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Market of Monsters #2
Only Ashes Remain
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 the person who sold Nita to her kidnappers. But doing that 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.
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 the person who sold Nita to her kidnappers. But doing that 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.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2019
685 people are currently reading
7933 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Schaeffer
7 books1,546 followersThis author also writes under the name RR Schaeffer
Rebecca Schaeffer is the critically acclaimed author of Not Even Bones, Only Ashes Remain, and When Villains Rise. The Webtoon adaptation of the trilogy has garnered over a hundred million reads and nearly 2 million subscribers. Her next book, City of Nightmares, comes out in January 2023.
*******
I read a lot of books and have a lot of opinions, so the only books I put up and rate on Goodreads are ones I absolutely loved and would heartily recommend to my fans.
****
I also don't add friends and I don't have time to keep up on all platforms, so Goodreads is just for posting book reviews. If you want to contact me, there's a form on my website ^_^
Rebecca Schaeffer is the critically acclaimed author of Not Even Bones, Only Ashes Remain, and When Villains Rise. The Webtoon adaptation of the trilogy has garnered over a hundred million reads and nearly 2 million subscribers. Her next book, City of Nightmares, comes out in January 2023.
*******
I read a lot of books and have a lot of opinions, so the only books I put up and rate on Goodreads are ones I absolutely loved and would heartily recommend to my fans.
****
I also don't add friends and I don't have time to keep up on all platforms, so Goodreads is just for posting book reviews. If you want to contact me, there's a form on my website ^_^
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March 24, 2019Here it is, the sequel to a book I never thought would sell. It's surreal to see this book on goodreads, with a cover and release date.
I hope you enjoy my terrible children who are not all bad and not all good, and justify their terribleness to themselves with paper thin excuses and pleasant delusions as they embark on the second instalment of their adventure
I hope you enjoy my terrible children who are not all bad and not all good, and justify their terribleness to themselves with paper thin excuses and pleasant delusions as they embark on the second instalment of their adventure
December 22, 2019
Nita really found out the world would try to kill her for money and decided the best solution was to become so scary no one would try… icon
This series is so interesting and new and revels so hard in being over the top and... occasionally kind of brutal? But it is so engaging. Schaeffer quickly gets you to root for people who are, on an objective level, awful; neither Nita nor any other character are particularly good, but almost all of the characters are strangely likable.
Something I absolutely adore about this story is the wide and interesting cast of side characters. This book adds a couple:
➽Kovit, a pain-eater with a few morals.
➽Marielle, a side character
➽Adair, a kelpie. he keeps telling everyone he’s going to murder them in the basement. every second he’s on the page is a fucking delight
➽Diana, a ghoul with morals and an excellent hacker
Possibly the only thing I don’t like about this is that occasionally, the author needs to establish world or character further, and tends to do that in a somewhat infodumpy way that I don’t love.
I’ve already gone over some of my favorite parts of this book in my review of book one, so let me just get on into a good long spoiler section.
Kovit’s moral code :
narratively coherent villains :
it’s about the power moves :
the REVEALS :
Anyway. I absolutely loved this. When does book three come out again?
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | Youtube | About |
This series is so interesting and new and revels so hard in being over the top and... occasionally kind of brutal? But it is so engaging. Schaeffer quickly gets you to root for people who are, on an objective level, awful; neither Nita nor any other character are particularly good, but almost all of the characters are strangely likable.
Something I absolutely adore about this story is the wide and interesting cast of side characters. This book adds a couple:
➽Kovit, a pain-eater with a few morals.
➽Marielle, a side character
➽Adair, a kelpie. he keeps telling everyone he’s going to murder them in the basement. every second he’s on the page is a fucking delight
➽Diana, a ghoul with morals and an excellent hacker
Possibly the only thing I don’t like about this is that occasionally, the author needs to establish world or character further, and tends to do that in a somewhat infodumpy way that I don’t love.
I’ve already gone over some of my favorite parts of this book in my review of book one, so let me just get on into a good long spoiler section.
Kovit’s moral code :
narratively coherent villains :
it’s about the power moves :
the REVEALS :
Anyway. I absolutely loved this. When does book three come out again?
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | Youtube | About |
August 13, 2020
I love Kovit a lot but all I can think about is the fact that his name sounds like Covid
April 25, 2020
#1 Not Even Bones 5 million stars
#2 Only Ashes Remain 5 million stars
#3 When Villains Rise ???
All the bloody limbs… I mean, stars in the universe
If the first book was dark, bloody and gruesome, this one was worse.
Books like this are the ones that make me doubt where is the line between YA and ADULT. There’s really a line?
The age of the characters? Not really, lots of teen characters in adults book and vice-versa.
Sex? I’ve seen teen books with more on-page sex than adult ones.
Blood? Depends of the book and the level of violence. (There’s less blood on ya books in general tho)
You won’t see sex on this book, but you will see bad language and the details on violence, amputations, blood, viscera, wounds and torture are pretty much graphic. I have to confess, I was slightly disturbed some times and I am a person who can withstand gore very good (only in books).
But the book IS SO GOOD I don’t care about labels.
Nita and Kovit are back on action, and things get darker than in the first book.
You will see them fight with their own morals, defining lines, putting and taking away rules about what it’s wrong and what’s not for them and their twisted and bloody lives. And seriously, what a bunch of gray and dark morals.
The character development was amazing, and the fights and the wrongs they did to get to the end of the book were believable and exciting to see (as well as frustrating).
And the romance? My favorite type. Subtle, but not hidden or overlooked. It’s there, you can see it, you enjoy it, but it’s not all over the book, it doesn’t overwhelm the plot, it goes naturally, and the characters don’t think in kissing first and survive later. It was amazing seeing their relationship slowly grow from an alliance, to friendship, to fights about morals, and to something more.
AND I NEED THE THIRD BOOK NOW PLEASE.
--------------------------------------------------------------
I would gladly let Kovit torture me to feed on my pain(not did i say it is a bad thing)
in exchange for getting my hands on this book NOW.
#2 Only Ashes Remain 5 million stars
#3 When Villains Rise ???
All the bloody limbs… I mean, stars in the universe
If the first book was dark, bloody and gruesome, this one was worse.
Books like this are the ones that make me doubt where is the line between YA and ADULT. There’s really a line?
The age of the characters? Not really, lots of teen characters in adults book and vice-versa.
Sex? I’ve seen teen books with more on-page sex than adult ones.
Blood? Depends of the book and the level of violence. (There’s less blood on ya books in general tho)
You won’t see sex on this book, but you will see bad language and the details on violence, amputations, blood, viscera, wounds and torture are pretty much graphic. I have to confess, I was slightly disturbed some times and I am a person who can withstand gore very good (only in books).
But the book IS SO GOOD I don’t care about labels.
