Amid the furor over the Harry Potter books, there is a series geared toward young readers that is consistently being missed. The Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer is entertaining reading that should be at the top of any teenager's reading list.
The first book, simply titled Artemis Fowl, sets the stage well. We meet Artemis himself—a deviously clever 12-year-old, far more intelligent than his years, and too intelligent by far for the good of anyone he meets. He is the heir to the Fowl family fortune—and the criminal empire that obtained that fortune. He has hit upon the idea of a lifetime—he's discovered the existence of the world of fairy folk, and is intent on exploiting that world for his own gain.
The second book is entitled The Arctic Incident. The setting should be obvious from that title—what isn't is how our heroes get there. Artemis' father. who was missing and presumed dead, has been found—and is being held by the Russian Mafia. Artemis needs the help of the fairy folk from book one to pull off a rescue attempt that is so crazy that it just might work ...
The third book, The Eternity Code, is (in my opinion) the weakest of the series so far. Artemis' latest get rich quick scheme is to sell fairy technology on the open market. He's double-crossed, and the fairy realm is in danger of being discovered by men! So it's off to his friends from the LEP to try and save the world one more time.
I just finished reading book four, The Opal Deception. Artemis has lost all memory of the fairy realm, and is back to his old self. But something is wrong in the fairy realm, and this time, the fairy folk need Artemis' help!
Article comments
1 - Warren
Fixed the typos. Sorry about that!
2 - Aaman
Amazon links, please: 0786817070,0786817089,0786814934,0786856394,0786852895,0786818638
3 - Warren
Got them! I thought I had done them when I posted, but I messed something up.
4 - DrPat
I like these books, too - the character of Artemis is a lot more like what a "real" teenager with access to magic would be like.
IMHO, of course...
5 - Cole Fowl
Hi i am 8 and finished all artemis books in a month.i cannot wait till the last colony comes out!
6 - Emily McCrary
I'm ten years old and I listened to the first Artemis Fowl book on tape, and it was really great, so I'm going to read the rest of the series and hope they are as awesome as the first! Well, I highly recommend all of them from what I've heard, and listened to in the first book.
7 - MichaelM
Seeing as how you liked the first books so much, you'll be glad to know that another one has just come out, Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony! It is brilliant, possibly the best of the series!
There are also rumors about an Artemis Fowl movie.
8 - Nicole
There is going to be a sixth book to the series. Artemis Fowl and the Lost Coloney! ^_^ Can't wait!
9 - jia
I just read the fifth instalment of Artemis Fowl,The Lost Colony. I agree that the fourth book made up for the third, but the fifth is better!
You see how much Artemis Fowl changed to be good, a bit more of his genius, and a lot more!
Though, his tangle with the other girl genius was disappointing because she did not try a comeback and changed a bit too fast. I mean, if she was on the same wave as Artemis, she would probably take as long as he did to change her mindset.
Still, all parts, with Foaly, Holly, and Artemis was great. And dead funny. I got all of the jokes and laughed. But it could be just me.
10 - Obed
Im 13 years old and just stumbled on to the book by coincedence but like Butler said in The Last Coloney "Coincedence, there's no such yhing..." Once I read the books I just got hooked on them I've read most of them in a day and sometimes don't even sleep although who cares cause it is Summer 07' But I just want to know one thing
Will there be a 6th book?
I mean the ending to the 5th just leaves you hanging!!!
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What will Artemis tell his parents?
Will Artemis and Minerva hook up?
Will Butler still be a bodyguard or retire like he said?
What will happen to Holly and Mulch and now Doodah?
And the less important question what happens with Foaly and his girl? LOL
11 - paranoid
there are rumors of a 6th book coming out in july 15, 2008 called the Time Parodix on wikipedia, hope this answers some questions!
12 - anzuman
it's suuuuuuuuuperb
13 - anonymous
Wow, no one's been on here forever. Hey, anyone read the newest book? It was very exciting and slightly confusing. (That's time travel, folks.)It was very good though. There was an amazing amount of action.