Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
Artemis Fowl, the brilliant teenage criminal mastermind created by author Eoin Colfer, returns for another adventure in The Arctic Incident, Book Two of this exciting new series. Colfer's mythical world, which features a secret underground community populated by fairies, satyrs, trolls, and gnomes who frequently find themselves at odds with the above-ground humans, offers a perfect blend of humor, magic, fantasy, and conflict.

In the first book of the series, Artemis battled both the underground inhabitants and Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police force. He also lost his beloved father, who is assumed to be dead. Now, after receiving a mysterious video email, Artemis finds himself in need of help from his recent enemies. The video shows a man bearing a striking resemblance to Artemis's father, sitting in the wasteland of arctic Russia. Artemis sets off to rescue the man, but first he must enlist some magical assistance.

Down in the underground world, chaos has arisen. An unknown traitor has stolen forbidden weapons and armed a horde of trolls, setting them loose to wreak havoc on the citizens. Clues lead Captain Holly Short straight to Artemis, and she exacts a small bit of revenge by kidnapping him, just as he once kidnapped her. But soon she learns that Artemis isn't behind the chaos, and if she's to have any hope of stopping it, she will need his help. As a result, these onetime adversaries must now join forces -- a mix that proves to be both charming and volatile.

Colfer has combined the magical appeal of Rowling's Harry Potter series with a fantasy world reminiscent of Tolkien's. By stirring a few intriguingly conflicted characters and lots of nonstop action into the mix, he's created a winning recipe guaranteed to keep young readers glued to the pages for hours. (Beth Amos)

From the Publisher

Artemis is at boarding school in Ireland when he receives an urgent e-mail from Russia. In it is a plea from a man who has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafia: his father. As Artemis rushes to his rescue, he is stopped by a familiar nemesis, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. But this time, instead of battling the fairies, he is going to have to join forces with them if he wants to save one of the few people in the world he loves.

Entertainment Weekly

The world that Colfer creates is as vivid and fantastical as any shire, gotham, or galaxy far, far away in recent memory. Grade: A-.

Publishers Weekly

In the second and third books in the series about the 13-year-old criminal mastermind, he proves he has a heart after all (in the former), and, in the latter, craves one more adventure before he turns to the straight and narrow. "Rapid-fire dialogue and wise-acre humor ensure that readers will burn the midnight oil," said PW in a starred review of Eternity Code. Ages 10-up. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Heidi Hauser Green - Children's Literature

Thirteen-year-old genius Artemis Fowl is at St. Bartleby's boarding school in Ireland when he receives an important and unexpected message. His father is being held captive by the Russian Mafiya. A ransom is demanded. Artemis knows he will have to act fast if he is to save his beloved father; the video that accompanied the message showed he was in pretty bad shape. At the same time, in the fairy world, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police has found goblins engaged in suspicious criminal activity. She knows they have help from somewhere, since goblins themselves are dumb as boards, and her #1 suspect is fairy enemy #1, Artemis Fowl. It is only by working together that Holly Short and Artemis Fowl, previously enemies, will be able to figure out what is really going on, both above ground and beneath it. Eoin Colfer's sequel to the popular Artemis Fowl is as action-packed and irreverent as the first. A witty blend of fantasy, spy tale, and action movie, readers are sure to enjoy the fast-paced adventures of Artemis, his powerful sidekick Butler, Foaly the centaur, and fairies Holly and Root. As soon as they turn the last page of this book, they'll be hungering for the next one. 2002, Talk Miramax Books/Hyperion,

Michael Levy - VOYA

The thirteen-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl, his supercompetent manservant, Butler, and Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police all return in this sequel to last year's high-spirited romp Artemis Fowl (Hyperion, 2001/VOYA August 2001). In the first book, the young protagonist—one can hardly call him a hero—took over the family's criminal enterprises after his father's disappearance at sea. Now, however, Artemis has discovered that his father is still alive and is being held for ransom in the Arctic by the Russian Mafiya. Simultaneously, Captain Short is investigating the possession of contraband human technology by the dangerous B'wa Kell Goblin triads. She assumes at first that Artemis must be involved, until when he proves innocent—of this crime at least—she enlists his services to catch the real criminals. In return, the fairies agree to help Fowl rescue his father. None of them realizes, however, that the human contraband case actually is part of a much larger and more dangerous plot, formulated by the power-mad fairy industrialist who supplies all of LEPrecon's newest weapons technology to take over the underworld. Like its predecessor, this book is carefully positioned by the publisher to attach itself to Harry Potter's coattails, and with an amazing

