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Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl #1)

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 170,811 ratings · 5,087 reviews

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. But he's taking on more than he bargained for when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit). For a start, leprechaun technology is more advanced than our own. Add to that t...more

Paperback, 280 pages

Published 2002 by Puffin (first published May 1st 2001)

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May 06, 2012 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: The sophisticated reader of YA books, Faery lovers

Shelves: faerie, antihero, fantasy, humor, favorites, owned-copy, part-of-a-series, charismatic-villain, young-adult, favorite-or-autobuy-author

Want to meet the guy who's smart enough to take over the world? Well he's twelve years old. And his name is Artemis Fowl. I have two words for this book: GREAT FUN.
If you are at all young at heart or you just want to read something different from your usual fare, then check out this book. Artemis will keep you entertained with his hijinks. At the age of 12, Artemis is keeping his family afloat as they suffer from grief at the disappearance of Artemis Fowl, Sr, his father. His mother has retreat...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Drew rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: NOBODY

I had heard some mothers in a bookstore talking about Artemis Fowl and how good it was, so I finally gave in and bought the first book. Artemis Fowl is a child genius/billionaire/criminal mastermind who has discovered that fairies and the like are real and is seeking to exploit them. He does this by kidnapping a LEPrecon (for Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance). The Lower Elements live underground, having been driven there by the Mud People (or humans). I decided that the book was not good in...more I had heard some mothers in a bookstore talking about Artemis Fowl and how good it was, so I finally gave in and bought the first book. Artemis Fowl is a child genius/billionaire/criminal mastermind who has discovered that fairies and the like are real and is seeking to exploit them. He does this by kidnapping a LEPrecon (for Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance). The Lower Elements live underground, having been driven there by the Mud People (or humans). I decided that the book was not good in the first few pages. The writing is not up to par. Some of the dialogue seems like it came from two six-year olds arguing about whose laser gun was better, when in fact all they have are cheap squirt guns. A child’s imagination is an amazing thing, but the words they use to describe their imagination is quite another. In addition to the bad writing and dialogue, the plot is also poorly structured. But what makes me really angry about this book is the attempt to brainwash kids through literature. I am not opposed to teaching children morals and values through stories, in fact that is the way it has been done for centuries, but this book goes above and beyond what is acceptable. The author, Eoin Colfer, I discovered is trying to teach children to take care of the environment by contrasting fairy society with human society. However, in attempting to do this, he shows his repulsion of not just pollution but of the whole human race. Let me share some passages with you:

If the Mud People knew [about leprechauns] they’d probably take steps to stamp them out. Pg. 33
Mud People bred like rodents. Pg. 50
The Mud People destroyed everything they came in contact with. Pg. 50
The only good thing about going to the toilet was the minerals being returned to the earth, but the Mud People had even managed to botch that up by treating the …stuff…with bottles of blue chemicals. Pg. 50
She could see the polution in [the dolphins], bleaching their skin white and giving them red sores on their backs. And although she smiled, her heart was breaking. Mud People had a lot to answer for. Pg. 68
The smell of death and pain lingered in the blood-swabbed decks. Many noble creatures had died here, died and been dissected for a few bars of soap and some heating oil. Humans were such barbarians. Pg. 105
The Mud People had greased the hinges [of the whaling boat] with whale blubber. Was there no end to their depravity. Pg. 106
Mud People have been stealing from us for millennia. Why do you think we live underground? Pg. 120
…unless the Mud People had learned to coexist with other species. And if history had taught any lessons it was that humans couldn’t get along with anyone, even themselves. Pg. 125
“…I’d say there was some human blood in you.” In describing a fairy who was a little trigger happy. Then later, he apologized because, "it had been a deeply offensive insult." Pg. 128
No one built weapons of cruelty like the Mud Men. Pg. 265

Sorry, there were quite a few. It just makes me angry to see someone be this repulsed by their own species. I recognize that the types of humans described in the above passages do in fact exist, but not all humans are like that, and we are getting better. But you know what I would like to do now, I would like to debate Mr. Colfer’s accusations on humanity using the fairy world he created for her book.

First of all, let me share with you the basic history of human-fairy relations, according to Colfer. Fairies apparently descended from Pterodactyls, and lived peacefully on earth for many millennia until the humans evolved. The fairies called these humans, Mud People, because they lived in the mud. The humans apparently could not help but try and kill the fairies. Instead of fighting, the fairies withdrew underground, and it is there that they have lived for many centuries. Going deeper and deeper as we humans mine more and more. The fairies only return to the surface to replenish their magic.

