The trees sounded so pretty though...
I actually loved the idea of the Beiska instrument and how it produces colourful soundwaves - that sounds so incredibly pretty and I wish it was real because I would love to see that.
Rabbit (aka Bunny 🥰🥰) was so entertaining too. He's so in denial about what a great catch he is because of his mother that it makes him act like a clueless himbo when it comes to someone being interested in him! I could clearly picture his facial expressions and Baikal's exasperation whenever he misunderstood what was happening and Baikal's intentions 😂😂
Although this was a textbook example of a toxic relationship, they actually suit each other so well and I was so happy for them to get their HEA. Also loved how Rabbit had to be so careful with his wording when he finally figured out their dynamic, yet he still got outsmarted when it came to after graduation - I was laughing way too much at how smug Baikal was in that moment.
Genuinely can't wait to read more in this series!
Thank you Jonathan for recommending this to me 😁😁
It was kind of hard to picture the story world setting because it's clear that it's not Earth, and intergalactic travel is the norm, but for the life of me I could not picture what Vitality looked like at all!! The trees sounded so pretty though...
I actually loved the idea of the Beiska instrument and how it produces colourful soundwaves - that sounds so incredibly pretty and I wish it was real because I would love to see that.
Rabbit (aka Bunny 🥰🥰) was so entertaining too. He's so in denial about what a great catch he is because of his mother that it makes him act like a clueless himbo when it comes to someone being interested in him! I could clearly picture his facial expressions and Baikal's exasperation whenever he misunderstood what was happening and Baikal's intentions 😂😂
Although this was a textbook example of a toxic relationship, they actually suit each other so well and I was so happy for them to get their HEA. Also loved how Rabbit had to be so careful with his wording when he finally figured out their dynamic, yet he still got outsmarted when it came to after graduation - I was laughing way too much at how smug Baikal was in that moment.
Genuinely can't wait to read more in this series!
Thank you Jonathan for recommending this to me 😁😁
November 2, 2025
Well, thank you to Drusilla and the person on the mm romance subreddit who said I should try this one after I had less than stellar feelings about Devil May Hunt, because this worked sooooo much better for me! I was concerned for a little bit that it might present the same issue for me where, even though one MC was possessive as fuck, it didn't necessarily translate to feeling like he actually cared about his LI, but, somehow, by the end of this one I was fully on board. Truly not sure how that happened - maybe I got stockholmed along with Rabbit.
Rabbit was a total revelation for me. I'm not sure why, but I assumed he'd be more like his namesake (a nervous wreck) who would let Baikal steamroll him. But he turned out to be so frickin spicy! Just a sassy lil thing who very much fought tooth and nail against Baikal's attempts to totally takeover his life. And the ways that he WAS a nervous wreck were handled well (I thought) - his trauma, his desire for control of his life vs the crippling anxiety holding him back, his coping mechanisms. I was completely invested in him from start to finish. I also enjoyed the music part much more than I had anticipated. I really liked the instrument he played - it was a cool concept.
Baikal was mostly the kind of stereotypical possessive/obsessive MC that features a lot in dark romances of this nature - powerful, intimidating, cocky, and very used to getting everything he wants. He didn't seem respectful of Rabbit's feelings and autonomy in the beginning, just trying to manipulate him into being owned by Baikal. But, for some reason, I still liked him. And he ended up feeling different than others of his kind. Again, maybe he stockholmed me too, but I found myself liking him even when he was doing unlikeable things. And I do think he bent more than he thought he would for Rabbit in the end.
Their relationship was very push and pull for the majority of the book with Baikal insisting that Rabbit belonged to him and they were together and that was that, and Rabbit telling him in no uncertain terms to fuck off. I do wish that at some point the power imbalance had tipped slightly more in Rabbit's favor but I still liked how things worked out in the end. My favorite part of this entire book were the conversations and negotiations between them. There was no miscommunication (just brutal honesty) and I was super into it. Even when Rabbit held back a little or tried to convince them both that he didn't want was happening, he was still mostly honest all the way through. And Baikal certainly never shied away from saying what he meant. There was a little repetition because of the push and pull but I still found myself completely sat every time they talked to each other. And I did feel like Baikal cared about Rabbit in the end. It felt like they really saw one another and loved one another and were a really good match.
There was a lot of dubcon in this, but I knew there would be going in. I doubt I am ever going to be a fan of that (even if I have grown more tolerant of it from when I first started reading darker romances) but I just sort of pushed through it. It just never feels sexy to me and I read smutty books for a reason - I want it to feel sexy. I did like their dynamic in a way, but it could've been done without leaning quite so heavily into dub/noncon. I realize people like it and it was a conscious choice by the author, but, since it doesn't work for me, it was frustrating. I wish there had been a scene later in the book, when they were on the same page and both enthusiastically consenting (there's a really brief one in the epilogue but there could have been one in the regular story). Seemed a shame not to show the sex in that light. Although, even without the dub/noncon element, I don't think I like how this author writes sex scenes - they're kind of basic and boring and I am baffled by the choice to never use lube (yikes).
There were a lot more typos and grammatical errors than I would expect for an author this prolific. Surely they have editors and plenty of beta readers who should be spotting these. By no means do I personally have a good handle on punctuation, correct word usage, or sentence structure (all my reviews are evidence of this) but that just makes it all the more damning that I noticed. Plus, I'm not claiming to be a writer - this woman IS a writer. It feels lazy, honestly.
This also lost points for the "twist". I don't want to spoil so I won't be specific, but I wish that she'd made a different choice. I was all for there being something going on but I didn't like how it actually happened, and that was unfortunate, because I was surprisingly into it up until then. Luckily it didn't take up much page time.
I'm on the fence about what to do now. I'm not totally convinced that this author is for me but I did enjoy this one and am a little curious about the others in the series and in this universe. But I think I've seen reviews that say Baikal is actually one of the less toxic of her unhinged MCs and he was about at my limit. I might poke around more reviews and see if there's another that sounds appealing.