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8 In this entertaining sequel, Artemis Fowl tries to rescue his father from Russian Mafiya gangsters. Here, the criminal mastermind teams up with Captain Holly, the same leprechaun officer whom he battled in the first book. He needs her fairy magic and technology to help with his mission, while she and her friends enlist the boy to aid them in preventing a goblin revolt. The action is brisk, with fiendish plots, ingenious escapes, and lively battle scenes. Though still diabolically clever, Artemis loses some of his edge as the story proceeds, and even commits a few selfless acts along the way. His own bafflement at these sentimental lapses is amusing, and he develops into a more likable figure. His unbridled greed and ambition were essential to his antihero appeal in the first book, and a gentler Artemis is not quite as engaging. Still, it's fun to see him run rings around a school counselor, and his verbal jousts with his fairy allies keep some of that spark alive. Many characters from the first book return, though none develop much beyond their basic personality traits. The satisfying conclusion resolves the fate of Artemis's father and sets the scene for future sequels. -Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this sequel to Artemis Fowl (2001), the intellectual brilliance and total lack of scruples of the eponymous hero have enabled him to use his father's criminal empire to accumulate a vast fortune. Artemis utilizes this money to finance the search for his father, still missing two years after a disastrous and almost legitimate foray into Russia. Upon the receipt of an e-mailed picture, supposedly of his father, Artemis and his bodyguard, Butler, start the journey to Russia, only to be abducted by an old adversary Captain Holly Short, of the fairy police, LEPrecon. Holly and her commander erroneously suspect Artemis of masterminding a smuggling ring. The deal Artemis and Butler make with the LEPrecon officers (Artemis lends his brain to solve the smuggling puzzle; LEPrecon lends its advanced technology to the search for Fowl, Senior) leads to a series of major and minor disasters, which provide suspense and tension to this well-plotted story. Characterization is slight but amusing: Holly Short, first female captain in the LEPrecon is a feisty but warmhearted fairy, Foaly the centaur head of LEPrecon's technology department is brilliant if irascible, and the dwarf, Mulch, is hilarious, full of himself and of dwarf gas-don't ask. Filled with puns, word plays, and inventive new concepts about the fairy realm, this mix of fantasy and science fiction will delight fans and make converts of new readers. An exhilarating Celtic caper that stands very nicely indeed on its own merits.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0786851473
  
• ISBN-13: 9780786851478
• Format: Paperback, 416pp
• Publisher: Hyperion/Miramax Kid
• Pub. Date: May 2004
• Edition Description: Reprint
• Age Range: 9 to 12
• Series: Artemis Fowl Series, #2

• Table of Contents
• Interviews & Essays

Table of Contents

Interviews & Essays

Barnes & Noble.com: Where did your idea for the character Artemis Fowl come from? Is anything about him based on a real child (or children) you know?

Eoin Colfer: Artemis was inspired by a desire to do something different. He began life as a secondary character, but I found him so fascinating that he soon took over the story. Luckily, I do not know anybody remotely resembling Artemis. I think he is an amalgam of every movie and literary villain that I encountered growing up.

B&N.com: Were you a storyteller and/or writer as a child? Did you always want to be a writer?

EC: I have been writing stories for as long as I can remember. I would write plays as a student and try to persuade my peers to give up their lunch break to perform in them, with mixed success. Writing is a magical experience, and once the creative bug bites, it has you for life.

B&N.com: What are you feelings about the fact that many people/media make comparisons between Artemis and Harry Potter? Are you a Harry Potter fan, yourself?

EC: The Potter comparisons are a mixed blessing. They do draw attention to the book, but some journalists make it sound as though the books have similar plots and characters, which they don't. I hope that as I have carved out my own little niche in the market, Book 2 will be allowed to stand on its own. I have read the first Harry Potter and thought it was a great book.

B&N.com: Do you believe in magic? Does it factor into your life at all?

EC: I believe that there are things in the universe that are unexplained. Doubtless, science will solve these mysteries in time, but for now the writer in me likes to come up with more romantic explanations.

B&N.com: Was it difficult to write the sequel to Artemis Fowl? Did you feel a lot of pressure to make it "as good" as the first book? How many more sequels do you have planned?

EC: Luckily for me, I had already finished half of Artemis 2 before the first one was published, so I did not really feel any pressure. I try to blank out outside influences and simply write the book the way I want to. I plan to finish the trilogy next year and maybe revisit Artemis in two or three years' time for a final episode.

B&N.com: In The Arctic Incident, Artemis Fowl seems to have become a bit less evil...and a bit more "human" -- even displaying some emotions and empathy toward others. Is there any particular reason why you chose to depict him this way in the sequel?

EC: Artemis is on an emotional journey, shaping his moral code as he goes along. By the end of Book 3, he may even have the opportunity to be a hero.

B&N.com: Both Artemis books are packed with descriptions of high-tech gizmos and weapons -- and imaginatively advanced technology. Are you a technology whiz, yourself? A gadget guru? Or, did you have to do a lot of research for these books?

EC: I am not really a gadget guru, although I am a big James Bond fan. The trick with gadgets is to explain how they work so that the reader can believe that they might actually exist. I had to do a lot of Internet research to discover the latest scientific innovations, then I added a millennium.

B&N.com: How has the fame Artemis Fowl has brought you changed your life?

EC: The biggest change is that I am now a full-time author, although it sometimes feels as though I have less time to write now, as I am busy visiting wonderful places worldwide.

B&N.com: Can you name some of your favorite children's books?

EC: Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Stig of the Dump, Tarzan, The Dark Knight Returns (graphic novel).