Ward Against Darkness (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer, #2)

by Melanie Card

[Angie]

Ward Against Darkness is a sequel that is nearly as good as it's predecessor! I only have a few minor complaints, but it was still an amazing and fun read. It picks up soon after the ending of Ward Against Death with Celia and Ward on the run. Soon our two heroes find themselves at a mansion in the middle of nowhere, where Ward must pretend to be an expected guest, Quirin. Subterfuge is definitely not Ward's strong suit so I was eager to see if he could pull this charade off! Of course, this isn't an ordinary mansion. It's home to Marcerio, a very powerful Innecroestri (evil necromancer), so Celia and Ward's lives are literally on the line if they don't keep up the act.

My favorite part of Ward Against Darkness has to be how much more we learned about necromancers, Innecroestri, and magic in general. There's so much to take in! Ward is finally learning the extent of his abilities after years of thinking that he was just a mediocre necromancer, who can't sense magic, and only casts successful spells on accident. Blood magic is also in the foreground this time, since Ward is pretending to be an apprentice hopeful to the malicious Marcerio. Some of the spells cast are very gruesome and disturbing. In fact, all of the activities that take place at Marcerio's mansion are dark, twisted, and downright evil! Each chapter brought something new, exciting, and possibly nightmare inducing!

I was a little disappointed with Ward and Celia's relationship in Ward Against Darkness though. There's really no romantic progress at all. Ward is still firmly stuck in his obedience of the law preventing the living and dead from...hooking up. And yet, there are several longing glances and moments of jealousy throughout the book. They also don't talk much at all, about anything. Ward is focused on his mission of stopping Marcerio and freeing one of his victims, and Celia is willing to help him. At least she's willing to help him stay alive. Other than that, they lead pretty separate lives in the mansion. I feel like the stress of the situation and the terror that they both feel should have thrown them together a bit more, but alas, it was not meant to be.

In the end, I really enjoyed Ward Against Darkness. The kind of haunted mansion provided a delightfully creepy setting and lots of plot twists. The world is majorly expanded, even if the characters weren't. I still adore Ward and Celia, but I wish they had had more scenes together other than just fighting evil. The ending is a bit open, but it's not a major cliffhanger. Ward has his sights set on something, and he's not one to easily let go. I just hope he doesn't lose himself and Celia along the way.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.