I'm confused. How does the first book have so many things going for it, but the second is just... dull?
I honestly could not understand Nita on this book. She just wanted to take a knife to everyone in her way and while I normally don't mind that, it's like she understood nothing. Learned nothing. Every time she tried that it has failed and yet, like clockwork, it was the first thing she wanted to do when an obstacle was in her way. Girl, what?
Also not a fan with how things with Kovit are going. Once upon a time I would have cheered, but like much of this book: it didn't make sense!

As stated in my previous message for this author, I had a very negative experience with this author and I wi not be reviewing this or any of her future books.

A sequel to Not Even Bones - "Only Ashes Remain" is about a girl seeking revenge.

After escaping her kidnappers and destroying the black market where she was held captive, all Nita wants is to find a way to live her life without looking over her shoulder. But with a video of her ability to self-heal all over the dark web, Nita knows she’s still a prime target on the black market.

There’s only one way to keep herself safe. Nita must make herself so feared that no one would ever dare come after her again. And the best way to start building her reputation? Take her revenge on Fabricio, the boy who sold Nita to her kidnappers. But killing Fabricio is harder than Nita thought it would be, even with Kovit by her side. Now caught in a game of kill or be killed, Nita will do whatever it takes to win.

Great story with well-crafted characters and an easy to follow script.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer is the second novel in her Market of Monsters series. To give a fair review, I read the first book, Not Even Bones. I will review the first book, but this review concerns only Only Ashes Remain.

After Nita escaped and destroyed the black market, she just wants to be left alone. When a video of her abilities appears on the dark web, she knows she must go on the offensive. With the help of Kovit, Nita starts to take revenge on the person who sold her to her kidnappers. With everyone searching for her, Nita needs to do whatever it takes to stay alive and free.

Even though I enjoyed the first book, I discovered I needed a break before reading the second. Once I did begin reading this, I found I enjoyed this more than the first book. This book could be read as a stand-alone novel, but reading the first book would enhance this one.

This story is darker than the first, but it is a fun read since the writing makes you feel for all of the characters, including Kovit.

A third novel, When Villains Rise, was published in 2020.

This 200-word review will be published on Philomathinphila.com.

Nita finds Fabricio at INHUP and vows to kill him. She misses Kovit and emails back and forth with him. She also emails her mother and they plan to meet in Toronto. Nita is heartbroken after hearing about her father’s murder. Kovit and Nita team up and take down some people that are hunting them. The two of them go on a roller coaster ride of a relationship and they both learn and grow because of it. Nita comes to terms with her mother and her actions but doesn’t learn any more about her father’s death. Great sequel, 4 stars!

Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer
POSTED AT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21ST, 2019 AT 8:00 AM | YOUNG ADULT
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca SchaefferOnly Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer
Series: Market of Monsters #2
Published by HMH BFYR on September 3, 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror
Pages: 432
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Amazon • The Book Depository
Goodreads
Dexter meets Victoria Schwab in this dark and compelling fantasy about a girl who seeks revenge on the boy who betrayed her, a sequel to the critically-acclaimed Not Even Bones.

After escaping her kidnappers and destroying the black market where she was held captive, all Nita wants is to find a way to live her life without looking over her shoulder. But with a video of her ability to self-heal all over the dark web, Nita knows she's still a prime target on the black market. There's only one way to keep herself safe. Nita must make herself so feared that no one would ever dare come after her again. And the best way to start building her reputation? Take her revenge on Fabricio, the boy who sold Nita to her kidnappers. But killing Fabricio is harder than Nita thought it would be, even with Kovit by her side. Now caught in a game of kill or be killed, Nita will do whatever it takes to win.

Not Even Bones was a surprise hit with me last year, gruesome and disgusting and 100% unputdownable. Much as I enjoyed it, I wasn’t sure how the sequel would hold up or even if I’d still enjoy it on reread. Answer: yes, I would enjoy it again on reread, because I very much did. Only Ashes Remain delivers exactly what was needed from a sequel to Not Even Bones. The stakes are higher, the morality is blacker, and the pacing is still fast as hell.

It’s strange that I genuinely enjoy these books, because they are, by every logical measure, not Christina books. They’re not romantic and they’re not fluffy. I mean, there is romance sort of but the story’s not about that, which is good given the nature of the book. In a year (or four years) in which I’ve been struggling to read anything that’s not light and happy, I devoured the heck out of these incredibly morbid books that focus on the absolute worst of humanity. But it’s almost like they manage to be comforting in their own way because at least everything’s fucked in a completely different way? I don’t know, but they do work for me somehow.

