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Artemis Fowl

(Artemis Fowl #1)

Eoin Colfer

3.85 · Rating details · 480,672 ratings · 11,345 reviews

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius, and above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

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Paperback, 396 pages

Published April 1st 2003 by Disney-Hyperion (first published April 26th 2001)

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Average rating 3.85 ·

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· 480,672 ratings · 11,345 reviews

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Oct 17, 2007 Percy rated it really liked it

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 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. ...more

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Aug 10, 2013 Jayson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-irish, genre-young-adult, genre-juvenile-fantasy, 200-299-pp, genre-science-fiction, read-in-2013

(A-) 81% | Very Good
Notes: Ironically, it's the supernatural characters that follow familiar archetypes, while the humans are strange and atypical.

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Jun 11, 2008 Crew rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: NOBODY

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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.

Summary: 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 n ...more

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Mar 06, 2018 Mario the lone bookwolf rated it really liked it

Shelves: colfer-eoin

It´s the setting, the fantasy sci-fi crossover mix, the humor and the good oldfashioned badass smartass character trope that make this series an entertaining read. I´ve so far read no children books author who made such a mix and I would, in general, like to see more tech and Sci-Fi there instead of just fantasy all the shelves up and down.

The tech is not broken down to ridiculous simplicity, but not too complex and perfect for speeding up and slowing down the plot, some character development pr It´s the setting, the fantasy sci-fi crossover mix, the humor and the good oldfashioned badass smartass character trope that make this series an entertaining read. I´ve so far read no children books author who made such a mix and I would, in general, like to see more tech and Sci-Fi there instead of just fantasy all the shelves up and down.

The tech is not broken down to ridiculous simplicity, but not too complex and perfect for speeding up and slowing down the plot, some character development problems, dialogues, and motivations could be hidden innuendos to grown-up readers, something Rick Riordan loves to do to and, most important, this is something that can really get kids into reading because it´s no standard fiction, but something with hearth and soul that dares to be defiant.

It unites reflection space for male and female readers, combines different genres, and, oh my gosh, has a message in it. From now on I am more reflecting on why people, some friends (just a joke, I don´t have social contacts), and great human beings (that´s really ridiculous), get bite reflexes when reading children's books, so it might get a bit controversial:
I don´t get it why people always tend to overreact if there is a harmless message in a book that doesn´t say anything racist, extreme, dangerous,… but criticizes human nature and is pro-environmental protection instead. It´s not as if it was recruiting and brainwashing for dangerous political or religious ideologies, it´s about saving the planet and being critical regarding other humans' intentions and society in general.

Adults bashing children books authors for having a positive agenda towards a better world should possibly debate with their real political opponents ( I don´t care about politics anymore, except everything progressive that doesn´t do harm from whoever it comes, just focus on the future in the form of the next generations, the environment, and science) instead of highly subjectively interpreting and seeing perfidious conspiracy theory stuff in books for 9 to 15-year-olds.

The funniest thing is that this is no metaphysical blah blah about any kind of not so important, not clear, philosophical faith stuff that doesn´t matter, it´s the only living space we have and the author is damn right to describe us as what we are and what we do.

Other critics seem to have problems with villain characters who aren´t honest and law-abiding because kids reading books will become criminals with such bad role models, not with such great ones as the kids watching political debates and TV in general and playing computer games.
Or, finally, the character design and credibility of a book that should be understandable to, I have to overemphasize and repeat myself, kids, small humans, not adults, is sooo bad that the book deserves just one star. Come on man, really? Rick Riordan, Derek Landy,… anything without too critical content is superb, but as soon as something one doesn´t like is integrated, the book is bad and the artificial error searching and cherry-picking begins? Probably time for a bit of self-reflection and priority setting.