Nita and Kovit are back on action, and things get darker than in the first book.
You will see them fight with their own morals, defining lines, putting and taking away rules about what it’s wrong and what’s not for them and their twisted and bloody lives. And seriously, what a bunch of gray and dark morals.
The character development was amazing, and the fights and the wrongs they did to get to the end of the book were believable and exciting to see (as well as frustrating).
And the romance? My favorite type. Subtle, but not hidden or overlooked. It’s there, you can see it, you enjoy it, but it’s not all over the book, it doesn’t overwhelm the plot, it goes naturally, and the characters don’t think in kissing first and survive later. It was amazing seeing their relationship slowly grow from an alliance, to friendship, to fights about morals, and to something more.
AND I NEED THE THIRD BOOK NOW PLEASE.
--------------------------------------------------------------
I would gladly let Kovit torture me to feed on my pain
August 17, 2020
This was wayyyy more interesting than the first one! Also somebody protect my bby Kovit please ❤️
October 5, 2019
Stop making me ship murderers, smh. This series is so weird for me because I like it I guess?? But then characters are so dumb sometimes that I just want to throw it.
Only Ashes Remain begins right after the last book, with everyone at the black market that held Nita captive dead. Proof of her abilities leaked on the darknet and now bounty hunters of all sorts are after her, to sell her body for parts. Nita teams up with master torturer Kovit again as she tries to kill enough people to make her reputation so dangerous they don't come after her again.
Literally the plot of this book is: "Let's kill as many people as we can!! Oh wait that makes everything worse and I shouldn't have done that? Darn" and it was so frustrating. I didn't know this was a trilogy either so ugh, wrap it up already. Why is this a trilogy? Pretty sure they've already killed enough people.
Nita is literally such a dumbass I want to fight her even though she single handedly killed like a dozen people in this. She keeps going after the same guy to kill (and fails because she's d u m b) and then gets mad he sends someone to kill her. Girl??? You started it why are you mad?? She makes so many mistakes too. Her entire idea to get out of her problem was a mistake but go off killing tons of people for NO reason I guess.
Nita kept going off about how the police would instantly shoot her in the US just for being brown but ??? none of this book even takes place in the US??? Why are you so obsessed?? It felt like the author was weirdly into inserting lines like that and I was so confused every time.
Also Nita and Kovit are murderers who have killed dozens of people and do so without remorse so like?? Shoot them please, they aren't stopping??? And ew stop mentioning the toe munching, that shit was gross in the first book and I didn't need to remember it again.
Otherwise this book was fineee and even though it bugged me, catch me still checking out book three from the library.
Only Ashes Remain begins right after the last book, with everyone at the black market that held Nita captive dead. Proof of her abilities leaked on the darknet and now bounty hunters of all sorts are after her, to sell her body for parts. Nita teams up with master torturer Kovit again as she tries to kill enough people to make her reputation so dangerous they don't come after her again.
Nita shifted forward so she was inches from his face, her eyes locked on his. "We will never be prisoners again. And we will destroy anyone who tries."This book is so dark and bloody and I was pretty into it for most of it. The story is so fast paced and I was super entertained. Nita is an antihero and Kovit is such a psychopath and I'm very happy to see their relationship is progressing. I ship them so much even though I really don't want to because they are so fucked up?? But also annoying because Nita couldn't make up her damn mind either. We love a judgemental serial killer judging another serial killer.
Finally he nodded, his black eyes tracing her face as he whispered, "Never again."
Literally the plot of this book is: "Let's kill as many people as we can!! Oh wait that makes everything worse and I shouldn't have done that? Darn" and it was so frustrating. I didn't know this was a trilogy either so ugh, wrap it up already. Why is this a trilogy? Pretty sure they've already killed enough people.
Nita is literally such a dumbass I want to fight her even though she single handedly killed like a dozen people in this. She keeps going after the same guy to kill (and fails because she's d u m b) and then gets mad he sends someone to kill her. Girl??? You started it why are you mad?? She makes so many mistakes too. Her entire idea to get out of her problem was a mistake but go off killing tons of people for NO reason I guess.
Nita kept going off about how the police would instantly shoot her in the US just for being brown but ??? none of this book even takes place in the US??? Why are you so obsessed?? It felt like the author was weirdly into inserting lines like that and I was so confused every time.
Also Nita and Kovit are murderers who have killed dozens of people and do so without remorse so like?? Shoot them please, they aren't stopping??? And ew stop mentioning the toe munching, that shit was gross in the first book and I didn't need to remember it again.
Otherwise this book was fineee and even though it bugged me, catch me still checking out book three from the library.
December 7, 2020
I have divided feelings on this book.
Pros: Schaeffer is a good writer in many aspects. I ripped through the pages of this book, and haven't caught myself staying up so late to read in a while. The plot is original, and this is one of the better urban fantasy series I've ever read. The characters have distinct voices, and they're morally grey, leaning to black which makes for a great change.
Cons: Does this woman preach politically though. The first book had its issues; this one was ten times worse. She has a distinct chip on her shoulder towards all things American (she's Canadian so that was bizarre; her incessant fingerpointing quickly felt like a money grab, climbing on a train of self-righteousness to grab readers).
Just a few direct quotes and points that stuck out to me:
"She wasn't actually sure what Canada was like. She knew about the States; it seemed like every day there was a splashy tale of police brutality on the news."
A character told the story of a school janitor screaming at her to go back to her own country because of her skin tone; the teachers stood around and let him do it- the implication was that they agreed with him. And the author felt the need to emphasize that the janitor had a family member in the military which probably was the origin of his racism. The very next page starts in again about racism in the United States. I'm not even going to type that one out.
"'You're in Canada, not the States. Canadians have a different attitude toward Latin America'... she remembered [Americans] noticing her distinctly Chilean features. They rarely said anything but she could see the judgment in her eyes."
Another section talked about a girl's family getting slaughtered, but the perpetrator getting released early because "we were brown and he was white."
"She thought of all the news stories she'd seen, people reaching for phones or looking the wrong way at a police officers and ending up shot. That was in the States, she told herself. Quispe said Canada was better."
I have no words for the level of disbelief I felt reading the divisive material she sneaked into the pages of this book.
Guys, one of the things I adore about the Goodreads community is that it's literally built around us, as a community, bettering ourselves through reading and then having open discussions about what we've read. A fact which I appreciate and find so refreshing in a world that just wants to scream at one another. If I seem to be coming on strong, please bear with me. I'll try to explain my viewpoint.
99.9% of people I have ever met in the U.S., despite the media portrayal, don't give a damn what someone's skin color is. And the other 0.1%? Yes, they exist. I've met only a couple (one of them wasn't white and was directing it towards light skin, so it goes every direction). But we've turned so many financial opportunities and energies towards the 0.1%.
