Wit\'ch Fire (The Banned and the Banished, Book 1) I sometimes like to read pulpy mass-market genre fiction — although often what one finds there is really disappointing.  The fantasy genre in particular is usually just painfully derivative and uninspiring.  But something about Clemens’ “Banned and Banished” series sounded interesting, so I picked up the first two in the series.

I’m pleasantly surprised.  The elements of the story aren’t that original:  a young girl who awakes to discover hidden and dangerous powers and is the scion of a ancient lineage, a land dominated by an evil Dark Lord, and the assemblage of a band of unlikely allies who protect the young girl, who is being hunted by aforementioned Dark Lord.  This is a familiar set of elements (actually its the plot to Star Wars and Eragon), and I was prepared to roll my eyes after a few pages.

But what Clemens does with these familiar tropes is pretty good.  The bad guys are pretty darned bad, the DL stays in the shadows but does some pretty scary stuff, the characters are nicely drawn, and the story moves quickly.  The system of magick that Clemens invents is somewhat interesting as well.

I’m curious to see how this series continues — a diverting and engaging read for the bitter middle of winter.