Nicknames: bunny, little bunny (I... might have... liked these? for some reason? might be the stockholm again), tiny obsession (this is not a pet name, folks. Idk what we're doing with this)
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Safety (may contain spoilers)
SA/rape: Lots of dubcon (kind of noncon in the beginning) that goes on for quite a while. Rabbit often verbally denies consent but we get those scenes from his POV and internally he is consenting. It's complicated. If you don't like dubcon, this is not for you.
Other person drama: None. Absolutely none and I so appreciate it in a book like this.
Rabbit was a total revelation for me. I'm not sure why, but I assumed he'd be more like his namesake (a nervous wreck) who would let Baikal steamroll him. But he turned out to be so frickin spicy! Just a sassy lil thing who very much fought tooth and nail against Baikal's attempts to totally takeover his life. And the ways that he WAS a nervous wreck were handled well (I thought) - his trauma, his desire for control of his life vs the crippling anxiety holding him back, his coping mechanisms. I was completely invested in him from start to finish. I also enjoyed the music part much more than I had anticipated. I really liked the instrument he played - it was a cool concept.
Baikal was mostly the kind of stereotypical possessive/obsessive MC that features a lot in dark romances of this nature - powerful, intimidating, cocky, and very used to getting everything he wants. He didn't seem respectful of Rabbit's feelings and autonomy in the beginning, just trying to manipulate him into being owned by Baikal. But, for some reason, I still liked him. And he ended up feeling different than others of his kind. Again, maybe he stockholmed me too, but I found myself liking him even when he was doing unlikeable things. And I do think he bent more than he thought he would for Rabbit in the end.
Their relationship was very push and pull for the majority of the book with Baikal insisting that Rabbit belonged to him and they were together and that was that, and Rabbit telling him in no uncertain terms to fuck off. I do wish that at some point the power imbalance had tipped slightly more in Rabbit's favor but I still liked how things worked out in the end. My favorite part of this entire book were the conversations and negotiations between them. There was no miscommunication (just brutal honesty) and I was super into it. Even when Rabbit held back a little or tried to convince them both that he didn't want was happening, he was still mostly honest all the way through. And Baikal certainly never shied away from saying what he meant. There was a little repetition because of the push and pull but I still found myself completely sat every time they talked to each other. And I did feel like Baikal cared about Rabbit in the end. It felt like they really saw one another and loved one another and were a really good match.
There was a lot of dubcon in this, but I knew there would be going in. I doubt I am ever going to be a fan of that (even if I have grown more tolerant of it from when I first started reading darker romances) but I just sort of pushed through it. It just never feels sexy to me and I read smutty books for a reason - I want it to feel sexy. I did like their dynamic in a way, but it could've been done without leaning quite so heavily into dub/noncon. I realize people like it and it was a conscious choice by the author, but, since it doesn't work for me, it was frustrating. I wish there had been a scene later in the book, when they were on the same page and both enthusiastically consenting (there's a really brief one in the epilogue but there could have been one in the regular story). Seemed a shame not to show the sex in that light. Although, even without the dub/noncon element, I don't think I like how this author writes sex scenes - they're kind of basic and boring and I am baffled by the choice to never use lube (yikes).
There were a lot more typos and grammatical errors than I would expect for an author this prolific. Surely they have editors and plenty of beta readers who should be spotting these. By no means do I personally have a good handle on punctuation, correct word usage, or sentence structure (all my reviews are evidence of this) but that just makes it all the more damning that I noticed. Plus, I'm not claiming to be a writer - this woman IS a writer. It feels lazy, honestly.
This also lost points for the "twist". I don't want to spoil so I won't be specific, but I wish that she'd made a different choice. I was all for there being something going on but I didn't like how it actually happened, and that was unfortunate, because I was surprisingly into it up until then. Luckily it didn't take up much page time.
I'm on the fence about what to do now. I'm not totally convinced that this author is for me but I did enjoy this one and am a little curious about the others in the series and in this universe. But I think I've seen reviews that say Baikal is actually one of the less toxic of her unhinged MCs and he was about at my limit. I might poke around more reviews and see if there's another that sounds appealing.
Nicknames: bunny, little bunny (I... might have... liked these? for some reason? might be the stockholm again), tiny obsession (this is not a pet name, folks. Idk what we're doing with this)
If something was scaring his tiny obsession, something other than him, of course, he’d deal with it. No one got to touch Rabbit and live.
Only a devil could defeat a monster. And Baikal Void was the biggest devil Rabbit knew of.
“I saw you and I just knew.” Void lifted a single shoulder as if that explained everything. “Knew what?” Rabbit didn’t get it. Maybe he never would. He sighed and got to his feet. “I knew you’d be mine,”
You’re mine, Rabbit. Not for now. For forever. Because I am never going to get bored of you, little bunny, therefore I’m never letting you go.
“Do you sleep on this side? I figured you’d want to be furthest from the door. People with trouble sleeping in the dark tend not to feel safe enough to sleep close to the only entrance in case of an intruder.” “You are the intruder!”
“I like the way you make me focus on nothing else but the things you can make me feel. I like the way you look at me like I’m important to you.”
“Just remember, son, people can be forced to do just about anything except for love. You can make him need you, but not even you can make him love you.” “Watch me.”
*
*
*
*
*
Safety (may contain spoilers)
SA/rape: Lots of dubcon (kind of noncon in the beginning) that goes on for quite a while. Rabbit often verbally denies consent but we get those scenes from his POV and internally he is consenting. It's complicated. If you don't like dubcon, this is not for you.
Other person drama: None. Absolutely none and I so appreciate it in a book like this.
September 14, 2024
Series so Far - September 2024
Books 1-6: I thought I did one of these for this series already, but have not so I'm rectifying that now! Chani's done a great job with this series of having a great balance of dark/obsessive & rough dynamics juxtaposed with hurt/comfort and protection which keeps me coming back every single book.
