a review by Nalini Haynes
Artemis Fowl, criminal genius, is now 15 years old. This time he is intentionally setting out to save the world by slowing global warming with his nano-wafer ice sheet wrapping device. That is, until the bad guys destroy Artemis’ invention, killing numerous LEP (Lower Elements Police) officers who are fairies in the mythical sense. Artemis, Captain Holly Short (another fairy), Foaly (a centaur), Mulch Diggums (Colfer’s unique version of a dwarf), Butler and Julia (Artemis’ human bodyguard and his sister) are separated and under attack because of the machinations of the evil Turnball Root, a fairy criminal.
To complicate matters further, Artemis has developed the Atlantis Complex, which is somewhat akin to obsessive compulsive disorder with some paranoia and multiple personality disorder thrown in. This complex is caused by guilt, which is common in fairy criminals. Artemis’ significant prior exposure to magic makes him susceptible.
The Artemis Fowl series is comedy/action at its best. My son has grown up with the Artemis Fowl series. Although he’d usually rather play computer games than read a book, he has reread these books many times over the years. Artemis Fowl is The Stainless Steel Rat for teens, but set in contemporary times on earth with mythical creatures living in hiding from humans. If you have a teenager, particularly a boy whom you are trying to entice into reading, give him this book. However, these books are ageless. I have enjoyed them, as has a lovely elderly lady I know.
Since writing this review, I interviewed Eoin Colfer.
This review was previously published in Dark Matter issue 2, January 2011, and predated on this website to reflect the original publication date.