Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer

From Barnes & Noble

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 Fowl receives an urgent e-mail from Russia. In it is a plea from a man who has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafiya: his father. As Artemis rushes to his rescue, he is stopped by a familiar nemesis, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. Now, instead of battling the fairies, Artemis must 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-.

USA Today

He can tell a story...Colfer offers some nice riffs in terms of creating a magical subworld of trolls, dwarfs and centaurs as well as some fun tech stuff.

New York Times Book Review

Colfer has done enormously, explosively well.

USA Today

He can tell a story...Colfer offers some nice riffs in terms of creating a magical subworld of trolls, dwarfs and centaurs as well as some fun tech stuff.

Buffalo News

It's smart, it's funny, and even contains some nuggets of wisdom about the human condition.

Family Life Magazine

Action-packed, it's perfect for long, lazy summer days.

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.

Publishers Weekly

Colfer's (Benny and Omar) crime caper fantasy, the first in a series, starts off with a slam-bang premise: anti-hero Artemis Fowl is a boy-genius last in line of a legendary crime family teetering on the brink of destruction. With the assistance of his bodyguard, Butler, he masterminds his plan to regain the Fowls' former glory: capture a fairy and hold her ransom for the legendary fairy gold. However, his feisty mark, Holly, turns out to be a member of the "LEPrecon, an elite branch of the Lower Elements Police," so a wisecracking team of satyrs, trolls, dwarfs and fellow fairies set out to rescue her. Despite numerous clever gadgets and an innovative take on traditional fairy lore, the author falls short of the bar. The rapid-fire dialogue may work as a screenplay with the aid of visual effects but, on the page, it often falls flat. The narrative hops from character to character, so readers intrigued by Artemis's wily, autocratic personality have to kill a good deal of time with the relatively bland Holly and her cohorts, and the villain/hero anticlimactically achieves his final escape by popping some sleeping pills (it renders him invulnerable to the fairy time-stop). Technology buffs may appreciate the imaginative fairy-world inventions and action-lovers will get some kicks, but the series is no classic in the making. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

The title character is a genius, a criminal mastermind and a millionaire—not bad for a twelve-year-old. Artemis, scion of a famous crime family, has a cunning plan to recoup his family's fortunes, which suffered from a bad business deal by his now-deceased father. Since he's no ordinary boy, it's no ordinary plan—he wants to kidnap and ransom a fairy, after high-tech preparations that would make James Bond nod approvingly. What Artemis doesn't know is that the LEPrecon Unit is no slouch when it comes to high-tech rescue. Thankfully, Colfer mixes in times of quiet reflection with the full-throttle action—even giving Artemis a chance to redeem himself. The author jabs gently at action-adventure clichés—the old officer who resents technological advances, the desk jockey who gets on everyone's nerves but comes through in the end, the female soldier who has to prove herself. It is a work that will inevitably draw comparisons to the "Harry Potter" series, with its emphasis on the existence of a magic world. But Artemis Fowl is no copycat. It's an original. Read it out loud to your kids, and the whole family will end up missing normal bedtimes. Reviewer: Donna Freedman

VOYA

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl took over his family's evil criminal empire after his father's disappearance and his mother's nervous breakdown. Artemis and his trusty sidekick, Butler, kidnap a fairy for fairy gold, unaware that this fairy is not the old-fashioned kind. Artemis finds himself up against the thoroughly modern LEPrecon, an armed and dangerous branch of the Lower Elements Police led by Commander Root, who will do anything to ensure Captain Holly Short's safe return. The strength of this book is in the creation of a new underground world peopled by progressive fairies, goblins, trolls, and other fantastical creatures. Sly in tone with generous dollops of humor, this story does not shy away from difficult topics. One scene is violent, describing a troll attacking Butler and his younger sister. The pat ending—Butler is healed by the same fairy that he held hostage, Artemis's mother starts living her life again, and Artemis gets to keep the fairy gold—seems a bit much, but the epilogue hints at Artemis's deviousness and sets up sequels by referring to future encounters with LEPrecon Captain Holly Short. This story has lots of action, but ultimately, interesting gadgets and nefarious plots do not compensate for an unsympathetic main character. The LEPrecon and those living underground are fascinating and worthy of their own books. Despite marketing claims, this book is no Harry Potter, but as fantasy adventures go, it should have a wide following among middle schoolers, especially boys. More than a fantasy, it is the story that might result if James Bond were mixed with legends and the folklore of fairies, trolls, and goblins. Like the Potter books, it might appeal toteens of all ages. Author Colfer is an elementary school teacher in Ireland, where his previous novel was a best-seller. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J S (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2001, Hyperion/Disney, 279p, $16.95. Ages 12 to 18. Reviewer: Susan Smith SOURCE: VOYA, August 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 3)

