Book Review: "The Supernaturalist" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Cosmo lives in a dystopian world called Satellite City. There he meets a group of kids who explain it's their mission to save the city, and it turns out that Cosmo has a special ability that can help.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Cosmo is a young orphan who only dreams of being free. He is socially awkward but brave.

Stefan is the leader of a group of kids. He is the oldest and the most passionate about his job, to the point of being obsessive.

Mona is a young Hispanic girl who loves working on cars.

Ditto is a bartoli baby, a being who was experimented on and resembles a small child, even though he is actually much older. He is usually sarcastic and rarely lets down his guard.

PACING

The pacing is decent. The story jumps straight into action with a short introduction to Cosmo and his world. We learn different things about the world as we go along.

MONA & COSMO

Cosmo ends up saving Mona's life early on, so she admits she owes him. This also causes her to defend him to Ditto and say that he's different. Although I felt this was kind of forced, as they had only spent a short time together.

COSMO & STEFAN

Cosmo admires Stefan, realizing he has to make tough decisions. As well as wanting his approval. And yet I never felt that Stefan was any sort of mentor figure, not even a big brother.

Not to mention that Stefan admits he doesn't want to be responsible for Cosmo, so he doesn't quite feel like a leader.

To be fair, it's not as if Cosmo goes along full heartedly with what Stefan wants. He wonders if hunting parasites is really what he wants to do. Stefan does eventually confide in Cosmo, but I feel as though its because we were getting closer to the climax, not because they had grown any closer.

MONA'S HESITATION

There is a scene where Mona asks if they should try to prevent a disaster. The parasites show up only where trouble is. I thought it was strange that Mona was asking this as if they had never hunted before.

THE WORLD

Cosmo's world is one full of overpopulation, pollution and most other catastrophe claims that we have all heard made over and over through the decades. We learn some over time, but most of it is summarized by Faustino when she explains what she is doing in trying to save the world.

POINT OF VIEW

For the most part, Cosmo tells the story and we stay in his head. But there a few scenes completely told by other characters. Ditto, for example, explains his past to the reader. And we also jump inside Stefan's head a few times. Mona gets a short time.

I think the point was to share with the reader about the characters. We learn that Mona hasn't felt pretty for a long time. I just think I would have preferred hints, like Cosmo saying she was pretty and Mona being surprised.

SPELL IT OUT-SPOILERS

It turns out that Stefan used to work for the police but after his mother died in an accident, he quit. He blames himself and the parasites for her death. We don't learn these specific details until later.

But we do get a scene right off the bat, where Stefan goes to his mother's grave and imagines her telling him that whenever he saves someone from a parasite, he's saving her.

I thought this was kind of on the nose, and would rather it had been hinted at, and perhaps Cosmo has to investigate, or earn Stefan's trust. And then the reader would be rewarded.

WELFARE FOR ALL

In the beginning of the story, when we see the orphanage that Cosmo is at, there is a brief mention that it has to run by its own money, not others. It gets no welfare from the government. I thought it was odd to mention, as if getting the government involved would magically make it better. When in reality it would most likely be run by bureaucrats who would just throw money at the problem.

Later on, welfare is mentioned again, and its put center stage when we meet Ella Faustino. It's so strange, because the center of the story is about the parasites, the corrupt cops and the corrupt corporation. And yet the solution to the messed up city is...welfare. It's just so random and illogical.

It's political and feels shoved in. Same with the idea that nuclear power is the greatest evil, has caused the most harm and must be destroyed. Kind of just thrown in near the climax.

THE ADULTS' FAULT

There is one scene where Stefan points out that the adults have screwed things up (so a stranger can trust them). And apparently...it's the fact that they are adult that makes them bad? Not greed. Not narcissism. Just being adult. Luckily children are immune to such things.

It came across as childish and naive.

In another scene, Stefan thinks that a character could not want him killed, because they are a scientist. Not for any any actual reason, like being longtime friends and a mentor. It was just another example of stupidity.

COSMO'S IDEA-SPOILERS

Stefan make a huge decision, telling everyone they have to quit hunting parasites. And then two seconds later changes his mind. I get its because Cosmo has to contribute something important to the plot. He is crucial, but it just makes Stefan look weak willed. And he was anything but, before this.

Later on, Cosmo ends up being important. He realizes that he is the only one who can go on a mission because of the size of a uniform. Not to mention he helps them find a maintenance hatch to get in. In that way, he is important twice. I don't actually think we needed the first part, since we had the second.

OUR CARTOON VILLAIN-SPOILERS

It turns out that Ella has always been working for Myishi, and was simply pretending to work for the Police academy, when she knew Stefan. She ends up making a speech about not caring about anyone and just wanting money (after she has been exposed).

But the thing was, she already made a speech before this. A better one, where her intention was clearly to save the world, even if she had to give herself way too much power to do so.

If Ellen had been shown to believe what she was doing was right and if that had stayed that way, she would have been a convincing villain. Instead she comes off as silly stereotype of the greedy corporation owner.

THE TRUTH ABOUT PARASITES-SPOILERS

Blue beetle looking creatures that only some can see, appear whenever people are injured and close to death. They cling to those and seem to kill them faster.

There is a twist, where Stefan finds out he was wrong about them. And then he finds out both he and Faustino were wrong. I actually would have liked if there hadn't been a second twist, and Stefan had indeed been manipulated to do Faustino's dirty work. And had been helping the parasites grow. To live with that would be tough.

THE TRUTH ABOUT DITTO-SPOILERS

It is eventually revealed that Ditto has the power to heal and knows the truth about the parasites. When Mona finds out, Stefan does too. And he is furious at being lied to. I felt bad for Ditto but never felt any real closeness between him and Stefan. Both never got beyond their masks, Ditto with his sarcasm and Stefan with his obsession.

Also, I thought that Stefan was overreacting. After all, it was not as if Ditto ever put any of them in danger. And I just didn't feel like this added anything to the story. I know the others had to learn the truth about Ditto, I just didn't care for how it was done.

MAIN CHARACTER

Cosmo wonders about his parents and who they were, but for the most part, he has no past. And he has no real goals, other than to be free. Because of this, I found Stefan the most interesting character and also the character that pushed all of the other characters.

Also, I found that events that were the most important, didn't have a strong emotional effect on me. Like when we reveal the truth about Stefan's mom. I would almost have had the story start with him as a cop then flash forward then back to the accident with his mom. Or flash back to a much longer scene about it. Either way, just make him the focus.

And when we meet Faustino, I wanted to be shocked. I wanted to have known Faustino and seen how close she had been with Stefan and his mother. Instead I felt detached because I watched it from Cosmo's view point. Seeing them hug and assuming they had been close. Though I knew nothing about it.

And when Stefan gets a revelation and has his world turned upside down, I felt as though he was supposed to be the most important character.

THE STEEL PLATE

In the beginning, after being rescued, Cosmo gets plate put in his head. This ends up playing into the climax. I like how it became important, like a puzzle piece put in last.

CLIMAX

The group decides to have one last mission, but not to harm the parasites, to strike a blow against the Myishi corporation. Things end up backfiring when they get caught and have to form another plan. Stefan makes a dramatic decision.

AN AFTERLIFE-SPOILERS

Ditto eventually reveals that there is an after \life and that he has seen it. I thought this was strange and just thrown in. Also, it kind of gave Stefan an out so he could get killed and not really care. It wasn't done out of bravery. It was done because he knew he could go see his mom.

PROBLEMS IN THE CITY-SPOILERS

The city moves around like a huge puzzle, and lately its been screwing up. Pieces going in the wrong place. This is important to the plot as its later revealed. Although it's not really solved.

In fact after the finale it feels like things just go back to normal. We get a scene where Ellen Faustino has survived, which doesn't make much sense. If she survived, then wouldn't Stefan have survived too?

She gets a scolding from her corporate overlord and the mayor (who is corrupt, but hopefully we'll still get welfare) and is sent away. But those in power don't seem threatened but what happened. They are still going forward with building another reactor.

