Review by Ro Bennett on show 25th Feb 2010
I read the first Artemis Fowl book in 2001 when I was still teaching. It was in the school library and had an exciting cover. These books are ostensibly for children, but people like me enjoy them too! Eion Colfer the author describes his creation as ‘Die Hard with fairies’
I’ll read you the product description:
Twelve year old villain, Artemis Fowl, is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. His bold and daring plan is to hold a leprechaun to ransom and threaten to expose the secret underworld of fantastic and magical creatures. He wants the fairies pot of gold but he knows that the only way to separate the little people from their stash is to kidnap one of them and wait for the ransom to arrive.
But he’s taking on more than he bargained for when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon, which is short for Lower Elements, Police Reconnaissance Unit. For a start, leprechaun technology is more advanced than our own. Add to that the fact that Holly is a true heroine and that her senior officer Commander Root will stop at nothing to get her back and you’ve got the mother of all sieges brewing!
Each book stands alone although if you read them in sequence you can see the development of the characters. In the beginning Artemis appears to be quite a nasty little rat but then you feel sorry for him when you realise he is searching for his missing father and trying to prevent his mad mother from doing something stupid. And over the series he develops into a nicer person. He has a devoted bodyguard called Butler who is a James Bond type - cool martial arts expert dedicated to keeping his young master alive and safe.
Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony is the seventh book in the series, although there is
another shorter book which was written for World Book Day in 2004.
In the Lost Colony, Artemis is tracking demon activity on the time - displaced island of Hybras. The time spell which keeps Hybras stuck in oblivion is beginning to unravel and Artemis is busy investigating how to fix it, when right under his nose a 12 year old French female rival (and love interest) kidnaps a young demon just as he manifests on Earth. Not knowing what trouble she has started, Artemis must break into her chateau, pitch his wits against her psychotic security and somehow get the demon back to Hybras then fix the time spell.
The books are entertaining and fast moving with a variety of interesting and amusing characters. Colfer has an amazing imagination and also triggers the reader’s own imagination - for instance, when you see a shimmering like a heat haze - is it the heat or is it really fairies activating their mesmers so we are mesmerised and vibrating at such a high velocity that the human eye cannot pick out their true form? In the books Colfer describes the most fantastic technological and magical inventions. Absolutely fascinating and thought provoking for both kids and adults!
Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox
Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony
Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code
Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception
Artemis Fowl and The Lost Colony
The Seventh Dwarf
Ro Bennett
happycastaway@btinternet.com
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