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Witch & Wizard #3

by James Patterson

Serie tradusa in 19 tari • Bestseller Nr. 1 New York Times • Bestseller USA Today • Bestseller Publishers Weekly • Bestseller Entertainment Weekly • Nominalizat la Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, 2011

VRETI UN BASM NU-I AsA?

Whit si Wisty Allgood au sacrificat totul pentru a conduce miscarea de Rezistenta impotriva nemilosului regim totalitar care le guverneaza lumea.

Conducatorul suprem, Cel Care Este Unicul, a interzis tot ceea ce le este lor drag: carti, muzica, arta si imaginatie. Dar puterea tot mai mare a magiei celor doi frati nu a fost suficienta pentru a opri malefica dementa a Unicului.

NU VETI GASI UNUL AICI.

Wisty stie ca a venit in sfarsit momentul sa il infrunte pe Unicul. Dar lupta si focul ei nu fac decat sa canalizeze si mai multa putere in fiinta lui deja invincibila. Cum ar putea ea si Whit sa se pregateasca pentru iminenta confruntare finala cu nemilosul ticalos care le-a distrus lumea – inainte ca el sa devina cu adevarat atotputernic?

NU EXISTA FINAL FERICIT.

In aceasta uluitoare parte a treia a seriei VRAJITOR & VRAJITOARE, miza nu a fost nicicand mai mare – iar consecintele vor schimba totul.

„ACTIUNE DIN BELsUG.” – the associated press

„INGENIOASA, CU DETALII PLINE DE CULOARE.” – los angeles times

„DOI NOI EROI VOR STARNI ADMIRATIA CITITORILOR.” – yabookscentral.com

„COPII VS. ADULTI, VIOLENTA, MAGIE, MUZICA si DRAGOSTE – TOATE ACESTE SUBIECTE FAC DIN CARTE UN ROMAN PROVOCATOR CARE VA PLACEA CU SIGURANTA.” – voya

„DESCRIERI INTENSE sI O ULUITOARE IMAGINATIE.” – teenreads.com

„COPIILOR LE VA FI FOARTE GREU SA LASE CARTEA DIN MANA.” – sacramento book review

„IMAGINILE TERIFIANTE… ADUC LA VIATA ACTIUNEA… CU O VITEZA ULUITOARE.” – slj

James Patterson

JAMES PATTERSON a fost ales de copiii din Statele Unite ale Americii ca Autorul Anului in 2010, in cadrul Children’s Choice Book Awards. Multe dintre cartile sale au devenit bestselleruri internationale, printre care seriile Maximum Ride (publicata de Editura LEDA), Vrajitor si vrajitoare (publicata de Editura LEDA), Daniel X, precum si seria de romane politiste al carei personaj principal este Alex Cross. Scriitorul locuieste in Florida.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopia, Fiction, Magic, Paranormal, Adventure

352 pages, Hardcover

First published December 5, 2011

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Corey Holst · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I stuck it out. What a waste of time. Patterson changed writing partners for each of the 3 books and I don't think it helped. 3 full books of the Allgood siblings being afraid, never growing, never learning. Three quarters of the way through this 3rd volume and Wisty is still petrified of "the One" and doesn't have a clue how to fight him and Whit is still instantly distracted by his dead girldfriend, Celia, quicker than a retreiver by a SQUIRREL! Whit is the most fickle scatter-brained person in the world and the last person I would ever want to depend on to save anybody. He starts out on a mission and immediately deviates from the plan to go off on his own after his beloved Celia so many times I wished "the One" would just kill him. Supposedly Wisty's gift of FIRE (as the title suggests) is the main thing that "the One" wants and is her special ability that can defeat him (3 books have led us to this point) but alas,.... no... it's a new special ability to connect electrically to nerve synapses that seems to be her TRUE power.....HUH? Where the hell did THAT come from? She is the one person with the power who can defeat "the One"... but apparently she can't do it until Whit can concentrate for like two seconds on something other than his dead girlfriend.....wow, whatever.

Then they finally defeat the badguy in the bowels of hell with their almost dead parents watching from the sidelines (who still aren't helping in any way) and then are suddenly in a van, driving home with their parents??????? DRIVING HOME? Wasn't their home and their entire community DESTROYED in the last book? Whit had only recognized where they were because of the oak tree that used to be in their backyard that was the only thing still standing. And yet, here they are, with Mom and Dad pulling into their driveway talking about the garage door and the bathroom that needs paint.
Don't even get me started on Byron "the weasel" Swain who flip-flopped back and forth between bad-guy fink and good buddy more than a politician in an election year.
If there are any more books coming in this series.... they won't be making onto any of my bookshelves.

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Children against adults, violence, magic, music and love", but if you want to be cheap on words (as the novel is...) there is only one decent say: GARBAGE.

Ps: Irony does that I've unfortunately jump into this mess shortly after finishing Sam's Letters to Jennifer, by the same author. If you ask me (of course, you won't...) five stars were not enough for that one, as much as one star for The Fire is a star too many...

[Shelby · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry, but I have to say that I really have no idea how this book got so many five star reviews. Now, granted, I read about a few chapters offered on James Patterson's website, and I couldn't even bring myself to finish that. The first book was lacking. The second made no sense whatsoever. And the few chapters I read of The Fire showed that it was going to be exactly the same.