That said, I seem to have the best luck with every other book from this series. 🤣 Echo was such an amazing start, so I don't think it's that big of a surprise that book 3 would be my first second fave book of the series given the main character. Book 5 was a big surprise + ABSOLUTE CATNIP for me though with the tropes and character & relationship dynamics that it easily became my new fave + the first book in the series to truly contend with Echo for me. I'm still not sure which of the two I love more, but the best part is I don't have to pick so I won't. 😆
Book 6 was super highly anticipated for me since these were characters I wanted books for since the very beginning of the series and although I had fun with them (and the cameos), I didn't enjoy their overall journey as much as I was hoping to.
TL;DR: the odd-numbered books in this series are my fave. I'll have to see if anything changes when I do a reread!😂 They all are super dark and super fun in different (and in some cases similar ways) though so you really can't go wrong!
Book 1: Echo - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🥇(7/1/23)
Book 2: These Silent Stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥈 (8/27/23)
Book 3: Call of the Sea - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🥇(11/22/23)
Book 4: Devil May Care - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥉(3/12/24)
Book 5: Devil May Fall ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🥇(7/3/24)
Book 6: Devil May Lie ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥉(9/14/24)
-----------
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via BookSirens, but I am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity!
Chani has me HOOKED with literally anything and everything she writes, and Echo is definitely a standout that really grabs you right at the beginning. One thing that I always love about Chani's stalker and obsessive MMCs is how unapologetically honest and forward they are about their desires and dedication to their obsessions and Baikal delivers on this aspect beautifully.
Echo also has the perfect balance of stalker/obsession and hurt/comfort which is just *chef's kiss* and the build-up was fantastic! The spice was super hot, and the vulnerabilities that both Rabbit and Baikal show to each other was really sweet and touching. There is a lot of angst and trauma that Rabbit has to deal with and I loved the way the extent of his suffering was unveiled as the story went on. It made it that much sweeter to witness how Baikal actively want to help Rabbit in literally every single aspect of life. The just desserts with things was SO GOOD.
The sci-fi elements here added a great flavor, and I loved all the details that Chani added with how the beiska works as an instrument too. Loved the setting and really felt the mafia touches here were great. If you were intrigued by the way the brumal work and also by Kal's magic (and the tattoos), I highly recommend Chani's other series, You Will Never Know (and the rest of A Whisper in the Dark), which also explores these ideas more with different characters!
I also really loved the side characters and am SO excited to read Kel's story in August! 👀
--------
🥇 Gold 🥇
--------
Books 1-6: I thought I did one of these for this series already, but have not so I'm rectifying that now! Chani's done a great job with this series of having a great balance of dark/obsessive & rough dynamics juxtaposed with hurt/comfort and protection which keeps me coming back every single book.
That said, I seem to have the best luck with every other book from this series. 🤣 Echo was such an amazing start, so I don't think it's that big of a surprise that book 3 would be my first second fave book of the series given the main character. Book 5 was a big surprise + ABSOLUTE CATNIP for me though with the tropes and character & relationship dynamics that it easily became my new fave + the first book in the series to truly contend with Echo for me. I'm still not sure which of the two I love more, but the best part is I don't have to pick so I won't. 😆
Book 6 was super highly anticipated for me since these were characters I wanted books for since the very beginning of the series and although I had fun with them (and the cameos), I didn't enjoy their overall journey as much as I was hoping to.
TL;DR: the odd-numbered books in this series are my fave. I'll have to see if anything changes when I do a reread!😂 They all are super dark and super fun in different (and in some cases similar ways) though so you really can't go wrong!
Book 1: Echo - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🥇(7/1/23)
Book 2: These Silent Stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥈 (8/27/23)
Book 3: Call of the Sea - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🥇(11/22/23)
Book 4: Devil May Care - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥉(3/12/24)
Book 5: Devil May Fall ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🥇(7/3/24)
Book 6: Devil May Lie ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥉(9/14/24)
-----------
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via BookSirens, but I am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity!
Chani has me HOOKED with literally anything and everything she writes, and Echo is definitely a standout that really grabs you right at the beginning. One thing that I always love about Chani's stalker and obsessive MMCs is how unapologetically honest and forward they are about their desires and dedication to their obsessions and Baikal delivers on this aspect beautifully.
Echo also has the perfect balance of stalker/obsession and hurt/comfort which is just *chef's kiss* and the build-up was fantastic! The spice was super hot, and the vulnerabilities that both Rabbit and Baikal show to each other was really sweet and touching. There is a lot of angst and trauma that Rabbit has to deal with and I loved the way the extent of his suffering was unveiled as the story went on. It made it that much sweeter to witness how Baikal actively want to help Rabbit in literally every single aspect of life. The just desserts with things was SO GOOD.
The sci-fi elements here added a great flavor, and I loved all the details that Chani added with how the beiska works as an instrument too. Loved the setting and really felt the mafia touches here were great. If you were intrigued by the way the brumal work and also by Kal's magic (and the tattoos), I highly recommend Chani's other series, You Will Never Know (and the rest of A Whisper in the Dark), which also explores these ideas more with different characters!
I also really loved the side characters and am SO excited to read Kel's story in August! 👀
--------
🥇 Gold 🥇
--------
December 9, 2023
Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 5/5
Kinks: yes, see triggers
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: Noncon, dubcon, mild bondage, choking, bad parents, physical and mental abuse, stage fright, panic attacks, murder, stalking, blackmail, exhibitionism
This is a paranormal romance in that it happens on another galaxy.
Rabbit is a senior at college. He is a musical prodigy, the child of a successful musician. His mother is abusive and has been trying all his life to turn him into a musical prodigy that will further her own reputation. Rabbit is not allowed to have friends, all of his effort needs to go into his music.
Kal is a senior as well. He is the son of the leader of the mafia, he is next in line. He is a brutal man. Kal sees Rabbit at a performance and is instantly enraptured by him. He doesn't pursue / claim him for a year because his dad is dying and his life is a bit chaotic. But then he overhears that Rabbit is considering an arranged marriage that his mother is trying to orchestrate. And hell no, that is not going to happen. He aggressively inserts himself into Rabbit's life and won't be ejected.
