The Wondrous World of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Witch and Wizard Series

The Witch and Wizard series is a collection of fantasy novels written by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet. The series follows the adventures of siblings Whit and Wisty Allgood, who discover that they possess magical abilities in a world where magic is outlawed by the totalitarian government known as the New Order. The series takes place in a dystopian society where the New Order rules with an iron fist, suppressing any form of creativity or individuality. Through their magical powers, Whit and Wisty become a threat to the New Order, and they are captured and imprisoned by the oppressive regime. Throughout the series, the siblings learn to harness their powers and join a resistance movement known as the Free World. They encounter other magically gifted individuals who join their cause, and together they fight against the New Order and its leader, The One Who Is The One.

According to author and Oz series originator Lyman Frank Baum [May 15, 1856-May 5, 1919], there originally were four wicked witches who terrorized the beautiful, enchanted, magical land of Oz. They were the Wicked Witches of the East, North, South, and West. Glinda the Good and another unnamed Good Witch managed to take over the rule of the Red Quadling Country of the South, and of the Blue Munchkin Country of the North, respectively. So Baum's story began with two good witches, and two wicked witches. Close to the beginning of the book, the Wicked Witch of the East was killed when Dorothy's farmhouse landed on her. A bit more than midway through the story, the Wicked Witch of the West was killed when Dorothy threw a bucket of water on her and melted her into nothingness. So the story ended with no wicked witches, and two good witches of the South and of the North.

Glinda the Good and another unnamed Good Witch managed to take over the rule of the Red Quadling Country of the South, and of the Blue Munchkin Country of the North, respectively. A story in the Ozarks, where I live, concerns a monstrous wildcat who lives in a cave who chases a man on a wagon who sacrifices meat he d had butchered in an attempt to slow it down.

They encounter other magically gifted individuals who join their cause, and together they fight against the New Order and its leader, The One Who Is The One. The Witch and Wizard series explores themes of power, oppression, and the importance of standing up for what is right. The books are fast-paced and action-packed, with twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Permit Margaret Atwood to explain ‘The Wizard of Oz’

To Margaret Atwood, in “The Wizard of Oz” the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) and the Tin Woodman (Jack Hale) embody male anxiety over surging feminism (Dorothy, played by Judy Garland).

Next week sees the publication of “Burning Questions,” a new collection of nonfiction pieces by Margaret Atwood. In the course of speaking to The Times about her fearless opinions for a feature profile, the author of “The Handmaid’s Tale” explained her preoccupation with L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” offering a typically nimble riff on its expression of anxieties over feminism and what she calls the “woman question.” The conversation has been slightly edited.

It’s a very iconic and interesting story, which of course I read as a small child.

OK. So let’s think about what it’s got in it. It was written around the time that rights for women was a real issue. Everybody was thinking about it. And what does “The Wizard of Oz” have in it? It’s got four witches, who have real witchy power. One gets squashed by the house. And one of them is the Wicked Witch of the West who appears in the film with a green face and apparently scared the pee out of Neil Gaiman as a child.

Literally scared the pee out of him?

I didn’t ask. [laughs] I didn’t get granular on the details. But I was on stage with him and I did my witch voice and he said, “Don’t do that! Don’t do that! That really scared me as a child.” You’ll notice that he’s channeled it quite a bit in some of his own writing, most particularly “Coraline.” Anyway, there’s these four witches, and two of them are good and two of them are bad. The other magic person, once she gets the slippers, is Dorothy — also a female person. Then there’s also the girl soldiers in the Emerald City. Remember them?

Margaret Atwood is not your ‘elderly icon’ or ‘witchy granny.’ She’s better than that

Margaret Atwood unpacks the essays, speeches and appreciations in her deep and deeply entertaining new nonfiction collection, ‘Burning Question.’

I’m not sure they’re in the film. They’re definitely in the book, illustrated, they look sort of like drum majorettes. So the Emerald City of Oz is a utopia. Everybody in it is happy. But it’s based on an illusion. OK. Let’s look at the male people in the book. They are the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow. They go with Dorothy because each of them feels he lacks something. One of them lacks courage, one of them lacks brains, and one of them lacks heart. So we have three deficient male characters going to see the Wizard, hoping that they will get these things, but the Wizard turns out to be a fraud. [laughs] So actually none of the male characters in the book have any real magic powers. The Wizard has only succeeded in keeping the bad witches at bay by making people think he has magic powers. Don’t you think that’s interesting? I certainly do. [laughs]

So is this turn-of-the-century insecurity about gender roles? I would say it is. Early on, when I was writing my thesis for Harvard in supernatural female figures in fiction, naturally I was interested in these witches. In 19th century fiction particularly, they always have to do with what they called “the woman question.”

