Artemis Fowl ****
by Eoin Colfer**The summaries have some spoilers, but my review is neutral. If you are thinking about reading the series feel free to check out my overall review.**
Summaries: Artemis Fowl *** is the first book in the series. Artemis Fowl, the 12-year-old criminal genius may have met his match in the fairy police agent Holly Short. Artemis Fowl along with his intimidatingly huge body guard, Butler, kidnap Holly Short who works for the LEPrecon or fairy police organization run underground where the fairy civilization is now located. Artemis ransoms Holly for one ton of twenty-four carat gold. Follow Artemis as he outwits the fairies time and again in order to achieve his ends.
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident *** is the second book of the series. Artemis is desperate to save his father from the Russian Mafia, but will he be willing to attack the heart of the fairies again or strike up an unlikely alliance? A goblin rebellion is in full swing underground and Artemis Fowl is the number one suspect in the uprising, therefore he is whisked underground to defend himself. Eventually Artemis and the fairies agree to work together in order to save Artemis's father and tromp the goblin uprising.
The third book in the series, Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code ***1/2, begins with Artemis as the criminal mastermind once again. Artemis attempts to sell a device he created using stolen fairy technology. When the sale goes awry and Butler is mortally injured, Artemis must request fairy services in order to save his friend and recover his creation; but it won't be so simple this time. Will Artemis be willing to give up something in order to earn a few allies?
In the fourth book, Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception ***1/2, there is a deranged pixie on the loose with a heart full of vengeance. Opal Koboi will stop at nothing to satisfy her revenge; murdering fairies, framing others, and exposing the fairy world to being with. The fairies need a mastermind to out-do the brilliance of Opal but unfortunately Artemis is no use now that he has no memory of fairies... Or is he?
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony **** finds Artemis no longer determined to live a life of crime. His father's new attitude has led to a new life for the Fowl family, leaving Artemis well, bored. Artemis discovers another subset of creatures in the world of "the people" that is never spoken of. They are distantly removed from the lives of fairies and humans alike. When Artemis discovers a problem in the world of these creatures he is determined to save as many "people" as he can; but he is about to run into another child prodigy, maybe one as talented as himself. Will Artemis be able to save the world once again?
Artemis and Holly were trapped in limbo for what felt like seconds. Unfortunately time runs differently in that world and when they get home they discover that it has in fact been 3 years, and everything is different. Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox **** begins with Artemis attempting to become accustomed to the new life that he is living; one in which he has twin siblings. His mother somehow contracts an illness that is apparently killing her. The only cure lies in the brain fluids of an extinct animal. Thanks to the power of N°1 it may be possible for Artemis to retrieve the cure and save his mother. Will Holly and Artemis be willing to accept the risks? Once they do, will they return the same as they left?
In Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex ****1/2, Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind? Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies -- not humans -- and most likely triggered by Artemis’s dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy. Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly’s past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind -- and the grips of a giant squid -- in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?
In Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian **** seemingly nothing in this world daunts the young criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl. In the fairy world, however, there is a small thing that has gotten under his skin on more than one occasion: Opal Koboi. In The Last Guardian, the evil pixie is wreaking havoc yet again. This time his arch rival has somehow reanimated dead fairy warriors who were buried in the grounds of Fowl Manor. Their spirits have possessed Artemis’s little brothers, making his siblings even more annoying than usual. The warriors don’t seem to realize that the battle they were fighting when they died—a battle against Artemis—is long over. Artemis has until sunrise to get the spirits to vacate his brothers and go back into the earth where they belong. Can he count on a certain LEPrecon fairy to join him in what could well be his last stand?
summaries found on goodreads
My Review: This book series has received RAVING reviews. I know many people that absolutely LOVE it. So I finally picked it up in hopes of discovering what all the hype is about. And I have to say I was a little disappointed. At first. The first one was a good book, don't get me wrong. But not as good as I had anticipated. I'll give it this though. It was very fun to have the "bad guy" be the main character. An in depth look at what a twelve year old genius/criminal mastermind thinks like... That aspect was thoroughly entertaining. His bodyguard is WAY cool. This guy would be utterly terrifying in reality. He whoops everybody's trash. More than once. And the fairies were fun. They are devious and hardened towards humans because of our crimes. They are the equivalent of the FBI or a SWAT team. So the story as a whole was fun and fairly entertaining but not as exciting or well written as I would have hoped. It gave me just enough to want to see what insidious and duplicitous scheme Artemis comes up with next!
So I'm not going to lie, after reading the first book in this series I was a little disappointed. People LOVE this series, why didn't I? Turns out I had the wrong mindset. If you are looking for action packed novels that leave you on the edge of your seat you'd be better off with something like The Underland Series. If you are looking for a book with smart-alecky characters, clever witticism, brilliant plotting, SOME adventure, and learning the importance of friendship and love, this is a GREAT series for you! Once I was able to accept the different pace and style of story then I really enjoyed the series. I loved watching Artemis grow up and learn to make friends and care about people other than himself. The characters in the story are well developed and fun to read about. The story develops well as you go from one book to the next. The plot is similar in each novel with Artemis joining up with the fairies to save the world, but they are different enough that you don't get bored. The seventh book was probably one of my favorites with Artemis losing his mind. Fairly entertaining.
The long awaited last book in the Artemis Fowl series is finally HERE. Yes. Yes it is. The story wrapped up well. I would say that this final story is a coming of age story. Artemis truly finds himself in this story. The evil mastermind using his giant brains for good. The evil Opal comes back with one final attempt at world domination. Artemis has to decide what he's willing to give up to save everyone he cares about and the rest of the world while he's at it! Is he smart enough to outwit Opal once more? Or will he have to make the ultimate sacrifice to give the world a fighting chance? The rest of the Artemis Fowl books started out a bit slow, this one jumped right into the action. It was exciting from the first chapter! This story was fast paced and very engaging. I had a hard time putting it down! The ending is a little open ended, allowing you make your own ending. Definitely a good story and great end to the series. :)
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