When Kal finds out Rabbit is a virgin, he gentles himself to some extent and doesn't insist on everything at once. But Rabbit keeps fighting being his, fully giving in. Kal is a very compelling character, he feels so strongly, he's very intense about his little bunny. It's a smoldering read! Kal challenges Rabbit for the better and subtly tries to heal him and help him confront his problems. It's not an easy HEA, there's mystery and tension throughout.
I really enjoy a character like Kal. So intimidating to everyone else, but passionate and whipped for his guy. He did such sweet things. He basically moved Rabbit in with him or moved into Rabbit's place depending on where Rabbit wanted to be. He at one point was getting a special tattoo using a particular substance that was so rare that he would only have one such tattoo in his lifetime and he chose an image of a rabbit.
Some notable moments:
The villain taking care of him through a panic attack... "“Breathe, little bunny,” he was talking to him, may have been doing so throughout the entire struggle for all Rabbit knew, his voice soothing and velvety. “You’re safe. I’m here. Nothing can get to you so long as I’m around. Breathe, Rabbit. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”"
"When he came to himself, he realized with a start that he was in the process of peppering Rabbit’s face with light kisses, just the barest press of his lips here and there. Giving into the urge to be gentle, he pet his hair next, moving the sweaty strands off his forehead, and then captured his mouth and stroked his tongue against Rabbit’s."
"“I want to know everything about you.” Rabbit stared at him. “Do you really have no idea how creepy that sounds?” “It’s not romantic?” “When you say it while looking at me like you want to sink your teeth into my flesh? No. No, not in the slightest.” “Well,” he shrugged. “I tried.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 5/5
Kinks: yes, see triggers
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: Noncon, dubcon, mild bondage, choking, bad parents, physical and mental abuse, stage fright, panic attacks, murder, stalking, blackmail, exhibitionism
This is a paranormal romance in that it happens on another galaxy.
Rabbit is a senior at college. He is a musical prodigy, the child of a successful musician. His mother is abusive and has been trying all his life to turn him into a musical prodigy that will further her own reputation. Rabbit is not allowed to have friends, all of his effort needs to go into his music.
Kal is a senior as well. He is the son of the leader of the mafia, he is next in line. He is a brutal man. Kal sees Rabbit at a performance and is instantly enraptured by him. He doesn't pursue / claim him for a year because his dad is dying and his life is a bit chaotic. But then he overhears that Rabbit is considering an arranged marriage that his mother is trying to orchestrate. And hell no, that is not going to happen. He aggressively inserts himself into Rabbit's life and won't be ejected.
When Kal finds out Rabbit is a virgin, he gentles himself to some extent and doesn't insist on everything at once. But Rabbit keeps fighting being his, fully giving in. Kal is a very compelling character, he feels so strongly, he's very intense about his little bunny. It's a smoldering read! Kal challenges Rabbit for the better and subtly tries to heal him and help him confront his problems. It's not an easy HEA, there's mystery and tension throughout.
I really enjoy a character like Kal. So intimidating to everyone else, but passionate and whipped for his guy. He did such sweet things. He basically moved Rabbit in with him or moved into Rabbit's place depending on where Rabbit wanted to be. He at one point was getting a special tattoo using a particular substance that was so rare that he would only have one such tattoo in his lifetime and he chose an image of a rabbit.
Some notable moments:
The villain taking care of him through a panic attack... "“Breathe, little bunny,” he was talking to him, may have been doing so throughout the entire struggle for all Rabbit knew, his voice soothing and velvety. “You’re safe. I’m here. Nothing can get to you so long as I’m around. Breathe, Rabbit. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”"
"When he came to himself, he realized with a start that he was in the process of peppering Rabbit’s face with light kisses, just the barest press of his lips here and there. Giving into the urge to be gentle, he pet his hair next, moving the sweaty strands off his forehead, and then captured his mouth and stroked his tongue against Rabbit’s."
"“I want to know everything about you.” Rabbit stared at him. “Do you really have no idea how creepy that sounds?” “It’s not romantic?” “When you say it while looking at me like you want to sink your teeth into my flesh? No. No, not in the slightest.” “Well,” he shrugged. “I tried.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2023
5 stars
Chani Lynn Feener is fast becoming my favorite author of dark romance. I enjoyed getting to know all these characters and can't wait to see some others in future books. A Berga book, anyone?
Chani Lynn Feener is fast becoming my favorite author of dark romance. I enjoyed getting to know all these characters and can't wait to see some others in future books. A Berga book, anyone?
Read
September 1, 2023Dnf I can’t read a third person pov book I tried but I just can’t 😭
October 23, 2024
This was pretty alright and I overall had a good time reading it. Definitely had a good premise and a good set up for a story.
I just wish we got a bit more. I would have liked a little more of the relationship building and showing them falling for each other. It was really heavy on the sex scenes (which were all very dark) but I would have liked more actual relationship scenes I think.
I also would have loved more world building. I love reading sci-fi books and this book touched a bit on the world building, talking about the college a bit and different planets and galaxies but really never went into detail on any of it. You could almost forget you're reading a sci fi book.
Mostly I really hated their names. Baikal and Rabbit. They were the worst.
I just wish we got a bit more. I would have liked a little more of the relationship building and showing them falling for each other. It was really heavy on the sex scenes (which were all very dark) but I would have liked more actual relationship scenes I think.
I also would have loved more world building. I love reading sci-fi books and this book touched a bit on the world building, talking about the college a bit and different planets and galaxies but really never went into detail on any of it. You could almost forget you're reading a sci fi book.
Mostly I really hated their names. Baikal and Rabbit. They were the worst.
June 24, 2023
Its not shock that I lived another dark sci-fi by Chani. Give me all the Baikals 😂
Loved the possessiveness, the darkness and the fantastic sexual chemistry between him and Rabbit. Rabbit certainly caught Baikals attention and it was hot as hell.
Great read again from Chani.
Loved the possessiveness, the darkness and the fantastic sexual chemistry between him and Rabbit. Rabbit certainly caught Baikals attention and it was hot as hell.
Great read again from Chani.
July 3, 2023
It was a good read but nothing too special.
I had a good time reading this book but it was nothing outstanding imo. This is totally up to me though.