CONCLUSION

The story idea was interesting. I liked the idea of the parasites being a confusing subject. And the pacing was good. Also there was some good use of humor throughout.

But I felt like Stefan should have been the main character, not Cosmo. Perhaps he originally was, but when the author decided on the ending he switched it to Cosmo.

Also the relationships seemed lacking. Stefan saved Mona, but he never comes off as a caring person, and I had a hard time understanding why he and his friends ended up together.

Also there were moments where the characters come off as stupid, which I don't think was intentional.

I give “The Supernaturalist” two and half stars.

Book Review: "The Wishlist" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL FREE SUMMARY

Meg gets a second chance at Heaven but in order to do so, she must help a grumpy old man named Lowrie. Together they go through his wish list, but it may be harder then it seems when otherworldly forces compete to stop them.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Meg starts out as rather selfish but her victimhood evokes sympathy. She is rather guarded but eventually starts to care for Lowrie. Eventually her arc ends by a complete change of heart about a certain character.

Lowrie is a cranky old man who has a long list of regrets. With each new task on the list, he reveals more about himself by revealing his past. He slowly changes and realizes maybe his life wasn't as bad as he thought and also learns to forgive someone who wronged him.

Finn is an acquintance of Meg's that talks her into helping her with a robbery. He is rather violent and not too bright. He is a two dimensional cartoon character that is basically a pawn of the demons.

Beezlebub works under Satan and communicates with Peter.

Saint Peter guards the gate of heaven like the religious myth says. He is rather cranky because he is stuck with a job he hates.

PACING

The story starts with action but balances it out with slower scenes of exposition between Lowrie and Meg, and between certain demons. There is a surprising amount of action just with the main characters without any interference from the demons.

Also there are hints of something terrible that Meg did to her stepfather all throughout the story. The suspense helps the story. Not to mention that Finn gets has only a week to stop Meg so its a ticking time bomb to the plot.

COMEDY

Colfer has his usual comedic writing and I found most of it enjoyable. I admit some of the conversations between St. Peter and Beelzebub were kind of cheesy (not to mention Satan and dog boy Finn). I much more enjoyed the comic portions regarding Meg and Lowrie.

Also Meg's commentary is charming. In one scene, she points out that old people had their own fashions before Playstation. She says they were sad looking clothes, but they were happy. I had to laugh at that.

MEG'S SECRET

Near the last portion of the book, we discover just what Meg did to get revenge on her stepfather. I suppose it was clever and took a lot of work to do, but I almost expected something darker. I mean, she didn't hurt him, she hurt an object.

I guess she humiliated him, but it never made me go, oh, should she have done that? Might she regret it? No moral dilemma for me, because it was silly, not dangerous.

FOREHADOWING

Meg gets two blue stones early on. But she doesn't understand what they are for until the end of the story when she is told.

MEG'S STEPFATHER

I felt like Meg's stepfather was kind of cartoonish. I would rather there had been something likable about him at one time, that would have made it make sense why Meg's mom liked him.

He was the basic fat, lazy, selfish guy who everyone else thinks is great for some reason, but only Meg knows the truth. I would have rather he had been painted as smart, charming and manipulative. But secretly violent or something. Something deeper. To be fair, turns out he was violent but it's just so Meg can be further justified in her future actions.

CLIMAX

Meg helps Lowrie with his final task and ends up doing another good deed, this one a surprise.

MEG'S CHANGE OF HEART-SPOILERS

Near the climax, Meg heals Lowrie and then for some reason she heals her stepfather. Apparently he saw a glimpse of hell, so she believes he will be a better person. Somehow I doubt it. He would probably just rationalize it away as a delusion. Either way Meg's actions seemed out of the blue.

CONCLUSION

Meg and Lowrie are funny and charming. Their relationship dynamic was the best part of the story. I loved seeing them learn about each other and open up.

But the villains of the story were cheesy and never really threatening.

Also I found Meg's reveal about what she did to her stepfather rather underwhelming and her change of heart near the end felt forced. Like Colfer realized he needed to show how much she had changed.

But still, if you like Colfer and his brand of comedy, you will probably enjoy it. I give “The Wishlist” three stars.

Book Review: "Airman" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Conor Broekhart lives on the Saltee Islands where he grows up with a princess. But when he witnesses a crime, he is framed and thrown into prison. But both of his parents were scientists, and so is Conor, who thinks the only way to escape the island prison is to fly. But even if he does, what will he do next? Get revenge or leave the islands for good?

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Conor is hardworking and smart. But he is also slightly naive and has a hard time expressing himself sometimes. He has to learn to change when he is imprisoned.

Isabella is mostly in the story as a child. She is charming and funny then. But as an adult she is rather unlikable, mainly because her only purpose is to be Conor's love interest. And their relationship feels rather cheesy and unrealistic. Also, she seems to have no faults.

Victor Vigny is a teacher to both Isabella and Conor. He is witty and charismatic. He also encourages his students.

Linus is and American who is imprisoned on the island prison. He has no sight, but is an amazing musician. He also has a sense of humor that keeps him going. He is important to Conor because he is his only friend in prison.

Bonvilain is is the main villain of the story. He is rather dramatic and egotistical and kind of comes off as a caricature.

Billtoe is in charge of the prisons and works under Bonvilian.

INSTANTLY IN LOVE

The story goes from Conor's childhood to his teen years. He is portrayed as being rather lovesick about Isabella. Victor encourages him to share his feelings. The problem is...we never see him develop these feelings. We just get Conor saying he gradually fell in love, and we have to take his word for it. Isabella seemed likable enough as a child, but we don't see her develop either.

So the whole relationship just feels cheesy and forced. Basically, the romance wasn't important enough to develop, so it wasn't given the time of day. I would have preferred that it was only hinted that he had a crush on Isabella. And that was all.

But all throughout the story, Conor mentions Isabella in a cringe-inducing fashion, calling her “Dear Isabella” ect. It's just not something I could believe. He was just a kid when he developed a crush. And his over dramatic tone about her was obnoxious at its worst, or unrealistic at its best.

ISABELLA

Isabella doesn't get any scenes until near the end of the book. We see her with Conor's father, and his family again, at a party with Bonvilain. She reveals some crucial information that must have taken some time to obtain. And she seems brave.

But since we never see her investigating or have any other scenes where she is not courage and thus must develop, it all fails to endear her to the reader. I wanted her to be worthy of Conor, but I just could never like her. At the most, I was indifferent.

CONOR & LINUS

The most imporant relationship, indeed the only one really portrayed well is between Conor and Linus. While many characters come off as charming, they tend to be two dimensional because of their lack of development in time in the story. Victor and Isabella are two examples.

But Victor and Linus' interactions are not just amusing, but also deep, as Linus probes his friend's real motivations. They get on well but also argue. They feel like real people having a real relationship.

FAMILY FIRST?

The last part of the book is where Conor debates what he should do. He eventually witnesses his parents through a window and feels great emotion. The only problem is no relationship is portrayed between him and his father or him and his mother. We are merely told that they are close. So the pain he felt rang hollow to me.

A large portion of the story revolves around a misunderstanding between Conor and his family. So it's a big element.

CONOR FINN

Conor has to learn to take on a new persona in prison, so he changes his name. Linus tells him he must forget everyone in his old life in order to survive.

We witness his intelligence and skill when a prisoner threatens him. And it wasn't overnight, as Conor wrestles with the idea of killing a man, and if he can truly change. It's not easy transition, so when the story comes back years later, the new Conor is believable.

CONOR'S FATHER

Declan, Conor's father has lost his spirit since his son has vanished. He gets one scene where we witness this and then he gets revived.

I think it was sweet, but as I barely knew the character, it didn't have the strong impact on me that was intended. I get that it served a purpose to the story, to make Conor jealous later on, but I wish I had gotten to know Declan better.

STRUCTURE-SPOILERS

We first get Conor's childhood, and then we go to his teenage years. From there we learn about his life and his relationship to Isabella. After that, he witnesses a crime and is put in prison.

The next portion is meeting Linus, facing off against a prisoner, and coming to the realization that he has to change. But doubting if he can. We get a climax that reveals his fate.