Guys, there are so many other issues we need to be focusing on.
1) Human trafficking is at an all-time high. There are more slaves in the world today than there has been in the history of mankind. I've met human trafficking victims through my job. To this day, I can't think about one of them without tearing up, and yes I'm doing that now.
2) Mental health is an international disaster and the treatment capability for it is a dumpster fire. As in there are not enough resources to begin to win this war. I work in a psych unit. If we could put the energy for some movements into those areas, we would change the world, because mental health workers on the frontlines are fighting a very real uphill battle without the resources we need.
3) Third world countries are starving, facing true human rights crises, and need medical care. I have friends that live overseas and can only shake their heads as they listen to the false narrative happening here while they are truly seeing human rights issues in the tumultuous countries they're in. I have friends in Bolivia and Haiti. I have a friend from Myanmar who fled that country into Thailand and then came to America as a political refugee. He can't get over the blessings of living in a free country where he can be whatever he wants to be if he works hard and the safety he feels despite "being brown". He eats the bones from his fried chicken because he ate bones of any animal they cooked in Myanmar so he wouldn't starve. Talk about my eyes bugging out of my head the first time I saw him do that.
When he fled, he remembers the moms left their infants in the jungle because if they cried, the guerillas would hear them, catch them, and slaughter them all. He still has no idea where his dad is and hasn't seen his mom since he fled. Well over ten years ago.
I have friends that were adopted from the Philippines when they were old enough to remember where they came from. The stories they tell aren't great, guys. They sure aren't.
We are blessed. I'm surrounded by people telling me how blessed we are who have truly experienced racism and seen human rights issues. They are disgusted at the mass hysteria media is creating. And my friends from Myanmar and the Philippines have been told by those with naive blessings to be quiet because they just don't understand what they're talking about. Yes. That. Has. Happened. Maybe they're the ONLY ones who know what they're talking about. My heart hurts for them.
I know we all have legitimate personal pain. And if anyone has truly experienced scarring racism, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But can we also agree that the continuing efforts to point out division that may or may not be there IS creating division. And when we're telling anyone who can speak on behalf of true life experience to be quiet because they don't know what they're talking about what have we become?
I'll finish this trilogy. But I'm probably done with Rebecca Schaeffer after this. Her bio says she lives on a little Canadian plain. In all honesty, it shows. She has a pretty naive worldview.
I'd rate this an R for gore, violence, moral corruption and adult themes, references to rape, swearing, and other crime related incidences.
Pros: Schaeffer is a good writer in many aspects. I ripped through the pages of this book, and haven't caught myself staying up so late to read in a while. The plot is original, and this is one of the better urban fantasy series I've ever read. The characters have distinct voices, and they're morally grey, leaning to black which makes for a great change.
Cons: Does this woman preach politically though. The first book had its issues; this one was ten times worse. She has a distinct chip on her shoulder towards all things American (she's Canadian so that was bizarre; her incessant fingerpointing quickly felt like a money grab, climbing on a train of self-righteousness to grab readers).
Just a few direct quotes and points that stuck out to me:
"She wasn't actually sure what Canada was like. She knew about the States; it seemed like every day there was a splashy tale of police brutality on the news."
A character told the story of a school janitor screaming at her to go back to her own country because of her skin tone; the teachers stood around and let him do it- the implication was that they agreed with him. And the author felt the need to emphasize that the janitor had a family member in the military which probably was the origin of his racism. The very next page starts in again about racism in the United States. I'm not even going to type that one out.
"'You're in Canada, not the States. Canadians have a different attitude toward Latin America'... she remembered [Americans] noticing her distinctly Chilean features. They rarely said anything but she could see the judgment in her eyes."
Another section talked about a girl's family getting slaughtered, but the perpetrator getting released early because "we were brown and he was white."
"She thought of all the news stories she'd seen, people reaching for phones or looking the wrong way at a police officers and ending up shot. That was in the States, she told herself. Quispe said Canada was better."
I have no words for the level of disbelief I felt reading the divisive material she sneaked into the pages of this book.
Guys, one of the things I adore about the Goodreads community is that it's literally built around us, as a community, bettering ourselves through reading and then having open discussions about what we've read. A fact which I appreciate and find so refreshing in a world that just wants to scream at one another. If I seem to be coming on strong, please bear with me. I'll try to explain my viewpoint.
99.9% of people I have ever met in the U.S., despite the media portrayal, don't give a damn what someone's skin color is. And the other 0.1%? Yes, they exist. I've met only a couple (one of them wasn't white and was directing it towards light skin, so it goes every direction). But we've turned so many financial opportunities and energies towards the 0.1%.
Guys, there are so many other issues we need to be focusing on.
1) Human trafficking is at an all-time high. There are more slaves in the world today than there has been in the history of mankind. I've met human trafficking victims through my job. To this day, I can't think about one of them without tearing up, and yes I'm doing that now.
2) Mental health is an international disaster and the treatment capability for it is a dumpster fire. As in there are not enough resources to begin to win this war. I work in a psych unit. If we could put the energy for some movements into those areas, we would change the world, because mental health workers on the frontlines are fighting a very real uphill battle without the resources we need.
3) Third world countries are starving, facing true human rights crises, and need medical care. I have friends that live overseas and can only shake their heads as they listen to the false narrative happening here while they are truly seeing human rights issues in the tumultuous countries they're in. I have friends in Bolivia and Haiti. I have a friend from Myanmar who fled that country into Thailand and then came to America as a political refugee. He can't get over the blessings of living in a free country where he can be whatever he wants to be if he works hard and the safety he feels despite "being brown". He eats the bones from his fried chicken because he ate bones of any animal they cooked in Myanmar so he wouldn't starve. Talk about my eyes bugging out of my head the first time I saw him do that.
When he fled, he remembers the moms left their infants in the jungle because if they cried, the guerillas would hear them, catch them, and slaughter them all. He still has no idea where his dad is and hasn't seen his mom since he fled. Well over ten years ago.
I have friends that were adopted from the Philippines when they were old enough to remember where they came from. The stories they tell aren't great, guys. They sure aren't.
We are blessed. I'm surrounded by people telling me how blessed we are who have truly experienced racism and seen human rights issues. They are disgusted at the mass hysteria media is creating. And my friends from Myanmar and the Philippines have been told by those with naive blessings to be quiet because they just don't understand what they're talking about. Yes. That. Has. Happened. Maybe they're the ONLY ones who know what they're talking about. My heart hurts for them.
I know we all have legitimate personal pain. And if anyone has truly experienced scarring racism, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But can we also agree that the continuing efforts to point out division that may or may not be there IS creating division. And when we're telling anyone who can speak on behalf of true life experience to be quiet because they don't know what they're talking about what have we become?