But for real, these books are gross. Expect constant grisly murders and injuries that are even more disgusting to contemplate. Every bit of it will be described in great, graphic detail. I spend so much of these books cringing in horror and making faces that I’m sure are absolutely hilarious for anyone in the room at the time. Thankfully, I don’t think anyone was around when I read these.

Second book syndrome doesn’t show up anywhere in this book. Honestly, the pacing of these books is next level. They don’t let you rest for a moment. There’s always danger and death and drama at all turns. Only Ashes Remain picks up right where Not Even Bones left off, with Nita being reintroduced to Fabricio. Let’s just say that she does not take it well. Their fake-friendly interactions are one of my favorite parts of this book, because they’re putting on a front for the government agents.

Nita’s goals in Only Ashes Remain are as follows: kill Fabricio, kill everyone who comes to catch her so they can sell her, and prove she doesn’t need her mom to take care of her anymore. In case you can’t tell from this list, Nita’s morals have shifted quite a bit from where she was at the start of book one, where she was merely your friendly neighborhood sociopath obsessed with dissecting.

Seriously, though, the moral blackness of this series is absolutely the best. It’s psychologically fascinating at all points. The whole thing dissects the idea of monsters and what makes someone a monster. Both Nita and Kovit are positive the other one is more of a monster. Nita’s mother, who seemed like the scariest psychopath in book one, seems almost cuddly in Only Ashes Remain. Nita and Kovit are the products of what has happened to them, and Nita’s morality is constantly shifting in response to what she has had to do to survive. Sometimes fictional characters go through constant terrible stuff but remain unchanged and unaffected, but that doesn’t happen here. You can see Nita change moment to moment. The differences are starkest in her interactions with others and how much less terrifying people who previously seemed like monsters now are in comparison.

I could take or leave the romance of sorts between Kovit and Nita. I definitely don’t ship it, because dear god how could you. However, I do find their friendship dynamics fascinating, and the romantic element is merely another complication in their relationship. Given that they both lack empathy and struggle with finer feelings, it’s certainly interesting to watch them deal with one another.

It’s such a strange series for me, because you don’t really know what to root for, and while I love the characterization, obviously you don’t love the characters because everyone’s a murdering psychopath. But if you enjoy books that are morally dark, dark grey and you can handle a bit of gore and you find psychology fascinating, I’d recommend these heartily.

This sequel finds Nina out of the Black Market, chased by those who want her dead, and searching for revenge herself. I do enjoy books like this where characters are given extraordinary abilities that also put them in danger.

'Only Ashes Remain' is the second book in a disturbingly amazing young adult trilogy that blew my mind within the first couple pages. Being the second book in the series, I very highly recommend that you read the first book first or you'll get really confused. And because it's an awesome story that brings you into the situations that are in this one.

I loved basically every single aspect of this book, except for one minor personal issue. The only thing that bothered me a little was the writing style and how the author told the story from the third person point of view. I always like the first person better because we get to know and connect with the narrator on such a deeper level. Can you even begin to imagine how amazing this book would have been written from Nita's point of view?! It would've been ridiculously awesome. That's wholly my opinion though and has nothing to do with the story or writing itself (which I adored).

Nita continues to be a fantastic main character. She's realistic and easy to identify with, even though she's been through some crazy stuff. She's determined, smart, gritty, down to earth, tough, and will do what she has to - on matter the cost. She obviously has flaws, like everyone, but that only makes her more realistic in my opinion. I loved getting to know her even better in this book. I also loved getting to know the other characters on a more personal level, especially Kovit. The secondary characters were all well written and rounded with complex personalities that made them feel just as real as Nita.

I don't do spoilers in my reviews, so I can't go into the plot very much. You can get a vague idea of what's going to be happening from reading the description, and if you read the first book - you definitely know there's going to be a lot more to it. Nothing is easy or simple. That's not how our girl works. And that's part of the reason why I love her so much - the same goes with the rest of the characters. They're all hot messes and really messed up - endearingly so. (Does that makes sense?) If you're a fan of the first book, you'll know exactly what I mean. The only thing that I hate is now waiting for the third book to release, which feels like forever. I'll be rereading the first two while I eagerly await it's arrival. I very highly recommend this book to fans of the first book in the series, YA fiction, fantasy, paranormal, and even horror and suspense. Pick up this series - you won't be disappointed!

Schaeffer hit it out of the park again with this one. Loved this installment! Obviously a master of her craft, Schaeffer shows us yet again what she can do with her characters and their arc.