Deirdre Root - KLIATT

Artemis Fowl is a 12-year-old boy with a missing father, a sick mother, a loyal servant...and a world-class criminal mind with millions of dollars at his disposal. So if he decides to go after fairy gold, he's got a good shot at finding it. But when he kidnaps a LEPrecon, he's in more trouble than he knows. Fairies can be nasty critters, and the fate of both worlds hangs on this showdown! While the summary suggests this might be Harry Potter if the main character were Draco Malfoy, it's not quite the same thing. The author's tongue is firmly in his cheek, and the novel is amusing without quite engaging the emotions. But it's fun to watch Artemis outsmart everyone around him, and middle school readers are sure to enjoy it. KLIATT Codes: J*—Exceptional book, recommended for junior high school students. 2001, Hyperion, 396p., Ages 12 to 15.

Library Journal

Colfer is already well known in Britain for his popular children's books. The quirky characters and delightful humor of his latest work will undoubtedly delight American readers as well. Artemis Fowl, 12-year-old criminal mastermind and consummate self-server, is out to win fame and restock the dwindling family fortune. The wealthy Fowls, underworld moguls, have fallen on hard times with the disappearance of Artemis's father and the questionable sanity of his depressed mother. Having discovered the true existence of fairies and their magic, Artemis foments a wicked plot to steal their gold. Coercing a fairy on the skids to show him her book of magic, he manages to crack the code and acquaint himself with fairy magic and technology. But Artemis realizes that he needs more bargaining power, so he kidnaps the fairy, Capt. Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance) Unit, intending to ransom her for the gold. As the book progresses, readers suspect that this child prodigy is perhaps not so foul as he seems, nor are the good fairies quite so wonderful after all. Fun to read, full of action and humor, this is recommended for all public libraries and to readers of all ages. [The publisher, jointly with Hyperion Books for Children, is promoting this to the young and adult fans of Harry Potter. Ed.] Jennifer Baker, Seattle P.L. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Twelve-year-old genius Artemis Fowl decides to reinvigorate his family fortunes by kidnapping a fairy and demanding its gold. Having obtained and decoded the Book, a tome containing all of the fairies' secrets, Artemis captures an elf named Holly Short and holds her captive at his family mansion in Ireland. However, he hasn't reckoned on the resources and cunning of the LEPrecon Unit, an elite branch of the fairy police force, whose members will stop at nothing to rescue Captain Short. It seems that the wicked ways of the Mud People (humans) have driven most of the magical creatures underground, where a gritty, urban fairy civilization is flourishing. The fairy characters are mouthy and eccentric, but Artemis is too stiff and enigmatic to be interesting; the story bogs down when the focus is on him. The combination of choppy sentences and ornate language will appeal to some readers, although not necessarily to Harry Potter fans; the emphasis here is more on action (some of it gory), technology, and deadpan humor than on magic, and only one character (Artemis) is a child.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 2001 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

• Table of Contents
• Interviews & Essays
• Read an Excerpt

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).

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 2

Artemis's search had begun two years previously when he first became interested in surfing the Internet. He quickly found the more arcane sites: alien abduction, UFO sightings, and the supernatural. But most specifically the existence of the People.

Trawling through gigabytes of data, he found hundreds of references to fairies from nearly every country in the world. Each civilization had its own term for the People, but they were undoubtedly members of the same hidden family. Several stories mentioned a Book carried by each fairy. It was their Bible, containing, as it allegedly did, the history of their race and the commandments that governed their extended lives. Of course, this book was written in Gnommish, the fairy language, and would be of no use to any human.