Now, answer me this, if you care about something, would you fight for it or would you hide? I would fight for it, and it seems that the fairies would too. That is the basis for the plot of the book, but for some reason, the fairy race has decided too hide, while these cruel humans destroy the earth that they care about so much. But who even says that we would have to fight. All we know is that they are not fighting. So, we can’t change that. These fairies complain about our destruction and pollution of earth. However, the main fairy in the book at one point uses wings (they strap on to their backs) that are gasoline powered. Now granted, they were an old pair of wings, now all the newer wings are solar powered, but the fact that they had at one point used gasoline, and are still using gasoline in older modeled wings, seems to indicate that they are partially responsible for the pollution on earth, and only switched to solar recently. The main fairy also complains about the human's sewage treatment. I would also like to know what the fairies would propose that we do with our sewage besides treating it. We create so much that the earth cannot biodegrade it quickly enough to keep disease from breeding in it. Now, if we had the magic power to heal, like the fairies, then maybe we could just let it return to earth naturally, but the fairies have taken the magic away from us. They will not share. And one more thing, the author says that no one builds weapons of cruelty like the humans, yet, throughout the book, Colfer describes fairy weapons like a “Neutrino 2000” which is a platinum nuclear handgun that has three settings, “scorched, well-done, and crisped to a cinder”, and not only that but the gun will continue to work for well over a thousand years, so not only can you use it to kill many things, but should you die or lose it, it will continue to work in the hands of others for a millenium. But the worst weapon the fairies have invented is a “Blue Rinse”, which is a biological bomb that destroys only living tissue, leaving the landscape unchanged. Can you imagine? All the “benefits” of Hiroshima, without all the bad side effects like destroying a city. And what’s worse is that while we have used the nuclear bomb only twice, the fairies use the blue rinse “on rare occasions.” That sounds a lot more frequent than twice. I don’t know about you, but it sounds like the fairies are just as capable as humans in the production of weapons of cruelty.

But you know what, that argument is stupid. There are no fairies with magic powers, despite the numerous books available that would suggest otherwise, and if they do exist, they have decided not to help us. So, it is up to us humans to work things out on our own, and while there have been some bad things in our past, what matters now is our present, and what we do from here on out, and I would like to say that in spite of it all, we are doing a pretty good job. Humans are good creatures, created in the image of God. We are imperfect, but on the whole, we are all striving for perfection every day. And that is all I have to say about that.
(less)

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Sep 26, 2011 Keely rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: uk-and-ireland, novel, fantasy, reviewed

Colfer has described this series as “Die Hard, with fairies”, which is a reference to an old Hollywood joke. After the phenomenal success of that movie, a lot of writers started pitching their scripts as ‘Die Hard, with [blank]”, such as Speed: “Die Hard on a Bus”, or Air Force One: “Die Hard, on Air Force One”, or, as the joke goes, the unfortunate who wanted to make "Die Hard, in a building".

If you have actually seen Die Hard, you might recall Hans Gruber, the wealthy, cunning, erudite, Europe...more

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Oct 17, 2007 Percy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fictionmagical

i managed to decipher the code written below the book so for those who are interested...read on:

THE PROPHECIES OF OHM PHLEGM POT CLEANER TO FROND ELFEN KING:
I AM OHM PHLEGM POT CLEANER TO THE KING. BUT I AM MUCH MORE THAN THAT FOR I SEE THE FUTURE WRITTEN IN THE PHLEGM. FOR CENTURIES, WE PIXIES HAVE READ THE PHLEGM, BUT I AM THE BEST THERE HAS EVER BEEN. MY VISIONS ARE GENERALLY OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE. I FORETELL OUTBREAKS OF TROLL POX OR GAS SPASMS AMONG ELDERLY DWARFS. BUT SOMETIMES EVEN A POOR...more i managed to decipher the code written below the book so for those who are interested...read on:

THE PROPHECIES OF OHM PHLEGM POT CLEANER TO FROND ELFEN KING:
I AM OHM PHLEGM POT CLEANER TO THE KING. BUT I AM MUCH MORE THAN THAT FOR I SEE THE FUTURE WRITTEN IN THE PHLEGM. FOR CENTURIES, WE PIXIES HAVE READ THE PHLEGM, BUT I AM THE BEST THERE HAS EVER BEEN. MY VISIONS ARE GENERALLY OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE. I FORETELL OUTBREAKS OF TROLL POX OR GAS SPASMS AMONG ELDERLY DWARFS. BUT SOMETIMES EVEN A POOR POT CLEANER CAN SEE WONDROUS THINGS. A VISION CAME TO ME TWO MOONS AGO, WHEN I WAS GAZING DEEP INTO HIS MAJESTY’S OWN PHLEGM POT. I WAS HEATING THE POT OVER A FLAME WHEN THE SIGN APPEARED. THIS VISION WAS MORE VIVID AND DETAILED THAN ANY I HAD PREVIOUSLY SEEN. BECAUSE OF ITS IMPORTANCE, I DECIDED TO WRITE IT DOWN FOR POSTERITY. AND SO I CAN SAY I TOLD YOU SO. I SAW AN AGE WHEN THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DRIVEN UNDERGROUND BY THE MUD MEN. THIS IS WHAT THE PHLEGM TOLD ME: IN THIS TIME, ONE SHALL COME AMONG US. FOWL BY NAME AND FOUL BY NATURE. A MUD MAN UNLIKE ANY OTHER. HE SHALL LEARN OUR SECRETS AND USE THEM AGAINST US. I SEE HIM NOW AS PLAIN AS DAY. HIS FACE IS PALE, HE HAS DARK EYES AND RAVEN HAIR. YET IT MUST BE A MISTAKE FOR HE SEEMS A MERE YOUTH. SURELY NO MUD BOY COULD OUTWIT THE PEOPLE. BUT NOW I SEE THAT THE BOY IS NOT ALONE. HE IS AIDED BY A FORMIDABLE WARRIOR SCARRED FROM A THOUSAND BATTLES. THIS FOWL SHALL HOLD THE PEOPLE TO RANSOM FOR THEIR MOST PRECIOUS POSSESSION. GOLD. AND IN SPITE OF ALL OUR MAGIC, THERE IS A CHANCE THAT HE WILL PREVAIL. FOR HE HAS DISCOVERED HOW TO ESCAPE THE TIME FIELD, UNFORTUNATELY, HOW THE STORY ENDS I CANNOT SAY. BUT THERE WAS MORE TO SEE. THERE IS ANOTHER STORY TO COME, SOMEONE WILL BRING THE PEOPLE AND MUD MEN TOGETHER. THE WORST OF BOTH RACES. THIS: FAIRYS’ GOAL IS TO GRIND ALL THE CREATURES OF THE EARTH BENEATH HIS BOOT. AND WHO IS THIS TRAITOR, IT IS NOT CLEAR. BUT HE SHALL START A WAR UNLIKE ANYTHING THE PEOPLE HAVE EVER SEEN. THOSE WHO WERE ENEMIES SHALL BE UNITED AGAINST HIM. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME THERE WILL BE MUD MEN BELOW GROUND. I HAVE ONE CLUE TO HIS IDENTITY, A RIDDLE: GOBLINS SHALL RISE AND HAVEN SHALL FALL, A VILLAINOUS ELF IS BEHIND IT ALL TO FIND THE ONE WHO SO DISAPPOINTS LOOK YE TO WHERE THE FINGER POINTS. INSTEAD OF ONE FACE THIS ELF HAS TWO. BOTH SPEAK FALSE AND NONE SPEAK TRUE. WHILE PUBLICLY HE LENDS A HELPING HAND, HIS TRUE AIM IS TO SEIZE COMMAND. I KNOW IT’S NOT VERY PLAIN IS IT I DON’T UNDERSTAND EITHER. BUT PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE ALL WILL BECOME CLEAR. LOOK FOR A POWER HUNGRY ELF WHO HAS A FINGER POINTED TO HIM DURING OUR TALE. AND SO THIS IS OHM’S LEGACY. A WARNING THAT MAY SAVE THE WORLD FROM TOTAL DESTRUCTION. THERE’S NOT MUCH TO WORK WITH I KNOW. THE DETAILS ARE A BIT SKETCHY. MY ADVICE TO YOU IS TO CONSULT THE PHLEGM. IT MAY BE THAT YOU ARE SENSITIVE. I HAVE BURIED THIS PROPHECY WITH MY PHLEGM POT. IF YOU ARE NOT FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WORK AS A POT CLEANER, THEN THERE IS USUALLY A SUPPLY OF PHLEGM EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A COLD. HERE END ETH THE FIRST PROPHECIES OF OHM. BUT BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MY VISIONS, I SHALL REPEAT THE PROPHECIES ONCE MORE. IF YOU HAVE JUST BEGUN TO UNDERSTAND THE TEXT THEN READ ON. IF YOU HAVE WORKED OUT THE ENTIRE MESSAGE THEN CONGRATULATIONS. NOW GO AND SAVE THE WORLD.

this was written in the book at least 3 times.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: percy jackson fans

Shelves: books-read-in-2013

Artemis Fowl a nefarious 12 year old criminal mastermind, and scion of a wealthy and feared family, tangles with fairies in order to make the ultimate score but these aren't the fairies you heard about in the nursery. What results is a rollicking roller coaster adventure that owes more to Die Hard than to the brothers Grimm. With a bit of attitude borrowed from the Percy Jackson school of myth re-invention.