Only Ashes Remain did not suffer at all from the usual lull of the second book in a series. It was just as exciting and twisty as the first one, full of new creatures and even more betrayal. Who can Nita trust? Whose out to get her? And will she ever be able to live without looking over her shoulder again? Nita further secures herself as an anti-hero in this one and I found myself rooting for things I wasn't sure I was okay with. If you loved the first one, you won't be disappointed at all in this one.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from HMH Books for Young Readers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

I loved ONLY ASHES REMAIN and the world that Rebecca Schaeffer builds, where everyone knows monsters roam the cities, but no one knows what makes a monster. I can't wait to read the final installment in Nita and Kovit's story!

After burning the market of monsters, Nita is taken in by INHUP where she’s greeted by Fabricio, the boy who sold her to the market. She vows to kill him. However with a video of her using her abilities going viral on the darknet there are a lot of people out to kill her. Continuing her look at the monstrous of human nature, Schaeffer places her characters in a more “ordinary” setting, downtown Toronto. Nita meets up with Kovit, the zannie who feeds off pain she met in Not Even Bones, who also wants a fresh start. They even attempt to normal teenage romantic relationship but when you spend your childhood dissecting “unnatural” people and killing and torturing people respectively, something as mundane dating is awkward. Things don’t get too romantic as their plenty of murder and mayhem to go around. In addition to the mayhem we learn some of Korvit’s backstory. As their past and present collide, both are confronted with the question is it their biology or their actions which makes them monsters? This book is for those who like dark and twisted books with characters with questionable morality. Readers of the Young Elites and Arc of a Scythe series may find much to like about the Market of Monsters series.

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC for this book.

This one was darker than the first, and there was a lot of self-reflection for the main character. She questions whether she is the bigger monster in the room at times. While she had some compunction about killing certain people in the book, she still would do it without pause. Furthermore, she messed up a lot from each kill trying to distance herself from the black market. This book moved forward with the overall plot; however, it was a slower read. It had the feel of a placeholder book. I am not sure how many of the book club members, who read the first book, will want to continue with this read.

This was a solid sequel! Not much happened plotwise, once I thought about it, but Schaeffer developed more secrets and did a great job with character development. It was even more gruesome than the first, so definitely only recommend this to teens that can handle what is nearly adult-level gore. I'm still thinking about whether I believe Nita and Kovit can be redeemed.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Fantastic Flying Book Club, and HMH Books for Young Readers for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

=Content Warnings=
Human Trafficking, Dismemberment, Torture

=Diversity Rep=
Latinx

The cover is very deceiving, and I’m so glad for it! I wasn’t expecting a paranormal aspect to this novel until I read some of the tags on Goodreads, and I was instantly intrigued. I also did not get to read the first book, so that was my bad.

I wouldn’t even say that Nita is really a good guy. She’s had to do a lot of bad things in order to stay alive. While her mother was really the one that was killing these supernatural “unnaturals” (I totally hate that term, and so does Nita, so that works), she was the one that ended up dissecting them. Well, the one time that she ends up doing a good deed ends up biting her in the ass and she ends up tortured and dismembered on the Dead Market, it makes sense that she doesn’t want to be a good girl. Oh, and she has the power to manipulate her body, which is why she’s coveted by so many in the black market.

Kovit is the zannie that ended up helping Nita escape the Dead Market, and somehow they are friends. For my gentle friends that don’t know what a zannie is – do I even know? – but they are a kind of supernatural creature that eats people’s pain, and expert torturers. I mean, if you can feed yourself like this, why wouldn’t you make sure that you’re good at it?

This novel takes place after the events of the first novel, and shit has definitely hit the fan for Nita. She somehow was able to escape her capture in the Dead Market, but then she comes face to face with the boy that she not only rescued, but was also the one that sold her to the black market.

You best believe she’s going to exact revenge on his ass. Who wouldn’t do the same?

Okay I love the fact that Nita is not a good girl. Seriously, she isn’t. And I love that she’s going to take revenge on those that wronged her, I mean even more than what she did in the first novel. She has a flashback of how she ended up burning down the Death Market, and I was totally rooting for her. Kind of wish that I ended up reading it to see just how much damage she caused, but the flashback works too.

Honestly? I’m not really sure that I disliked enough to make a list. I mean, of course I need to go back to read the first one so I can get a better understanding of what happened to Nita in the Death Market, but since this book takes place after that and she does a mini flashback of it, it didn’t stop with my flow.

Oh wait. I don’t like Nita’s mom. I don’t really think she cares about her daughter, and that just breaks my heart.