It wasn't bad, I do think the ending was a bit fast and that the author could have shortened the first part of the story instead but that is a me problem.
I think I will read more from this author, with this book I have only read two but I like her ideas even if they could be developed in a better way (always in my opinion), I will certainly read the next book always set in this universe with characters that we have already seen in this book and that intrigue me.👀
I had a good time reading this book but it was nothing outstanding imo. This is totally up to me though.
It wasn't bad, I do think the ending was a bit fast and that the author could have shortened the first part of the story instead but that is a me problem.
I think I will read more from this author, with this book I have only read two but I like her ideas even if they could be developed in a better way (always in my opinion), I will certainly read the next book always set in this universe with characters that we have already seen in this book and that intrigue me.👀
September 4, 2023
Loved this one too 😈
April 4, 2025
I grabbed an ARC of this off of BookSirens and honestly not reading it immediately was a miracle. Then I ended up reading it in a day— if I could have taken off work to read it in one sitting, I would have.
Oh. My. God.
I loved this. The characters sucked me in and I loved them. There was mystery around so many aspects and at times I did wish more time was spent on everything, it almost feels like this is set up so we can get more stories about other characters. You can’t tell me nothing is going on with the Imperial Prince and Rabbit’s friend/friend’s brother. It seem likes we get surface level to the problems going on in the Bakmal gang too and seeing Baikal in action more would have been great.
The romance? Beautiful. Yes, 100% do believe the content warnings need to be read before diving into this one, but for as forceful as Baikal is the two of them are… cute? I’m glad we have so much time with Rabbit admitting he likes Kal though. It made me so happy.
I squealed sooooo much reading this. Will probably be a book I reread in the future. Just wow I loved it. I didn’t think I’d love it more than *Between the Devil and the Sea*, but I do.
I’m obsessed and plan on reading more by this author ASAP.
———
Pre-release:
I absolutely cannot wait to read this. I'm so hyped.
Oh. My. God.
I loved this. The characters sucked me in and I loved them. There was mystery around so many aspects and at times I did wish more time was spent on everything, it almost feels like this is set up so we can get more stories about other characters. You can’t tell me nothing is going on with the Imperial Prince and Rabbit’s friend/friend’s brother. It seem likes we get surface level to the problems going on in the Bakmal gang too and seeing Baikal in action more would have been great.
The romance? Beautiful. Yes, 100% do believe the content warnings need to be read before diving into this one, but for as forceful as Baikal is the two of them are… cute? I’m glad we have so much time with Rabbit admitting he likes Kal though. It made me so happy.
I squealed sooooo much reading this. Will probably be a book I reread in the future. Just wow I loved it. I didn’t think I’d love it more than *Between the Devil and the Sea*, but I do.
I’m obsessed and plan on reading more by this author ASAP.
———
Pre-release:
I absolutely cannot wait to read this. I'm so hyped.
December 8, 2025
I’m honestly mad at myself for not finding this author sooner.
This book was the best out of the three I’ve read by her — by far — and if this is her standard, I’m going to devour her entire catalogue.
Echo is haunting, addictive, dark, tender, and completely unforgettable.
Baikal and Rabbit are officially my new obsession. I am absolutely addicted to the characters she creates, the darkness she balances with tenderness, and the way she writes romance with an edge so sharp it cuts.
This book proved something important to me:
Chani Lynn Feener does not write washed-out, repeat-pattern characters.
Every single person in this story has their own vibe, their own voice, their own emotional gravity. I never once felt like I was reading the same dynamics recycled under new names. The story stays alive — scene after scene — because nothing is predictable.
Rabbit Trace — The Broken Prodigy
Rabbit shattered me.
His music used to be his joy, something pure and personal, until his monstrous mother turned it into torture. The emotional and physical abuse he endured — the punishments, the isolation, losing his only friend to her cruelty — leaves him barely functioning in the present. Stage fright, panic attacks, trauma responses… he’s carrying years of pain alone.
He’s the kind of character you want to protect instinctively.
Baikal Void — The God of Love Interests
Let me be dramatic for a second:
Baikal is THE love interest. He is HIM.
I don’t say this lightly — he is one of my favorite characters of all time. There’s something about his presence that feels regal, dangerous, magnetic. He stalks the page like a king who already knows what belongs to him.
And yes, he is obsessive.
Yes, he pushes.
But he is never as dark with Rabbit as he’s capable of being.
He holds back. He softens. He adjusts his entire nature for his little bunny , his little obsession, who flinches at shadows.
The fact that this terrifying mafia heir takes things slowly for a 22-year-old virgin who never even liked being touched? That alone had me on my knees. If Rabbit fought him for chapters, I personally would have folded in chapter one.
The Romance —hot, Messy, Earned
It is pressure meeting fear.
Obsession meeting resistance.
The love doesn’t come quickly, and that made it ten times more addictive. Every shift in their dynamic felt earned — a bruise, a confession, a softening, a choice. The tension builds and builds, and instead of getting bored, I fell deeper into it every chapter.
It’s been a long time since I read a dark romance where I couldn’t stop turning the pages, where the characters felt so original and the chemistry so sharp.
And the ending? Perfect. When Rabbit finally falls, he falls hard — not because he’s pressured, but because he chooses Baikal with his whole heart. After everything he’s survived, watching him surrender not in fear but in trust was breathtaking. The moment he decides, fully and freely, that he belongs to Baikal is written with such tenderness and emotional clarity that it ties their entire journey together. It feels earned, healing, and beautifully complete — the kind of ending that makes you close the book and just sit with the feeling of it.
This book was the best out of the three I’ve read by her — by far — and if this is her standard, I’m going to devour her entire catalogue.
Echo is haunting, addictive, dark, tender, and completely unforgettable.
Baikal and Rabbit are officially my new obsession. I am absolutely addicted to the characters she creates, the darkness she balances with tenderness, and the way she writes romance with an edge so sharp it cuts.
This book proved something important to me:
Chani Lynn Feener does not write washed-out, repeat-pattern characters.
Every single person in this story has their own vibe, their own voice, their own emotional gravity. I never once felt like I was reading the same dynamics recycled under new names. The story stays alive — scene after scene — because nothing is predictable.