The story skips ahead a few years, where Conor is planning his escape. After he manages this, he has to return for some hidden items. He has a temporary home, gets a friend, and then decides to confront Bonvilain.

PROBLEMS IN STRUCTURE?-SPOILERS

One reason I think I had problems with this story was Conor's life after he escaped prison. He goes to meet an old prisoner's brother like he promised, but otherwise, he seems unchanged. I wanted to see him go back and forth between being Finn and Conor. After all, he grew up in an upperclass family with scientist parents. He was sheltered from any real problems that most people face.

I thought he would think it impossible to go back to that life because of what he had become, but he seems to not wish to return because he can't forgive his parents. And he doesn't struggle with this duality once his freedom is obtained. I thought he should have.

Conor only changes his mind about getting revenge on Bonvilain once he learns his parents are to be killed. That would have been fine, if had previously been motivated to leave by more than hatred of his parents.

Linus and Conor have a few good arguments that hint that his reasons for leaving are wrong. But Conor is not completely wrong, his odds of defeating Bonvilain are slim. And he says he learned about the real world in prison. This seems silly, he had to go to prison to learn that attacking a man with so much power would be suicide?

I wish he had gotten to know Malarky better (a fellow inmate who belonged to a gang that Conor joined). But that character was rather a caricature that had no depth. Perhaps others that he had known in prison could have come to his aid. But he never makes any real allies it seems.

If things kept falling into place, hinting that Conor had a fighting chance, then his final choice would seem perfect.

LEARNING THE TRUTH

I think it would have helped the story if Conor had learned or received hints that his parents were innocent of any wrongdoing. Instead, he learns it all at once, when he confront Bonvilain in the climax.

He could have learned of Isabella, or his parents, but struggled with the idea that they could accept who he has become. Instead he seems to wallow in his resentment and its not becoming.

CLIMAX

Conor finally decides that he has no choice to confront Bonvilain. He does so, and sees his family and Isabella again in the process. Bonvilain is defeated. We get a small epilogue that reveals Conor's future. He seems unaffected by his time as Finn.

CONCLUSION

My favorite part of the story was Conor's time in prison, as well as his relationship with Linus. There is plenty of action and suspense as well. But the majority of relationships that Conor has are shallow and unfulfilling. As our many of the side characters, even if some are funny.

And as much as I was rooting for Conor, he lacked depth regarding any struggle between being Finn and Conor. He simply turns of the switch and goes back to being Conor.

I give “Airman” three stars.

Book Review: "Half Moon Investigations" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Twelve year old Fletcher Moon is a detective who ends up getting his biggest case yet. He is investigates a stolen item by a fellow student and accidentally gets involved with a crime family.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Fletcher Moon doesn't act like a regular child. He is rather serious about his chosen profession. He tells the story so we get it from his unique and often hilarious perspective.

Hazel Moon is Fletcher's rather dramatic older sister. She trusts her brother's skills and loves to write, whether it be plays or poems.

Red Sharkey is the older son of the Sharkey family. He is a redhead, like all of them and isn't easily intimidated. He isn't considered good looking, but charming, as most girls like him.

Herrod Sharkey is the youngest son of the Sharkey family. He is already stealing and getting into trouble even though he is only in elementary school.

April Devereux is the classmate who hires Fletcher to find her lost item. She is snotty and girly, looking down any everyone else.

May Devereux is April's cousin. She is the nicer one of the two and seems to like Fletcher. She has been dancing for years but she has no skill.

PACING

The pacing is decent. Even though the story isn't an action orientated one, it starts fast. Once we meet Fletcher we learn about his skills and see them in action. Right after we get an invitation to solve another one. The chapter endings are good, usually ending at a cliff hanger, or some other significant event, like a dramatic realization.

STRUCTURE-VAGUE SPOILERS

The story starts out with an introduction of Fletcher's skills as he solves a mystery (we learn about the Sharkeys as well) and is invited by another student to see him later. After a scene where we clarify that the principal of his school is nuts, we learn about the case and the main part of the story starts.

From then on, Fletcher tries to investigate himself, but eventually ends up hurt and blamed for a crime. This leads him to a Sharkey, and together they investigate. This is the bulk of the book.

Eventually this leads to the climax where the connection of all the victims are discovered and the perpetrators are revealed and confronted.

A MYSTERY-VAGUE SPOILER

Fletcher starts out investigating one crime but suddenly finds there is a whole slew of crimes. He tries to figure out what they have in common. On the surface, they don't seem related at all. Just so the reader knows this is a real crime (and not April being nuts), Fletcher gets attacked at night.

PRINCIPAL CRAZY

In one scene scene in the beginning, we meet the woman who the principal of Fletcher's school. She comes off as completely crazy. It was supposed to be funny, but it was the only joke that flopped for me. It would have been fine to portray her as strange or eccentric, but she came off as mentally ill.

THE FLETCHER FAMILY

Fletcher's family isn't in the book a lot, but they do all have pretty distinct personalities. Mom and Dad just want Fletcher to have friends (while mom is a bit silly, but a very protective too). And Hazel trusts her brother's skills while at the same time has no problems making fun of him.

THE CHARACTER THAT LIKES HIS FAMILY

I can't help but compare Fletcher to Artemis Fowl, who continuously claimed to love his family, but never actually showed it. It's obvious that although Fletcher is embarrassed by his parents and annoyed at his sister, he loves them. When he investigates and sneaks away, he keeps worrying about them and what he is putting them through. And although there is conflict between them (like when dad says he want's his son to be normal) Fletcher still loves them.

HUMOR

The use of humor comes from the fact that Fletcher narrates the story. He has a dry sense of humor and a matter of fact way that makes him hilarious. Not that he tries to be. Although there are a few times that he is sarcastic, and I found that quite funny too.

RED & FLETCHER

Fletcher suspects Red might be the one committing these crimes. When Red finds out, he shows up, and eventually the two actually end up working together. Red wants to clear his name.

The two characters are nothing alike, but they compliment each other. Because of his time with Red, Fletcher learns that his previously held beliefs were wrong. And while Red is street smart and can be rather goofy, Fletcher is good at critical thinking and rather serious.

HELP FROM THE SHARKEYS

When Fletcher investigates with Red, he also gets help from the family. Turns out that Papa Sharkey knows all of the criminals in town, and can easily spot who did what. He in turn points out the one crime that this newcomer likely committed.

I like how Fletcher didn't just need Red's help, but got actual help from Red's father. It was a nice surprise and revealed more about Red, his sister, and his little brother.

RED'S PROMISE

Red could have easily been a shallow characters, but he admits its hard to be a Sharkey, because he was born into a crime family. Everyone prejudges him, and with Roddy it is no different. He admits his little brother is already in trouble and finally confides in Fletcher about his late mother.

CLIMAX

Fletcher proves who committed one set of crimes, then goes to prove who committed the rest. He and Red sneak into the school talent show where Fletcher makes an accusation that causes him to lose a friend. In the end, the person confesses. I was rather surprised at Fletcher's reaction.

CONCLUSION

Colfer creates a likable and funny characters in Fletcher and Red (not to mention the many side characters that surround them). They both develop and show different aspects of their personalities.

The mystery is interesting and silly for the most part, and I found myself laughing more times than I can recall while I read.

The ending was surprisingly good, and even sad. I give “The Half Moon Investigations” four stars.

Book Review: Artemis Fowl Series Overview

SUMMARY

The Artemis Fowl series has both strength and weaknesses. I know it looks like it has far more weaknesses than strengths, but I just write more about the aspects I dislike. Perhaps because I had such high hopes and really loved the character of Artemis Fowl. This is full of spoilers throughout.

STRENGTHS:

LIKABLE CHARACTERS

One of the strongest points for the series are the likable characters that are distinct and often humorous. Artemis Fowl is still one of my favorite characters. He is smart but often lacking common sense. Sarcastic but also awkward in a charming way. He has a desire to be loved by his parents and have a normal relationship with them.

