Only Ashes Remain by Rebecca Schaeffer was such a great sequel to her debut novel, Not Even Bones. It continued to be gory and gritty, you know the typical aspects to any story involving black markets and body parts. It had a great story, new supporting characters that showcased even more of the unnatural population, and a small dash of romance that was both unrushed and unconventionally sweet. This series is so different from all others in YA fiction and that makes it special. I guarantee you have not read anything quite like this. This book deserves a 10/10.
But before I go any further I must warn you that this is not a story for the squeamish and whatever you do, do not trust a unicorn. They are not the fluffy, rainbow loving creatures we’ve come to love. This book showcased so many unnaturals that barely scratched the surface in the black market and all the lore associated with them was an excellent touch to this expanding world. Nita stumbles into a kelpie, a murderous horse creature that drowns their victims, a ghoul who feasts on flesh and discovers more about zannies and vampires who were introduced to us in the first book. The world became so much more dangerous with every single page.
What I love most about these books is Schaeffer’s choice to craft characters who are unafraid to take charge of their rather shitty lives and make something out of it. They are not perfect and they are not saints, but they have substance. They do not apologise for standing up for themselves and they certainly do not care for manners. You will not find cookie cutter characters here with cliché traits and fake personalities. Each one is crafted with care and work seamlessly with this dark world.
At the end of Not Even Bones, Nita was in INHUP’s custody and here we follow her and Fabricio to Toronto, Canada. She’s no longer a captive and yet she’s still running from those wanting to literally eat her. I was worried that the absence of the black market and that direct link to Nita would change things going into this sequel but it didn’t change anything. This book was just as good as the first and I devoured it, every violent morsel.
“Be rational, Nita. You can’t murder him with all these surveillance cameras around. Nita hated when her brain made sense.”
I fell in love with Schaeffer’s brilliant incorporation of Nita’s thoughts in Not EBven ones and I’m so glad she carried it on in this one as well. She’s isolated and a girl who hates people, so it only makes sense that she would have thoughts on what’s happening but have no one to voice it to. These were sporadic and perfectly placed to push the plot and provide a seamless display of Nita’s dark sarcastic personality. It was a great way to give this disturbingly cruel world some much needed comedic relief.
Let’s talk about romance. Not Even Bones pretty much had none to speak of, but here we see Nita and Kovit bond at last. Her unlikely ally turns out to be her only confidant and naturally she calls him to meet up moments after ‘meeting’ Fabricio in INHUP. I loved this newfound love between them. Despite being very different, they seem to switch roles where Nita is the one to be feared and he helps her see that monsters aren’t so easily defined by who and what they are. He actually brings her back from her killing frenzy and I started to see how hard he tries to keep his morals, even if they are grey. They had so many great, hilarious moments together and this is one that I will never forget.
“Nita found a wallet and cell phone, which she pocketed, and another gun, which she shoved in Kovit’s waistband. He gave her a look like, Why are you shoving guns down my pants? And she just shrugged like, Well, where else do I put it?”
They were so in sync that they could communicate purely on looks. Their joking around felt very natural and she never let herself forget what he did to Mirella. She didn’t forgive him but by the end of this, I think she understood more of what it’s like to be an ‘unnatural’ and how that changes one’s perception of you. Nita is an imperfect, morally questionable character and yet she grows so much and the people around here have a huge impact on that.
We learned so much more about Kovit in this book and that was one of the best parts. He explains how his ability really works and this shed a different light on him. He was no longer this evil and malicious sadist who literally gets off on others pain. He was an unnatural just like Nita. He proved how complicated they are. I really liked how he would never make excuses for what he’s done and he would never apologise for doing it either. He wasn’t trying to impress anyone and I can respect that. He reminded me a lot of Warner from Tahereh Mafi’s, Shatter Me series because he’s made to look like a bad guy but that’s not entirely true. Yes, he’s much darker than Warner and its very different worlds for them but their core character and morals seem to match up nicely. They are unlikely love interests with irresistibly, dark backstories.
Schaeffer knows how to play on your emotions and there are a lot of zingers here. Emotions are raw and when exposed they will definitely leave you feeling for every one of these murderous unnaturals.
Secondary characters become crowd favourites all the time and I must say the amount of times that Adair, a kelpie and acquaintance to Kovit joked about his murdering basement makes him a strong contender. He’s as hilarious as he is wise. He’s clever and interesting and honestly? Kind of threatening. He trades in knowledge and I can’t wait to see his role in the final book because he knows a lot about everyone.
Another surprising character was Diana, Adair’s friend and resident ghoul. She is probably the only unnatural who is willing to put herself in danger to stand up for what’s right. She is the moral compass to Adair, Nita, and Kovit and she is vital in saving their humanity. She was a great addition to the story and I can’t wait to see more of them all in the final book.
But Adair and his basement jokes weren’t the only source for humour. At one point, Kovit steps up to torture someone for information and when he threatens them with a cheese grater and they immediately respond so this became a running joke throughout the rest of the book. But now I’m curious, what the hell was he going to do with that cheese grater? Something disgusting for sure but I’m telling you, that mystery mixing with my curiosity makes this a compellingly, disturbing read.
“How was she supposed to inspire terror if she freaked out every time Kovit picked up a cheese grater?”
Do you see what I mean? It was a traumatising event for all those involved. Long lasting effects only makes me want to know more, which is definitely dark and unhealthy on my part, but that’s what these books do.
It’s deliciously dark and violent and that separates it from so many others. Schaeffer tore my heart out with the ending, no spoilers I promise! She is setting up one very dangerous conclusion and I need it right now.
Only Ashes Remain is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | 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.