Artemis believed that with today's technology the Book could be translated. And with this translation you could begin to exploit a whole new group of creatures.

Know thine enemy was Artemis's motto, so he immersed himself in the lore of the People until he had compiled a huge database on their characteristics. But it wasn't enough. So Artemis put out a call on the Web: Irish businessman will pay large amount of U.S. dollars to meet a fairy, sprite, leprechaun, pixie. The responses had been mostly fraudulent, but Ho Chi Minh City had finally paid off.

Artemis was perhaps the only person alive who could take full advantage of his recent acquisition. He still retained a childlike belief in magic, tempered by an adult determination to exploit it. If there was anybody capable of relieving the fairies of some of their magical gold, it was Artemis Fowl the Second.

It was early morning before they reached Fowl Manor. Artemis was anxious to bring up the file on his computer, but first he decided to call in on Mother.

Angeline Fowl was bedridden. She had been since her husband's disappearance. Nervous tension, the physicians said. Nothing for it but rest and sleeping pills. That was almost a year ago.

Butler's little sister, Juliet, was sitting at the foot of the stairs. Her gaze was boring a hole in the wall. Even the glitter mascara couldn't soften her expression. Artemis had seen that look already, just before Juliet had suplexed a particularly impudent pizza boy. The suplex, Artemis gathered, was a wrestling move. An unusual obsession for a teenage girl. But then again she was, after all, a Butler.

"Problems, Juliet?"

Juliet straightened hurriedly. "My own fault, Artemis. Apparently I left a gap in the curtains. Mrs. Fowl couldn't sleep."

"Hmm," muttered Artemis, scaling the oak staircase slowly.

He worried about his mother's condition. She hadn't seen the light of day in a long time now. Then again, should she miraculously recover, emerging revitalized from her bedchamber, it would signal the end of Artemis's own extraordinary freedom. It would be back off to school, and no more spearheading criminal enterprises for you, my boy.

He knocked gently on the arched double doors.

"Mother? Are you awake?"

Something smashed against the other side of the door. It sounded expensive.

"Of course I'm awake! How can I sleep in this blinding glare?"

Artemis ventured inside. An antique four-poster bed threw shadowy spires in the darkness, and a pale sliver of light poked through a gap in the velvet curtains. Angeline Fowl sat hunched on the bed, her pale limbs glowing white in the gloom.

"Artemis, darling. Where have you been?"

Artemis sighed. She recognized him. That was a

good sign.

"School trip, Mother. Skiing in Austria."

"Ah, skiing," crooned Angeline. "How I miss it. Maybe when your father returns."

Artemis felt a lump in his throat. Most uncharacteristic.

"Yes. Perhaps when Father returns."

"Darling, could you close those wretched curtains? The light is intolerable."

"Of course, Mother."

Artemis felt his way across the room, wary of the low-level clothes chests scattered around the floor. Finally his fingers curled around the velvet drapes. For a moment he was tempted to throw them wide open, then he sighed and closed the gap.

"Thank you, darling. By the way, we really have to get rid of that maid. She is good for absolutely nothing."

Artemis held his tongue. Juliet had been a hardworking and loyal member of the Fowl household for the past three years. Time to use Mother's absentmindedness to his advantage.

"You're right of course, Mother. I've been meaning to do it for some time. Butler has a sister I believe would be perfect for the position. I think I've mentioned her. Juliet?"

Angeline frowned. "Juliet? Yes, the name does seem familiar. Well, anyone would be better than that silly girl we have now. When can she start?"

"Straight away. I'll have Butler fetch her from the lodge."

"You're a good boy, Artemis. Now, give Mummy a hug."

Artemis stepped into the shadowy folds of his mother's robe. She smelled perfumed, like petals in water. But her arms were cold and weak.

"Oh, darling," she whispered, and the sound sent goose bumps popping down Artemis's neck. "I hear things. At night. They crawl along the pillows and into my ears."

Artemis felt that lump in his throat again.

"Perhaps we should open the curtains, Mother."

"No," his mother sobbed, releasing him from her grasp. "No. