Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - Echo

Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Echo by Chani Lynn Feener

4 reviews

whatthefridge's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Ok so I started this book while in a bad mood, and the very yaoi premise made me keep my expectations in hell. However, in spite of the Bodice Ripping and dubious consent that’s so borderline to rape that one could argue it’s actually rape, this novel has one of the best interpersonal communications I’ve ever witnessed for the given archetypes. They talk and negotiate! The negotiations go to shit most of the time, but there are choices being made.

This story is about forced submission training. Baikal demands that Rabbit submit to him, and ultimately Rabbit realizes that submitting to Baikal can earn him the sort of freedom he’s never had before in his life. But it’s Rabbit who negotiates for that freedom. It’s something he grabs for once he understands that it’ll take a devil to defeat a monster.

“Convince me,” he said earnestly. “Convince me that’s something I should want and I will.”

“Negotiating again?”

“This thing between us has always been transactional,” Rabbit reminded. “Even if I’ve always been on the short end of the stick.”

Rabbit, who is in the position of uke in the yaoi sense, is never once passive. He’s also not a blushy pushover despite being a virgin. He stands his ground and keeps his cool, with his biggest weakness being panic attacks caused by genuine trauma unrelated to Baikal. He’s also not in a lower social position compared to Baikal. Rabbit has his own money and clout, and while Baikal is a prince, Baikal doesn’t actually have financial dominance or popularity over Rabbit. That means Baikal’s machinations have to be smarter, and that means it hit betters.

Baikal’s concept of consent is in hell, but it’s no secret that he’s the devil. He won’t actively go full rape, but he will force himself upon someone—ie Rabbit—who is even a little bit secretly willing. Rabbit constantly calls him out on it too. The flimsy “choices” and the fact that an erection isn’t a Yes. At the same time, Baikal does have an iota of a point about Rabbit going back on their agreements, regardless of how dubious, which incites him to be rougher than he’d be otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a shitty position to put Rabbit into, but I also think Rabbit is so repressed because of the abuse from his mother that he’d never willingly or enthusiastically agree to anything otherwise.

When it comes to the writing, there were many times I was ready to chalk it up as dropping the ball but then it turned around to prove me wrong. It was always edging me with “did you forget this detail?” only to reel back to acknowledge it a few beats later. I have to respect the game.

And I have to say, thankfully there is no kidnapping rescue! While there is a kidnapping attempt and an unrelated rescue, there’s no formulaic kidnapping. There’s also no rape attempt by a villain! I know my expectations are in the dumpster when I’m unreasonably pleased that these two cliche yaoi plot points were avoided.

My main minor annoyance is the lack of lube. Like, I get it, but Baikal doesn’t even use his spit. And even when lube is logistically possible, they still don’t use it. Ouchy my brain.

What’s not covered in this book is the situation with Rabbit’s sorta friend Sila. I have a theory that he and his twin, Rin, traded places after freshman year. And I’m really happy that the next book deals with Rin and the so-called psychopathic Imperial prince Kelevra because I’m itching to know what’s going on with them from the inside.

Content Warnings