What is the woman question?

Now let’s just dial back in history, long, long ago before you were born. Women didn’t have voting rights , they didn’t have rights to higher education. They couldn’t go to art schools because they might see naked women, always a shock. They didn’t have property rights unless those had been specially arranged for them by their male progenitors. That’s the plot of a lot of 19th century novels. So the woman question was about: How many of these things should they be permitted? And it ranged all the way from higher education and votes to just, you know, what kinds of schools they should be allowed into. Certainly not medical schools! They might see naked women.

Margaret Atwood’s guide to turning dark histories into fictional futures

The author of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Testaments” unpacks the way “all speculative fiction writers are writing about the present and the past.”

Each woman I know has seen at least one naked woman. I mean even in the Middle Ages, a woman would change her own clothes.

You’d think! Think again. You could live a whole life without ever seeing your own body. Anyway, there was a big debate about Mrs. Bloomer, who wanted more relaxed clothing for women. It was actually seriously put forward that if you took away their corsets women, being so much like jellyfish, would just sort of subside into a puddle on the floor; they needed bolstering up. There was also an idea that if you gave them higher education, all the blood would come out of their generative organs into their heads and they wouldn’t be able to reproduce. You think this is stupid, don’t you?

No, I think it’s hysterical!

Yes. Well I was a Victorianist once upon a time and these arguments were seriously put forward to limit women’s access to public life. And then there was the big bicycle revolution. When bicycles came in, women could get on bicycles and go off to places where they weren’t supervised, which as you can readily imagine was deeply immoral. So there was a lot of writing against [it], and I’m sure the same argument was made about automobiles when they came along. And I refer you to zippers, which were preached against as being immoral.

These are just some aspects of it. How much power should women be allowed and if they got it, would they seriously misuse it? That was the argument. Would they turn men into these deficient creatures that you see in “The Wizard of Oz” with no magical powers? Who had to fall back on pretending to have magical powers? So to me, just as in H.G. Wells’ “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” deep anxieties about the woman question were being expressed in these fantasies.

Review: ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ sequel ‘The Testaments’ puts Margaret Atwood’s powers on full display

‘The Testaments’ is the much-awaited sequel to Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Margaret Atwood unpacks the essays, speeches and appreciations in her deep and deeply entertaining new nonfiction collection, ‘Burning Question.’

The series has garnered a dedicated fanbase, with readers being drawn to the complex and relatable characters, as well as the thought-provoking exploration of freedom and resistance. It has been praised for its imaginative world-building and its ability to engage young readers in discussions about social and political issues. Overall, the Witch and Wizard series is a thrilling and thought-provoking collection of books that combines magic, adventure, and social commentary to create a captivating reading experience..

Reviews for "The Inspiring Heroines and Heroes of the Witch and Wizard Series"

1. John - 2/5 stars

I found the Witch and Wizard series to be quite disappointing. The plot seemed promising at first, but it quickly became predictable and lacked originality. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult to care about their journey. Additionally, the writing style felt juvenile, which made it hard for me to fully immerse myself in the story. Overall, I was left feeling underwhelmed and wouldn't recommend this series to others.

2. Emily - 1/5 stars

I really struggled to enjoy the Witch and Wizard series. The world-building felt shallow and poorly explained, leaving me confused about the magical elements and the logic behind it all. The pacing was also a major issue, with the story dragging on in some parts and rushing through others. The characters felt flat and their development was lacking, making it difficult to feel invested in their struggles. Overall, I couldn't connect with this series and found it to be a tedious read.

3. Sarah - 2/5 stars

The Witch and Wizard series had potential, but it failed to deliver for me. The writing style was simplistic and lacked depth, making it hard to fully engage with the story. The plot felt disjointed and lacked cohesion, with too many subplots that didn't add much to the overall narrative. The dialogue also felt forced and unnatural, which made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and wouldn't recommend this series to fans of fantasy novels.

The Role of Magic in the Witch and Wizard Series