Holly was likable when she wasn't preaching or her victimhood wasn't being touted. She was a good contrast to Artemis as she is physical and action orientated. And unlike Butler, she doesn't have a hard time disagreeing with Artemis.

RELATIONSHIPS

There are interesting relationships. Mostly between Holly and Artemis. Holly learns to respect Artemis as well as he her. And they eventually become friends and Holly even evolves into a mentor figure.

I liked the relationship between Root and Holly as well. I thought upon introducing Root he was going to be portrayed as a sexist (since Colfer paints the LEP as sexist) but he is much more experienced than Holly and very much like a father figure.

GOOD HUMOR

I found many characters amusing, such as Foaly and Mulch. Even Artemis and Butler on occasion. I loved the scene in “The Arctic Incident” where Artemis is talking to his shrink and pretends to be confiding in him, only to end up mocking him in the end.

Or the story that Butler gives to the police about sun bathing and falling off the roof, but managing to grab a mattress before he went over.

ORIGINAL WORLD

I liked the Original and detailed world, specifically the technology that was presented. Magic is very much like science in the series. It was this aspect that made the world feel real. The only thing missing was a more detailed history of fairy kind, including their sins.

PACING

Well paced plots thanks to switches in perspective. There was always at least Holly and Artemis' perspectives going on. And when they were together, we always had others, like Mulch.

PLOT TWISTS

Some unique twists and well placed foreshadowing. There were often moments where Colfer hinted that something was up, but wouldn't reveal anything. This definitely kept me interested. Often times the climax was clever and not revealed until the last minute.

ORIGINALITY

Original idea, to have the main character originally be the villain in the story. Artemis was always the bad guy, but he was sympathetic. This was what kept me rooting for him even through his many moral failures. There was a promise by Colfer that Artemis could be something more, something amazing. But being neglected by his parents he had rotted away on the inside.

WEAKNESSES:

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Characters don't ever really develop. Colfer's attempt at making Artemis become more moral is cold and impersonal. Instead of saving the planet from it's fluctuating climate, he should have just made Artemis learn to be more kind. But Artemis is simply never presented with the chance.

Holly stays stagnate as well. She is still blaming mankind for every problem, and never seeing past the end of her nose. All of this, well halfway though the series. It was tolerable at first (because I expected her to change) but her constant self righteous lectures to Arty get old pretty fast.

Juliet reveals her feelings of inferiority but then never addresses it again. It isn't just left open ended. It is as if it never happened.

Artemis' mother never develops when she learns the truth about Artemis. This should be an earth shattering truth, but it doesn't change anything.

FAMILY TIES

Artemis' never feels as close to his family as he is supposed to be. We see him become emotional about them, but don't really get any scenes with any meaningful interactions. This is understandable, as they are initially presented as a mentally ill mother and missing father.

After his father was rescued at the end of “The Arctic Incident” we finally start to see a relationship develop in “The Eternity Code”. An unsure one, where Artemis isn't sure about the change in his father, if it's sincere, and how it will affect him. But it seemed promising. Colfer devoted a good portion of the book to it, causing me to believe this was important to him.

Unfortunately, what I expected to be an ongoing development vanished after that. The parents become a foot note, having little impact on Artemis. They are a nuisance at the best of times. At the worst, they are non existent.

A FRIEND FOR ARTY

We stay with the same main characters and don't really add new ones. Or if we do, they are not all that important in later books (I am thinking of N°1). Artemis never gets a peer, someone to keep him tethered to the human world and keep him grounded. Someone to show him how normal people think. It was such a crucial aspect that needed to be developed, I thought perhaps even Colfer recognized this. But when he invented Minerva, a twin to Artemis, I realized he didn't see the need at all.

BAD VILLAINS

quite likable. But I never hated his villains, only found them annoying. The only reason they didn't bother me was often because they were not even revealed until the book is halfway through..

POLITICS

Colfer's politics can make for self righteous lectures on how evil humans are. Usually he does this through Holly, and her character suffers because of it. But this starts to effect the actual story in “The Atlantis Paradox” and rears its ugly head in the ending of “The Last Guardian”.

BAD HUMOR

Some of the humor is really bad. Often times, we get adults that are cartoonishly stupid (like in a childrens' cartoon). Most of the time, that's the only sin Colfer is guilty of. Although he can come off mean spirited sometimes, as in the case of making fun of someone he perceives as pathetic (see Billy Kong). Colfer just tends to go overboard, not realizing when a comic element takes away any levity previously attained. This is a series where people can die.

CONSISTENCY

Lacking consistency. In the last two books, Arty keeps getting demonized as though he has never done anything moral in his life. If that were so, why do they keep going to him for help?

Also, Runes are mentioned in “The Atlantis Paradox” as the villain uses them on Holly to control her. But it's never explained why Arty has never learned about them or why he has never been told in all of the other books.

Holly even puts a Rune on Arty to protect him in “the Last Guardian”. Why did she never do this before? Artemis has always been helpless when it comes to his physical abilities.

Early one it's mentioned that the pressure underground would Kill any human, but in later books, Arty and Butler both get to go to Haven.

After Butler is injured in “The Eternity Code” we are told he will never be Arty's body guard again. And then we forget that, and in every book afterwards...he is still Arty's body guard.

JULIUS ROOT-SPOILERS

There was never a replacement for Julius Root. The woman who replaces him is barely in one book, then she is unceremoniously killed off in “The Atlantis Complex”. Trouble Kelp is in the book some, but never with any real authority.

CONCLUSION

Colfer created an original world with distinct and likable characters. Not to mention good paced stories and some unique plot twists. And although the series starts great, it never fills its potential. The reason I enjoyed the first four books so much was because I still thought Arty would develop, as well as Holly. But they never do. If anything, the same lessons get learned over and over. By the fifth book, I was still hanging on.

By the time the “The Time Paradox” came around and Arty still didn't trust Holly, I was fed up. We had already dealt with the trust issue in “The Eternity Code” with the cutting off of the hand.

I still love the character of Artemis Fowl for what he could have been. He had so much potential. I give the Artemis Fowl Series “three stars”.

Book Review: "Artemis Fowl The Last Guardian" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Opal Koboi is back, and planning to take over all of mankind. She sets her sights on Fowl Manor and it's up to Artemis and Holly to rush to the rescue. But she has a whole army of undead Berserkers on her side.

FOWL MANOR-VAGUE SPOILERS

The idea to return where the story started has a poetic feeling to it. But I didn't think Colfer needed to carry it as far as he did. The idea that Arty's ancestors all wanted to catch faeries but he didn't know because they were mind wiped is casually dropped into the story by the therapist. My first thought was, so there is nothing special about Artemis? He is just following his genes?

And the idea that something magical happened long ago on that property, so something had to happen there again felt lazy. Colfer could have easily written a different reason to return there. Like it was where Arty's family lived, so if someone wanted to hurt him, they would go there.

WHERE'S MOM & DAD?

When the story goes back to the Fowl estate, Arty's parents are gone. It's this aspect of the series I have always had a problem with. After the flashbacks in "The Eternity Code" that Arty has, there is basically no interaction with them. We are told of how much he loves them in many of the books, but we have to take his word for it.

I thought at least his mother should have been there. So much could have been done with her character, as after "The Time Paradox", she learned all about Artemis' secrets. But all we get is a phone call in “The Atlantis Complex” and nothing in this book.

POSSESSION-SPOILERS

Juliet and the twins are all possessed by Berserkers, that Opal commands. The idea was interesting, that Arty and Butler would have to fight and not harm their loved ones. But I think the main thing was for it to be comical to see a four year old talking like an old man. Arty was rather clever in goading the berserker on, but it needn't have possessed the twins.

I think the idea of an enemy showing up and taking them hostage would have been more effective. It would have been better if his parents had been home. Having to face head on with the fact that he had lied to his parents and now had to save them and explain things would have been a great ending.

A SPIRITUAL ASPECT

Everything in this series thus far had to do with technology, or fairy magic, which is handled as if it were a science. There is no religion presented, not by the People or by Artemis. So when we suddenly learn about an Earth mother named Danu, an afterlife, and souls, I felt kind thrown for a loop. Like I had read a series by an atheist who suddenly revealed he was actually into a New Age religion.