This series is not well written. The plot jumps around until it becomes clear that there isn't really a clear objective, the characters are inconsistent, and in many ways it's like we're still stuck at the first book, which, like I said, was not great to begin with. This could have been an interesting story. The original premise sounded nice. Now every other chapter sounds like it was written by someone else with a little information from the previous chapters. I have no idea where the story is going and in reading the first few chapters, it sounds like there are new plots and twists that might have been good and interesting-but it's much too late in the game now. I have no idea who Whit and Wisty are, really, as I haven't seem them grow at all, aside from the fact that Whit is obsessed with his dead girlfriend and Wisty likes music. I don't feel any sympathy for these characters at all. I almost feel like I must have read a different book than the other reviewers, as this feels like a rough draft that no one bothered to edit or rewrite before sending it off to be published. The only redeeming quality about this series are some of the snarky remarks said by Whit and Wisty, but they are few and far between.

In reality, if this is one of the first YA books someone reads, they might think it's good. But personally, I can name ten books-actually, many more-off the top of my head that are leaps and bounds ahead of this book. I am extremely disappointed in this book.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Fire, we discover just how powerful our friends are. Wisty cannot only burst into flames but she can control electricity as well. Whit not only can heal himself but he can heal others, which is convenient when he must save his sister for real this time. He's lost everything; his girlfriend, his parents, and his friends. Whit will die before he loses his one and only sister, and she is dying. He sees her flame smoldering out of existence and he's terrified, more scared than ever, because he cannot figure out how to save her. With the support of one of the few free families left in this totalitarian world, he learns more about himself than he ever knew. Apparently, Whit is not all muscle, but passion and power and strength. Just enough to bring his sister back to life to fight along his side once more, one last time.

The world they once knew is now in total chaos, however The New Order would consider it order. They take the fight to the one last place The One has managed to control, The Shadowland, where the dead reside. Probably one of the most terrifying places described in all three books, our heroes and their friends find themselves helpless yet manage to find the power to fight one last time and through strength, power, and determination they manage to defeat The One. A happy ending to a very sad and fearsome story. But is this the end for our heroes? Will they hang up their magic drumsticks and journals? Only time will tell.

Upon recent discovery, this is indeed not the end for our young heroes; thanks James. I cannot wait to see what you have in store come March.

[Liana · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was awesome.

I'm just so glad I decided to read this book at all and ignore all the negative reviews it got.

Book 1 was okay. Book 2 was better. And now this. KLJFKLDJSDLKSFJDSFJKLSDJL:SDFJDSKSJDF:SDKLFJDSKL:FJSD It was fabulous. The first page is action-packed already. Well that apparently is because The Gift just ended in the middle of nowhere.

Anyways, this sort of reminds me of City of Glass by Cassandra Clare in a way because it has a happy ending where the antagonist is truly defeated. And I have a feeling book 4 isn't entirely necessary. This series would do great as a trilogy. Honestly I can't bear to be seen holding a book in public called "The Kiss." Ou no. But we'll just see, won't we? (;

Okay I'm just sort of frustrated at the covergirl because Wisty is supposed to be a redhead. Sheesh.

Now that I read the book I completely understand the significance of the title. When I first saw it I was like, "That is so general I can't even.." and it turns out that it's really important.

Good job, JP. But I still can't get over his writing style. Ohmygoodness. But I ranted enough about that in previous reviews for this series.

And really that's all. This review and others can be found on my blog at bookaholicness.com.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like The Fire.

*****

James Patterson ran out of fuel. The Fire started out great, but Whit & Wisty STILL could not figure out their Magic. For goodness sake, it’s the third book already! Surely, they thought of something by now on how to defeat The One Who Is The One. *sigh* No. still not there… until the last few pages. What a disappointing final book (i hope it’s the last one) for one of my fave series.

Whit was so indecisive. A lot of things he wanted to do. Kiss Janine (the cute revolutionary)? Save Celia (his dead girlfriend)? Save Wisty? Save his parents? It was very tiring. Wisty is hot and cold all time. Kill The One Who Is The One. But I’m afraid. Kill The One Who Is The One. But I’m terrified. Kill The One Who Is The One. But I don’t know how to use my Gift! Wait, what is my Gift again??? Sheesh. My head ached for the all the going in circles of the story.

I really liked Witch & Wizard and The Gift. Unfortunately, The Fire is a failure in so many ways. The only thing i liked about it is Byron. Hey, Weasel!

Have you started this series yet? If yes, then don’t bother reading The Fire. Leave me a message, then I will summarize it up for you. I want to spare you the burden, that’s all. ;)

[Jen B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe that this is part of the same Witch and Wizard series that I loved so much! This book was horrible. I had to force myself to finish it and even that was off of principle alone. Otherwise I would've walked away from this. It was so boring- I'm sorry- but this was so out of character for James Patterson! Horrible ending also. It was like all of the sudden (and very lackluster) they defeat "the One" and resume their normal lives. The family just casually went back home and discussed mundane things like fixing a rusty garage door and reprinting the bathroom? Really??!

So weird....

