REVIEW: Ward Against Death by Melanie Card

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:  The description of this book intrigued me a lot, so I was thrilled when I received it as an ARC.

            This story got me hooked up from the fist page, and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before! Secret societies, assassins who throw knives through one’s neck *shiver*…

            Ward is different from the male leading characters I’ve read about lately, and I had a hard time getting to like him, because he’s not an Alpha male. He’s just a young man in his twenties, trying to cope with a troubled past and his ruined career, unsure of himself and unaware of his real powers. But as I went deeper into the story, I realized that his clumsiness is what makes him so adorable. Besides, he's painfully honorable, very sensitive, and dead set on doing the right thing. I’m sure you’re going to like him too.

            Celia on the other hand is the jewel of this story. She’s a kick-ass heroine, who sleeps with a dagger under her pillow, all dressed up in men clothes. She’s also an assassin, a damn good one, taking down her enemies one by one in no time. She’s decided to find out who took her life and why, no matter the cost.

            She doesn’t like Ward’s presence around her at all. He’s so noisy and awkward, no way she’s falling for such a guy! He doesn’t fit at all with her assassin skills. Actually he’s the one who can’t get his eyes off her.

            There’s also a villain who can steal one’s life with a kiss…

            I absolutely loved this book but I don’t think young adults under 16 should read it. There’s some violence there that children should be spared of.

Happy Reading!

Translation for my romanian readers

Ward D'Arth, de 20 de ani se asteta la o treaba simpla - sa trezeasca din morti fata unui nobil timp de 15 minute, sa lase familia sa-si ia ramas bun de la ea si asa sa-si lanseze cariera ca necromant.

Zeita stie ca nu mai poate fi chirurg - societatea Quayestrilor l-a marcat deja ca pe un criminal pentru ca a incercat - asa ca nu-i ramane decat sa aduca persoane inapoi din morti.

Dar cand Ward o trezeste pe frumoasa Celia Carlyle, primeste mai mult decat s-a asteptat. Insistand ca a fost omorata, Celia il implora sa o tina in viata si sa o ajute sa-si faca dreptate. In timp ce il poarta dupa ea pe fereastra si apoi prin sistemul de canalizare, Ward nu indrazneste sa-si incalce juramantul depus ca medic si s-o abandoneze.

In orice caz nimic nu este ceea ce pare - inclusiv Celia. Acum se poarta cu el ca si cu un gunoi, acum il saruta. Iar pentru o fiica de nobil, are foarte multi dusmani. Daca si-ar convinge inima sa renunte la ea, ar putea scapa cu viata.

Parerea mea: Descrierea acestei carti m-a intrigat, asa ca am fost foarte entuziasmata cand am primit-o pentru recenzie.

Povestea m-a prins imediat si m-a tinut cu sufletul la gura tot timpul, fiind plina de magie,  societati secrete, asasini care arunca pumnale direct in gat brrrrrr...

Ward este diferit de restul personajelor masculine cu care m-am intalnit in ultimul timp, pentru ca nu este Alpha Male. Este doar un tanar de 20 de ani care incearca sa uite problemele trecutului sau si cariera facuta scrum, nesigur pe el si inconstient de adevaratele lui puteri. Dar pe masura ce am inaintat in poveste, mi-am dat seama ca neindemanarea este cea care il face atat de adorabil. De asemenea este extrem de onorabil, foarte sensibil si hotarat sa faca totul corect.

 Adevarata bijuterie a acestei carti este Celia. O batausa, care doarme cu pumnalul sub perna si inbracata in haine barbatesti tot timpul. Este de asemenea asasin si inca unul foarte bun, doborandu-si inamicii unul cate unul imediat! Celia este decisa sa afle cine i-a luat viata si de ce, indiferent de consecinte.

Nu este deloc multumita de prezenta lui Ward in jurul ei. Este atat de zgomotos si neindemanatic...nu se potriveste deloc cu abilitatile ei de asasin. In niciun caz nu se indragosteste ea de un asemenea tip. El este cel care nu-si poate lua ochii de la ea.

Veti descoperi de asemenea un personaj negativ care poate lua viata cuiva printr-o simpla sarutare.

Mi-a placut aceasta carte foarte mult, insa nu o recomand celor sub 16 ani din cauza violentei excesive. 

Spor la citit!