Eoin Colfer - "Artemis Fowl The Eternity Code"




The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3)

      Well, ol' Artemis is at it again.  This thirteen-year-old criminal mastermind is once again looking for a grand scheme to increase the holdings of the Fowl family coffers.  This time though, he's less motivated by money and world domination and much more motivated to save the life of his long-time bodyguard, Butler. 

     The book opens with Artemis negotiating a deal with a greedy businessman, and it goes very very wrong!  Artemis has created a C-cube, that uses fairy technology (gleaned from previous encounters with the fairy folk) to basically scan all kinds of electronic devices and allows the user to basically commandeer them.  During this scene Artemis realizes that the cube is capable of "tracking" the underground fairy technology and is therefore very dangerous to the magical creatures below.  The deal goes poorly, and ends in a shooting match.  Butler ends up saving Artemis' life (again) by literally taking a bullet to the chest.  Artemis is then highly motivated to retrieve the stolen cube so as to protect his friends, but he also needs them to help save his beloved Butler's life.  In exchange for using fairy technology to save Butler and get the cube back, Artemis agrees to succumb to a mind wipe which will eliminate all memories and knowledge of The People. 

     With Butler on ice (literally), Juliet Butler, Mulch Diggums, Holly Short, and Foaly all work together to not only to get the cube back, but to get the greedy, tricky businessman put behind bars.  As always, our favorite juvenile criminal mastermind has concocted a genius plan that covers all bases, and accomplishes all that he sets out to do.

     I have to give Mr. Colfer props for being so imaginative in his books.  He does a good job of marrying the real and fantastical worlds into an interesting and fun read.  I love how Artemis is this amazing genius mastermind, yet he still isn't old enough to drive; he has so much knowledge, but he still has to experience "growing up."  Another theme that runs throughout the book is that Artemis Fowl Sr. has regained consciousness and is healing nicely, and as he's returning to health, he vows that the Fowl family will be putting their life if crime behind them.  He introduces the idea to his son that there are more important things in the world than money.  This idea is brought to the forefront for young Artemis as he experiences the possible loss of Butler, his friend. 

     As in all Fowl books, there is a unique code along the bottom that adds another level to the story.  I had to buy a book from New Zealand (thank you Abebooks.com!) to get the edition with the "non-Gnomish" code.  Apparently the American versions are all in Gnomish, so I had to do some research to get the unique code.  Thank you for not commenting on how ridiculous I can be sometimes ;)

Happy summer reading!

Eoin Colfer - "Artemis Fowl The Arctic Incident"

    Can I just admit that in my next life, I too want to be a super wealthy, brainiac in Ireland complete with unlimited resources, a connection to fairy-folk, and an live in a fantastical universe?  One can dream....  I think I liked this book even better than the first installment.  (It was a nice refresher to read the comic of the first book before I read this novel; it had been a while since I read the original "Artemis Fowl" novel.)

     In this book, Artemis discovers the whereabouts of his MIA father and in a roundabout way, enlists the help of the fairy LEPrecon unit that he bested in the last book.   Out of nowhere, Artemis receives word that his father is alive and being ransomed by the Russian mafiya.  About the same time, our underground characters discover human-made batteries are being smuggled in by goblins.  The LEP force needs to find out who the above ground source is, and why they are needed by the goblins.  After their previous encounter with Artemis and his entourage, the LEP reason that he is a primary suspect.  What ensues is an extremely creative and highly entertaining story of mutual mistrust as well as mutual need for one another's resources. 

     Mr. Colfer has a unique wit about his characters and his writing, and is incredibly creative in his story-line and settings.  He also does a great job of using his story to make a statement about how we as humans have lost some respect for the planet.  He shows it in the contrast between the underground fairy network and the above ground "mud men" territory.  It's always good to read an author that makes a positive statement through their work, without letting it get in the way of the story, and who also uses it to actually enhance the story itself. 