They don't even thoroughly explain their "M"....wtf? I got so fed up with them being elusive and vague- between their parents and people NOT telling them how to use their magic but eluding that they know how to....I was ready to shoot myself! And Wisty and Whit being so indecisive? Annoying! Wisty being courageous then Wisty being a wuss. Whit wanting to save the world and whit just wanting to die so he can be with Celia again.

Never thought I'd say this...but I hated it!

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is that there's always something waiting for you when you turn the page. This slightly dystopian novel, makes you laugh, makes you cry, and shocks you right until the last page. It's one of the series that I re-read when I have a few hours on my hands. Money worth spending!

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third installment of this series definitely kept the pace that I have come to expect from James Patterson. This book was filled with action and had me turning the pages as fast as I could to try to keep up.
This book starts off much like the others, giving the reader an update on all that has happened while stressing the horrors that are to come. Regardless of who begins the book, be it Whit or Wisty, their ultimate goal is to remind the reader that this is not "a fairy tale" and that things are not going well for all of the world. Since they escaped from execution at the end of the last novel, this book starts with Whit on the run, carrying Wisty as she dies from the latest horror to befall anyone that still had the courage to resist The One Who Is The One. The Blood Plague.
This plague is the latest war tactic that The One has brought upon all nonconforming citizens in the New Order. Whit and Wisty found themselves in makeshift emergency camps trying to use their healing powers to save thousands of children and adults, but Wisty contracts the plague herself.
Whit finds a dilapidated building and tries to catch his breath. Unfortunately, one young officer locates them and threatens to kill them. All hope seems lost when the young soldier suddenly falls to the ground, unconscious. Enter a small, jaded child to save the day. This little girl, Pearl Marie Neederman, decides to help them and gives Whit a choice to follow her. Whit follows this girl, unsure if she can truly be trusted or where their destination might lie. After running forever, the girl brings him to a partially collapsed building where her family lives. In the remaining basement apartment, Whit finds a moment to rest and allow Wisty to lay in relative peace.
Pearl Marie lives in this small space with what remains of her family. There are many characters that call this basement home, all under the watchful eyes of Pearl Marie's mother, Mama May. Pearl Marie convinces Mama May that the fugitives can stay, stating that if they were going to contract the plague, they would have already. After Mama May gives her approval, the rest of the family begins to warm to the Allgoods.
The Allgoods end up staying with the Nedderman's, since Wisty is in no condition to move. Whit is told by Pearl Marie that he needs to pull his weight. Whit changes his features so that he will not be recognized, but Pearl Marie makes fun of the fact that he changed his features into a previously famous celebrity. Whit gets defensive stating that the musician used to be one of Celia's favorite things to listen to. Pearl Marie dismisses this statement and promises to watch Wisty, at least until she officially dies, while Whit is out in the city. Whit leaves but is lost in thoughts of Celia and loses his ability to reason. He races through the streets trying to escape as much from the N.O. as from himself and the hell that this world has become. Finally, he launches himself into a brick wall hoping to find a portal to the Shadowland and his lost love. After not going through the wall, (because come on the chances of it really being a portal are pretty low) Whit pulls himself together. He focuses on their old friends from the Resistance and on his sister. He turns and runs back to the Nedderman's with a plan to possible revive his sister's health, but finds Pearl Marie no where to be found. When she finally returns, he is fuming but requests her help to save his sister. He plans on channeling Magic through her, much as Byron did, to see if that will help heal Wisty.
Whit calls upon a poem and focuses on healing his sister. Pearl Marie says a prayer for Wisty and resigns to actually helping Whit, even though she believes that it is hopeless. After some intense concentration, Whit feels his Magic finally responding. He is able to heal Wisty of the Blood Plague, but she will still need time to regain her strength and fully heal from the brink of death. They stay with the Nedderman's while Wisty continues to recover enjoying the family atmosphere and celebrating the Holiday with them.
When Whit goes out again into the city he comes across a horrible sight, something that will stay with him for the rest of his life. He comes across a mob of New Order citizens surrounding a bonfire, complete with the charred remains of a body. The New Order has brought back witch burnings. Whit is too late to help this unfortunate soul and he tries to convince Wisty that they need to leave, wanting to get out of the city and away from what he had just witnessed. However, he withholds the event from Wisty, since she is still recovering and he doesn't want her to have to live with the knowledge of what the N.O. are doing. They enjoy the moment and use their returning Magic to create a Holiday feast and decorations. All of this is greatly appreciated by the family, but Pearl Marie speaks up. She asks why, if they are indeed the children of the Prophecy, they haven't fixed everything yet? This is a sobering moment for the small party, but Whit and Wisty understand what she means. Will this small child push them towards their fears and actually taking on The One? Will her stating what everyone is thinking cause Whit and Wisty to finally "man up" and work harder than every to fulfill the prophecy?
Unfortunately, the celebrations are interrupted by officers of the N.O. Apparently The One knows exactly where the Allgoods are, having been watching everything through a camera in the basement. Panic ensues, but Wisty turns the Neederman's into rodents so that they can fell safely from the N.O. officers and they zombie dogs. After that, Whit and Wisty escape up the stairs and run through the broken building to the higher floors. Eventually, they are forced to jump out a window, luckily landing in a pile of garbage that helps to cushion the blow. As they turn to make their leave, they find that Pearl Marie has actually been captured. Apparently she disappeared before everyone was changed into rodents, fearing the wolves and not heading Whit's warning to stay with Mama May. Whit knows they have to run, even though Wisty wants to rescue her, and promises that they will come back and save her and her family. He pulls Wisty away, telling her they won't save anyone if they are dead, and they resume their running escape from the city. They run for miles, but Wisty is still weak from the plague and they are forced to stop and sleep in a dumpster behind a burger place, eating some of the "food" that has been thrown out.