Or do they wish to offend kids by doing as if they were stupid by just telling them that all is happy go lucky, unicorns, rainbows, glitter, lollypops, and stuff and that all humans are friendly, just as the adults do to avoid critical thinking? By breeding the next population of opportunistic no brainers all problems are worsening.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph... ...more

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Aug 29, 2011 J.G. Keely rated it it was ok

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

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 24, 2008 Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books) rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: The sophisticated reader of YA books, Faery lovers

Shelves: humor, favorites, charismatic-villain, part-of-a-series, young-adult, faerie, owned-copy, antihero, fantasy, 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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Sep 15, 2016 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 21th-century, childrens-young-readers, fantasy, young-adult

Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, #1), Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl is a series of eight science fiction fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer.
Artemis Fowl is the first book in the Artemis Fowl series. It follows the adventures of Artemis Fowl, a twelve-year-old criminal mastermind, as he kidnaps a fairy for a large ransom of 24-carat gold with the help of his bodyguard, Domovoi Butler and his sister, Juliet Butler, to restore the Fowl family fortune. After multiple attempts by the LEP (Lower Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, #1), Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl is a series of eight science fiction fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer.
Artemis Fowl is the first book in the Artemis Fowl series. It follows the adventures of Artemis Fowl, a twelve-year-old criminal mastermind, as he kidnaps a fairy for a large ransom of 24-carat gold with the help of his bodyguard, Domovoi Butler and his sister, Juliet Butler, to restore the Fowl family fortune. After multiple attempts by the LEP (Lower Elements Police) fairy police, including sending a dwarf called Mulch Diggums, it concludes with Artemis finally releasing Holly Short, the elf fairy, whom he kidnapped, and having his mother cured of madness (in exchange for half of the gold that he had stolen from the fairies). Also, the kleptomaniac dwarf Mulch Diggums, erroneously presumed dead, has taken some of the returned half of the gold and escapes to the U.S.
1. Artemis Fowl
2. The Arctic Incident
3. The Eternity Code
4. The Opal Deception
5. The Lost Colony
6. The Time Paradox
7. The Atlantis Complex
8. The Last Guardian

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز نخست ماه ژانویه سال 2006 میلادی
عنوان: آرتمیس فاول و گروگان گیری - کتاب 1؛ نویسنده: یون (ایون) کالفر؛ مترجم: شیدا رنجبر؛ ویراستار: شهرام رجب زاده؛ تهران، افق، 1382؛ در 454 ص؛ کتاب نخست از سری آرتمیس فاول؛ چاپ سوم 1385؛ چاپ چهارم 1386؛ چاپ پنجم 1387؛ چاپ ششم 1389؛ چاپ هشتم 1391؛ چاپ نهم 1392؛ شابک: 9789643690847؛ موضوع: داستانهای دنباله دار برای نوجوانان از نویسندگان انگلیسی - سده 21 م
عنوان: آرتمیس فاول - کتاب 1؛ نویسنده: یون (ایون) کالفر؛ مترجم: حسین قنبری؛ تهران، شریعه توس، 1385؛ کتاب نخست؛ شابک: 9648557020؛

آرتمیس فاولِ دوازده ساله، یک تبهكار نابغه است. اما حتی او هم پیش بینی نمیکند که با گروگان گرفتن یک جن، خودش را درگیر چه جنگی میکند؛ چون این جن، سروان هالی شورت از واحد نیروی ویژه ی پلیس، در سرزمین جن هاست. جنهای اين رمان، از آنهایی نیستند که وقت خواب در افسانه ها خوانده ایم. اینها مسلح و خطرناک هستند. ا. شربیانی ...more

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Aug 12, 2017 Montzalee Wittmann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Artemis Fowl: Artemis Fowl, Book 1
By Eoin Colfer
Narrated By Nathaniel Parker
I borrowed this book from the library. I figured everyone in the world has read this but me and thought I would catch up. What a hoot! Loved it! I don't know what I thought it was going to be but I didn't expect a 12 year old genius villain! My goodness, I thought it was great! The fairies, dwarves, trolls, and the silly things that happen, I giggled so much. It was so silly I can see why kids love this book. I am defini ...more

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Jan 10, 2014 Jason Koivu rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi, fantasy

From the get-go it appears Artemis Fowl is going to be about Artemis Fowl, a criminal boy genius with Sherlock Holmes-like powers of deduction, but then bomb squad-esque faeries take over the story and we end up spending just as much time, if not more, reading about them. That's fine since they're interesting and their story moves with a good dash of fun and excitement.