I'll finish this trilogy. But I'm probably done with Rebecca Schaeffer after this. Her bio says she lives on a little Canadian plain. In all honesty, it shows. She has a pretty naive worldview.
I'd rate this an R for gore, violence, moral corruption and adult themes, references to rape, swearing, and other crime related incidences.
October 16, 2022
* Reread rating
4.5 stars
Reading it the second time around, I could see how contradicting Nita's views/actions could be repeatedly many times over the course of the book but that ending was amazing still.
4.75 stars.
This was so gooood! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
This was much darker than the first book, especially so since Nita's actions are what made the book darker more than the situations she was thrust in. There was more of Kovit too! I love this cute monster, though as with Nita, his actions do freak me out at times too. I'm really glad with both of their growths and with the improvement of Nita's relationship with her mom.
The book focuses a lot on their personal growth, dealing with their inner demons and the acceptance of their dark/evil side. Nita's original plan on how to deal with the black market was interesting but it wasn't probable. I'm really loving the new direction she took at the end of the book and her murder attempts with Fabricio. The story ends in a cliff hanger but compared to the first book, I can survive until the next book comes out. I remember when I just finished reading the first book, I couldn't wait until September because of Fabricio and couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities. The cliffhanger here was good and I'm really excited on what will happen next but it's not eating me from the inside compared to the first.
Three other characters were added too. Adair is also a questionable character while Diana is a monster but a goody two shoes. Adair's whole character and the way he lives was really interesting. Despite how the relationship between him and Nita ended, he helped her a lot, got her mind thinking deeper and inspired her as well. Diana was nice but she was somewhat troupe. I'm not really sure what to feel about Gold just yet besides that she's in the way and that I couldn't care less about her.
What I somewhat disliked about this book though is how repetitive some stuff is and how convenient some of Nita's wrongdoings went. Moreover, Nita's body modification was barely mentioned and I felt like it didn't contribute to much compared to the implications it could do in the beginning of the book.
Overall, I ended loving the duo even more especially Kovit and I'm really excited for the next and final book! I can't wait for Nita to beat up the whole black market.
4.5 stars
Reading it the second time around, I could see how contradicting Nita's views/actions could be repeatedly many times over the course of the book but that ending was amazing still.
4.75 stars.
This was so gooood! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
This was much darker than the first book, especially so since Nita's actions are what made the book darker more than the situations she was thrust in. There was more of Kovit too! I love this cute monster, though as with Nita, his actions do freak me out at times too. I'm really glad with both of their growths and with the improvement of Nita's relationship with her mom.
The book focuses a lot on their personal growth, dealing with their inner demons and the acceptance of their dark/evil side. Nita's original plan on how to deal with the black market was interesting but it wasn't probable. I'm really loving the new direction she took at the end of the book and her murder attempts with Fabricio. The story ends in a cliff hanger but compared to the first book, I can survive until the next book comes out. I remember when I just finished reading the first book, I couldn't wait until September because of Fabricio and couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities. The cliffhanger here was good and I'm really excited on what will happen next but it's not eating me from the inside compared to the first.
Three other characters were added too. Adair is also a questionable character while Diana is a monster but a goody two shoes. Adair's whole character and the way he lives was really interesting. Despite how the relationship between him and Nita ended, he helped her a lot, got her mind thinking deeper and inspired her as well. Diana was nice but she was somewhat troupe. I'm not really sure what to feel about Gold just yet besides that she's in the way and that I couldn't care less about her.
What I somewhat disliked about this book though is how repetitive some stuff is and how convenient some of Nita's wrongdoings went. Moreover, Nita's body modification was barely mentioned and I felt like it didn't contribute to much compared to the implications it could do in the beginning of the book.
Overall, I ended loving the duo even more especially Kovit and I'm really excited for the next and final book! I can't wait for Nita to beat up the whole black market.
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November 22, 2020
ARC received in exchange for an honest review - thank you!
Okay, so if you’ve been following my reviews for any length of time, you know that I basically NEVER give out 5-star ratings. Like, genuinely almost never. Especially to YA books.
But this book and its predecessor, Not Even Bones, are the exception. They are absolutely brilliant.
➳ QUICK PLOT SUMMARY
The series stars Nita, a 17-year-old ‘unnatural’ with the power to manipulate her own body. Having been captured in the previous book to be sold to the highest bidder, we left her at the end of Not Even Bones under the protection of INHUP. She abruptly comes face-to-face with Fabricio – the boy who betrayed her after she saved his life.
Of course, Nita wants revenge. But a run of bad luck means that every hunter in the world is now on her trail. The good news? She has Kovit, the twisted zannie, back as an ally, although his appetites make her uncomfortable. The book revolves around Nita and Kovit’s attempts to make Fabricio pay while eluding hunters, INHUP, and Kovit’s mafia Family, who are determined to regain their pet torturer.
➳ WHY THIS BOOK MATTERS
Only Ashes Remain is a gorgeously written, darkly complex novel . Sometimes it’s about good people making bad choices; but it’s also about bad people making good choices. Or good people making good choices. And bad people making bad choices. You get the picture.
Most importantly, it’s about Nita – who I think is the most incredibly relatable heroine , someone who’s neither all good nor all bad – and her choices, which are sometimes good and sometimes bad. Because she’s human. Maybe not in terms of her powers, but certainly in terms of how she thinks and acts. Sometimes she was conflicted, occasionally she tried to reassure herself she wasn’t a total monster – I’ve never seen a more compelling depiction of our desire to justify our choices to ourselves, no matter how evil they are.
Kovit also was a fascinating study. He had a bad childhood, but as he points out, his decisions remain his own; it demeans him to say that his choice to get pain through torture rather than through sitting in hospitals is a result of his circumstances. I don’t know what it says about me that I really resonated with his character.
Schaeffer’s prose is a lot simpler than many other writers’, but it’s ten times more powerful. I honestly can’t believe it’s YA sometimes.
As an added bonus, the book was also wonderfully diverse. Nita is half Chilean while Fabricio is Argentinian, and there were brief mentions of the kind of conflict this might result in. Meanwhile, Kovit is Thai, and there’s also an Iranian girl (whose story I’m dying to read).
➳ OVERALL
A sequel which will stay with me for a long time to come, and just as fabulous as the last one. Can’t wait for the third book!
ARC received in exchange for an honest review - thank you!
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
Okay, so if you’ve been following my reviews for any length of time, you know that I basically NEVER give out 5-star ratings. Like, genuinely almost never. Especially to YA books.
But this book and its predecessor, Not Even Bones, are the exception. They are absolutely brilliant.
