Jun 18, 2005 02:47 PM
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(Updated Jun 22, 2005 10:56 AM)
Holly sat, never taking her hazel eyes from the diminutive monster before her.
‘So what is this master plan, Fowl? Let me guess : world domination?’
“Nothing so melodramatic’, chuckled Artemis. ‘Just riches.’
‘A thief!’ spat Holly. ‘You’re just a thief!’
Annoyance flashed across Artemis’s features, only to be replaced by his customary sardonic grin.
‘Yes. A thief if you like. Hardly just a thief though. The world’s first cross-species thief.’
Captain Short snorted. “First cross-species thief!’ Mud people have stealing from us for millennia. Why do you think we live underground?’
Do you believe there is life outside the planet? What about this planet? Do you think we are the most superior and intelligent species on earth? Ah ignorance, a trait so common to all humans. But in this case it could prove helpful, if humans were to find out that deep down close to the earth’s core existed fairies, elves, goblins, gnomes, pixies, centaurs and trolls, it could mean war.
These fairies are not of the kind that would leave money for your tooth, they are technologically much more advanced than humans, they are armed and very powerful.
Not all humans are ignorant though, Artemis Fowl may only be a 12-year-old but he is aware of their existence.
If you like fantasy, technology and humor or any one of it, chances are you will love reading this book. Like Harry Potter, the protagonist is a teenager(12 year old actually) and there plenty of magical creatures. But the similarities end there. Artemis is a whiz kid, a genius, also a criminal mastermind. In comparison, Harry Potter (the character) seems like just another dumb kid with a scar. Don’t get me wrong I am a big fan of the series, just that this book is in a different league all together and hasn’t got the attention it deserves. The characterization and plots are brilliant and did I mention its funny?
Story Line
Artemis Fowl is the son of a rich businessman, much of the family wealth accumulated by his fathers indulgence in illegal activities. But a business deal goes wrong and Artemis senior is the target of a missile attack sinking the ship he was on along with some of their fortune. This news was not taken well by Artemis’ mother Angeline . But Artemis is not disheartened, he decides to restore the family fortune, an otherwise impossible task for an ordinary twelve year old. But he was not ordinary. After careful research he is convinced that deep down exist fairies and posses gold. All he needs to do is get hold of the fairy bible ‘The Book’ and he will have access to all information history and commandments of the entire race. But the book is written in gnommish. Will the criminal genius be capable of translating it to english thus being the only human to understand fairy tongue? What happens when he makes contact with The People?
Characters.
Humans.
Artemis Fowl Is this kid (He acts nothing like a kid) really evil or is there a good side to him too? You will have to read the book to know and understand him.
Butler Artemis's bodyguard, his only friend and confidant. He is ever loyal and always at his masters side.
The People
Holly Short An elf, she is the first female officer at the LEPrecon unit a branch of Lower Elements Police. Known to be radical and has a reputation for not following protocol.
Commander Root Holly Short is a captain under him and though he denies it, he is very proud of her. He is known for his temper that makes him turn purple which is why he is called ‘Beetroot’
Mulch A dwarf. A kleptomaniac and has proved to be a slippery thief often escaping from the LEP. I wont go into the details of how his digestive system works but let me just say that he has a flap at his backend. He wantingly or unwantingly gets involved into many of the adventures involving holly and the human kid and proves to be quiet an asset.
Foaly Foaly is a centaur and a technology consultant in LEP. Fairy technology is way ahead of human technology thanks to Foaly. This one is my favorite character, he is paranoid and extremely proud of all his inventions. His witty and sarcastic remarks are a treat to read!
In fact all dialogues between Holly, Root and Foaly are incredibly funny with each one snapping at each other.
Five books in the series are out already. I just finished reading the 4th book, The Opal deception. All books are action packed, with the characters involved in unimaginable situations. Is Artemis a threat to these creatures? Or will he prove to be a useful ally in fighting crime in the fairyland? Go out, buy all the books in the series and read them. You wont be disappointed.