Rabbit Trace — The Broken Prodigy
Rabbit shattered me.
His music used to be his joy, something pure and personal, until his monstrous mother turned it into torture. The emotional and physical abuse he endured — the punishments, the isolation, losing his only friend to her cruelty — leaves him barely functioning in the present. Stage fright, panic attacks, trauma responses… he’s carrying years of pain alone.
He’s the kind of character you want to protect instinctively.
Baikal Void — The God of Love Interests
Let me be dramatic for a second:
Baikal is THE love interest. He is HIM.
I don’t say this lightly — he is one of my favorite characters of all time. There’s something about his presence that feels regal, dangerous, magnetic. He stalks the page like a king who already knows what belongs to him.
And yes, he is obsessive.
Yes, he pushes.
But he is never as dark with Rabbit as he’s capable of being.
He holds back. He softens. He adjusts his entire nature for his little bunny , his little obsession, who flinches at shadows.
The fact that this terrifying mafia heir takes things slowly for a 22-year-old virgin who never even liked being touched? That alone had me on my knees. If Rabbit fought him for chapters, I personally would have folded in chapter one.
The Romance —hot, Messy, Earned
It is pressure meeting fear.
Obsession meeting resistance.
The love doesn’t come quickly, and that made it ten times more addictive. Every shift in their dynamic felt earned — a bruise, a confession, a softening, a choice. The tension builds and builds, and instead of getting bored, I fell deeper into it every chapter.
It’s been a long time since I read a dark romance where I couldn’t stop turning the pages, where the characters felt so original and the chemistry so sharp.
And the ending? Perfect. When Rabbit finally falls, he falls hard — not because he’s pressured, but because he chooses Baikal with his whole heart. After everything he’s survived, watching him surrender not in fear but in trust was breathtaking. The moment he decides, fully and freely, that he belongs to Baikal is written with such tenderness and emotional clarity that it ties their entire journey together. It feels earned, healing, and beautifully complete — the kind of ending that makes you close the book and just sit with the feeling of it.
February 7, 2025
Rating 5/5⭐️
Spice 4/5🌶
I'm definitely found new favorite author! This is my second book from Chani and I love it!
It's a dark romance about a musician with stage fright and the mafia prince who blackmails him into a relationship. A dark MM Sci-Fi College Enemies to Lovers Romance.
Rabbit, a musical prodigy and son to December Trace a legendary, Beiska player extraordinaire. He suffers from stage fright and anxiety, loneliness and some severe PTSD, and all he wants is to live his life and have some friends, some freedom from his mom.
Baikal is the heir to the Brumal throne, and one of the Devil's of Vitality. Baikal’s special ability is that he can create/manipulate shadows. He sees Rabbit though at a school recital and something just clicks for him. An obsession is borne. And yes, Baikal himself refers to Rabbit as “My Little Obsession”. And he has literally spent a year stalking Rabbit until he could not control himself any longer. Baikal is a master of manipulation and Rabbit will be his forever. I will admit I found his possessiveness so to be so hot.
These two really tug at your heartstrings together. They fit perfectly. The sex is hot.🔥 Definitely worth the read.
Spice 4/5🌶
I'm definitely found new favorite author! This is my second book from Chani and I love it!
It's a dark romance about a musician with stage fright and the mafia prince who blackmails him into a relationship. A dark MM Sci-Fi College Enemies to Lovers Romance.
Rabbit, a musical prodigy and son to December Trace a legendary, Beiska player extraordinaire. He suffers from stage fright and anxiety, loneliness and some severe PTSD, and all he wants is to live his life and have some friends, some freedom from his mom.
Baikal is the heir to the Brumal throne, and one of the Devil's of Vitality. Baikal’s special ability is that he can create/manipulate shadows. He sees Rabbit though at a school recital and something just clicks for him. An obsession is borne. And yes, Baikal himself refers to Rabbit as “My Little Obsession”. And he has literally spent a year stalking Rabbit until he could not control himself any longer. Baikal is a master of manipulation and Rabbit will be his forever. I will admit I found his possessiveness so to be so hot.
These two really tug at your heartstrings together. They fit perfectly. The sex is hot.🔥 Definitely worth the read.
June 26, 2023
🎼 ♬ ♪ ♩ ♪ ♫ 🐇ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 🎼 ♬ ♪ ♩ ♪ ♫ 🐇
When I first went into Echo by Chani Lynn, I mistakenly tried to draw comparisons to Between The Devil And The Sea. These two books are entirely different. The only exception being is that they take place in the same universe, but on neighbouring planets.
Rabbit, a musical prodigy and son to December Trace a legendary, Beiska player extraordinaire. Renowned on planet, for being one of the only ones known and able to play the intricate instrument. Rabbit, AKA "Bunny" or more pointedly known to Baikal "his little obsession," after seeing him at one of Rabbits recitals, becomes the object of Baikal's desire.
Baikal is the heir to the Brumal throne, and one of the Devil's of Vitality. The lengths he goes to in chaining Rabbit to him, at first seem extreme, but with Chani's attention to details, it becomes abundantly clear there is a method to his madness, and he eventually cracks into fortress Rabbit has skilfully built around himself. Both, Baikal and Rabbit are extremely interesting characters and tumultuously take the wheel in leading us on an upheaval of twists and haunting turns.
Echo, was a lot deeper than I could've imagined, it's a balancing act with these two and at times we were on a knife edge with them. Baikal is morally gray AF! But also hot, the heat is never lacking where Chani's books are concerned. The turmoil, both characters face had me glued, the back and forth never fails to entice me with these characters.
I absolutely adored this book, it's uncompromising but very tender too. Rabbit had a way of burrowing his way into your heart, whilst Baikal just stormed right in there, making himself at home.
When I first went into Echo by Chani Lynn, I mistakenly tried to draw comparisons to Between The Devil And The Sea. These two books are entirely different. The only exception being is that they take place in the same universe, but on neighbouring planets.