As with any NY Times best seller aimed at the youth market, this book will be loved by som...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

I've been trying to find a new series to hold me over until the next Harry Potter book--and I've finally found it. Meet Artemis Fowl the Second, a twelve-year old genius who doesn't want to go to school, is worried about his mother's fragile mental health, is preoccupied with his father coming back from the dead, and who is determined to add to his family's coffers by any means possible. In a word, Artemis is an evil genius, and you just can't help but love him...more Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

I've been trying to find a new series to hold me over until the next Harry Potter book--and I've finally found it. Meet Artemis Fowl the Second, a twelve-year old genius who doesn't want to go to school, is worried about his mother's fragile mental health, is preoccupied with his father coming back from the dead, and who is determined to add to his family's coffers by any means possible. In a word, Artemis is an evil genius, and you just can't help but love him. Or hate him. Or love to hate him. Or hate to love him. Or...well, you get the picture.

Artemis, along with his bodyguard/manservant/butler ironically named, of all things, Butler, Artemis sets out on his greatest, and most ambitious, scheme to date--discover the secrets of the fairy world, and relieve some of said fairies of their precious gold. After all, they have plenty to spare, and after Artemis Fowl the First lost a vast majority of their fortune, the Fowl family needs to pad the coffers.

So off Artemis sets on a world jaunt to discover the secrets of the fairies, and his ambitions and delusions finally pay off--he meets an alcoholic sprite who, in exchange for the return of her magic, lets Artemis get a good look at her Book. The Book, you see, contains all the mandates, rules, and regulations (along with a slew of secrets) of the fairy world--and now Artemis Fowl is able to hatch his nefarious scheme.

Artemis discovers that the fairies must adhere to very specific rituals to renew their powers, so along with Butler, he sets out on a stakeout to catch himself a fairy. Hoping, of course, that he can hold said fairy for ransom in exchange for some gold.

What Artemis didn't include in his calculations, however, was Captain Holly Short. A member of the LEPrecon Unit, Holly, although a small sprite, is very human looking--and can be extrememely wily and dangerous. As Artemis implements his evil plan, Holly uses her own military-type background to hatch her own plan of escape. The results are both disastrous and hilarious.

I read ARTEMIS FOWL in one sitting. Once you get started on this story of the human world of the Mud People mixing with that of the magical beings who live below ground, you just can't stop! The magical quality of the book is that it is all too believable--and so much fun! You envy Artemis his brilliance at the same time you can't believe how undenianably evil he is. You pity him, and you despise him. As for Holly Short, you love the fairy, admire her tenacity, yet hope at the same time that she spares the lives of Artemis, Butler, and Butler's sister, Juliet. I have to admit that I loved Foaly, the centaur in charge of computers and technical equipment. Actually, I loved ALL the characters of ARTEMIS FOWL, and can't wait to read the next book! Pick up a copy today! (less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Madeleine Montuna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love the Harry Potter series, so i often compare book to Harry Porter.. The book Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer has been on the shelves for years now but i never had the chance to pick it up. People often encouraged me to read it,often times referring to the books as the next Harry Potter . While they have some of the same fictional ,imaginative , well written storyline doesn't mean they should be compared. Just because a book might be as highly liked as Harry Potter doesn't mean they follow the...more I love the Harry Potter series, so i often compare book to Harry Porter.. The book Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer has been on the shelves for years now but i never had the chance to pick it up. People often encouraged me to read it,often times referring to the books as the next Harry Potter . While they have some of the same fictional ,imaginative , well written storyline doesn't mean they should be compared. Just because a book might be as highly liked as Harry Potter doesn't mean they follow the same story line. People shouldn't be expecting the this book to be like Harry Potter. I expected and it wasn't like that at all.Thought I'm sad to say since I admire Harry Potter so much , this book is far more humorous , and more enjoyable to read then Harry Potter. Thought it is Dark it is full of humor that Harry Potter didn't have . You will go through this book in a couple of hours. This is not a copy of Harry Potter, it is not better , is not worst but they are not the same.

"A genius. A criminal mastermind. A millionaire. And he is only twelve years old."(Back cover of Artemis Fowl)The book Artemis Fowl is about a 12 year old mastermind named Artemis Fowl II who hatches a plan to bring his family back to their former glory. Artemis comes from a family of billionaire criminals, but when his dad disappeared after a boating accident they lost millions and Artemis makes it his personal agenda at 12 years old to not only recover that money but make more. Not that they are poor they are still have a fortune but he is obsess to recover what is loss and to prove his worth to his father because he believes his father is still alive. Artemis being the 12 year old genius that he is figures that their are easier way to make money fast and he comes up with a plan. He sees a rumor on the computer about fairies and he doesn't dismiss it and does some research. Along with Butler his psychic , bodyguard, and best friend he embarks on a journey to Vietnam where he steals a Fairy book . He then deciphers the book learning all types of Fairy secret giving him the tools he need to steal fairy gold.