Also, I felt it didn't have the affect it should have had. Arty just found out there is an afterlife and people have souls. Instead of making him humble, he is still the same old cocky boy who knows everything. I don't think this truth should ever have been presented to him. He already thinks he knows everything. Let there be something that is still a mystery. And that's if we present religion as an element of the story at all. And judging by the whole series, he probably shouldn't have.

TIME TRAVEL AGAIN-SPOILERS

There is an explanation about there being two opals that I found convoluted. I think Colfer was trying to be original but I was left feeling confused.

If the younger Opal dies, how could there be an older Opal?

How come her death affects everything she made, but not the older her?

I would have been happier if he had stuck to conventional ideas about time travel. Instead Opal becomes a super-being for some reason. It seemed like a lot of hard work to make her stronger, when he could have easily come up with something more simple and less confusing.

SIDE STORY

There is a side story about Foaly and his wife. Turns our she is put in danger. We get a flashback of how they met, but I had little interest in it. Perhaps if she had ever been crucial to the plot in the past books, but she wasn't. It was just mentioned that Foaly had a girlfriend, and later that he married. I think it was just a last ditch attempt to flesh out Foaly's character.

PEACE LOVING PEOPLE

It's mentioned in the story that there is a huge lobby in Haven that wants to go to war with the humans. But through al of the series we have been told how evil humans are, and that The People are peace loving. It's basically mentioned in every book. But Holly never thought to mention that half the population (she says there will be a civil war, indicating this is not a small minority, but a good chunk of the population) wants to kill or oppress humans and take back earth.

AFTERMATH-SPOILERS

After one Opal is left, the younger's absence creates an effect upon all of the technology she created. Not just in Haven, but apparently her tech has secretly been flooded into human tech. So basically all of her stuff stops working. And apparently that means everything stops working. So we get an Armageddon. I found this confusing as well. How did most of tech become all of tech?

ARTEMIS' LAST CHANCE

Artemis has had to endure six months of therapy due to his Atlantis complex. Although I found that the last book a waste of time, we do get a good scene out of it. Artemis shows kindness to his therapist. After noting the pain in his leg, he sketches out a leg brace. It was a sweet scene. Clearly Artemis wasn't used to sharing his feelings or being kind.

Basically, my dream came true. Artemis was nice to someone! And later, he shows kindness to Holly about Opal's clone. It feels like some character development. Unfortunately, it's far too late. I feel like this scene should have happened in book three or four.

Later Colfer takes it to extremes to show us how Artemis has changed, by making him make the ultimate sacrifice. But it doesn't feel natural, because it is so out of the blue and not the natural progression of someone learning to be moral.

CLIMAX

The climax has a twist that I found clever. It is set up that Arty has a plan, but we don't know about it until the last second. It was a good aspect of the book. Also, Colfer plants a seed with Nopal in the beginning that finally pays off.

Unfortunately, it was marred by the death of a side character that was barely in the book (so I had little attachment) but one that was completely innocent. It felt unnecessary. After all, Arty is rescued by magical elements so why couldn't this person have been saved as well?

After the villain is vanquished, Arty thinks it's sad, because no one has won. He won. Earth won. Peace won. His reaction made no sense.

LOOSE ENDS-SPOILERS

Arty had a plan and it involved his DNA being left on Holly. But she doesn't realize until six months later. This made no sense. Has Holly not bathed for six months? I don't know why we needed the time jump anyway.

Did Colfer just want to show us how the planet had a green revolution? Even though all tech is eventually restored and there is no explanation why things just didn't go back to normal. He points out wind and solar are used more than oil. But not why. Have they suddenly become more effective?

If water is the new gold, wouldn't that mean that all of the planet is a third world country and water is hard to get? How does that fit in with tech being restored?

Also, Opal says she revealed the fairy world to mankind. Arty even thinks he can be the new ambassador for them. And then at the end of the book, apparently everyone is convinced it was a mass delusion. Seriously. I felt like Colfer was all over the place when he should have just been focusing on Artemis.

CONCLUSION

Although there is good pacing and some good writing, mainly the plot twist in the climax, the story is marred by inconsistent and confusing ideas. From the strange ideas about time travel that make little sense to the weirdly inserted plot component about Armageddon and a green utopia. Not to mention mankind learning about the People and then pretending it never happened. And the lack of character growth and the demonization of Artemis cannot be undone. I give “The Last Guardian” two and half stars.

Book Review: "Artemis Fowl and The Atlantis Complex" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Artemis invites Holly and other members of the LEP to witness his latest invention, things go wrong when they are attacked. Foaly realizes these machines that attacked were built by him but they are being high-jacked. To make matters worse, Artemis seems to go insane and it's up to Holly to save them. And when it turns out that Atlantis is being targeted, she has to try and save the city as well.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Artemis is not really in the story. Returns in chapter eight, more than halfway through the story. Leaves by chapter three, but he goes nuts well before then.

Orion is Artemis' alter ego. He is oddly annoying, and so out of left field that I got sick of him after a few minutes. Although to be fair, he said a few things that were amusing. And even had one reaction that was kind of funny. But for the most part I hated every scene with him.

Holly is the main character in this story. Since Artemis is not in the story much, there relationship does not develop. Although in the beginning, she admits a motherly desire to defend him.

Foaly for the first time, is there in the flesh, and not back in Haven. But the interaction he gets with Artemis face to face adds no extra dimension to their relationship. As is Artemis is never there.

Butler notices Artemis' odd behavior but doesn't take any action. Such as informing his parents, or informing Holly, or doing anything. He just drops everything and runs to Juliet's aid when Artemis says she is in trouble.

Juliet has lost her memories about the People but eventually regains them. She isn't shocked, and doesn't seem to view Butler or Artemis any different. Nor is she mad at her brother for keeping her in the dark.

Turnbull Root is the brother of Julius Root that was never mentioned for some reason. He hates his brother, who is dead. So, yeah. Anyway he is in prison for some crimes but wants to get out to see his human wife before she passes on. Also wants revenge on those who put him in jail.

POT SHOTS AT ARTY...AGAIN

In the beginning of the story, Artemis reveals his plan to save the planet, but no one believes him. I mean, he has only saved the planet multiple times before, putting his own life on the line, so, yeah, this is a major change in him.

It's odd how with each book Colfer expects us to believe that Artemis is the same child as in the first book. I have to wonder if he despises his own protagonist.

PACING

The story goes back between Artemis and company, and then to Juliet and Butler and Turnbull Root. But I just had little interest in any of the stories.

DATING THE BOOK

I've always had this thing about stories. I don't like when authors put in elements that will date the book a decade from now. Like mentions of pop culture, whether it be movies or music. Nor political elements. By the time I read this book, the culture had moved on from “global warming” to “climate change”. And no doubt in another decade they will change the name or discover another crisis.

ARTEMIS'S MORALITY

Once again, we are led to believe that Artemis has grown morally but not through any personal interactions. He does not treat anyone any better, as far as we know, and is still quite selfish and juvenile. (It's mentioned he punished a teacher he didn't like.)

Instead, since he doesn't' want the planet to live on to die, and is using his own money to save it (he's the child of millionaires) then he must have had a major epiphany. For the love of God, I just want him to be nice to people.

EVIL MUD MEN

It's revealed that many in Haven just want the humans to die out. I was shocked at the hatred they had. They have previously been painted as saints in comparison to the mud men. And the fact that Artemis doesn't bat an eye at this revelation is disturbing. Even more so that neither Holly or anyone else seems ashamed.

WHAT PART OF ARTEMIS?

Orion as an alter ego made little sense to me. We all have thought of who we would be if we were more bold, said what we were thinking, and were less afraid of what people thought of us.

Apparently Artemis' alter ego would have the intelligence of toddler who recites Shakespeare, believes in fairy tales and is basically helpless. I felt the whole idea was not only illogical, but an insult to his character. It was as if the whole idea was to humiliate him. The only scene of any introspection was when Orion said that Artemis is nasty to everyone. Is this Colfer admitting that Arty hasn't grown morally at all?

