Resurrection (Wicked)
Grade 9 Up—By the time this series concludes on the 401st page of this volume, the Earth has been rent at least three times, two cats and one human have been reanimated, the Horned God and the Goddess have engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and Merlyn has been revealed as the fourth wise man. Although "Wicked" had ceased publication with the release of the fourth book,Spellbound(S & S, 2003), recent reissue as a pair of double volumes has reinvigorated its popularity. The series follows Holly and her cousins, sisters Amanda and Nicole, who discover their inherited power as witches, learn of their family's position of power among those who practice magic, and attempt to resolve a historic war between their family and a powerful clan of warlocks.Resurrectionresolves the conflicts and dilemmas established in the earlier novels, albeit in a much higher fantastic mode than in the first installments. The narrative details past events that inform the characters' current situations and even allows the characters from the past and present to intermingle to dramatic effect. Readers of the original (or rereleased) novels will be interested to discover what becomes of the cousins and will find the conclusion outrageous, somewhat surprising, fantastic, and satisfying.—Amy S. Pattee, Simmons College, BostonEND