The way that he plans to do rob the fairies of their gold is by kidnapping of an elf or faerie and hold him or her for ransom. He captures Captain Holly Short, a member of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance). The Fairies now live far under the Earth, having lost control of the surface long ago to the Mud People ( us), but have compensated with technological developments far in advance of our own. The Fairies not knowing what they were dealing with came after Artemis expecting to deal with him in a minute and make him forget what ever happened . They weren't ready for Artemis, throughout the whole game Artemis stays a step ahead of them even thought they have superior weaponry. They underestimated Artemis and they payed for it "Stay back, human. You don't know what you're dealing with"? (Holly Short)

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl can really be described in a few words. Dangerous, rich, brilliant, and intelligent. That's one of the reason why this book is not your normal cup of tea. The hero is not a goody like Harry Potter or the normal hero types. He is the one bringing darkness to the book but you can't help but love and root for him. He is a rich bad boy dress in a $3000 Armani suit. His brilliance will make you chuckle , he is always one step ahead of the reader and the fairies. He is the perfect example of an anti-hero."Trust me. I'm a genius."(Artemis Fowl) Artemis is not all bad he has a nagging conscience that humanizes him no matter how much he tries to hide it.

I loved the book. It was very good once i picked it up i couldn't put it back down.I loved that the main character was not the "good guy" and that our leading lady was a tough fairy. The author did a very good job in portraying both sides as having shades of grey in their characters rather than black and white/good versus bad.I picked up the book and i thought it was just going to be like Harry Potter a charming hero in a good book the fact that Artemis was not above thievery and deception was an interesting twist. Artemis' brilliance left me in a state of awe after reading this book I hope I'm as smart as him when i hit 65."If you were me, then I'd be you. And if I were you, I'd hide somewhere far away. "(Artemis Fowl) I also loved the fact that Despite the book's title,Artemis does not dominate the story, though the plot pivots around his actions there are other things to the story which in my book makes it a really good story. I also love though it's categorized in children's book it's not a children book everyone who reads it will love it. The author makes sure to engage readers of all ages .At times, it almost seemed like the author couldn't decide if he was writing for adults or children. For example, the description of weaponry and attack plans made me feel like I was reading an adult spy novel. Then later on in the chapter, when the Dwarf blasts someone with dirt he has recently "eaten and decomposed" it's pretty clear what age group he was shooting for then.I recommend Artemis Fowl to anyone who likes fantasy and adventure with a slight twist of mystery. I really liked Artemis Fowl, it was interesting, exciting, funny, and it really kept you guessing as to what Artemis was going to come up with next. 5 out of 5 for me i will definitely read the rest of the series.(less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Holly rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Holly by: Tiffany Polk

Shelves: favorites

Artemis Fowl is a ingenious child crime mastermind. And his new plan to get back the family fortune is fool proof. He is going to use the fairy's, exploit them so to speak, he is going to kidnap one and holding it ransom, for a very large amount of gold. Having studied up on fairy's very carefully, he plans to be two steps ahead at all times. With his adult mind but child like belief, its the perfect plan for a genius like him, and with Butler at his side, his bodyguard who would do anything for...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Anagha rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

The first half of the first of the Artemis Fowl series completely bored me, but after maybe three-quarters of the way through, I warmed up to the humor and the unique characterization and it was actually quite fun! I'm not running to grab the sequel, but I do intend to read it sometime (in the not-near future)

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Feb 12, 2012 ABookVacation rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have heard amazing things about the Artemis Fowl Series for a very long time, but I haven’t picked up the series until now. My first impression? Well, Artemis is a genius, but his actions within the novel, kidnapping a faery, for one, put me off of him and I spent a lot of the novel really disliking him. However, the more I read, the more I realized he was just putting on a façade. Artemis is good at heart, though he’s committing multiple crimes, and I actually really liked him by the end.

I w...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Althea *Go wolves and dragons!*(Coach Hedge) Inigo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, secret-worlds, with-other-magical-creatures, favorites, why-did-this-book-have-to-end

It was addicting. For some reason I couldn't tear my eyes out of the pages, I don't know, but every time my tablet goes low-battery my reaction was "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!".

