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Artemis Fowl Fun Site
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Reviews & Quotes: Positive: 'Wildly original… and you thought fairy stories were just for kids.'T2 (The Telegraph) on Artemis Fowl 'The
latest hot tip in children's literature is Artemis Fowl.' 'Crazy
to read, funny characters, it's cool.' 'Make
sure you buy it!' Negative: 'This is not the new Harry Potter, nor is it a good children's book.' Deirdre Donahue, USA TODAY 'The book is poorly written' Heather Lee Schroeder, Capital Times Book Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review:
Artemis Fowl is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history and with his trusty sidekicks, Butler and Juliet, in tow he hatches a cunning plot to divest the fairyfolk of their pot of gold. Of course, he isn't foolish enough to believe in all that "gold at the end of the rainbow" nonsense. Rather, he knows that the only way to separate the little people from their stash is to kidnap one of their number and wait for the ransom to arrive. But when the time comes to put his plan into action he reckons without Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaisance) Unit--a sort of extra small Clarice Starling with pointy ears and wings--and her senior officer Commander Root, a man (sorry, elf) who will stop at nothing to get her back... Fantastic stuff from beginning to end Artemis Fowl is a rip-roaring, 21st-century romp of the highest order. The author has let his imagination run riot by combining folklore, fantasy and a fistful of high-tech funk in an outrageously devilish book that could well do for fairies what Harry Potter has done for wizardry. But be warned: this is no gentle frolic so don't be fooled by the fairy subject matter. Instead what we have here is well written, sophisticated, rough 'n' tumble storytelling with enough high-octane attitude to make it a seriously cool read for anyone over the age of 10. --Susan Harrison Synopsis JUST AS we were beginning to take Harry Potter for granted, along comes a sharp reminder of how very lucky we all are to have him. Eoin Colfer describes Artemis Fowl as “Die Hard — with fairies”, and this is a gutsy book based on the notion that elves, goblins, and the like are a surly, wisecracking lot straight out of a Hollywood action movie. Driven under cover by humans, they live in subterranean cities where law is enforced in a surly, wisecracking way by the Lep Recon (geddit?) — the fairy police department. Not dependent on magical powers alone, the fairies use advanced technology such as heat-resistant shuttles to bring them hurtling to the Earth’s surface. Die Hard? Colfer certainly targets boys of 10-14 with Hollywood precision, featuring mission-bound fairies equipped with miniature videocams. There are tough girls, even tougher guys and tons of quasi-military hardware. And the moral map? It is a desert. Fowl himself is a 12-year-old criminal genius who lies and cheats for gold and the fairies do not seem much better. But boys will worship him and clamour for sequels. For the rest of us — well, J. K. Rowling would never be so ignorant as to invent a whinnying quadruped called “Foaly” — and describe him as a satyr. She would know a centaur when she saw one. Manchester Evening News by John Malam Fairies with attitude YOU can forget about gentle fairies that tip-toe around the flowers at the bottom of your garden. Instead, imagine a labyrinthine world of underground tunnels far below our streets, populated with elves, sprites, goblins, dwarves, and an angry red-eyed hairy troll or two.Theirs is a parallel
world to ours, a technologically superior place which we Mud People are
oblivious to. And so it would have stayed, until a certain Artemis Fowl, a
twelve-year-old criminal mastermind with a knowledge of the dark side
of electronics, hatches a plot to force the little folk to hand over their
gold. He, like every other dumb human, weaned on bedtime stories of fairy
gold, is convinced they have tonnes of it.
What makes this book such a myth-shattering joy to read is its
sheer originality. Best-selling Irish author, Eoin Colfer, whose days as a
primary school teacher in Wexford are probably over, has conjured up fairies
with attitude. His SAS-style tiny troopers, backed up by high-tech wizardry
and a sprinkling of magic, lay siege to Fowl Manor, where Artemis holds one
of their own to ransom in exchange for gold.
Colfer has packed his roller-coaster read with a cast of wonderful
characters, a truly inventive plot, and a racing, witty dialogue. It
will appeal as much to adults as it will to children. A five-star book
without a doubt, and the first in a planned trilogy. Age range: 10 upwards.
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