Review ~ "Ward Against Death" by Melanie Card

Ward Against Death by Melanie Card

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Purchased on my kindle
Genre: YA Paranormal (OLDER YA readers)

Description from Goodreads: Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.

But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.

However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…

My thoughts: I haven't read many books about a necromancer. This book was a great introduction into that world.

Ward is 20 and wants to be a physician. He lost the opportunity when he was caught taking bodies to experiment his preferred craft on. He was branded and cast out from his studies. He turned to his families profession of Necromancy and is caught unawares in a routine job when the newly raised from the dead runs.

Turns out she was murdered and he takes an oath to help her find her murderer. The plot is full of intricate conspiracies and challenges for Ward and Celia. There is the budding attraction that threatens to derail their plans at retribution.

Ward and Celia were very likable characters for me to read. I loved that their relationship is complicated and not rushed. They are both careful and afraid to trust. To me, even though they are fictional characters, is a more realistic relationship than the many that I have read in other books.

The book keeps you guessing most of the way as to who is the mastermind behind the murder. Along the way the story gives action, conspiracies, romance, and mystery.

The book is for older YA readers. I would only recommend to ages 17 and older. The attraction alludes to physical changes that are all part of human intimacy.

I was a few days late in finishing my book for the challenge for the month of April.  I can say that I started it in April, but I finished it in May.