Artemis Fowl

by Eoin Colfer, Adrian Dunbar

No cover — Eoin Colfer, Adrian Dunbar: Artemis Fowl (2001, Penguin Books, Limited)

3 pages

English language

Published July 27, 2001 by Penguin Books, Limited.

ISBN:: 978-0-14-180355-5

(11 reviews)

Artemis Fowl is the first of a series of semi-realist novels produced by Eoin Colfer. They document the adventures of a precocious prodigal child of the criminal empire, Artemis Fowl. In this book, accompanied by his huge and loyal bodyguard/sidekick/advisor Butler, Artemis engages in a series of surreal activities; the absence of his missing father and the mental disorder of his mother allow him to pursue the unlikely position of a criminal mastermind. However, Artemis soon encounters more than he bargains for when his attempted capture of a member of the underground 'fairy' civilization goes terribly wrong. Be prepared for a thrilling adventure, with trolls, magic and much more!

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.

47 editions

debby_joyblue reviewed Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Review of 'Artemis Fowl' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I'm rounding up to 4 because I liked it better than book 5, and it provided silly entertainment.

Some other readers have compelling reasons for disliking this installment, including discrepancies in the recurring characters.

In considering their reasoning, I realized that I probably have different standards for different genres. I tend to rate this series 4 stars is because I like the entertainment value in comparison to other youth fantasy. If this series were literary fiction, I probably wouldn't rate it as highly. Is that fair or reasonable? I haven't decided. But, it's how I feel right now, apparently.

[I may have to reassess how I rate the Harry Potter series, which I like even more than the Artemis Fowl series, overall. I just have a really hard time handing out 5 stars.]