Hi friends, this first week I’m giving you a review of a series of books I was recommended to read by my nephew while I was on holiday with his family last year. I had spent the better half of it trying to get him to look into Percy Jackson instead of re-reading Harry Potter for the umpteenth time and he suggested I put my money where my mouth was and read Artemis Fowl!! Well, young sir, the review below is what I truly thought…
This whole series took me a couple of months to complete. I didn’t realise I would end up liking it the way I did, so, to my nephew in England, this series review is for you!!
The first story, aptly titled Artemis Fowl, written by Eoin Colfer (Viking Press, 2001) gives a fantasy/adventure/sci-fi read like no other. Our main hero (or villain?) Artemis Fowl, is a twelve-year-old criminal mastermind. He’s just recently discovered that fairies are real, but these are not the gentle ones you find in bedtime stories. These ones are armed and dangerous. When Artemis and his mountain-sized bodyguard Butler kidnap an elf in an attempt to ransom her for fairy gold, he doesn’t realise he’s captured Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police (LEP). She’s not that keen on being kidnapped and pretty soon Artemis finds out that these fairies will fight back! ‘Fast-paced’ doesn’t do justice to how action-packed this read was. Fantasy, sci fi, myths and legends, spies, high-tech, witty humor and hilarious chase scenes are just a few of the terms I would use to describe this read. For a first instalment, this was quite an epic beginning. I really enjoyed the dialogue between the fairy characters as they are introduced and looked forward to reading the rest of the series.
In the second story, Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident (2002), Captain Holly Short is tracking a suspicious supplier to the goblins while Foaly, the head of LEP’s technology department, is trying to figure out who’s disabled all the LEP technology and pointed the finger at him. Meanwhile, Artemis Fowl is following a ransom demand for his father when he’s captured by the LEP, specifically Captain Holly Short. When she learns that Artemis wasn’t involved, she reluctantly agrees to join forces with her one-time adversary – a mix that proves to be both charming and volatile. This second instalment didn’t disappoint and delivered more action and high-tech (fairy-tech!) drama that kept me gripped well into the night!! I actually went and ordered the next few in the series while I was reading this one. When it comes to descriptions of the setting, Colfer truly outshines all the others in this genre as his imagery and witty dialogue are truly out of this world!! Getting to know the supporting cast of the Butler siblings, Foaly and the other fairy characters, both police and criminal, was an amazing experience and I really look forward to meeting them again.
The third book, Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code (2003) we find that thirteen-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has constructed a supercomputer from stolen fairy technology. In the wrong hands it could be fatal for humans and fairies alike. Artemis and his bodyguard Butler, plan on showing the computer to a ruthless American businessman with Mafia connections. Unfortunately for Artemis his carefully laid out plans don’t work out the way he had intended and he has no choice but to contact Captain Holly Short for help. And so, we’re thrust into another whirlwind of an adventure with Holly, Foaly, and Mulch Diggums, the kleptomaniac dwarf who assisted them before. You can’t help but get attached to these characters, and once I started reading this series I found myself waiting to read the next ones to see what happens next. In Eternity Code, I found myself enjoying the build up of Mulch’s character and the hilarious banter he has with the other fairies, mostly with Foaly.
In the fourth book, Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception (2005), both Artemis Fowl and the LEP have to face a common enemy: the evil pixie Opal Koboi. She has spent the last year in a self-induced coma, plotting her revenge on all those who foiled her attempt to destroy the LEPrecon fairy police. And Artemis Fowl is at the top of her list. After his last run-in with the fairies, Artemis had his mind wiped of his memories of the world belowground. But they have not forgotten about him. Once again, he must stop the human and fairy worlds from colliding—only this time, Artemis faces an enemy who may have finally outsmarted him. Reading this was like one of those spy thrillers, filled with twists and turns, and unexpected tragedies. One of the things I didn’t expect to do in this read was cry and laugh, unfortunately not at the same time. Yes, there’s some sad events, but the camaraderie between Holly, Artemis, Butler and Mulch grows and I was pleased to see some bonds of friendship forming. One thing I can truly say, just like the Harry Potter books, this series gets better as Artemis grows older!
