Artemis Fowl

Book review -Artemis Fowl

Biographic Data: The author of this book is Eoin Colfer, Ð'© 2001; published at 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011

This book is set in many different places but the book starts out in Ho Chi Minh City. The next and most significant place we arrive at is Haven, the “New York” for the Fairies. The most noteworthy place we read of is Fowl Manor, the very place where almost all of the action of this book takes place in.

Of the many major characters the main character would have to be Artemis Fowl, a teenage mastermind who figured out how to steal heaps of gold from “The People” a group of mythical creatures (i.e. Fairies, Gnomes, Sprites etc.). Artemis’ father had been a criminal mastermind before being kidnapped by the Russian Mafia. Artemis is a very antisocial child whose only friend is his bodyguard, Butler. (A description of butler by Artemis)” But Butler here my... ahh... butler has a sig saucer in his shoulder holster, two shrike throwing knives in his boots, a derringer two shot up his sleeve, garrote wire in his watch, and three stun grenades stuffed in various pockets...” Although the Fowl family is absurdly rich already young Artemis devises a plan to steal 1000 bars of gold from the people. A plan that if followed could lead to a war against the human race and the people.

“Artemis your money is becoming a... fixation--” вЂ"Butler- Page 14-Paragraph 3. Well put, Butler is on the money with his theory of Artemis’ money obsession. At the age of twelve young Artemis figured out how to wire 35 billion dollars to his own personal account from the Swedish government. But that was two years ago, now he is trying to steal over One Hundred Billion dollars worth of solid gold bars from a race of people that, according to the rest of the world doesn’t even exist. This is a true mastermind at work.

The problem of this book is not Artemis’, for the sole reason that Artemis is the problem. The problem is that of Captain Holly Short of the LepRecon, the police force of the People. Captain Short is abducted by young Artemis while she tries to perform a ceremonious ritual so that she can regain her drained magic. This is a good indication of the climax because of the fact that Holly has been captured letting Artemis use her as bait. Threatening the LepRecon with exposure they are forced to give Artemis the gold in exchange for Captain Short. But making the critical mistake of undermining Artemis, the LepRecon decides to try and send in an advanced S.W.A.T. team along with a troll. Butler took care of the S.W.A.T. team while holly softened up and did the troll in. Artemis, using a unique radar that fixated itself to any stealth object, knew that the Lep was coming and stashed the gold where even magic couldn’t get it out. Although butler was wounded by the troll he was able to take down a second S.W.A.T. team and steal their equipment making him nearly invincible. In the end the negotiation was that artemis let holly go for DOUBLE the amount of gold that was the original offer.

This story is a good example of a Kid vs. “Man” conflict seeing as to it is a 14 year old braniac versus a technologically advanced culture. The conflict of this book really has nothing to do with the fact that Artemis