Whit either gets a visit from Celia, or dreams of a visit from her, while they sleep in the dumpster. She relays a message from their parents and presents him with a special pen as a gift. Upon hearing the message from their parents, they decide to go to a parking garage at which Wisty used to help tend victims of the Blood Plague. They also plan on looking for clues as to where other Resistance members might be, looking first in the pipe where they had separated from them in the first place.
Whit and Wisty transform their bodies into mid-aged adults and head into the clinic to try and pass their gift of healing onto the suffering victims. They wander around and eventually begin with the worse off, after a fellow nurse states that those victims might just need a hand to hold since they are not going to make it. They are able to save tons of children, although some are too far gone for their help. They also come across Jamilla, but can't believe that it is her. She is now skin and bones, obviously dying. They greet her and make sure that she knows that they are only disguised, but this only causes her to panic. She informs them that the Resistance members are lost, but loses consciousness (or actually dies, I am not really sure on this fact) before being able to give them more information on what this means. A group of N.O. soldiers enter the area to inspect and Wisty fears that their disguises will wear off leaving them trapped. Once again they flee from the scene, though at a much slower pace than normal since they haven't reverted from creaky bones and arthritis. They run for the steam pipe to try to get some clues as to what Jamilla is talking about for the rest of the Resistance kids.
On the way, they come across a familiar site for Whit. A group of N.O. citizens are surrounding wooden posts that have two girls tied to them. Wisty is horrified as she realizes what is about to happen, but gets even more upset when Whit lets on that this has been seen before. They ban together and run after the crowd, Wisty a flaming torch, screaming at the top of her lungs. While Wisty distracts, scares, and scatters the angry crowd, Whit unties the girls. After the girls decided to head home, instead of traveling with the Allgoods to get the Resistance back together, Wisty changes them into rodents so that they have a better chance of making it all the way home.
The troops from early have followed them. The leader, Pearce, and his goons begin to surround them. Unable to escape, they decide to try to make a stand. Pearce tells them that he will be hand delivering Wisty to The One, but that Whit is expendable. At this point, Pearce uses his Gift on Whit, the ability to melt off people's faces and kill them. Whit fights, even though he is in excruciating pain, and is able to overcome Pearce somehow. Pearce falls to the ground, momentarily unconscious, and all of his goons stand around scared and confused. Whit is also down for the count, and Wisty is forced to waste valuable escape time trying to A) make sure he isn't dead, and B) trying to wake him back up. Enter Mrs. H in dramatic fashion. She is in more normal, N.O. accepted attire, and Wisty fears that she might have switched sides. Mrs. H helps them escape, using Magic to help them flee to her new apartment in the main city. (So basically they backtracked and are now stranded even further in the city they were trying to escape from... Whoops)
She helps Whit use his powers, allowing him to see his parents in the Shadowland by a river. His parents absolutely forbid Whit and Wisty from entering the Shadowland and trying to find them. After the communication is cut off, the siblings inform Mrs. H that they are going to save their parents and she can help if she wants, but they will do it alone if necessary. Mrs. H proudly informs them that there is a time when all parents must be disobeyed and gives them knowledge about how the rest of the journey for them will progress, if it is to be successful.
Per Mrs. H, Whit and Wisty split up. Whit heads to the only know Portal to the Shadowland that Mrs. H knows about, with the mission to make it to the river and see/save his parents. Her main advice to him is not to fear the dead. Wisty heads to the capital, disguised as a blonde. She is to infiltrate the N.O. ranks because her mission is to deal with The One.
Wisty is able to join the N.O. Kill Squad, after coming across one marching through the city and stating that she wanted to join. They take her in, expecting her to be punished or executed, but Wisty is able to use her power on the man in charge and changes his mind to allowing her to join. After getting into the squad, she has to maintain her cover and look for an opportunity to learn more about The One and get close to him. She comes face to face with Pearce, but is left mainly unharmed after the encounter due to her disguise, suffering only a forced kiss of grossness. She mets with Byron and enlists his help to get moved to the cleaning crew of the higher up N.O. officers elite. She begins scrubbing toilets and eventually is assigned to The One's throne room. While in his sparse apartment, she searches through things to find weaknesses. She finds color contacts, dentures, and a locked drawer that holds clues to his past. Eventually she gets the courage to confront The One and sneaks into the building where he lives. He is, however, waiting for her when she arrives, claiming that he has always known who she was but was waiting for her to join him on her own. He shows her a room full of mirrors, and she almost loses to her own ego. Then he shows her an endless room filled with all that they people are now denied and banned from enjoying. All books, music, etc. The One tries to force her to give him his Gift, but she turns the power around and knocks him unconscious. Fleeing the room, scared for her life, she runs into Pearce outside of the building. He tries to kill her, but Wisty is able to turn her power on him instead. She would have succeeded in killing Pearce, but Byron interfered, misreading the situation. Leaving Pearce unconscious in a corner, Byron and Wisty make a run for a secret portal into the Shadowland. Per Byron's intel, Whit is in trouble in the Shadowland and running out of time.