I find it addicting, it was unique and fun and hilarious and I'm sure the next books will be no different:)

I LOVED the characters. Foaly? Talk about AWESOME. I don't want to sound corny, but he was one of my favs XD I shall explain by giving you a few of his quotes:

"Not true, Technically. Welcome back, by the way....more

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Aug 31, 2010 Juan Valera rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First and foremost, let it be said that I am reading a book intended for someone half my age. Artemis Fowl is the kind of book that grabs a kid by the eyeballs because of the pretty, shiny cover. But once the cover's open and the story laid out, Artemis Fowl is an incredibly gripping story about growing up, equality and acceptance. This was exactly the case when I first read Artemis Fowl; I immediately loved the intelligent, resourceful, but ultimately unhappy Artemis. A better character a teena...more

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May 13, 2008 Drew Nelson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people on airplanes

Artemis Fowl, though entertaining and often well told, is one of those books that has bound itself with the shackles of pandering to a perceived audience and thus will never rise above a certain level. For example, the dwarf character defeats his enemies with the help of his terribly powerful flatulence more than once. The whole race tunnels with the power of poop. The main faerie character, Holly, is a girl trying to break her way through a glass ceiling that no one seems to notice throughout t...more

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Sep 04, 2007 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, childrens-youngadult

I've seen these books in the stores for a while, but had actually steered clear of them because I thought they were just a Harry Potter knock off. The other day, I was in the kid section with Daniel while he was playing with the train table, and they caught my eye again. As they had the first 3 books in the series for $9.98, I decided to give them a try. Who am I to pass up a bargain?

Well, let me just say, it is not a Harry Potter knock off! Yes, it deals with sprites, dwarves, leprechauns, and...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rainy-day-light-but-enjoyable, fantasy

If you are looking for a fun read, something involving but not too heavy, then Artemis Fowl and its sequels are perfect for you! I love taking what I call “book vacations,” sometimes you need something that is just entertaining instead of War and Peace. Artemis Fowl has always been there for me.

I used to read them as a break for studying, now I just enjoy them. Colfer has a great sense of humor, the books will keep you chuckling, the protagonists are superb, and he has such an interesting way of...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Andrew rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy

We were on holiday, and the little cottage we were staying in had a huge range of books. Unfortunately most of the adult books were colossal monsters that there was no way I was going to read in a week. So instead I decided to see what modern kids books were like and picked up Artemis Fowl, a book aimed at boys of about 11 years of age.

The character of Artemis is 12, and a crime lord. Helped by his trusty bodyguard Butler he has discovered that fairies are real, and also really do have a pot of...more We were on holiday, and the little cottage we were staying in had a huge range of books. Unfortunately most of the adult books were colossal monsters that there was no way I was going to read in a week. So instead I decided to see what modern kids books were like and picked up Artemis Fowl, a book aimed at boys of about 11 years of age.

The character of Artemis is 12, and a crime lord. Helped by his trusty bodyguard Butler he has discovered that fairies are real, and also really do have a pot of gold that he can steal. The main problem is that they live miles underground, and are more technologically advanced than humans. So he has to hatch a plan to trick them and kidnap a fairy to get the gold.

Artemis has the devious criminal mind of Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes’s adversary), and none of the lack of self confidence or lack of experience of a normal 12 year old. He can think he way around anything, and his bodyguard can do anything. All in all, a perfect bit of escapism for the adolescent male reader.

However reading it as an adult you tend to start rooting for the fairy he is trying to kidnap, as Artemis really is a little a***hole. This is perhaps deliberate on the part of the author but I am not sure. There is not really enough meat on the plot either; it is difficult to remember that far back but I am sure that when I was the right age for this book I would have wanted a bit more detail about the hows, whys and wherefores to his great plan. Mind you my favourite books at this age were probably Enid Blyton or The Hardy Boys so I probably wouldn’t have been the right audience anyway. :-)

The most successful books of this kind tend to have a tightly-knit group of child characters who are friends and become closer as their adventure continues. Us against the world and all that. In contrast this book has a character that really has no friends and so no chance as a reader to see his true personality.

OK it seems ironically childish that an adult finds a children’s book disappointing, but as it has won numerous awards I had hoped for better.

(less)

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Criss This review caught my eye because I was looking for low-star reviews of this book. I agree with much of what you've said -- my issue wasn't that the m...more
Apr 17, 2013 08:29pm

Andrew Criss wrote: "This review caught my eye because I was looking for low-star reviews of this book. I agree with much of what you've said -- my issue was...more
Apr 23, 2013 08:43am

Sep 12, 2011 Laura Hickey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book would suit the age group of perhaps 9-12, however I really enjoyed reading it myself. It’s a modern fairytale but with action and adventure interwoven. This book is about fairies but it is not the friendly fairies that we have read about before, it explores all the different types of fairies and their universe. I believe that this book will open children’s imagination and get them thinking about different species and different aspects of the world.
These fairies are living under the ear...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Laura (Kyahgirl) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, audio-books, magic, part-of-a-series, sci-fi-fantasy, children-s-stories

2.5/5; 3 stars; B-

I listened to this book on two separate road trips in the last month. It stood up well to a 2 week gap in the middle.

