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.  

Review: Witch and Wizard - James Patterson

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson with Gabrielle Charbonnet, published by Young Arrow on 8th October 2009

Goodreads synopsis:
The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?

Review:
I've read quite a few of James Patterson's adult novels so I was intrigued to see what his contribution to the young-adult genre was going to be like.  The plot sounded interesting and the cover caught my eye so I gave this one a go.

Patterson (co-authoring this book with Gabrielle Charbonnet) has created a world under the control of a government which rules with an iron fist.  The New Order are intent on locking up children who they believe to be subversive and a challenge to their strict rules and regulations.  When Whit and Wisty are taken away in the middle of the night and locked up in a prison, they don't know why anyone would see them as a threat.  However, as they learn more about their magical abilities, they discover that they are a witch and wizard and might just be the only people that can save the world. 

I thought that this book got off to a really strong start.  I enjoyed becoming acquainted with Whit and his feisty sister Wisty and I liked the dual narrative which alternated for each chapter between the siblings.  The opening couple of chapters were gripping and I really enjoyed it.  However, as the story progressed, I found the pace slowed and this wasn't helped by the chapters being so incredibly short that the narration felt quite stilted and abrupt.  The story wasn't given a proper chance to flow which meant that my attention started to wander a bit.

An interesting assortment of characters were introduced throughout, including a female ghost, a talking weazel and a reformed hellhound.  I started to wonder what was going to pop up next!  There were also an array of different worlds to get my head around and at times it seemed somewhat bewildering.

Overall, I loved the opening and enjoyed the first-half of the book but I don't think Patterson was able to sustain a sufficient level of interest throughout the rest of the story.  It picked up again at the end and certainly finished with a cliffhanger ending so even saying all that, I am interested to know what's going to happen to the characters next which means I will be checking out the next book in the series.  This would probably appeal to both male and female readers who enjoy books which feature magical adventures.