Rabbit, a musical prodigy and son to December Trace a legendary, Beiska player extraordinaire. Renowned on planet, for being one of the only ones known and able to play the intricate instrument. Rabbit, AKA "Bunny" or more pointedly known to Baikal "his little obsession," after seeing him at one of Rabbits recitals, becomes the object of Baikal's desire.
Baikal is the heir to the Brumal throne, and one of the Devil's of Vitality. The lengths he goes to in chaining Rabbit to him, at first seem extreme, but with Chani's attention to details, it becomes abundantly clear there is a method to his madness, and he eventually cracks into fortress Rabbit has skilfully built around himself. Both, Baikal and Rabbit are extremely interesting characters and tumultuously take the wheel in leading us on an upheaval of twists and haunting turns.
Echo, was a lot deeper than I could've imagined, it's a balancing act with these two and at times we were on a knife edge with them. Baikal is morally gray AF! But also hot, the heat is never lacking where Chani's books are concerned. The turmoil, both characters face had me glued, the back and forth never fails to entice me with these characters.
I absolutely adored this book, it's uncompromising but very tender too. Rabbit had a way of burrowing his way into your heart, whilst Baikal just stormed right in there, making himself at home.
September 4, 2023
I will give Chani Lynn Feener one thing, and that is that she gives her characters badass names. Baikal Void? What a name. Rabbit Trace? Why does that even work? Other than that, I didn't love this book. Baikal is the scion of a space mafia family, and he becomes obsessed with Rabbit, a traumatized and reclusive musician with gigantic mommy issues and huge potential. The first half of this book left me completely cold. Baikal was so insistently rapey that I actually could not handle it. He manipulates and coerces Rabbit into a sexual relationship that Rabbit explicitly does not want. I've read 'dark romance' before where the MC might be underhanded and nefarious, but doesn't quite come off as such an absolute predator. I always find the mental gymnastics required to get the love interest to reciprocate really fascinating, like, where are we going with this? And although I love a possessive and obsessive MC, Baikal really just came off as an autocratic brat. The story itself is interesting, and I find the world-building pretty cool and complex, although the text again need much better copy-editing, which I hope Feener will someday realize. Overall, an engaging book, but the coercive nature of the relationship made it feel forced and false to me.
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September 19, 2023Please note, not sure why, how, or who combined the special edition with the regular on goodreads, but please note there are TWO versions. They have different purchase links and material.
April 28, 2024
4.25 “tiny obsession”🐇⭐️
There are two kinds of people who read this: The first ones love it so much they make so many edits and declare Kal their book boyfriend. The second blatantly ignore the pages upon pages of trigger warnings and paragraphs with exclamation marks and then stupidly bash and hate it because of said trigger warnings. Excuse tf outta you??!!
Oh yeah and there’s me who is still fixated on why they just let the abusive mother go scot free when i already did a play by play of her torture. That i am disappointed the bitch didn’t get it is an understatement. I am crushed!!! The trigger warnings are a liee (for me) i wanted more VIOLENCE! (Again for me assholes). I need BLOOODDDDDD ( okay it says dark romance girlie on the bio. Judge yourselves instead okay?!)
Oh and yeah this book was so good. *chef’s kiss* i loved the possessiveness and the manipulation (it was funny and kinda cute (Wait i don’t owe anyone any explanation 😌) Loved everything. Kal is book bf . Kazimir is mine tho because I’m secretly hoping he delivers in his own book and that book 4 cover ??!!!oof😩🫣. Kelevra would you please deliver too?? Kill them allllll. Muahahahahaha 😈😈😈
Okay yeah that’s my very ✨awesome ✨ review guys
Back to staring at my wall and decapitating December Trace (worst mother EVER!!)
Oh oh oh yeaahhhh love all the devils and their counterparts (it’s giving psycho found family and i’m here for it!!!)
Yes yes i made this chaotic on purpose because it’s very fitting. See how much fun you had hmm?😏 hmm😏😏
There are two kinds of people who read this: The first ones love it so much they make so many edits and declare Kal their book boyfriend. The second blatantly ignore the pages upon pages of trigger warnings and paragraphs with exclamation marks and then stupidly bash and hate it because of said trigger warnings. Excuse tf outta you??!!
Oh yeah and there’s me who is still fixated on why they just let the abusive mother go scot free when i already did a play by play of her torture. That i am disappointed the bitch didn’t get it is an understatement. I am crushed!!! The trigger warnings are a liee (for me) i wanted more VIOLENCE! (Again for me assholes). I need BLOOODDDDDD ( okay it says dark romance girlie on the bio. Judge yourselves instead okay?!)
Oh and yeah this book was so good. *chef’s kiss* i loved the possessiveness and the manipulation (it was funny and kinda cute (Wait i don’t owe anyone any explanation 😌) Loved everything. Kal is book bf . Kazimir is mine tho because I’m secretly hoping he delivers in his own book and that book 4 cover ??!!!oof😩🫣. Kelevra would you please deliver too?? Kill them allllll. Muahahahahaha 😈😈😈
Okay yeah that’s my very ✨awesome ✨ review guys
Back to staring at my wall and decapitating December Trace (worst mother EVER!!)
Oh oh oh yeaahhhh love all the devils and their counterparts (it’s giving psycho found family and i’m here for it!!!)
Yes yes i made this chaotic on purpose because it’s very fitting. See how much fun you had hmm?😏 hmm😏😏
![Profile Image for Lb [worlds longest slump] .](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1757735729i%2F106122777._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
August 30, 2024
I’m calling this at 42% 💀
I don’t even have words for how boring this is? I have not one iota of fucks to give about this book or its plot or any of the characters. Almost half way in and basically not a thing has happened?! Please.
It needs a serious edit. Everything is so needlessly long winded and everything is repeated all the time.
This is also set in a different universe and for what? It’s a college mafia romance about a mafia heir and a musical prodigy who is, essentially, a violinist. Aside from this particular violin-adjacent instrument making colours as well as sounds, and Kal having “shadow powers”, there’s no discernible reason this needed to be set anywhere other than earth. I just felt like it was added to be interesting but wasn’t??