I may have to get into this world way more often! I loved the paranormal aspect of it, and I think it was refreshing that it wasn’t just all vampires and werewolves and witches (oh my!). Not that anything is wrong with that, but I love reading about other types of creatures, you know? I think a lot of you would end up liking this one for sure.

Let me start by saying that Not Even Bones was one of my top reads of 2018, so I had fairly high expectations for Only Ashes Remain. Schaeffer doesn’t shy away from the dark and gritty aspects of our modern world (though she puts a monstrous twist on it all), and it’s something I appreciated in the first book and looked forward to in the sequel.

I think what struck me first was the shift in story type. We’ve already seen the protagonist, Nita, do some questionable things in order to regain her freedom. Framing it as doing what it takes to escape makes her actions ALMOST acceptable in this world. Almost.

But in Only Ashes Remain, even though Nita and Kovit are on the run, it’s different. Nita is different. Her actions are no longer about freedom so much as vengeance and she’s walking down a dark road that there may be no return from. She acknowledges her love of dissecting humanoid monsters. She murders and encourages murder and pain without a second thought. Nita is well on her way to serial killer status if she hasn’t already achieved it. And yet I loved her?

I feel like that makes my choice in characters a bit questionable, but there you go.

Only Ashes Remain ventures out of morally gray territory straight into chaos. There is no mortality to speak of, at least where Nita is concerned. You know it’s bad when the person who calls himself a monster and feeds on other’s pain (a.k.a. Kovit) is acting as the moral compass in your life. Though as a reader, I appreciated that flip in roles.

And speaking of Kovit, WOW did I ship these two hard. Monster love at it’s finest, folks. Mostly, though, it was the balance they struck as friends and potentially something more. Nita could look past Kovit’s past (at least sometimes) and he reined her in when she started tipping off the deep end. I loved how integral he was in this book and the development of his character beyond the pain and the escape. Schaeffer humanized him in a way that contrasted with the story but fit all at once.

Since we’re talking characters here, I definitely have to mention the addition of some new side characters that were quite interesting (and now I want a side novella with their story??). I won’t reveal what types of monsters these new characters are (because that’s part of the fun!) but I will say I appreciated the snark, and the fact that these characters aren’t squeaky clean either, but still serve to show Nita that perhaps she’s gone a bit too far (which really just sums up this entire book).

Where I struggled with Only Ashes Remain was the plot. There’s plenty of action and fighting and killing and torturing. But it lagged a bit. Despite the quick pace, I felt like I was still only reading a build-up to something yet to come.

It was a good sequel, a solid book, but I didn’t think it was great and definitely not on the level of the first book (which I re-read beforehand and loved as much as the first time through).

Oh my. Where do I even begin with this fantastically gory and dark YA Fantasy. This book picks up right where Not Even Bones left off and just gets more and more intense. If you have a weak stomach I wouldn’t recommend this read but if you like all things dark and dangerous than you’ll love this book!

Nita is such an interesting character. She’s been raised by a mother who relied on her dissection skills and was completely non-emotional. Now that she’s escaped the Black Market and ended up in the protection of INHUP, she’s on a path of revenge and vengeance. She’s so scary at times and does not always think through her plans before she takes them out. You will definitely question her morals throughout the book but by the end she’s finally figuring out what she needs to do to get what she wants, a notoriety that’ll make people leave her along.

Kovit. I love him. He’s a “monster” in every sense of the word but he also has rules that he doesn’t like to break. Riding this crazy train with Nita has caused him to question himself and often doubts whether Nita can be a true friend to him despite how scary he can be. The two of them have a chemistry that I love and it was so fun seeing them grow together from book one to book two.

This book is so dark from the first page to the last. It’s gory and fun. The creatures that you meet will make you question whether or not monsters can be trusted. I enjoyed every minute of it!

When I read Not Even Bones last year, I was impressed by how unique it was. I loved the vibe, the many different monsters, the black market setting, the morally gray characters. Going into the sequel, Only Ashes Remain, I was expecting to love more of the same. And while yes, I did love it for a couple of the same reasons, I also felt like it was a very different book that offered new aspects to be enjoyed.

Let's start with characters. Nita is still a fantastic lead, always staying true to character, making tough decisions that maybe aren't always right, but they're exactly the decisions I would expect her to make. She really held this book from beginning to end, and I can't wait to see where she goes in the next one. The side characters were enjoyable too. I was really intrigued with Kovit in the first book, and loved getting to see more of him and his story in this one. There were a few other supporting characters that were really fun to read, although less monsters overall than I was hoping for. I really hope that in the next book Schaeffer introduces even more unique, interesting, and monstrous characters.