Nathaniel Parker was a fantastic narrator/actor. His vocal interpretation of the story was very well done.

The magic system and world building were pretty good in this book and I think children and young teens would enjoy it. The one thing the book didn't do that left me feeling unsettled was it didn't help me connect with any of the players. I didn't strongly i...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Sonia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, read-in-2012

3.5

A genius twelve-year-old boy being a criminal mastermind. It sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?

I enjoy reading this book. I can’t wait to see the development of the story, to see Artemis’s plan reveals, to see how intelligent he is. I am surprised to find myself love the supporting role, Butler. He is a manservant as well as bodyguard. The Butlers had been serving the Fowls for centuries. Their relationship is more than that, the quote below can better sum it up: “Artemis was the closest thing B...more

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May 14, 2009 Meridyforgot rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To be honest I haven't read the whole book, and there is a slim chance that I might try to continue and so I post this review.

The problem is that the onslaught of cheap jabs at the "barbarian humans" destroying the earth is becoming extremely irritating. And miraculously Ireland is still nice and green, but give those humans a few hundred years and it will be destroyed. Please. It completely distracts from the story. Why do we have to spoon feed children dogmatic propaganda? Don't get me wrong....more

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Jul 08, 2012 KayP rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. [warning! Spoiler ahead]

Introduction
Artemis fowl is a series of 8 fantasy novels written by Eoin Colfer. The first part , Artemis fowl is about a 12 year old criminal mastermind Artemis and his adventures with the mystical creatures of the underworld.

Summary
This story is about Artemis Fowl II a 12 year old boy genius who uses his intelligence to obtain wealth to restore his family's wealth by stealing /getting hold of fairy gold. He is the son of Artemis Fowl a criminal who was thought to have d...more [warning! Spoiler ahead]

Introduction
Artemis fowl is a series of 8 fantasy novels written by Eoin Colfer. The first part , Artemis fowl is about a 12 year old criminal mastermind Artemis and his adventures with the mystical creatures of the underworld.

Summary
This story is about Artemis Fowl II a 12 year old boy genius who uses his intelligence to obtain wealth to restore his family's wealth by stealing /getting hold of fairy gold. He is the son of Artemis Fowl a criminal who was thought to have drowned and died [his body was never found]. He lives with his mother in the FowlManor. His mother is insane because of the untimely death of Artemis Fowl I . The story starts when Artemis gets to know about a Book which is owned by fairies , leprechauns other mystical creatures and it contained information about fairies , their laws, their history , their rules and their weaknesses. He manages to steal a copy of the Book by tricking an old fairy. He translates it from gnommish using egyptian hieroglyphs and software. In the Book he reads about a ritual that might help him get hold of a leprechaun to get fairy gold. It says that to renew magic , a leprechaun must take an acorn of an ancient oak on a full moon night and plant it somewhere else . He then starts searching for such sites and after 4 months of searching , Artemis and Butler [body gaurd of Artemis ] manage to tranquilize and capture a female leprechaun Holly who is actually an officer in LEP . Foaly , a technically mindede centaur working as a guide for Holly realizes that Holly has been abducted as he lost contact with her . He also informs Root the commander of LEP . They manage to track Holly to the Manor with a tracking device on Holly . Before entering the Manor the centaur activates a time stop device around the Manor . Root and the LEP team enter the house with a shielding ability . But Artemis knew about the ability , so he could see them using a high frame rate camera. Butler manages to destroy the LEP officer other than Root. So, now Root is forced to go in as a negotiator . He goes in and then Artemis asks him for a ransom of 1metric ton of fairy gold. Afte exiting the Manor , Root sends in Mulch , a kleptomaniac dwarf who had broken into human dwellings before , to dig his way into the Fowl Manor . He explores and finds out that Artemis owned the book , because of which he got to know the secrets of the fairies . He then came out of the mansion. Meanwhile Holly managed to chip off a tile piece from the ground in the room in which she was held captive. She then plants the stolen acorn into the ground and gets back her powers . She then makes her way to the living room . Then Root gives Artemis the gold . Then they send in a troop to the Manor to buy them some time to get Holly and the gold. But Holly and Butler manage to dispose off the troll . Before handing over Holly Artemis requests her to cure his mother for half the gold that he had received . She cures his mother and leaves . Root then plans to send in a bio bomb to wipe out the living beings within the time stop. But though they send the bio bomb artemis manages to escape the bomb by escapes the time stop by sleeping. He realizes that the only way to escape the time stop is to sleep as he saw that his mother could not sleep though she wanted to . Because he manages to escape with the gold he can keep it forever and the fairies can't steal it / get it back as they are bound by the laws in the Book. look below

Main characters

Artemis fowl
Artemis fowl
Mrs. Fowl
Butler
Holly short
Root
Foaly
Mulch diggums(less)

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Oct 12, 2008 Keli rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lis-565, fantasy, juvenile, tween

Synopsis

Described by the author as "James Bond....with fairies", Artemis Fowl is the story of a twelve-year-old criminal genius and his attempt to regain his family's billionare status by kidnapping a fairy police officer and holding her for ransom.