➳ QUICK PLOT SUMMARY
The series stars Nita, a 17-year-old ‘unnatural’ with the power to manipulate her own body. Having been captured in the previous book to be sold to the highest bidder, we left her at the end of Not Even Bones under the protection of INHUP. She abruptly comes face-to-face with Fabricio – the boy who betrayed her after she saved his life.
Of course, Nita wants revenge. But a run of bad luck means that every hunter in the world is now on her trail. The good news? She has Kovit, the twisted zannie, back as an ally, although his appetites make her uncomfortable. The book revolves around Nita and Kovit’s attempts to make Fabricio pay while eluding hunters, INHUP, and Kovit’s mafia Family, who are determined to regain their pet torturer.
➳ WHY THIS BOOK MATTERS
Only Ashes Remain is a gorgeously written, darkly complex novel . Sometimes it’s about good people making bad choices; but it’s also about bad people making good choices. Or good people making good choices. And bad people making bad choices. You get the picture.
Most importantly, it’s about Nita – who I think is the most incredibly relatable heroine , someone who’s neither all good nor all bad – and her choices, which are sometimes good and sometimes bad. Because she’s human. Maybe not in terms of her powers, but certainly in terms of how she thinks and acts. Sometimes she was conflicted, occasionally she tried to reassure herself she wasn’t a total monster – I’ve never seen a more compelling depiction of our desire to justify our choices to ourselves, no matter how evil they are.
Kovit also was a fascinating study. He had a bad childhood, but as he points out, his decisions remain his own; it demeans him to say that his choice to get pain through torture rather than through sitting in hospitals is a result of his circumstances. I don’t know what it says about me that I really resonated with his character.
Schaeffer’s prose is a lot simpler than many other writers’, but it’s ten times more powerful. I honestly can’t believe it’s YA sometimes.
As an added bonus, the book was also wonderfully diverse. Nita is half Chilean while Fabricio is Argentinian, and there were brief mentions of the kind of conflict this might result in. Meanwhile, Kovit is Thai, and there’s also an Iranian girl (whose story I’m dying to read).
➳ OVERALL
A sequel which will stay with me for a long time to come, and just as fabulous as the last one. Can’t wait for the third book!
ARC received in exchange for an honest review - thank you!
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
August 15, 2019
There is the one Nita, who has accepted who she has become and what she is going to have to do to survive. She is the Nita that dissects people. Who watched her mother murder people for years without this inner turmoil. Who blows up buildings and makes snap decisions. She’s an idiot, but a cohesive one.
And there is the other Nita, who still describes Kovit as a monster even though she is the exact same. Who is constantly blanching at his need to eat when she is just murdering people for funsies. Who is such a hypocrite.
You cannot make these two personalities into one person. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s like character building whiplash.
She never even likes Mirella. Right? At all?!
If it was just that I didn’t like Nita, I could still have enjoyed the story. But it’s that the author is using Nita’s split personality as page filler that I just can’t take. I don’t need any of Nita’s inner monologue.
This whole book is really just Nita trying and failing to kill Fabricio over and over again.
And there is the other Nita, who still describes Kovit as a monster even though she is the exact same. Who is constantly blanching at his need to eat when she is just murdering people for funsies. Who is such a hypocrite.
You cannot make these two personalities into one person. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s like character building whiplash.
She never even likes Mirella. Right? At all?!
If it was just that I didn’t like Nita, I could still have enjoyed the story. But it’s that the author is using Nita’s split personality as page filler that I just can’t take. I don’t need any of Nita’s inner monologue.
This whole book is really just Nita trying and failing to kill Fabricio over and over again.
December 20, 2019
This book balances an interesting and unique concept with real-world commentary in such a clever and unique way. These characters are so fucked up but they're also incredibly complex and human. This book outdid the first and I'm so excited for more in this series and from this author.
August 21, 2019
'Sometimes she could see the monster inside him. And sometimes he made her see the monster inside herself.'
I haven't been this emotionally gutted by a book in forever and I love this wonderful devastation. This was everything amazing from the stunning first book . . . only a thousand times better!! My love for this dark story about a messy, beautiful world is DRASTIC, okay?? I am catastrophically in love, to quote one of my first YA crushes. Also, it is most unfair that I have to wait until the finale of this series because I am beyond desperate.
'You didn't grow up with parents in the business of dissecting unnaturals and selling their body parts online without committing a few felonies.'
This book takes a different slant on Nita's struggle for survival. In the first book, it was very clear life or death situations . . . and it is the same as well in the sequel, but with a more subtle approach. She has the luxury of not being in a literal cage and yet the stakes are still high for her. It's such a treat to read about her complicated story, but I what I truly loved the most in the sequel was the learning curve Nita goes through as a character. She truly is one of the most fascinating, multi-faceted, realistic YA heroines I've ever read. She is neither a hero nor a villain, she is just herself trying to find a place in the world in the best way she knows without slipping too far into becoming a "bad" guy.
'What would it be like, everyone despising you for being a monster, but also wanting you to be more of a monster?'
Kovit is also such a complicated character. He and Nita truly balance each other out so well as messed-up people doing the best they can in a world built to hate them. There was so much more of him in this sequel, and every moment was bloody gold.
"I'm keeping them in the basement--"
"I lived here for three months, Adiar, I know where the guest room is. And it's not in your sketchy murder basement."
Along with the new setting majorly in Canada vs South America from the first book, comes a few new cast members: Adair the kelpie and Diana the ghoul who added much to the plot, as well as a good deal of humor. I'd love to see more of them . . . and they're one of the reasons that solidified my opinion that this series would make a truly interesting mini-series.
[hint hint, Netflix, Hulu, and Prime . . .]
'She didn't want him to go. Monster or not. He was her best friend. She trusted him more than anyone else in the world. She wondered when being able to trust someone had become more important than whether they were a monster or not.'
Finally, I have to shriek about the relationship between Nita and Kovit . . . of all levels because they have one of the most interestingly-developed, fascinating interactions of all time. I love everything about them, from their dysfunctional backstories to their unwavering resolve to stand by each other, no matter what. This is how you write an enemies-to-more romance and, oh, it is beautiful.
"I have rules not to break me." Nita's voice was soft. "You have rules to not break you. But I think we need rules to keep from breaking us.
Honestly, the character depth and complicated moral situations remind me so much of my obsessive love, The 100 TV show with Nita and Kovit like a Victoria Schwab version of Bellarke. You can't convince me otherwise, okay?? Anyways, I say this because these are the tropes I absolutely love so to have everything like that in one series?? I'm half-dead from happiness, no one revive me.
AND I WOULD LIKE THE FINALE ASAP PLEASE
I received a digital ARC from HMH Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Quotes are taken from an uncorrected ARC copy.