This is another of those books with a redeemable bad-guy protagonist. We shouldn't, but we do root for him, at least in some wa ...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-fantasy, faerie, fantasy

99c Kindle sale, Oct. 11, 2018. A solid, amusing start to this YA fantasy series, about a twelve-year-old millionaire evil genius. Okay, he's not really evil, but he is into criminal heists, especially since the family wealth is gone, his father has disappeared, and his mother is mentally ill, out of touch with reality. So Artemis, having used his brilliant mind to figure out that fairies are real, decides to restore the family fortune by kidnapping a fairy and holding him or her for for ransom. ...more

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Dec 31, 2016 Ahmed Ejaz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, full-lengths

SPOILER FREE review if you will not open the spoiler tags

How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed.

WORLD-BUILDING
All the fairies, elves, dwarves, goblins, trolls live in the underground world. This world has its own technology which is beyond our comprehension and have their own laws.

CHARACTERS
Artemis Fowl [ of course ]
(Doesn't this name sounds Awesome!!!)
No need to say, he is a super genius criminal. You know how old he is? Just 12 Y ...more

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May 13, 2008 Drew Nelson rated it it was ok

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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Mar 23, 2014 Natalie Monroe rated it it was ok

Shelves: confusing, could-have-been-better, dragged-on-too-much, boooring, not-worth-the-hype, bye-bye-nineteenth-amendment, great-start-hated-the-rest, not-as-good-as-i-expected, great-concept-poor-execution

Well, looks like my 14-year-old was right--it was as bad as I remembered. The concept was nice, but terrible execution and the plot got too muddled in the middle. It tries to be funny but fails. Epically.

And Artemis struck as a wee sexist. He doesn't want to hurt a girl because she reminds him of his mother and his friend, Juliet. The author might be trying to show that Artemis is actually a nice guy, but the way I see it, there are only two options: Oedipus Complex or sexist jerk.

It's gotta be ...more

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Aug 01, 2018 Raeleen Lemay rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult

Read for Popsugar's 2018 Reading Challenge #9: A book about a villain or antihero

I so wish I'd read this as a kid. I would have devoured the entire series in a matter of days! However, as an adult, this book isn't much more than a fun fantasy adventure, so I can't give it any higher than 3 stars. It was entertaining, but nothing special in the long run. (Highly recommend it to all kids though!!)

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Aug 31, 2010 Juan Valera rated it really liked it

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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Apr 06, 2019 Brittany rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal, fiction, mystery, middle-grade, reviews, paranormal, z2019-challenge, teen

Well what to say, This book definitely had a younger audience in mind, but I still really enjoyed Holly. I definitely found myself on the side AGAINST Artemis right away. Artemis' attitude and the way that he talks to and treats others made him really hard to like. I wasn't a big fan of his.. Any redemption was too little too late for me unfortunately.

The created world IS interesting, but it's not a series that I will rush to continue.

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Feb 11, 2011 Stephanie (Bookfever) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, young-adult, magic, favorite-authors, paranormal, fantasy, humor, middle-grade, owned-physical-books, fae

"A genius. A criminal mastermind. A millionaire. And he is only twelve years old."

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer is my favorite book ever. EVER! I read it for the first time when I was fourteen years old and have been reading the series ever since. I've re-read the book over and over again. I can't even remember how many times I have read it but by now this book feels like an old friend and it's just as amazing as when I read it the first time. Now that I've re-read it once again, I think it's "A genius. A criminal mastermind. A millionaire. And he is only twelve years old."

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer is my favorite book ever. EVER! I read it for the first time when I was fourteen years old and have been reading the series ever since. I've re-read the book over and over again. I can't even remember how many times I have read it but by now this book feels like an old friend and it's just as amazing as when I read it the first time. Now that I've re-read it once again, I think it's time for a review!

When Holly Short gets abducted by Artemis Fowl II, a child prodigy from Ireland because he wants to ransom her for fairy gold, the book really gets going. The fairies are amazed by everything that Artemis knows about the People but they're definitely not giving up on Holly and are determined to rescue her and keep the gold in the meantime. But it seems that Artemis is always two steps ahead of them...

Artemis sort of is an antagonist. He's no hero, and as is stated in the book: you can't romanticize him. This is absolutely true. And yet, I can't help but root for him. But on the other hand I also end up rooting for the fairies, especially Holly. Because she's so badass. You kind of just want both Artemis and Holly to win, whatever they're fighting for. Artemis definitely is a one of a kind character. I have never read about any character like him. He's twelve years old and a prodigy. No matter how many times I read this book, I'm always blown away by his genius (of should I say Eoin Colfer's genius?). In any case, he's probably my favorite fictional character ever created and I'm pretty sure it will never ever change.

Holly is also one of my favorite characters. I love everything she stands for and even though there aren't that many female characters in his books, when there is, you can bet she'll end up having a very strong personality and being able to kick butt. So, yeah... that's Holly. She may be small but she can kick anyone's ass and is the first female on the LEPrecon squad + she has a feisty and reckless personality. Gotta love her!

Personally, I think that this book has the greatest set of characters ever. Artemis and Holly aside, we also have Butler, Juliet, Commander Root and Foaly. I just love Butler. He always has Artemis's back and to me, he feels more like a father to Artemis than anything else. Juliet is Butlers teenage sister and she's a riot! Commander Root is simply epic. You definitely don't want to get on his bad side and Foaly is just brilliance itself. He's a centaur, a bit crazy and I love his wit!

So do I have to say more? Artemis Fowl is a brilliant book. That's the way it just is. Eoin Colfer writes fast-paced, witty and sometimes even touching scenes. Is it any wonder he's my favorite author ever? ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 Lia (booksnpenguins) rated it really liked it

Shelves: antiheroes-thieves-assassins, paranormal-and-gothic, fae-and-fairies, magic-wizards-spells, witches-and-monsters, timetravel-and-robots, urban-fantasy

"If I win, I'm a prodigy. If I lose then I'm mad. That's the way history is written."

Okay, so...I liked this, but I didn't love it.
There's nothing really wrong with this book. It's actually pretty entertaining and easy to read, with its simple yet witty writing and interesting characters. However, I couldn't help but feel a little detached from the story and even bored at times, but I guess it's my fault for jumping into this story after a couple of royally good fantasy books that won't eas ...more

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Oct 31, 2017 Tina ➹ the girl who lives in Fandoms (Book.Enchantress) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, recs, 2016, recs-by-the-hype

I couldn't exactly relate to this story for some reasons:

[don't hate, it's just my opinion.
it could be announced as a ranting review,
so if you a hardcore Fowl fan, don't continue.]

first & most important one; why Artemis is a boy? I think you might say "it is an Irish name." or something, but I've grown up with the idea of Artemis goddess of the moon, so... yeah, I can't register that.
2) I don't think about stories of fairies or leprechauns; in other word, it's not my favourite subject to read ab ...more

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Apr 06, 2018 Alaina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi, young-adult, fiction, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, april-challenge-2018, humor, contemporary, favorites

Not going to lie.. this book has been on my radar for a while.. but once I saw that it was becoming a movie... well I jumped on this book quicker than a bottle of wine being uncorked!

Artemis Fowl was such an interesting and enjoyable book. Artemis is basically your best nemesis ever! He's brilliant, evil as fudge, and a ruthless bastard all wrapped into one! Oh, did I forget to mentions he's also en evil millionaire mastermind?!?! He's like the Doctor Evil and the Mini Me all combined into one p ...more

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Apr 29, 2008 Jennifer Wardrip rated it it was amazing

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, read-personally-by-moi, 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 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! ...more

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Feb 24, 2019 Cody rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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

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

It is such a delight to note that Artemis Fowl excels in characterisation and storytelling that both young and old alike will enjoy being trapped amongst its pages. The plot is a bit reminiscent of Die Hard, only with magical creatures and high tech weaponry. At only age 12, young Artemis Fowl exerts a genius-l “If I win, I'm a prodigy. If I lose, then I'm crazy. That's the way history is written.”

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

It is such a delight to note that Artemis Fowl excels in characterisation and storytelling that both young and old alike will enjoy being trapped amongst its pages. The plot is a bit reminiscent of Die Hard, only with magical creatures and high tech weaponry. At only age 12, young Artemis Fowl exerts a genius-level intellect and a shrewd ideology making him a prodigy criminal mastermind. He descends from a long line of Fowls, an influential Irish family that has a manor on the outskirts of Dublin. The disappearance of his father and the mental fragility of his mother have placed a great burden on the Fowl family. One in which Artemis looks to remedy with the theft of a substantial amount of gold from a magical source humanity is completely unaware of. Along with his trusted bodyguard Butler and Butler's sister Juliet, Artemis hatches a plan to take back what he believes to be rightfully his.

