Review: Witch and Wizard: The Fire - James Patterson

Witch and Wizard: The Fire by James Patterson, published by Young Arrow on 5th December 2011

Goodreads synopsis:
Whit and Wisty Allgood have sacrificed everything to lead the Resistance against the merciless totalitarian regime that governs their world. Its supreme leader, The One Who Is The One, has banned everything they hold dear: books, music, art, and imagination. But the growing strength of the sibling' magic hasn't been enough to stop The One's evil rampage, and now he's executed the only family they had left.

Wisty knows that the time has finally come for her to face The One. But her fight and her fire only channel more power to this already formidable being. How ca she and Whit possible prepare for their imminent showdown with the ruthless villain who devastated their world- before he can become truly all-powerful?

Review:
* There may be spoilers from previous books in the series.

I've had my ups and downs with this series.  I thought it got off to a good start and then dipped a little with the second book.  I wasn't sure what to expect from 'The Fire' but overall it was an enjoyable read and I'm glad I stuck with it and got to finish Whit and Wisty's journey with them.  The ending was well written and thought out and featured the long awaited and looked forward to showdown between our hero and heroine and the dreaded The One.

Whit and Wisty's ultimate goal has always been to fulfil the prophecy and defeat The One but along the way they have learnt so many valuable life lessons and have really matured as characters. They've experienced a lot and they are no longer the naive and innocent teenagers that were first seen in 'Witch and Wizard'. They have a new determination and strength in this concluding instalment and they never shy away from making hard choices and defending the people they love.

The format of the book remains the same with short chapters, alternating between the viewpoints of Whit and his sister.  I still find the fact that the chapters are so brief to be a little frustrating but I've gotten used to it by now.  The fact that the end was near meant the tension was ramped up which was welcome and led to a pacy story which had me turning the pages quickly. 

A resolution is finally reached between Whit and Celia, which I was intrigued to see as well as between the siblings and their parents.  I won't say anymore because I don't want to reveal what these resolutions actually consist of, apart from to say that they perfectly fitted the overal plot of the story.

Co-authored between James Patterson and Jill Dembowski, this was an exciting and adventurous book which featured lots of twists and turns and had a satisfactory ending at long last.