Kal also is just as bland as a soggy piece of bread. The trigger warnings in this book include “and if you meet a person like Kal, run” and I’m just laughing cause for a villain he’s so boring 😂 what’s even worse is that his dirty talk is also so forced and boring!!! Ugh
I did, however, love that the other main characters was named Rabbit. Something about that worked for me, so, cute.
Maybe it gets better in the second half idk but I’m never gonna find out
I don’t even have words for how boring this is? I have not one iota of fucks to give about this book or its plot or any of the characters. Almost half way in and basically not a thing has happened?! Please.
It needs a serious edit. Everything is so needlessly long winded and everything is repeated all the time.
This is also set in a different universe and for what? It’s a college mafia romance about a mafia heir and a musical prodigy who is, essentially, a violinist. Aside from this particular violin-adjacent instrument making colours as well as sounds, and Kal having “shadow powers”, there’s no discernible reason this needed to be set anywhere other than earth. I just felt like it was added to be interesting but wasn’t??
Kal also is just as bland as a soggy piece of bread. The trigger warnings in this book include “and if you meet a person like Kal, run” and I’m just laughing cause for a villain he’s so boring 😂 what’s even worse is that his dirty talk is also so forced and boring!!! Ugh
I did, however, love that the other main characters was named Rabbit. Something about that worked for me, so, cute.
Maybe it gets better in the second half idk but I’m never gonna find out
October 20, 2024
MM Dark Romance
Sci-fi/Multi Universe
Mafia Prince/Musical Prodigy
Obsessed At First Sight
Touch Him and 💀
Lotsa Spice
First off, if you decide to read this, check the TWs. There is a boatload of non-con between the MCs…so… yea. I was pretty much prepared for it. I read Between the Devil and the Sea a few months ago and that was almost 100% non-con/body betrayal. Same for this one.
Rabbit and Void have a very toxic and complex relationship. Well complex for us, the reader. For Void it’s pretty straightforward. Rabbit is his, and that’s all there is to say. Void saw Rabbit perform one time and instantly becomes obsessed with him. Rabbit is a zombie, living with a crazy controlling mother and near debilitating performance anxiety. Once these two come together it’s… intense.
I enjoyed this book, but not sure if I will continue the series. I felt like it was so similar to the other book I read by this author, and it sounds like the next book is the same non-con/obsession formula. I also wish there was more world building. The potential is there. A mafia sci-fi! I mean, come on. That’s sounds so cool, but I just feel that the sci-fi was underplayed. Still a good read though, so I’d still say give it a shot if it sounds interesting to you.
Sci-fi/Multi Universe
Mafia Prince/Musical Prodigy
Obsessed At First Sight
Touch Him and 💀
Lotsa Spice
First off, if you decide to read this, check the TWs. There is a boatload of non-con between the MCs…so… yea. I was pretty much prepared for it. I read Between the Devil and the Sea a few months ago and that was almost 100% non-con/body betrayal. Same for this one.
Rabbit and Void have a very toxic and complex relationship. Well complex for us, the reader. For Void it’s pretty straightforward. Rabbit is his, and that’s all there is to say. Void saw Rabbit perform one time and instantly becomes obsessed with him. Rabbit is a zombie, living with a crazy controlling mother and near debilitating performance anxiety. Once these two come together it’s… intense.
I enjoyed this book, but not sure if I will continue the series. I felt like it was so similar to the other book I read by this author, and it sounds like the next book is the same non-con/obsession formula. I also wish there was more world building. The potential is there. A mafia sci-fi! I mean, come on. That’s sounds so cool, but I just feel that the sci-fi was underplayed. Still a good read though, so I’d still say give it a shot if it sounds interesting to you.
October 1, 2023
i’m literally feeling all the feels i don’t even know how to explain and i wish i could string together a more coherent review but i can’t……just know that this book was a freaking experience and it sucked me right in and held me down by the throat…..how did the author manage to make baikal so yummy while also making him batshit insane, but the kind of batshit insane that makes u giggle and twirl ur hair🤭🤭🤭 (i’m scared of him in real life🫥) like his jealousness in combination with his possessiveness?????🤤🤤 i’m not in my right mind rn bc wow🥵🥵 i ate it right up!!! and u know what else i ate right up ??? rabbit’s protective instinct when it came to baikal…..like it literally had me squealing🥺🥺🥺 and all the decisions rabbit made towards the end bc he was allowed to choose bc baikal gave him that freedom and he used it to willingly, for what he wanted, aka to stay with baikal!!!!!!!!!! ughhhh yes this book was everything and more and even the subplots had my eyes glued to the page……i want a novella with them plssss i need a glimpse into their happiness a few years down the line😩
October 20, 2023
This book took me a long time to finish mainly because it repeated the same thing over and over again and it got tedious. This definitely isn’t as good as the other books I’ve read by this author.
Baikal and Rabbit were interesting characters at first but by the end you were annoyed by them both. This book lacked depth and true storytelling. I expected more after reading the Whisper in the Dark trilogy.
“Rabbit opened his mouth, but then closed it again, realizing he was only arguing for the sake of arguing, and not actually out of any real objection.” This is the book in a nutshell. It was ANNOYING AF.
Meh. Plus, the main plot point of the mother and her abuse was VERY anticlimactic. AND they did the (first time) I love you’s off page?!? Who does that after all they went through. Ughhhhh.
With the disappointment this book was, I might read the next book mainly because I’m interested in knowing Rin’s back story.
Baikal and Rabbit were interesting characters at first but by the end you were annoyed by them both. This book lacked depth and true storytelling. I expected more after reading the Whisper in the Dark trilogy.
“Rabbit opened his mouth, but then closed it again, realizing he was only arguing for the sake of arguing, and not actually out of any real objection.” This is the book in a nutshell. It was ANNOYING AF.
Meh. Plus, the main plot point of the mother and her abuse was VERY anticlimactic. AND they did the (first time) I love you’s off page?!? Who does that after all they went through. Ughhhhh.
With the disappointment this book was, I might read the next book mainly because I’m interested in knowing Rin’s back story.
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