Hidden in the subterranean depths of earth exists a parallel community of various creatures including fairies, dwarves, goblins, and trolls that have triumphed by means of civilisation and technology well past what humanity has built. Rather ironically referred to as "The People," this collection of various creatures once lived side by side with humans, until they came to the conclusion that humanity is the very definition of exponential avarice, and in order to survive, sealed themselves off from humanity. Part of the problem is that security threats to themselves still exist, which has lead to the creation of a special police type force called LEPrecon, dedicated to concealing The People from humanity and arising to any such problems that threaten the stability of their world. Amongst them is a fairy named Holly Short. Holly is the first female officer in the force and looking to make a name for herself. She is later kidnapped by Artemis and held for ransom, bringing about a troop-load of fairy special forces to lay a siege on Fowl manor.

Eoin Colfer has written a richly fun novel here with some really cool characters and excellent world building that feels real and purposeful. Artemis Fowl himself is such a badass anti-hero, and it was rewarding to discover him as a character, alongside the rest of the cast. The only real problem with the book is it's length, but it's satisfying so it can be overlooked, because the story feels so rewarding to undertake. The beginning of the series looks very promising.

Rating: 4.5/5

...more

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May 14, 2009 Meridyforgot rated it did not like it · 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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Jun 27, 2017 Wanda rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fae-fairy, fantasy, childrens-books, read-in-2017

Artemis Fowl (or should that be Foul?) is an interesting mix of Lex Luthor and Encyclopedia Brown. He’s a boy genius with designs on leprechaun gold and he is willing to kidnap and deceive his way to his goal. But the fairy world is not going to just roll over and submit to Artemis’ demands, especially not Captain Holly Short, who is being held captive in Fowl Manor.

It’s a quick read, well written. If I was part of the intended demographic, I would probably be more impressed, but it’s a bit tame ...more

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Mar 26, 2019 Andrew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Well I have a number of Eoin Colfer books in my collection but the Artemis series has always drawn my eye the most. Ironic that I finally get around to reading them when the first book is about to released as a film later this year.

I think one of the issues was that out of the series I have all but the first two books in hardback while the first two are paperback and I was having a total mental block as well they were. Well I found them finally and I now am about to launch (via a few other distr ...more

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Dec 02, 2015 Aoife rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-bookshelf, middle-grade

I loved rereading this! It's been a long, long time since I read this when I was a child and it was great returning to the world of the 12-year-old Artemis Fowl - a child genius and criminal mastermind - who has decided to make the fairy world fall down at his feet and give up their gold so he can rebuild his family fortune.

I had forgotten a lot of the details about this story so for most of the book it was like reading it for the first time, and gradually in a great way the memories came back t ...more

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Jan 01, 2012 ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, bookcrossing, fantasy

An quick, entertaining read but not as good as our friend Mr Potter... I usually love young adult's litterature but I just didn't like Colfer's writing style and the plot was really weak. Still, there are some good ideas here and I'm not surprised the book has been such a success.

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Feb 19, 2020 ☀ Kat Nova ☀ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Ok so my friend forced me to read this and, ummm... WHERE WAS THIS SERIES WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL bro I would've been obsessed with this shit. This was really fun, and that ending honestly made me smile. I now want to read the rest of the series and see this little bastard grow up :,)

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Jul 01, 2019 Amber rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series-i-wont-finish, audiobooks, middle-grade

I read this because I want to see the movie without any kind of reader's guilt.

It was fun and fast paced, but I wasn't super invested in the characters. I felt like it was very action based with little character development or enough time to really get to know the characters (and there are quite a few in here). I probably won't continue on with this series, but it was quick and easy to get through.