Whit makes it into the Shadowland, passed the confused guards, and immediately is captured by the Lost Ones. He is taken prisoner and brought further into the Shadowland than he has ever been before. Located on the outskirts of a forest made of bones, the Lost Ones' camp is the scene where Whit spends most of his time in the Shadowlands this book. He is reunited with main faces from the Resistance, the kids having been captured and prisoners of the Lost Ones as well. The Lost Ones gear up for a feast, Whit fearing that he will be first to be eaten since he is kept separate from everyone else. But the Lost Ones inform him that the prophecy states that his is their savior, so he won't be eaten as long as he saves them. The other children are the anticipated food and are tied to spits and covered with seasoning and sauce to baste them with. Enter Celia, telling Whit that he will survive, she is sure of it. She acts strangely and claims that she can't bail him out this time, but comes back with a horde of Half-Lights and sends the Lost Ones fleeing. After the Lost Ones are gone and everyone is untied and unharmed, they agree to head on with Whit (some convincing is necessary) and make their way to the river, Celia leading the way. They are ambushed on the way there by soul suckers, and there are casualties and severely wounded after the battle is over. They still continue on, since there is really no safe place anymore, and eventually crest a hill to see the River. Leaving most of the group together, working on helping the ones that need healing, Whit and a couple main Resistance kids set off through the crowds of dead people looking for his parents. They finally find his parents trying to organize and help the lost souls, unable to cross over since The One has raised the bridge to the other side. After a reunion of happiness, Celia informs the group that she can feel Wisty is also in the Shadowlands, causing Whit to take off to find her.
Byron and Wisty have made it into the Shadowland, even though they were ambushed before the portal by The One, Pearce and tons of soldiers, all with the intent to kill them. Wisty almost lost everything, getting stuck with fear until Byron manages to get her moving again. They are traveling through the forest of bones, Wisty following the pull of the River on her magic, when they are startled by Pearce, apparently a Curve. They stand together, hoping that it will be enough to take on Pearce. But Pearce is stronger now, since Wisty using her power on him earlier has "powered him up." Pearce moves so fast that he becomes invisible and is able to land blows on both Wisty and Byron. Byron is thrown into a heap of illogical angles, not moving, and Wisty fears that he is dead. She is about to lose to Pearce when Whit charges in and tackles him. A fight ensues, where Pearce molds Whit into a football and punts him across the forest. Thinking that he won, Pearce is blindsided by Whit returning, unharmed, and slamming into him at an incredible speed. Pearce is knocked unconscious, if not killed by the hit, and Whit and Wisty gather Byron (not actually dead) to head off to safety.
They make it to the River and Wisty is reunited with her parents finally. The joy is short-lived however, as The One arrives on the scene. Wisty's attack on him back at his apartment has powered him up enough where he can finally enter the Shadowland, no longer a Straight and Narrow.
The most intense, epic battle ensues between The One and the siblings of the Prophecy. The one calls on all the forces that he controls, splitting the earth, causing tornadoes, calling forth hail, freezing the air and water. He is so overpowered and all the souls flee in fear. All except for Wisty's mother. She stands tall and calls out The One for upsetting the balance of the world and playing God. The One attacks their mother, and Wisty is finally kicked into action. Wisty calls forth a flaming meteor and barely manages to throw it at The One. It misses because The One has disappeared, but it is enough to release their mother from her torture in the sky and she falls into Whit's arms. The One's storms draw Wisty's power out against her will. She becomes an electrical storm, hovering in the air. Whit is unable to help and tries to focus on healing the world around them to keep from falling into the ever expanding earth. Celia sacrifices herself and launches directly into the eye of The One's storm. She is able to distract The One long enough for Wisty to be released, alive and relatively unharmed. Wisty manages to get Whit to concentrate enough to launch a counter attack on The One. All around them, souls and Resistance alike, start to chant the words of the Prophecy, "A boy and a girl, fated to rule all. Two will rise, and One will fall." The power of the chant adds to the magic that they are throwing at The One, focusing on bringing an end to this evil. The strength of the crowd and their powers are enough to bring about the end of The One. He disappears into a cloud of smoke and the siblings are victorious. They heal the Shadowland, rebuilding the bridge and allowing everyone to cross. Celia finally can cross over, her "unfinished business" completed. However, the Allgoods aren't like all the other lost souls. They are solid, and Whit and Wisty speculate that they can actually leave.
Cut to the family together and happy, heading back to their old home. The destruction of The One has caused his magic to undo, and neighborhoods have returned. All that died were not restored, but things are beginning to move in a positive direction. Whit and Wisty once again say goodbye to their parents, knowing that they need to continue the Prophecy and help recreate the world. They gather some of the Resistance kids and set out to help make sure that the world doesn't fall back into chaos.
Byron and Wisty seem to now be a couple. As is Whit and Janine, although their relationship will probably have to move past the whole Celia thing. The next book is called the Kiss, which has me wondering if it has to do with the electrifying kiss that Byron planted on Wisty. I assume the next two books will be how they rebuild, since the world will be ruled by the next generation.
Is The One truly gone? Will Pearce be back? Is there anything that actually comes of the passing fact of him being from a land of Magic? Will Whit and Wisty continue to improve on their powers or slowly become irrelevant? How exactly do you return to school and listening to your parents after saving the world? (Their whole relationship dynamic has changed since their parents literally owe their lives and the return of normalcy to their children.)
I have to admit that I am a little nervous to see the direction that the next two books take. Can James Patterson keep the pace and action of the three books already in the series after all that has happened in this book along? Will it still be as absorbed, greedy for the next page or book, as I continue the series? Or has this series brought my expectations to an unattainable level for all that remains?