I haven't been this emotionally gutted by a book in forever and I love this wonderful devastation. This was everything amazing from the stunning first book . . . only a thousand times better!! My love for this dark story about a messy, beautiful world is DRASTIC, okay?? I am catastrophically in love, to quote one of my first YA crushes. Also, it is most unfair that I have to wait until the finale of this series because I am beyond desperate.
'You didn't grow up with parents in the business of dissecting unnaturals and selling their body parts online without committing a few felonies.'
This book takes a different slant on Nita's struggle for survival. In the first book, it was very clear life or death situations . . . and it is the same as well in the sequel, but with a more subtle approach. She has the luxury of not being in a literal cage and yet the stakes are still high for her. It's such a treat to read about her complicated story, but I what I truly loved the most in the sequel was the learning curve Nita goes through as a character. She truly is one of the most fascinating, multi-faceted, realistic YA heroines I've ever read. She is neither a hero nor a villain, she is just herself trying to find a place in the world in the best way she knows without slipping too far into becoming a "bad" guy.
'What would it be like, everyone despising you for being a monster, but also wanting you to be more of a monster?'
Kovit is also such a complicated character. He and Nita truly balance each other out so well as messed-up people doing the best they can in a world built to hate them. There was so much more of him in this sequel, and every moment was bloody gold.
"I'm keeping them in the basement--"
"I lived here for three months, Adiar, I know where the guest room is. And it's not in your sketchy murder basement."
Along with the new setting majorly in Canada vs South America from the first book, comes a few new cast members: Adair the kelpie and Diana the ghoul who added much to the plot, as well as a good deal of humor. I'd love to see more of them . . . and they're one of the reasons that solidified my opinion that this series would make a truly interesting mini-series.
[hint hint, Netflix, Hulu, and Prime . . .]
'She didn't want him to go. Monster or not. He was her best friend. She trusted him more than anyone else in the world. She wondered when being able to trust someone had become more important than whether they were a monster or not.'
Finally, I have to shriek about the relationship between Nita and Kovit . . . of all levels because they have one of the most interestingly-developed, fascinating interactions of all time. I love everything about them, from their dysfunctional backstories to their unwavering resolve to stand by each other, no matter what. This is how you write an enemies-to-more romance and, oh, it is beautiful.
"I have rules not to break me." Nita's voice was soft. "You have rules to not break you. But I think we need rules to keep from breaking us.
Honestly, the character depth and complicated moral situations remind me so much of my obsessive love, The 100 TV show with Nita and Kovit like a Victoria Schwab version of Bellarke. You can't convince me otherwise, okay?? Anyways, I say this because these are the tropes I absolutely love so to have everything like that in one series?? I'm half-dead from happiness, no one revive me.
AND I WOULD LIKE THE FINALE ASAP PLEASE
I received a digital ARC from HMH Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Quotes are taken from an uncorrected ARC copy.
March 26, 2019
3 stars.
I'm definitely in the minority (at least, thus far), when I say that I didn't like this one as much as the first. The "romance" seemed pretty cringy and forced to me and nothing really happened throughout the entire book, to the point that a series didn't feel warranted.
I may read the third if this is going to only have three books, but I don't feel like getting invested in a longer series. blah.
I'm definitely in the minority (at least, thus far), when I say that I didn't like this one as much as the first. The "romance" seemed pretty cringy and forced to me and nothing really happened throughout the entire book, to the point that a series didn't feel warranted.
I may read the third if this is going to only have three books, but I don't feel like getting invested in a longer series. blah.
October 5, 2021
Great follow up! I love this series. Fantastic characters, unique and well-written story. It was pretty repetitive at times, but overall, I really enjoyed it.
4.5 stars rounded up
4.5 stars rounded up
November 30, 2022
Ovaj serijal je taaaaako dobar. Možda malo naivan na momente, al opet prezanimljiv. Sve vreme je akcija, obrti i građenje likova. Jedna od najoriginalnijih stvari koje sam pročitala
February 9, 2020
Only Ashes Remain was a good addition to a unique YA urban fantasy series. My favourite was definitely Not Even Bones by miles, but this was a wothy sequel and brought a lot of new to the table.
If you thought book one was dark, this one got, in my opinion, even darker. While not necessarily in terms of plot, I think it did in terms of the man character. Nita, the MC, sometimes (or often) seemed well set on the 'villain' side of the morally grey. The series is really making me question where her story arc will go next - it's very unpredictable series, I feel like everything could go any which way. It definitely keeps one on the edge and questioning.
There's also qite a bit of Kovit, and he's just as much of a complex character as Nita.
The way the paranormal world was build - all the different kinds of 'unnaturals' - was as always great. We got to know some new characters - my favourite, from the side ones, would be a certain kelpie, Adair.
This book was slower for me than book one, Not Even Bones (which I read probs in two sittings). While I was generally hooked b/c, like I said, the plot is very dark and unpredictable, I wasn't as blown away by the storyline of this one as I was by Not Even Bones. The plot was still good, but there were some slightly boring (at least in comparison to book one). In the middle of the book, the plot felt a bit all over the place. Overall, the plot was gripping, but less cohesive than in Not Even Bones. Some of Nita's internal monologues felt a bit repetitive in this one, I still loved to follow this grey character and the mess she sometimes made though.
Overall, although not qite AS amazing as it's predecessor, this was a worthy sequel to an underrapreciated urban fantasy series nonetheless (4 stars after all). There's darkness, bloodshed, corruption on high places, black markets, plotting and maybe some dissections. 3.75
If you thought book one was dark, this one got, in my opinion, even darker. While not necessarily in terms of plot, I think it did in terms of the man character. Nita, the MC, sometimes (or often) seemed well set on the 'villain' side of the morally grey. The series is really making me question where her story arc will go next - it's very unpredictable series, I feel like everything could go any which way. It definitely keeps one on the edge and questioning.
There's also qite a bit of Kovit, and he's just as much of a complex character as Nita.
The way the paranormal world was build - all the different kinds of 'unnaturals' - was as always great. We got to know some new characters - my favourite, from the side ones, would be a certain kelpie, Adair.
This book was slower for me than book one, Not Even Bones (which I read probs in two sittings). While I was generally hooked b/c, like I said, the plot is very dark and unpredictable, I wasn't as blown away by the storyline of this one as I was by Not Even Bones. The plot was still good, but there were some slightly boring (at least in comparison to book one). In the middle of the book, the plot felt a bit all over the place. Overall, the plot was gripping, but less cohesive than in Not Even Bones. Some of Nita's internal monologues felt a bit repetitive in this one, I still loved to follow this grey character and the mess she sometimes made though.
Overall, although not qite AS amazing as it's predecessor, this was a worthy sequel to an underrapreciated urban fantasy series nonetheless (4 stars after all). There's darkness, bloodshed, corruption on high places, black markets, plotting and maybe some dissections. 3.75
September 7, 2020
Soooooooo freaking good. I am beyond excited for the next book to come out. Thankfully, I don't have to wait long.