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Dec 17, 2012 Luffy rated it liked it

Shelves: children, fantasy, overhyped, decent-enough, young-adult, unfunny

Due to the short length of this children's book, one device springs out from the words. By that I mean the quick building up of characters and what happens to them in the face of opposition. The forsaken sprite turned healer has to deal with our young anti hero, the titular Artemis Fowl. The latter himself is conducting a complex plan of his own. I hazarded, early on, that whatever his plan was, he would fail eventually. Since I know that there are other books of the series, I thought Artemis w Due to the short length of this children's book, one device springs out from the words. By that I mean the quick building up of characters and what happens to them in the face of opposition. The forsaken sprite turned healer has to deal with our young anti hero, the titular Artemis Fowl. The latter himself is conducting a complex plan of his own. I hazarded, early on, that whatever his plan was, he would fail eventually. Since I know that there are other books of the series, I thought Artemis was doomed to fail, like that mouse of Pinky and the Brain fame.

Almost every single person in the book has some sort of power which may be taken away. There's the forgot-his-grade officer Root. And eventually something does happen to his hierarchy. There's Holly Short who has got her plate full. A book could be made of her daily struggles as the only female of her squad of law enforcers. This is a sprawling plot that, in any hand, could occupy a book thrice its current length. Holly is a magical creature, as is Root, and Foaly the centaur. Holly differs from them in that she cannot take the life of even Mud People, lightly. She is the nemesis to the anti hero Artemis. That is shown in a well written part where she defies orders and prevents loss of human, and- to take a leaf out of Star Wars prequels, a youngling's life.

To be honest with you I was lost regarding the way fairy society, the magical brethren comprising of dwarfs, goblins, and other assorted chaps, is organised underground. I cannot imagine the contraptions of what little has been described in the book. There's talk of some shuttle like vehicle which rides on an eruptive, vertical wave of magma. All this is scrambled info for me. The fault lies with my reading skills. But even in a book where people's names were descriptive to their true status, beyond belief, passages exist that are not within my reach.

The story spans across entire continents. The story is epic in pocket form. Artemis Fowl sets the ball rolling in Asia, and the action slowly yoyos westward to Ireland. The 12 year old antagonist's efforts in his search for a certain Book is mentioned in passing. In an adult book, that would be shown, and I'm glad here it is only hinted at. During their tactical tussle - Artemis, Butler, his little sister against the fairy police - we get to know that Artemis is pitting his wits against minds centuries older than his own.

Having revealed his plan to get rich quickly and dirtily, everything is set for the boy to fail. The story writer makes the millennia aged traditions of the fairy folk a hindrance, rather than an asset. The fairy are magical and technologically very advanced. They are separate things here. The magic is not advanced science. The fairy folk are nocturnal and live underground. They were driven there by humans, who peopled the earth exponentially...whereas the fairies can beget kids only once every 20 years. This is a theme common in science fiction. The advanced, ancient tribe is demographically infertile. This aspect is only glossed over, and here I believe that this birth rate of the fairies has been like this naturally. It's only because of man's prolific breeding that has made the fairies retreat. It stands to reason that men could multiply probably because they were checked by no natural predators. And no magical folk too.

The fairies are blessed with many things, but they are bound by their laws, which allows our precocious anti hero to be successful in his masterplan. The repelled forces of the fairies have to stick to their laws which state that anyone who successfully steals fairy gold can keep it on some conditions. This law was never enacted before, and no human had managed to keep fairy gold. Until Artemis came forward this law was useless. The fairy folk were confident of their security blanket. Are we supposed to view things from Fowl's perspective ? We are not supposed to hate him outright, methinks. But then this is indeed a children's book.

There are ecological aspects to the story. It has been said in the book that Men's weapons are very cruel. Fairy weaponry is very efficient, as it wipes out only life and leaves the stones and the concrete and the soil unsullied. Which is more frightening, the human nuclear bomb, or the fairy blue rinsing? The ecological thing is definitely more sci fi than fantasy. This kid's book is laced in several genres. Rarely have I seen them blending so easily together. ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Play Book Tag: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer (4 stars)	1	5	Jul 05, 2020 07:54AM
The Lunar Book Club: Middle Grade: Artemis Fowl	1	3	Jun 25, 2020 02:29PM
The Book Was Better: ARTEMIS FOWL	19	166	May 01, 2020 08:30PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA/Young Adult, fantasy, fiction, adventure. About an extremely smart ophan boy that I believe has a butler to help him. He does spy work and is also very rich. [s]	4	26	Apr 21, 2020 09:55AM
Artemis Fowl Movie	32	234	Apr 14, 2020 01:40AM

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About Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer

9,774 followers

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