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for: OWLs 2020 - History of Magic

This was extremely disappointing. As this is where the original trilogy ended, I'm not even going to read the last 2 that were added later - I just don't care about these characters anymore. The main positive for me was that I have now completed my OWLs.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to the next book

[Christina T · Rating 2 out of 5]

While slogging through this 3rd installment of the series I found myself willing to set it aside for typically mundane things, like, watching corn grow. Unfortunately despite the fact that I do live in Iowa I don't live near a corn field so I opted to do things like removing my pillows from my pillow cases and putting them back in because they seemed just a little crooked. Or constantly booting up Words With Friends to see if anyone took their turn (even though 25 seconds earlier they hadn't). After almost 2 days of reading then avoiding this book I finally finished.

What Worked: Well, we did get more information about Shadowlands. As near as I can tell this area is an in between for the dead. Dead people congregate there and wait. Some, will move on to somewhere else (although I don't recall where they move on to) and some, the ones who were nasty pieces of work on earth, stay there forever and become one of the Lost.

Unfortunately I can't think of anything else that worked for me about this book.

What Didn't Work: Going from one Witch and Wizard book to another it becomes glaringly obvious that we readers are not sure what timeline is at work here. From the end of the second book to the beginning of this third much has happened that we readers must pick up second hand. There is a blood plague systematically wiping out much of the Overworld. What? What is the blood plague? Where did it come from? How did it start? Never fear good readers....it must have been started by The One Who is the One to get rid of those pesky resisters of his New Order. At least that is what we think but there is nothing to confirm this.

The continuous usage of the letter M for magic. Not sure if this was used much in the first 2 books but in this installment it got annoying. Wisty asking Whit about his M. Bad guy Pearce mocking Whit about his lack of M. It felt like a false slang term used in attempts for an older person to connect with the younger generation. Speaking of Pearce. This was the first book in which he appeared and he had a wicked powerful 'gift' of melting peoples faces off. It was apparently given to him by The One. We have to assume that The One can bestow magic on his lackeys from Pearce's abilities but it is never confirmed.

The final showdown was almost anticlimactic also. When the Allgood kids used their magic against Pearce or The One instead of hurting them and/or killing them, the magic actually made them stronger. So how did The One get defeated when the Allgoods used even more magic against him? I don't know.

Another question I have is where are all the parents? We have a handful of the Resistance group....all of them are children. No one seems to have parents. The New Order has training facilities (all for children). Their troops seem to be all kids too. Where are the adults?

In a Nutshell: After reading 3 books in this series it has become more and more apparent that this is actually a poorly produced retelling of the Harry Potter series. We have magical children, dead parents, The One Who is the One (couldn't they come up with something other than this? I mean get real. Lord Voldemort was He Who Shall Not Be Named....seems pretty close to me.), multiple fighting scenes resulting in death and despair and lets not forget about Pearce with slicked back blond hair (Draco Malfoy anyone?). I know this series is not identical to the one written by JK Rowling but there are enough similarities that it's hard not to compare. I would not recommend this series to fans of YA novels. I'd push them towards his Maximum Ride series first.

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts approximately a month or two after Whit and Wisty's parents were executed. Wisty has apparently caught the blood plague, a virus that is spreading throughout the new world. So a lot has happened since then. This usually annoys me, but I liked it this time. It took a little while to catch up, but I liked that because I didn't already know everything.

A lot of this book takes place in the shadowland, which I didn't like about the previous books, but I still think The Fire was my favorite. I think the writing was better in this one than in the others and it was more well paced.

I liked that whit and wisty split up. Although it was a little hard to follow at times, and I had to go back a couple chapters to see what happened, It was more entertaining because you are hearing two stories at once.

SPOILER ALERT!!
What I thought of the ending:

OMG! I loved how it ended. It was so well written at that point and It was happy and sad at the same time. Although everything isn't the way it always was, it was better that way, and the ending was my favorite part of the book.

Okay first of all, I like how things ended with Celia. Janine was always my favorite, and even though most people liked Celia better, I just didn't like her. She annoyed me.

Wisty and Byron! :D OMG I love them!! I'm so happy they finally got together. That was my favorite thing in the whole book. I've wanted them to be together since the first time wisty turned Byron into a weasel. I sound so girly but oh well! I'm just really excited! haha

I like that some things went back to normal here, but not everything. Cause let's face it: the world can't go through all that and then be completely the same afterward. So yeah, I liked that it wasn't too perfect.

