The Lost: (Witch & Wizard 5) (Witch & Wizard, #5)

by James Patterson and James O Born

Whit Allgood is renowned for healing the victimised. But now the people of his City have turned their backs on all who use magic, and Whit is faced with a terrible choice: give up his power or let good people die.

Wisty Allgood once saved the City from despair, but now she watches over a society that fears her power and is unwilling to accept her as she is. Increasingly bitter and isolated, she is on the brink of abandoning everyone she's ever cared for.

All the while, a daunting but charismatic new enemy with unsurmountable power is gathering legions of cult followers, enslaving thousands, and wrenching public opinion against its former heroes... making the City vulnerable to a ctastrophic attack from which it would never recover. With the Allgoods unable to help, will evil finally take back control?

• ISBN10: 0099567741
• ISBN13: 9780099567745
• Publish Date: 18 December 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 12 May 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Cornerstone
• Imprint: Arrow (Young)
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

“Submit? Never. I live to burn.”

The Lost is a fast-paced and action-packed read, but I'm tired of the repetitiveness. It's the same plot, the same villains and the same problems. Once again, Whit and Wisty are dealing with corrupt leaders and a council who is trying to control magic. 

The plot is predictable and there is plenty deus ex machina. I don't even try to understand the magic system because it doesn't make sense. There are a few scenes that are supposed to be meaningful, but because The Lost is fast-paced and the events happen quickly, they don't get the attention they need and end up seeming shallow.

Whit has the best character arc in the The Lost. His character arc might not have much depth, but it's the best one in the series. Whit has to deal with the choice of losing his magic, but I'm not too sure about how I feel about him getting his powers back. It seemed too easy and took away from the character development. I also like Whit and Janine's relationship development.

Wisty is a static character, who has not learnt from past experiences. I started the series feeling indifferent towards her and I ended it feeling annoyed because of her. She doesn't think before she acts, throws tantrums and uses her magic to make a point when she doesn't get her way. I don't mind flawed characters, but I feel like Wisty was meant to be seen as a likable character and she isn't.

Byron deserves better. I was glad to see him leave Wisty behind and set boundaries for himself... or so I thought, but his death seems unnecessary. 

This series has terrible villains. The villains are stereotypical and their dialogue is cringy. Because the villains in this series aren't compelling, I was tired of seeing General Bloom, Pearce and The One again. Wasn't Pearce in love with Wisty at some point? What happened there? Why can't the villains just stay gone?

I'm glad that I was able to reread and finally complete one of my childhood favourites (that's if Patterson doesn't extend this series), but it doesn't stand the test of time. 

“Love, I remind myself, love. It's either that, or destruction.”