When wouldbe writer Piper Pied (her parents had a strange sense of humor, don’t ask) attends the funeral of her grandmother, Alfrieda Dickerson, she finds her life turned upside-down. Her family, it seems, has conspired to make sure that poor Piper is the one to inherit her grandmother’s house, a delightful little cottage located on the outskirts of the suburbs. It’s simply full of Alfreida’s books and papers, has a lovely front yard, and a great view of Fairy.
That’s right, Grandma Dickerson’s cottage borders between Earth and Fairy, and is actually something of a portal for the creatures that inhabit the area. Which include some very obnoxious and mischievous pixies, a too-handsome-to-be-real elf named Aelvarim, a stereotypically-crochety dwarf named Malraux, and a misogynistic wizard named Larkingtower. And yes, they’re stereotypical for a reason: they’re defined by the writings and popular beliefs of humanity. Between Tolkein and all the other fantasy writers of the past century, Fairy’s undergone some changes, not all of them for the pleasant.
What starts off as Piper’s attempt to put some order into her life soon turns into a murder mystery, as she and Aelvarim attempt to find out who killed Grandma Dickerson, and why. If they can find the missing manuscript Alfreida was working on, it might just have the answers they need. The problem is, there’s a time limit. More and more of Fairy and Earth are being swallowed up by patches of nothingness, and only those touched by Fairy can see it. Things, and people, are disappearing from existence, unmade in the blink of an eye. It’s up to Piper to unravel the mystery, and set things right in the only way she can: by influencing the world of Fairy and her own life through her writing. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll find time for romance. That is, if Aelvarim’s not the real culprit.
Metatextual and thoroughly enjoyable, Rebecca Lickiss puts a new spin on old ideas and makes sense out of the stereotypes commonly attached to fantasy. Why -should- the wizard hate women, yet secretly like them? Why -should- the dwarf sing and dig for gems in a mine? Why -must- the elves be beautiful bardic masters? What if they want to be different, and are aware of the roles they must play?
A regrettably quick read, *Eccentric Circles* still marks the debut of a talented writer with a lot of potential. I’m looking forward to seeing what she’ll put out next. With luck, Lickiss is only just getting started, and will continue to grow and improve, and tackle even more complex subjects. But when the only complaints are ‘it’s over too soon’ and ‘I wanted more’, you know she’s off to a good start.