Only Ashes Remain was so easy to dive into and devour. I loved all the darkness within this book and all the twists and turns throughout it as well. Nita was just adorable and dark. I loved it. Then there's Kovit and all his monster-ness. These two grew so much throughout the book. Even if they did freak me out sometimes. I still loved them.
Then there's the black market and they are just so intriguing to me. It sucks that they are always catching them on camera and they are after them as well. I'm not going to lie, the whole cat and mouse game is a bit addicting when it comes to this series.
I'm not even sure what the next book will give me but I'm really excited to dive into it.
Only Ashes Remain was so easy to dive into and devour. I loved all the darkness within this book and all the twists and turns throughout it as well. Nita was just adorable and dark. I loved it. Then there's Kovit and all his monster-ness. These two grew so much throughout the book. Even if they did freak me out sometimes. I still loved them.
Then there's the black market and they are just so intriguing to me. It sucks that they are always catching them on camera and they are after them as well. I'm not going to lie, the whole cat and mouse game is a bit addicting when it comes to this series.
I'm not even sure what the next book will give me but I'm really excited to dive into it.
March 16, 2021
so i started this book and got to 50% but then Nita got super like blood thirsty? she just like wanted to kill everyone who was in her way and i really didn’t like where it was going so i decided to stop.
November 18, 2020
“I’m here, Kovit. I’ve already seen your monster.” She met his eyes. “And I’m not leaving.”
1. Not even bones: 3.5🌟
2. Only ashes remain: 3.75🌟
3. When villains rise: ???
I found OAR more mature than it’s predecessor and, if possible, even more unusual compared to the average YA urban fantasy. OAR opens right after the events of the first installment: Nita and Kovit managed to flee Mercado de la Muerte, but the price they had to pay was dire. Now tainted by the stains of murder and betrayal, Nita is far away from the girl we met at the beginning of NEB and determined to take her revenge on those who wronged her.
The only weak point of these sequel is the plot; since I’m a widely plot-driven reader, this aspect for me was particularly evident. Even if more complex in terms of pacing and story lines, OAR’s plot is not as exciting as NEB’s: for the majority of the book the actions is restrained to Toronto, in the midst of dark allies and abandoned apartments. The atmosphere was less immersive compared to the horrors and oddities of the Market of Death, especially because the author refrains from providing catchy descriptions of the city. It appears quite clear that Schaefer has never visited Toronto, and only selected a few elements to evoke the city by its most famous attractions/perks. The plot itself lacked details: the author stuffed it with a myriad of events, but many of them felt quite disconnected. The notion that everything happened in less than three days makes it resemble even more a too-filled croissant: still extremely tasty, but at the same dripping custard everywhere. If the author had devoted more time to these details, made the events unfold in a week instead of three days, I would have surely given OAR a higher rating.
“Both of them had always been surrounded by monsters. Perhaps there was no one else they could empathize with, no one else who would empathize with them.”
The absolute strength of this sequel is the interactions and character development. As I mentioned, Nita is now a completely different person from the girl she once was. Having faced the horrors of human trafficking on her very skin, Nita has purposefully choose to never let morals interfere with her aims anymore. She is a refreshing breather from the other girls in YA books: calculating, cold, ruthless, but also subject to her own mistakes, and constantly second guessing her decisions when her plans go completely sidewise. Her relationship with Kovit, the monstrous boy turned into an unlikely ally, is the main source of surprises! The author took the time to deeper their bond and show both the readers and characters themselves how much they had in common. The contrast between Nita’s wobbly moral code and Kovit’s rock-solid one lead to many speculation on ethics and the substantial relativity of morals. This topic was masterfully discussed and broadened an issue that Schafer had already posed at the end of NEB.
I am really grateful for the existence of this trilogy, extremely underestimated in my opinion. Unfortunately, many YAs are only interested in weird love stories and have nothing new to say about anything. Market of Monster is not perfect, but it has a special place on my shelves because of how unique and unusual it is.
August 8, 2020
"Sometimes she could see the monster inside him.
And sometimes he made her see the monster inside herself."
1. Not even bones ★★★★★
And sometimes he made her see the monster inside herself."
1. Not even bones ★★★★★
November 1, 2024
Not as enjoyable as book one, but I am still ADDICTED. Not as bad as Nita’s cravings for dissection though.
Nita was using INHUP for their protection, but she knew corruption had burrowed into the soul of the organization. Not to mention, her enemy number one, Fabricio, the boy she'd saved, the boy who'd betrayed her; was her flatmate.
However, they both hold secrets over each other and this double bullet stops them from reporting the other. Nita didn't know how or when she'd do it, but she would find a way to destroy Fabricio once and for all.
Everyone is on the hunt for Nita which does mean this feels slightly repetitive with a lot of black markets hunters tracking her down so she and Kovit must outwit them.
We see more moral complexity as Nita’s perception becomes so skewed, she doesn’t notice how corrupt her own misdeeds and justifications are becoming. This is contrasted against Kovit who is supposed to be the monster, on the list of dangerous Unnaturals to be killed, but at least he has rules he won’t cross.
She wondered if the girls- like- bad- boys stereotype was a lie, or if Kovit was so far from bad boy and so deep into straight- up monster that he didn't count anymore.
Schaeffer is brilliant at bringing attention to more relevant political themes. Nita acknowledges that she wasn’t passive in her role with her other. By ignoring her mother she'd enabled monstrous acts. Similarly, when good people turn a blind eye or don’t stand up to bad acts (racism, police brutality, prejudice), we become part of the problem.
"I'm here, Kovit. I've already seen your monster." She met his eyes. "And I'm not leaving."
This felt like a hitman romp where Nita is just trying to survive and get money alongside Kovit, as well as trying to bring down as many people who wronged her as possible. She makes very questionable decisions which had me tearing my hair out.
I think this was the author’s deliberate choice, so while this makes Nita a frustrating character, it is an ambitious authorial choice.
Bookstagram
Nita was using INHUP for their protection, but she knew corruption had burrowed into the soul of the organization. Not to mention, her enemy number one, Fabricio, the boy she'd saved, the boy who'd betrayed her; was her flatmate.
However, they both hold secrets over each other and this double bullet stops them from reporting the other. Nita didn't know how or when she'd do it, but she would find a way to destroy Fabricio once and for all.
Everyone is on the hunt for Nita which does mean this feels slightly repetitive with a lot of black markets hunters tracking her down so she and Kovit must outwit them.
We see more moral complexity as Nita’s perception becomes so skewed, she doesn’t notice how corrupt her own misdeeds and justifications are becoming. This is contrasted against Kovit who is supposed to be the monster, on the list of dangerous Unnaturals to be killed, but at least he has rules he won’t cross.