I kept thinking, an alter ego would share his feelings more and would in general act more like a regular teenage boy. If guilt created this complex, why wouldn't he simply share his guilt then? Why not simply make him more emotional, so he had a harder time making decisions? That would be a huge handicap to him. Not to mention it might bring him and Holly closer.

There are so many issues for Artemis to deal with, mainly how he will live the rest of his life and if he has to rely on the fairy world for intellectual stimulation. Or how he is having a hard time growing morally. Or his relationship with his family, which we know little about besides a small scene when he talks on the phone with his mother.

A NEW VILLAIN-SPOILERS

I am not going to lie, as a villain, I was completely indifferent to Turnbull. Too much of the story was in his perspective in my opinion. I really didn't care. He was slightly cartoony, but not nearly as bad as Opal has been. I found his story about how he met his wife to be interesting. But I couldn't sympathize for him, because he easily discarded of others lives. So there was no real depth. No real three dimensional character. Which was sad, because the potential was there.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

The climax was anticlimactic. Turnbull Root turned out to be lame villain. His wife convinces him to stop what he is doing. He complies and walks away with her, suddenly willing to give his own life away. Even Orion notes that the ending is strange. For once I agreed with him.

CONCLUSION

Colfer creates a surprisingly dull story where Artemis is basically not in it. As of such, there is no development of his character. There are a few parts I found mildly amusing, but the for most part, I was speed reading, just praying that Artemis would come back. Because unlike the author, and most of the characters, I actually like him and believe he can develop. Nothing of consequence happens anyway. So I would recommend skipping it altogether. I give “Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex” one a half stars.

Book Review: "Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When a loved one falls ill, Artemis has to travel back in time to prevent his younger self from destroying the one thing that can cure that person. But he doesn't just have to deal with his younger self but a crazy man set on killing animals.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Artemis is still the same character and doesn't seem to be developing. He is constantly apologizing for past sins.

Holly's character does develop slightly, as we learn about her mother. And how she died, and how she developed a hatred for humans. Oddly, this is never revealed to Artemis. This could have easily developed their relationship.

Butler doesn't travel back in time with Artemis and Holly, so there is mostly the past Butler. He is reluctant to follow all of younger Artemis' orders. But the most he does is offer advice, he never parents his charge.

Younger Artemis is annoying and selfish, to contrast the newer Artemis.

Kronski is our villain, a nutty man who hates animals for some reason.

THE EXTINCTIONISTS

Colfer crosses over into cartoony territory, I am afraid. No one who poaches endangered species does it for any noble cause, they do it for money. And the fact that Colfer expects us to believe someone so stupid as to have these beliefs would actually exist is laughable.

I don't know why he wouldn't see this, as he has demonized businessmen in the past for their love of profit above all else. Not that that didn't often come off as cartoonish as well, but it was more believable then this.

It's sad, because this could have easily been avoided. Poachers are real, so why not portray them as they are?

ANOTHER DECEIT-SPOILERS

Artemis tells a great lie to Holly and eventually has to reveal it to her. It wasn't believable. Artemis still feels like he can't trust Holly to break rules for him? Not after all they have been through?

I have read five Artemis Fowl books and already dealt with the major flaws in Artemis' character. Perhaps since the lie is so big, Colfer thought the reader wouldn't remember, we've been down a similar road already.

In the “The Eternity Code” when Arty lied about having to cut off Spiro's finger. It might have felt like nothing to me, but Colfer clearly thought it was the moral question of our time the way he made Holly go on about it in righteous indignation. Or when Arty lost his memory in “The Lost Colony” and demanded payment for his services.

We get it. Artemis has many moral failings.

There is one scene later, where Holly thinks she would have helped Arty, even if he had not lied to her. But then she doubts herself, perhaps realizing how self righteous she is. Unfortunately, she never tells Artemis he didn't have to lie. So this goes nowhere.

WHERE'S MINERVA?

It seems Colfer realized the drastic mistake he made when he wrote Minerva in “The Lost Colony”. Because in this book, she isn't so much as acknowledged to exist. I am glad he responded to feedback, which I can only presume was largely negative. But even so, he should have written about her absence, after pushing her so strongly. She waited years for him to return, as Butler alluded to at the end of the last book.

Colfer could have easily mentioned the fact that Artemis and Minerva were far too alike to get alone, and if anything had developed into rivals, rather then friends or boyfriend and girlfriend. Oddly, he didn't even do that.

HOLLY & ARTY-SPOILERS

I can only conclude that after responding to the negative feedback about Minerva, Colfer realized what the fans wanted: Artemis and Holly to get together. Unfortunately, Artemis is a child, and Holly is an adult. So Colfer turns Holly into a child, to give the fans a taste of what they wanted. Without actually getting it. I think this was a little extreme, and might never have happened if he hadn't created Minerva and had such a strong reaction to her.

I for one, recognized that Holly was to be a mentor character to Artemis, not a love interest (if I read the whole series as a kid, I might have agreed with many of the other fans).

But there would be an obvious way to make it work. Have years pass, show Artemis as a young adult, and Holly still the same age. Have him catch up to her. He could have perhaps done this at the end of the series. So it was odd that he did this instead. Oddly, it kind of felt like fanfiction to me.

YOUNGER ARTEMIS

We seem to be exploring the same theme over and over again: Artemis is still evil. And since we can assume he has developed, we just have to face his younger, more evil self.

It is as if Colfer is running out of ideas and cannot think of ways to develop Artemis. Instead of allowing him to face problems where he chooses new behavior over his old behavior, he just keeps reminding the reader of Artemis' faults, and mankind's as well.

I wish we could explore more of the fairy world, because they would be far more interesting. I feel as though we have only skimmed the surface of their moral problems and their past.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?-SPOILERS

The main plot is that Arty killed an endangered lemur, making it extinct and it's the only thing that can save his mother. It sounds bad, but he doesn't kill it for fun; he doesn't even kill it. He catches it and sells it to someone who wishes to kill it. And Artemis does all of this, to fund a mission to rescue his missing father. If I had to make one species go extinct to save a parent, I would do it in a heartbeat. In fact, I would make multiple species go extinct if that was my only option. And I would only feel bad about it for minute. Because human lives are worth more than animals. It seems quite obvious to me, as I suspect it does to most people.

But when Artemis reveals this, Holly treats him as though he has announced he killed a person. Her reaction is comically out of proportion. Unfortunately, Colfer's tendency to make her self righteous is used once again.

Artemis was just a child, whose mother had gone nuts and whose father had never been close to him anyway. The fact that Holly had no sympathy for him was completely crazy.

HUMOR

There are some funny moments where Artemis notes how ridiculous his younger self sounds. But again, this kind of feels like fanfiction.

Artemis' little brothers were actually quite amusing and seeing him interact with them was entertaining.

CLIMAX

Back in the present, they have to face a different enemy than Kronski. There is twist and I can't say I wasn't taken aback at it. But I am starting to wish that Colfer was better at villains, and would create more instead of recycling the same one over and over again. Arty shows his ability to fly a plane, which is a different side of him, as well as risking his own life and revealing a small secret.

CONCLUSION

Colfer bends over backwards to please his fans and apologize for Minerva. But the romantic relationship feels like fanfiction and carries no weight, as Holly returns to her normal age in the end. Also, Artemis doesn't seem to be developing at all. We've fallen back into the same pattern: Artemis does something deceitful and Holly is shocked and self righteous. If you love Artemis Fowl, it's still worth reading though. I give “The Time Paradox” three stars.

Book Review: "Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

Artemis is out to catch a new type of fairy folk, a demon. These creatures have been long gone, but he's found them. But someone else is out to do the same thing, and it's up to Artemis to outsmart them and rescue the demon. With Holly, Mulch and Foaly's help, of course.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Artemis does seem to have matured slightly. He reveals to Butler that after getting proof of demons returning, he plans to go to Foaly. It shows his concern for the Fairy people outweighs his self interest.