     Just like in the last book, there is an encoded message along the bottom of the pages for the reader to crack and discover.  Genius, really!  I believe the code is only a part of this particular book's first edition, or maybe it's only in the non-US release.  I'm not sure which, but I had to do a little research and find a Puffin published book from England.  Call me a nerd, I'm okay with that. 

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident

     I hope you choose to join Artemis, Butler, Holly Short, and the rest of the gang for this enthralling episode.  Until next time, I bid you, "Adieu."

Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, Giovanni Rigano, Paolo Lamanna - "Artemis Fowl, The Graphic Novel"

     I've just read my very first graphic novel.  I feel so "with it."  I'm in the midst of reading "The Arctic Incident," and it's been a while since I read the first book in this delightful series.  The details of the first novel were a bit fuzzy; I've slept since then....  I was chatting with my hubby in his office, and my eye was drawn to this book.  I know he has a small collection of graphic novels and comics, so I was pleasantly surprised to find one that appealed to me, and was extremely relevant to my current predicament of pre-senior moments and memory loss. 
                                                                                                                                                                  Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel

    It only took me about and hour or two to read through it, and I must say it was pretty good.  It was easy to follow; it rehashed the story perfectly (from what my feeble mind can recall), was imaginatively illustrated, and was very entertaining.  I guess that's what one looks for in a graphic novel???  At least that's what I look for...  I'm not much of a connoisseur, but what more could you want?  The story introduces, 12-year-old criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl.  He goal is to restore his family's VAST fortune by kid-napping and ransoming a fairy.  Genius!  (If only it were that easy...)  Mr. Colfer and friends do a wonderful job of constructing and bringing-to-life a quirky cast of characters and an entertaining plot. 

     Despite me liking the book so much, I don't know that I'll be continuing to read many comics/graphic novels.   The reason is the same one I have for not usually watching movies based on the books that I've read... I like to imagine the scenery, characters, actions, etc that are penned in books on my own.  Every person's mind constructs the mental images in their own way.  When books are illustrated or made into movies, it puts a defined "picture" of events, characters, scenery, etc into your mind.  Sometimes those images match up with your own, and sometimes they don't.  Either way, I prefer to enjoy my own little constructs rather than have them defined by another.  I just like the ambiguity, I think, but again, it's just my own opinion. 

     If you do decide to embark upon this pictorial adventure "down the rabbit hole" with Artemis and his crew, I hope you enjoy it!

Eoin Colfer - "Artemis Fowl"

     I know, I know, it's been a really long time since my last post.  Forgive me, it's also been a really really long time since I got to sit down and read much.  I did however like the first book in the "Artemis Fowl" series. 

     It's defiinitely written to a pre-teen - young teen audience, but it was really well written and there was plenty of action to keep you turning those pages.  Artemis Fowl is the youngest member of the very wealthy and notorious crime family.  This is a fanciful tale of how he is trying to find a way to restore his family's fortune and restore their "good" name.  He decides to rob leprecon of his pot of gold.  Sounds simple, right?  Not so much!  It involves blackmailing a fairy, evading a troll, kid napping an elf, and even stopping time, all in a day's work.

Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, Book 1)

     Mr. Colfer does a great job in instilling his work with creative touches everywhere.  The most notable is the hieroglyphic-type code that he has created.  It runs along the bottom of each page and is showcased on the cover.  He offers an extra challenge to the reader to crack it and get a sneak peak into the tale's future.  It was a lot of fun to decipher.  He is also very creative in the naming of his characters; it's very "punny."  I really enjoy subtle humor like that. 

      It was an entertaining, quick read that did not require too much thinking.  I heard they made a graphic novel out of this character and his series, but have not yet explored that particular avenue.  I do, however; look forward to the next book in the series.  You should check it out if you need a quick break from "heady" literature.  I am starting "A Tale of Two Cities" and thought Artemis Fowl would give me a nice "break" before delving into old school British classic literature. 

Enjoy your fat free, low carb, low calorie literature to the fullest!