I liked that their parents were able to come back to the overworld after the one died. It would have been way too sad for them to lose Celia, all the other people who died, and be orphans. That being said, I think it was good that they didn't go back home like everything was normal. It was cool that they continued to help.

Okay, so that concludes my review! I know I didn't list any complaints, but that was because everything I wanted to happen did. It was a great ending to the series - assuming that this is the ending - and my favorite so far.
I definitely recommend this series

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review contains spoilers!!

I used to be an avid fan of James Patterson when I first began reading the Maximum Ride series. It wasn't until the last two MR books that I became a bit sick and disappointed in Patterson's predictable, repeated, and overrated "thrills", "cliffhangers", and "plot twists." It was the same case with this book. I suppose the general idea was decent, if not a slightly stale take on the popular totalitarian society takeover plot line. But the characters weren't unique at all- read: 'handsome blonde hunk with a sensitive side and desire to save the world.' Read: 'beautiful, spunky troublemaker, never fit in with others, also with great responsibility to save human race and tendency to make a LOT of clever wisecracks throughout the novel.' Whit reminds me a lot of Fang and Dylan both in MD. Wisty in this series is basically Max. I'm sorry Patterson, but I just could not become attached to characters like Whit or Wisty- they're overplayed and generic. There were so many times in the book where you put a character so far over the death line that they are pretty much considered dead, and you throw in all these struggles for life and paragraphs of misery and heartfelt drama, then you wrench them back to life like "just kidding!!" And I got too tired of getting worked up over Whit or Wisty's near death experiences to feel any remorse for them. All I have to say about what ends up happening to the One is that I was expecting better, to correspond with your claims of how spectacular it was going to be. I was disappointed. That part was overrated. All I have to say about the epilogue is that I'm shaking my head in disbelief and more disappointment. Well congratulations on your happy ending, entire world. Congratulations on the poorly emotionally played "intimate moment" for the Allgoods, James. Congratulations on the incredible nugget of knowledge Whit gained after such trauma and hardship: "time soldiers on." *sigh*. Overall, James Patterson, I expected much more of a book series that you described as an "epic saga".

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

NO, Miss Pearl Marie, The One Who Is The One is NOT God.

Despite my initial thoughts, based on Pearl up there, this was pretty good! Wisty was pretty good--she got her hair back--the villain was nice and villainous, and Pearce was sufficiently reminiscent of Draco Malfoy, though he'd have been even more formidable had his name been spelled "P-i-e-r-c-e." Whatever.

*SPOILERS!*
Seriously. Whitford P. Allgood. (What does the "P" stand for??) Could you please. Pretty please. With gummy bears on top, could you PLEASE try and be less obsessed with your dead girlfriend's SCENT?!? I mean, come on! The ratio of Whit talking about Celia's bloody scent to Max describing Fang as dark is probably about exactly the same, and so far I've counted upwards to thirty "darks" or "blacks" when describing Fang. (Yes, I have been keeping track. I was annoyed.)

Also, what was with the stupid ENDING?! Seriously! They leave Draco Malfoy's Clone lying unconscious in a forest somewhere, kill The One Who Is The One, and then go back HOME??!?! No way!!! I need a sequel!! Where Wisty does NOT get together with Byron. That was rushed, slap-dash, and highly improbable, not to mention gross. Sasha and Wisty. Pearce and Wist--okay, no, Pearce is gross. But ANYONE BESIDES PEARCE BUT BYRON!!!!

[Kellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I have no idea why I chose to read this, as the last one was so bad. I guess I am just a glutton for punishment. I saw it on the shelf at the library; I knew it was the last book in the trilogy; so why NOT find out what happens? Ugh.

Granted, this one flowed better than the other two. I actually didn't feel like smacking my head with the book as I did with the other two. I still can't believe Whit and Wisty even managed to beat The One Who is The One. I mean, they never learned from what they went through! Wisty, even after Bryon told her, never got that when she used her magic on others, they gained powers. Even after everything, she still seemed to have no control over her power whatsoever. And don't get me started on Whit. His idiocy when it came to Celia knew no bounds. No matter what he was doing, if Celia made any kind of appearance he was off after her instead of dealing with whatever he should have been dealing with.

Overall, just not a well-written or well-executed book trilogy. Stick to what your good at, Mr. Patterson. (Which I assume are his mysteries, which I've never read.)

[Tiernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah! that was amazing. Here's a nice little list explaining myself:
1. These books get better and better each time! First 3 stars, then 4, now 5?! Nice!
2. So intense, and not little-kiddish at all. I wasn't annoyed at how they talked this time.
3. Incredibly fast paced. Boom, boom, boom. Every chapter has a new surprise, and better yet, the chapters are, like, 3 pages average, which I love!
4. It's got that epic Maximum Ride effect we all love.
5. The ending! It could be continued, it doesn't need to be. Let's not make it a repeat of "The Final Warning" if you do, Mr. Patterson...the closure is amazing, with room for more to happen, but I personally thing it makes a great conclusion.
I found myself searching for flaws. James Patterson has pissed me off enough, but no matter how hard I looked, I came up empty. So I guess I have no choice but to give it 5 stars. Bravo, Patterson/Dembowski, bravo...

