Review by Frank Plowright

Mixing fantasy with a murder investigation, Fake Empire features some of the few thousand surviving fairies secreted within humanity, long having learned the dangers of revealing themselves. Someone, though, has shot the Tooth Fairy. It’s a position always filled from within the royal family, so Oberon and Titania feature, although long ago separated. Fortunately their daughter Charli has chosen a career as a police detective and has some time to take, so can investigate the death of her sister. Their other sister appears more troubled, to the extent of having her fairy wings surgically removed.

Eric Palicki starts with a preposterous concept and yet will rapidly have all readers taking it seriously. Once the opening chapter has established the scenario he promptly subverts expectations and then drops in the full devious interactions of fairy society as transcribed in medieval literature.

At the beginning this heavy brew is brought to efficient life by Vinnie Rico, but the quality isn’t sustained as the serialisation deadlines begin to bite. Backgrounds become more basic, layouts aren’t as adventurous and figures become looser and less in proportion. It’s never poor art, but the initial momentum isn’t maintained.

Much the same might be said about the story. It’s smart, the cast and their connections are well considered, and Charli’s investigation proceeds efficiently, but the ending is weak. The misunderstandings are consistent, but what develops from them lacks credibility. Palicki sets things up for a continuation, but proved better working within same mileu on Black’s Myth.

One of The National’s better known songs is also titled Fake Empire, but any connection ends there.