The next book, Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony (2006), was a story I found quite intriguing. We learn of another group of fairies, the demons, who ended up leaving the safety of the underground civilization. The demons planned to lift their small island out of time until they had regrouped and were ready to wage war on the humans once more. However, the time spell went wrong, and the island of Hybras was catapulted into Limbo, where it has remained for ten thousand years. Now, the tainted time spell is deteriorating and demons are being sucked back into the present space and time. So when a confused and frightened demon pops up in a Sicilian theatre, Artemis Fowl is there to meet him. Unfortunately, he is not the only one. A second, mysterious party has also solved the temporal equations, and manages to abduct the demon before Artemis can secure him. This is a disaster for the fairies, because this demon was no ordinary fairy. He was the last demon warlock, and as such held the key to the survival of the entire demon race. It is up to Artemis and his old comrade, Captain Holly Short to track down the missing demon and rescue him before the time spell dissolves completely and the lost demon colony returns violently to Earth. I found myself going back and forth re-reading chapters in this because there’s something about the different subplots that I kept missing. Anyway, a few days later, it all made sense and I found myself rooting for the gang who were now old friends and cheering them on. Artemis is a bit older as well and going through some emotional issues in this read! I was hoping for some romance of sorts but found the ending appropriately hilarious despite the action-packed drama!!
In the sixth book, Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox (2008), we’re reunited with the gang but sadly some time has passed. Artemis Fowl has returned to a life different from the one he left after disappearing three years ago. Now that he’s a big brother, he spends his days teaching his twin siblings the important things in life. But when Artemis Fowl’s mother contracts a life-threatening illness, his world is turned upside down. Her only hope for a cure lies in the brain fluid of the silky sifaka lemur whose extinction was brought about by a heartless bargain Artemis himself made as a younger boy. With the help of his fairy friends, the young genius travels back in time to save the lemur and bring it back to the present. But to do so, Artemis will have to defeat a maniacal poacher, who has set his sights on new prey: Holly Short. The rules of time travel are far from simple, but to save his mother, Artemis will have to break them all and outsmart his most cunning adversary yet: Artemis Fowl, age ten. This was by far one of the best ones I had read in this series. That whole concept of time travel, then the new characters of Miles and Beckett Fowl, our hero’s twin brothers, and their new demon friend, make an intriguing read!! I absolutely loved getting myself confused with the two versions of Artemis in this read!! Be warned friends, it helps to read this series in order, and most importantly, to read any additional material as advised by my nephew!!
The seventh story, Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex (2010), was quite a hilarious read for me. We meet young Artemis at a conference in Iceland where he has gathered the fairies to present his latest idea to save the world from global warming. But Artemis is behaving strangely – he seems different. Artemis Fowl has become nice. The fairies diagnose Atlantis Complex (that’s obsessive compulsive disorder) – it seems dabbling in magic has damaged Artemis’ mind. Captain Holly Short doesn’t know what to do. The subterranean volcanoes are under attack from vicious robots and Artemis cannot fight them. The adventure that follows is another high-octane, action-packed, and somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster as Holly, Foaly and Mulch have to deal with a version of Artemis they hadn’t encountered before. Before I started this my nephew instructed me to read a short story in the previous instalment and it was a good thing I followed his instructions.
The eighth and last book in Eoin Colfer’s best-selling series is Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian (2012) and be warned friends, you will need to keep your wits about you and stay focused because Opal Koboi, power-crazed pixie, is plotting to exterminate mankind and become fairy queen. If she succeeds, the spirits of long-dead fairy warriors will rise from the earth, inhabit the nearest available bodies and wreak mass destruction. But what happens if those nearest bodies include crows, or deer, or badgers – or two curious little boys by the names of Myles and Beckett Fowl? Can Artemis and Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police stop Opal and prevent the end of the world? What an ending this was!! I found myself gripping the book as I turned the pages, willing for a favourable ending and I was a bit taken aback when I read those last few chapters. There’s a moment when I thought that I would lose all of the beloved characters in this series but… I was pleasantly surprised at the way everything worked out even if I was bawling my eyes out!! A fitting ending to this acclaimed series!!
Well, from my end, I think I kept my end of the bargain, right? I’ll let you know if my nephew has kept his side of our deal!
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 