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Fire is the third novel in the Witch and Wizard trilogy. It follows Whit and Wisty as they learn to control their magic and stop The One from destroying the world.

I admit that I was disappointed in this series. The plot was half-baked and the characters were very static. There seemed to be a missing piece of story between the second book and this book. It created the feeling that I was running to catch up because I didn't read something that I was supposed to, despite the fact that I read everything. There just wasn't enough emotional pull for me and there was a serious lack of originality in the plot. I wish I had something nice to say about it, but I don't.

[Nicole Prescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a huge fan of magic, especially when young people discover they have a supernatural powers. I feel the message of The Fire is you can't let someone ruin your life just because you're different, and I love that. James Patterson sends the message of standing up for yourself, through a brother and sister with supernatural powers fighting for their right to live and be who they are. It's an amazing book written by a fantastic writer.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed in this series! I usually enjoy Patterson but definitely not these books. Do not read unless you have nothing else to do!

[⭐️Ellen⭐️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series gets worse and worse. I'm done.

[Kanye Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Fire is a book about not letting go and being indecisive all the time. It's exactly like a break-up that occurred 2 years ago which causes you to think you'll never find anyone else and isolate yourself from society. All throughout the book, Whit-a young wizard- can't let go of the fact that Janine and Celia died (Janine later gets resurrected by Whit). In past books in the Witch & Wizard series, Whit had hated The One Who Is The One after The One killed Celia. Although Celia's death has traumatized Whit, it caused him to meet Janine-a strong, passionate Resistance member. Also, Whit is indecisive about who he should save/kill. Within the Fire, Whit's mind is clogged with questions of if he should save his sister Wisty, save his parents, or kill The One Who is The One- the center of his misery. Seriously, make up your mind!!!!
James Patterson's The Fire is a book about Whit and Wisty Allgood,2 fugitive witch/wizards on a mission to save their supposedly alive parents. In the beginning of the book, Wisty is injured from a previous battle, causing Whit to be the man in charge and take care of his sister. While on the run from the New Order, they meet Pearl Marie, a 7-year-old girl who's more than meets the eye. A girl with a knack to hurt people with holiday decorations turns out to be a real help to Allgood siblings because she volunteers to take care of Wisty and joins with her band of misfits to help take down the New Order. Further in their journey, Whit and Wisty meet an old witch who tells them that their parents are still alive and in the Shadowland. Unlike Wisty's new hope that they'll be able to see their parents again, Whit questions the old witch's theory and reconsiders their mission. He says to Wisty that he's sure that their parents were executed but Wisty doesn't buy it. As Whit starts to remember the deaths of members of the Resistance, Whit gets his back in the game, leading to the death of The One Who Is The One and the rescue of their parents (with the help of some new friends).
Although James Patterson's The Fire has some action-packed and thrilling moments, I feel that reading the book is just a waste of time because the main characters keep being indecisive about if they want to complete the mission. In the end, the mission is finally completed but they keep switching on and off about whether it's worth risking their lives to defeat a villain with such high authority and power. When your the position that they are in, you can't think of yourself- you have to consider others and what position they're in. The smallest decision you make today can greatly impact tomorrow.

One of the most important decisions you'll ever make is choosing the kind of universe you exist in: is it helpful and supportive or hostile and unsupportive? Your answer to this question will make all the difference in terms of how you live your life and what kind of Divine assistance you attract.
-Wayne Dyer

[Samuel A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book that I read is “Witch & Wizard The Fire” by James Patterson, it is the third book in his series and continues the story of Whit and Wisty. These children are on a journey to defeat “The One” this is because he executed their parents and took the rights of many innocent people. I liked this story because it is very interesting and creative for this fantasy world. It shows how life could be with an all ruling dictator and magical powers. If I had to live in that world it would be a tough life, like Whit and Wisty’s. “ A man collapses at my feet, and I have to wrestle my arm away from a woman holding a baby and pointing at me, shrieking, ‘The One has judged! He has judged you!’” (Patterson page 3) This quote shows the struggle of Whit, he is basically at ransom for just having powers. Them two had a heck of a hard time just trying to survive in this fantasy world so I rate this book 9/10, this is because the ending of this book was amazing I just didn't get very hooked at the beginning of this series. I would recommend this book to people that like books such as Harry Potter or more fantasy based books.

[Anjie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's just walk in circles for half the book, not learning anything, and not moving the story along. Ugh. At least it's short!

[Matthew]

Good. Bit repetitive, honestly like the first ones better, but still liked it.

[Long Live Wonderland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just really can't stand wisty...

[Kam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Start off very slow... I admit I was getting bored until second half of the book. The second half of the book got me so hooked and now I’m looking forward for next two books!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Great Series!!! Whit and Wisty, who are brother and sister, really make this Series.. After reading books that are a complete opposite, it's nice to have a fantasy book to read... James Patterson is a Superb AUTHOR :-)

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da, am citit doar volumul 3...

[Matthew Cuevas · Rating 2 out of 5]

i didnt realy like this book it was t brutal and i didnt like how they set it up