Review

This inventive, action-packed book is full of suspense. Anything could go wrong at any moment putting either side in a compromised position. There are no clear good guys and bad guys in this book. Granted, Artemis Fowl is a criminal. But both si...more

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Mar 12, 2008 Coby Hauser rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Nobody

Recommended to Coby by: Matt

I found this book rather lacking and unimaginative. The whole time while reading I couldn't help but think, "the author simply took the Harry Potter concept and tried to copy it with a few tweeks".

I didn't care for any of the characters. I never identified with any fo them, accordingly, I didn't care what happened to them.

The most annoying part was how pro-leftist this book was. I got tired of hearing how evil humans were. It starts off by 'The People' (just think of the name) calling humans M...more

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Feb 29, 2008 Stephanie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The overwhelming Irish nationalism is ridiculous. The protagonist is an antagonistic little brat for whom I could feel nothing positive.

The professional response:
After learning of the existence of faeries, twelve-year old criminal-genius Artemis Fowl devises a seemingly fool-proof plan to steal their gold. However, his plan backfires and he must endure a series of unpleasant happenings before eventually emerging triumphant. This book includes several instances in which the narrator displays una...more

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Aug 29, 2007 Arun K rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

I have long heard about Artemis fowl from online friends. I stayed away from it because it was written in a style that i was not particularly fond of at that time. On a recent visit to the library, I picked it up because I couldn't think of anything else to read.

It is an easy read but a fun and engrossing one.

Colfer's wit is a wry and very droll wit. Mixing genres and worlds, she pulls in her own take on the world of faerie by pushing them into an urban setting and also putting them underground...more

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Jun 22, 2007 Khalid rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: already-read

Artemis Fowl is a genius criminal mastermind who is only twelve years old. This book describes his first encounter with the fairies, and his ingenious plan to steal their gold. Sounds dull when put that way, but trust me; it is not.

Artemis Fowl is a very well written novel; and although directed mainly at children, the book has a very intriguing plot and a lovely and funny style. The world in which this story is based is quite interesting too, fantasy creatures with the same names we always knew...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Bluemoon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, on-audio

3.5

Ok this book was good. It's one of those books that I didn't know I was going to like until I was half way into it. I listened to it on audio so it was a pretty quick read, even if it did take me a week to finish it. ha! This was actually one of the first books I have read, with fairies in it that I liked. I don't really count The Spiderwick Chronicles because those are itty bitty.

I love Holly, I just picture her like tinker bell but with auburn hair and a knife around her thighs! Kinda like...more

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Dec 06, 2008 Micah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-fun

This series was a lot of fun! Some things were a little childish, but hey, it's a child's book, right?

I think that the author came up with a very clever idea (with the LEP Recon), and did a good job developing it.

I had Taylor (my 9 year old boy) start reading it, and he never got very far into it. His comment was "So why are we supposed to be fans of a criminal?" Good point.

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Mar 10, 2009 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read on Wikipedia that Colfer calls the series "Die Hard with fairies." That's pretty acurate. Just the right mix of action, humor, and drama for my taste. Reads fast. No cookie-cutters involved. The creative energy reminds me a little of Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide..." or Matt Groening's "Futurama."

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May 05, 2008 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone especially those with post-potter depression

Recommended to Andrew by: I don't think I remember

Shelves: fun-reading, fantasy, urban-fantasy, juvenille

Wow what a fun read. Enthralled me from the first page to the end. It also kept me guessing the whole way not because there was no foreshadowing but because the main character is the villain. There are not many books written from the perspective of the villain and this one was really fun to read.

The dynamics of the characters was, I thought, Very well done. You come to sympathize with the villain and dislike the protagonists. Which made the dynamics all that more interesting and added depth to t...more

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About Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) was born in Wexford on the South-East coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four brothers were brought up by his father and mother, who were both educators.

He received his degree from Dublin University and began teaching primary school in Wexford. He has lived and worked all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. After the publication of the A...more

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Quotes from Artemis Fowl

“Confidence is ignorance. If you're feeling cocky, it's because there's something you don't know.” — 1,610 people liked it

“If I win, I'm a prodigy. If I lose, then I'm crazy. That's the way history is written.” — 837 people liked it

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