She wondered if the girls- like- bad- boys stereotype was a lie, or if Kovit was so far from bad boy and so deep into straight- up monster that he didn't count anymore.
Schaeffer is brilliant at bringing attention to more relevant political themes. Nita acknowledges that she wasn’t passive in her role with her other. By ignoring her mother she'd enabled monstrous acts. Similarly, when good people turn a blind eye or don’t stand up to bad acts (racism, police brutality, prejudice), we become part of the problem.
"I'm here, Kovit. I've already seen your monster." She met his eyes. "And I'm not leaving."
This felt like a hitman romp where Nita is just trying to survive and get money alongside Kovit, as well as trying to bring down as many people who wronged her as possible. She makes very questionable decisions which had me tearing my hair out.
I think this was the author’s deliberate choice, so while this makes Nita a frustrating character, it is an ambitious authorial choice.
Bookstagram
September 30, 2019
"The first time she and Kovit had killed someone, Nita had felt like a monster for laughing over the dead body a few minutes later. How times have changed."
This was gruesome in all the best ways. I can’t get enough of this series!!
After escaping her kidnappers, burning down an entire market, and having her abilities being shown for the dark web to see, she seeks the help of INHUP to get her life back on track. They travel to Toronto and she seeks solace in an old friend.
Nita is back and she is out for blood. Someone sold her information to the black market and now she wants that certain someone gone. And she'll stop at nothing to make it happen. Revenge is the only thing on her mind and she must break a few rules to make that happen.
Only Ashes Remain was a killer book. It was just as dark and action-packed at the first one with lots of twists that you'll never see coming. The writing was suberb and I cannot wait to see where the author takes us next. All I know is that it's going to be bloody and epic.
It's about time that Women take over the Horror genre!!!!
This was gruesome in all the best ways. I can’t get enough of this series!!
After escaping her kidnappers, burning down an entire market, and having her abilities being shown for the dark web to see, she seeks the help of INHUP to get her life back on track. They travel to Toronto and she seeks solace in an old friend.
Nita is back and she is out for blood. Someone sold her information to the black market and now she wants that certain someone gone. And she'll stop at nothing to make it happen. Revenge is the only thing on her mind and she must break a few rules to make that happen.
Only Ashes Remain was a killer book. It was just as dark and action-packed at the first one with lots of twists that you'll never see coming. The writing was suberb and I cannot wait to see where the author takes us next. All I know is that it's going to be bloody and epic.
It's about time that Women take over the Horror genre!!!!
January 17, 2023
Der zweite Teil von ‚Market of Monsters‘, geschrieben von Rebecca Schaeffer, übersetzt von Jürgen Langowski, trägt den passenden Untertitel ‚Nur die Asche bleibt‘. Denn nachdem Nita die Flucht vom Schwarzmarkt gelungen ist, steht sie vor den Resten ihres Lebens. Sie hat Zuflucht bei der INHUP gefunden, denn im Darknet kursieren immer noch Beweise ihrer besonderen Fähigkeit und machen sie zu einem begehrten Ziel. Bis das überraschende Auftauchen eines weiteren Flüchtlings sie zwingt, schließlich Kontakt zu ihrer Mutter aufzunehmen..
Oft wird ja Mittelbänden nachgesagt, sie wären spannungs- und/oder handlungsarm und sie schlügen lediglich eine Brücke zum Finalband. Das ist hier definitiv nicht der Fall. ‚Nur die Asche bleibt‘ ist von Beginn an spannend und mitreißend, eine fesselnde Szene jagt die nächste. Dabei ist der zweite Band (zum Glück) nicht mehr so eklig wie Teil 1, bleibt aber weiterhin brutal und schockierend. Als Kontrast dazu fand ich Nitas moralische Konflikte ziemlich gut gelungen, ihre authentischen Gedanken und Erkenntnisse. Ist man nicht weniger ein Monster, wenn man das Töten nicht genießt als jemand, der daran Freude findet? Und kann man es mit seinem Gewissen vereinbaren, mit jemanden zusammenzuarbeiten, der von den Qualen der Menschen lebt? Ungemein interessant und überraschend tiefgehend. Aber lasst uns nicht von dem Cliffhanger reden, der mich den 01.06.2023 ziemlich herbeisehen lässt. 5 Sterne.
Oft wird ja Mittelbänden nachgesagt, sie wären spannungs- und/oder handlungsarm und sie schlügen lediglich eine Brücke zum Finalband. Das ist hier definitiv nicht der Fall. ‚Nur die Asche bleibt‘ ist von Beginn an spannend und mitreißend, eine fesselnde Szene jagt die nächste. Dabei ist der zweite Band (zum Glück) nicht mehr so eklig wie Teil 1, bleibt aber weiterhin brutal und schockierend. Als Kontrast dazu fand ich Nitas moralische Konflikte ziemlich gut gelungen, ihre authentischen Gedanken und Erkenntnisse. Ist man nicht weniger ein Monster, wenn man das Töten nicht genießt als jemand, der daran Freude findet? Und kann man es mit seinem Gewissen vereinbaren, mit jemanden zusammenzuarbeiten, der von den Qualen der Menschen lebt? Ungemein interessant und überraschend tiefgehend. Aber lasst uns nicht von dem Cliffhanger reden, der mich den 01.06.2023 ziemlich herbeisehen lässt. 5 Sterne.
June 8, 2019
This book was darker than my soul...
*RTC
*RTC
October 24, 2019
Solid 4 star read! RTC
CANT FREAKIN WAIT! BOOM!
CANT FREAKIN WAIT! BOOM!
June 2, 2020
Kovit carried this book.
October 31, 2021
i want to change the last book to a 4.5 and this to a 4. now there wasn’t a drastic decrease in quality there were just some minor issues with pacing and it lacked the flair and uniqueness
HOWEVER character arcs were so lovely i cld drown in them (in adair’s basement perhaps) ! writing was still fresh and easy to read. 4-5 hour read (finishing this book at 3 am fml)
nita on my knees for her, love adair, kovit is ofc a favourite <3
idk i just love the blurred lines of morality and not knowing who the enemy is !!
HOWEVER character arcs were so lovely i cld drown in them (in adair’s basement perhaps) ! writing was still fresh and easy to read. 4-5 hour read (finishing this book at 3 am fml)
nita on my knees for her, love adair, kovit is ofc a favourite <3
idk i just love the blurred lines of morality and not knowing who the enemy is !!
September 23, 2019
Not Even Bones was one of my favorite reads last year, and its sequel did not disappoint. Witty and fast-paced, full of truly devious characters. Nita is even more murderous than before, and I was here for it.
September 10, 2019
I love love love it. Fangirling Review to follow.
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