Holly left the LEP and is now a private investigator. But she feels like meaning is lacking in her life.

Mulch is now Holly's partner in business.

Foaly left his job but it still helpful to Holly in his new occupation.

Minerva is essentially a female version of Artemis. It's painfully obvious, just by her name. She is spoiled, entitled, and smarter then everyone. It feels like no thought went into her. From her blonde curls to her French roots. She is a demented Shirley temple.

N°1 is the name of the demon that crosses over into the world. He is nothing like the other demons, who enjoy violence, being loud, and detest learning and reading. He is actually quite charming, being rather random and silly on accident.

Leon Abbot is a demon, and N°1's teacher. He is one of the few villains in the story. I didn't really take him seriously but he was crucial to the plot.

PACING

We switch back and forth between perspectives in the book. From Artemis, Holly and N°1. Just like all the other books. Keeps the pacing decent.

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN?-SPOILERS

It seems the whole goal of Minerva is for Artemis to face someone who he used to be. In fact, Artemis actually points it out. (And to give Arty a girlfriend as well.) But we already did this in “The Eternity Code” with Jon Spiro. And that was done far better then and with more subtly. And for the most part, he as was an okay villain. While Minerva comes across as more obnoxious than Artemis ever was.

The most painful thing is that I have been waiting for another character to appear in the books. Someone who would be a peer to Artemis; Someone who could earn his respect without being a super genius. Maybe someone who had talents that Artemis lacked but needed. It didn't even have to be a love interest. But Colfer seemed to want Artemis to get a love interest, face a younger version of himself, and find an intellectual equal all at once. It all felt far too lazy.

The whole thing felt forced, with Artemis drooling over her every second, calling her a genius, and feeling bad when he has to deceive her and steal back N°1. She was so annoying that Artemis should have felt happy to put her in her place. If anything, he might have to learn how to be sympathetic to an obvious brat. Instead, he babies her from the beginning. It prevents any character development and instead makes him act out of character.

ARTEMIS THE IDEA PLANTER

There is a scene where Artemis plants an idea in the villains' head, so he can plan a hostage exchange where he wants. But without the villain knowing. He does this by repeating the word “tie” in order to get the exchange in Taipei. I found the idea laughable and was stretching the bounds of my belief. In a book about fairy people, that's saying something.

SWITCHING VILLAINS-SPOILERS

For a portion of the book, Minerva is the villain, but this switches. I honestly think she should have stayed the main villain. She could have easily been in the strain of Opal. And I think it would better for Artemis to see what would have happened if he didn't change, or didn't continue to. This would have hit much closer to him, as compared to Jon Spiro, because Minerva is closer to his age and much more like him, being a child genius.

DEMONS ON HYBRAS

There has to be a good amount of cheese in every book. And besides Minerva, the demons have to be it. The fact that all are portrayed as unintelligent buffoons is a little annoying. But N°1 is charming enough for me to ignore the cringe-worthy aspects.

HOLLY & ARTY

Most of the books emphasize Arty's relationship with Holly. But not always in a good way. I have gotten tired of her lecturing him (sometimes about dumb things). Luckily, there is not much of that in this book. Instead we are get a moment where Artemis admits that without the LEP in his life, he is bored. Holly feels the same. They both share a sense of restless and lack of purpose.

By the end of the book, it feels as though they are permanently bound to one another for reasons that will seem obvious to the reader.

BILLY KONG-SPOILERS

One of Minerva's henchmen is rather screwed up. Turns out in his childhood, his brother told him about stories about demons, saying they were out to get him. Then he went out and got killed. So Billy has been haunted by this his entire life. It sounds completely pathetic, so I couldn't help but feel bad for him. So when Holly takes advantage of him, telling him she is one of those monsters, she came across as heartless. I think it was supposed to be funny, but I just thought it was tasteless. I didn't think it was amusing to see a pathetic man have his deluded fears realized.

HUMOR

There is the usual humor. I found the scene where Foaly hacks the cameras to be rather hilarious. Especially since Minerva was so annoying. But a scene where she saw the security camera's would have been perfect.

Doodah Day having to masquerade as a little boy was funny too. And N°1 had more then a few great jokes, like when he says he doesn't think that Minerva is pretty.

WHAT IF?

I think it would have been better if the main villain had been Minerva or Leon Abbot. I could easily see making Billy Kong an ally, with his belief in demons. Perhaps learning that they are real, but not evil, and instead allies. Maybe learning this through being healed and eventually turning on Minerva. This could have made Holly look sympathetic, instead of cruel. Maybe add another ally into the story.

CLIMAX-SPOILERS

Artemis and Holly have to get rid of a bomb that they don't have time to dismantle. It nice to see Artemis do something physical and have to push himself. They end up on Hybras with the demons and Artemis has to push himself again, this time to do something he struggles with. I thought it was sweet how he never wanted Holly to know what he did for her.

And the use of time travel wasn't confusing but simple. It made sense and Colfer didn't seem to be trying to create a gimmick that made no sense, like so many stories having to do with time travel happen to do. I'm looking at you, Kerr.

CONCLUSION

All the main characters are still likable and funny. N°1 is a welcome addition, but Minerva is a poor substitute for a peer that Artemis needs. She ruins every scene she is in. The pacing is good and I thought the climax was shocking. Artemis and Holly feel bonded for life afterwards. I give “The Lost Colony” three and half stars.

Book Review: "Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

After a friend is killed and Holly is blamed, she goes on the run. Knowing Artemis to be in danger, she tries to get to him in time to save him. But this Artemis doesn't remember there past three adventures. Together, the two have to outsmart a villain bent on revenge.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Artemis Fowl has reverted to who he was before he met Holly. As such, his morals are lacking. But as he regains them, its interesting to see him in the position of a pupil to Holly. The dynamic of their relationship has changed. It's even revealed that he feels terror and is shaking when he realizes the danger he is in. Quite different then the boy we have known.

Butler is in the first portion of the story. But after he is injured, he doesn't reappear until later. He is in less then half of the story but is crucial to the plot.

Holly Short takes on the role of a teacher, as Artemis is ignorant of “The People”. It's interesting to see her as the on giving orders while Artemis is an obedient pupil.

Mulch Diggums returns once he learns about Holly being in trouble. It was nice to see him go to her aid simply because he was worried about her. And he does more then get Butler to help him, as he is the main reason Holly and Artemis get rescued.

Foaly is the only one in Haven who doesn't believe that Holly killed anyone. He is crucial in finding out the truth about Opal and Holly.

Opal Koboi is still rather cartoony. I often have a hard time taking her seriously. She is still Colfer's bad comic element. And I honestly wish she hadn't been the one to kill a certain character.

PACING

The first portion of the story goes between Holly and Artemis' perspectives. Holly's end has more action while Artemis, on the other hand, is merely planning to do something. There is also Opal's perspective. Not to mention Butler's and Mulch's. This keeps the entire story well paced.

ACTION

One of my favorite scenes in the story is with Butler and a mattress. Definitely one of the most original, if not crazy things I have read. I also loved the idea of being at an abandoned amusement park.

I BELIEVE YOU-SPOILERS

When Holly finds Artemis she tells him the whole story, and he declares he believes her because it's the only thing that makes sense, and she knew about the contact lenses. I kind of wished he was more skeptical, and simply had to learn to have faith in Holly. He says he can only think of conspiracy theories to explain things, but doesn't a group of people secretly hidden underground sound like a conspiracy as well?

PAY UP-SPOILERS

In order to show that Artemis needs Holly in his life to mature, this Artemis demands payment for his services. I suppose it was necessary, but it came across as cheesy. Especially when Artemis says humans are business minded, while fairies are emotional. Its obvious that humans are very emotional, and someone as smart as Artemis should have known that. It seems to be trying to paint those with emotions as heroes, and those who support profit to be evil. All very simplistic, especially when emotions are not logic, and are certainly not truth.

HOLLY IN CHARGE

For the most part, Holly calls the shots in this story. But she isn't as overbearing as she might have been. Although she takes a shot or two at mud men, for the most part she is focused on saving her and Artemis. All in all, I found her much more likable then in the last book.