The plot for this one I thought was good, but not great. I definitely will remember less about it than the first book a year from now, but I don't think I'll mind doing a reread. The beginning started out fast, picking up right were the first left off, which I loved. It slowed down a lot in the middle, with a few moments of high intensity action surrounded by a bit of meandering plot-wise. It made the pacing feel a bit off, and I would find myself putting the book aside, getting easily distracted because it wasn't holding my attention as much as I'd hoped. I did think the ending was great though, with some really fun-to-read turns in the story. By the time I got to the last twenty-or-so percent I knew I wasn't putting it down until I'd finished.

Rebecca Schaeffer's writing style is so good. These books are unique in that they both come off as dark and violent and gritty, but in an almost clinical way that works so well with the characters and settings. The writing really stands out among other fantasy books. I'm honestly ready to see how that translates in other stories Schaeffer will write, because it really makes this story stand out for me.

Overall, I think Only Ashes Remain was a pretty solid sequel. I liked the first book a little more, but this one did a great job of furthering the story and fleshing out it's lead characters more. I really loved reading more of Nita's story and can't wait to see where it goes in future installments.

Quickly after starting Only Ashes Remain I remembered how much I loved Not Even Bones and all the characters. This series has some of the best morally grey characters that I have ever read. I was so psyched to not only get a copy of the sequel, but to get a physical copy. Only Ashes Remain was one of my most anticipated releases of the second half of the year and I had forgotten just how much I liked the first installment. Even though the sequel moved away from the black market plot, I actually wound up enjoying it even more than the first book.

The characters are what made this book so great for me. Nita and Kovit are morally grey characters, but at times they were on the darker side in this book. Even though Kovit is a supernatural creature who feeds off of human pain, it wound up being Nita who had a hard time keeping her morals in check this time. I also don’t think I had mentioned this in my review of Not Even Bones, but Rebecca Schaeffer did a great job showing the reader Nita’s experience with OCD. When Nita gets anxious she struggles with compulsions to dissect bodies. While we did see more of her struggle with OCD in the first installment, because it focused on the Supernatural Black Market for body parts, we still saw how Nita struggled with these compulsions and her anxiety in this book. While Rebecca Schaeffer put a dark twist on OCD I do think that she represented it pretty accurately, but think that an own voices reader could tell you that better than I could.

The plot moved so fast and had me devouring this book in no time at all. I just tore right through this book, I had finished it in less than two days even though I was working those days. Rebecca Schaeffer balanced well written characters with the plot like a trapeze artist. Just when I started to think I might be able to set down the book for a second something else would happen and I found myself unable to set it back down for many more chapters. While I really enjoyed the first installment I feel like this book moved much faster and sunk its hooks into me much deeper. Maybe I had just forgotten how much I truly loved this series because this sequel was so much better than I had anticipated even though I was really excited for it.

Only Ashes Remain exceeded my expectations. I think that since it had been a while since I read the first installment I forgot how much I really did enjoy it, but I was reminded within the first few pages how much I love these characters. If you enjoy morally grey characters I highly recommend that you check out this series because these characters are some of my favorite morally grey characters that I have ever read. If you enjoyed Not Even Bones you will probably enjoy Only Ashes Remain even more. I also recommend this series if you are looking for something fast paced in between long reads or are trying to get out of a reading slump. I am so glad that this series is continuing because I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters just yet.

We left off in book #1 on a huge cliffhanger. Our main character Nita is coming face-to-face with the guy who she set free and then turned around and sold her to the black market. Or did he? I’m not convinced. But Nita is. She is reunited with her mother, only to truly see how slimy and irritating she truly is. Nita says no more and sets off on her own. But she reunites with our favorite Zannie–Kovit–soon and, of course, the dark adventures and terrors begin.
I wish I could truly tell you about this book, but I don’t want to spoil anything. You really have to experience it for yourself. I loved that the cast of characters expands in this book, and more than anything, I love seeing more of Kovit in this book! Give me a dark, moody book boyfriend any day! Although. Here’s the catch. This relationship reminded me of the…I don’t know what to call it…Edward and Bella…where she is the only female who is immune to his powers and is therefore more attractive to him. More or less. All of that being said, I don’t care, because I loved their fragility both together and separate. It made for such a dynamic book! There is the violence and the action and the chase…but then there is this questioning and moral greyness, and there is actual time spent to dissect it. Love it!