Artemis isn't completely useless though, which is good. As he might easily become annoying. He helps in multiple ways, and in the end, it's his ideas that save them.

HINTS OF THE PAST-SPOILERS

There are hints that Artemis remembers the past. He seems to be changing, developing a conscience. Ever since he found mirrored contact lenses in his eyes. Another hint is when he sees a painting of a fairy and realizes a fairy cannot go inside any building without an invitation. Not to mention Butler feels older than his years.

CLIMAX

After Artemis gets his memories back, we finally learn what Opal as in mind. This has been a mystery throughout the story, and it's finally revealed. She has more in mind then revenge on Holly and Artemis. And although it was rather silly how Opal was goaded intro trouble, it was still interesting. On a whole, I found the humor in this story less annoying, and found the end scene with Opal rather amusing.

CONCLUSION

Colfer creates another valuable entry into the Artemis Fowl Series. Each character plays a crucial role and there is plenty of action. Not to mention the usual humor minus the sometimes childlike humor we have seen in the past. We get to see Holly and Artemis play slightly different roles which is good, as there are no vast characters developments in this story. Well worth reading if you are a fan of the series. I give “The Opal Deception” four stars.

Book Review: "Artemis Fowl and The Eternity Code" by Eoin Colfer

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

When Artemis Fowl accidentally puts “The People” in danger, he seeks out Holly and Root. Together they have to outsmart an unscrupulous businessman.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Artemis Fowl is in the position of undoing damage he has potentially caused. As such, it is another view of his character. An apologetic and slightly more humble one. He recognizes he made a mistake and is perhaps realizing that he may seriously need to change as well as win back Holly. There is also the aspect of his father and their relationship. How it was and how it is changing. It was rather insightful to finally learn of Artemis' past.

Butler isn't in most of the story. But through events it is revealed how important he is to Artemis, so their relationship does develop in that sense. Also, when he reappears, it's quite obvious how much he cares about his little sister when he takes her aside to warn her about the danger.

Holly Short is furious at Artemis for putting the People at risk. But it's hard to side with her when she becomes self-righteous.

Mulch Diggums accidentally ends up getting involved with Artemis again. He is his usual entertaining self. He plays an essential role to the plot, and for once, isn't coerced into doing things. He chooses to help out of the kindness of his heart. Sort of.

Juliet Butler comes along to help Artemis. We learn about her character for the first time. She is nothing like her calm, stoic older brother and often compares herself to him. She has a more obvious sense of humor and is more emotional. She has yet to become an official body guard.

Jon Spiro is our villain. He is annoying enough to make you despise him, but he is a good character to check Artemis' arrogance. In some ways, he is a more blunt, more emotional version of Artemis. Holly even makes this comparison. Not that he isn't two dimensional. He is. There is essentially nothing about him that makes him feel human. No family. No pets. Nothing good. He is in every way, an evil, greedy capitalist stereotype.

PACING

Just like the last two books, the perspective shifts between various characters. We have Holly's perspective, Artemis', Juliets, Butlers, Mulch, ect. We even have some flashback scenes with Artemis and his father.

ARTEMIS AND BUTLER

Butler is injured early on in the book, so he isn't in it all that much. But in the scene where he is hurt, Artemis cries and realizes he never expected to be without him. I thought it was sweet and probably the most that has been revealed of his feelings for his bodyguard.

HOLLY & JULIET

There is one scene between Juliet and Holly where they argue. Juliet says she is nothing like her brother and Holly says maybe she shouldn't be in this line of work. But Juliet replies having fun is how she deals with things and didn't she used to be like her? It's really the only meaningful interaction between these two. Juliet reveals her insecurity and Holly reveals her own hypocrisy.

SAME OLD ARTEMIS

You would think having a fairy kidnapping go horribly wrong would have been enough to humble Artemis. And although he did show some development in “The Arctic Incident” he seems to have reverted back to his selfish ways. But Artemis has never seriously addressed the need to change. Throughout the story, flashbacks to his father reveal he has been wondering if he can.

ARTEMIS AND SON-SPOILERS

Throughout the story there are flashbacks where Artemis recalls events with his newly returned father. He notes that his father seems to have changed. He is more humorous, and wants to change his crooked ways. Not just for his wife, but for his son too. Artemis can't believe it and he wonders if they could ever be a normal family. Surely he could never be a normal boy.

This is the first time that we have dived into their relationship and how Artemis' childhood was like. Even though his father was often cold to him, it was his worshiping of money that Artemis took away. Perhaps he was merely trying a please a man he hoped would return.

It's also revealed that Artemis senior wasn't known for his charm and got his way through his gruff exterior. It explains how Artemis has never learned how to feign charm and manipulate people. He never witnessed such behavior and assumed power was all you needed to persuade someone.

TRUST ME-SPOILERS

There is a scene in the story where it is obvious that Artemis is lying to Holly. It's revealed he did so because he knew that she would refuse to do what was necessary later on. Turns out she has to cut off a finger.

I actually sided with Arty on this one. It's just a finger and they are putting it back on. It's not as though they were taking a life or even causing him harm. Sometimes Holly can come off as self righteous and unrealistic. That's a small part of her character that can make her rather obnoxious. Instead of realizing Artemis is trying to change, albeit poorly, she instead rants in her head that magic isn't supposed to be used that way. What way? The way that saves The People from being discovered?

It was obvious Colfer intended for us to side with Holly and bemoan Arty's lack of morals. I didn't bemoan them. I bemoaned his lack of trust in Holly. But apparently she didn't deserve it. I wanted there to be something that Holly could learn from Artemis (even with all of his faults).

HOLLY

Is Holly so unbearable that she ruins the book? No. She just has a few more moments of Mud man hating then the last time. I think her acting in such a way was to add drama and make Artemis realize he needs to change. But I felt it was unnecessary, as it was obvious through the flashbacks with Artemis' father that he already wanted to change. And since Artemis never reveals this to Holly, Colfer must have thought his main character needed to show Holly that he had to change. Unfortunately, like I stated previously, it just didn't work. If he had obviously been in the wrong, it might have.

And its to be noted that Holly does feel differently about him later on. It's just that she never seems to address why she may have been wrong. So her character seems lacking in development.

ANOTHER LAME VILLAIN?

Is Spiro as bad as Opal? No. There may be a few cringe worthy lines, but they are limited. (For example when he says he misses the days when you could just throw someone out of a window. Because we all know, if you're wealthy and powerful, no one cared if you murdered someone for all to see.) And it's oddly satisfying to see Artemis get made a fool by a man so much like him in many ways. But while Arty has his family and the fairy world to humble and humanize him, Spiro has nothing. And that's a big flaw.

Oddly enough, it's the same as “The Arctic Incident”. Spiro's just not in the story enough to ruin it.

FORESHADOWING-SPOILERS

Artemis is given a contact lens that's a camera but it doesn't match his other eye. So he has one hazel eye and one blue. He worries that Spiro will notice.

The previously mentioned moment is when Artemis looks guilty for a moment and Holly notices. She asks is there is something wrong and he denies it.

Lastly, Artemis seems to be examining the back of Spiro's ears and says “interesting”.

The last two we get pay-off of. But Spiro never notices Arty's eyes until the last second when it's too late. His reaction was amusing as was Artemis' response to it. But it was odd that he never noticed until then.

CLIMAX

The climax was done rather cleverly, albeit a little silly. The voice of the cube was funny but what I didn't quite feel sure if I liked was that Spiro never notices the contact lens before it was too late. I don't understand why he wouldn't have seen it. Was it overly dark? Did Artemis hide his face? It's never clarified. The reason for the contact might have been a silly one, which I will discuss another time.

CONCLUSION

The main characters are still charming and have many meaningful relationships with each other (with only a few bad moments for Holly). The pacing is good and there is plenty of action. There is also moments of insight into Artemis' character with both Butler and his father. Although I have my issues, there are kind of the same ones I have had previously, and if anything, have lessened slightly. I give “The Eternity Code” four stars.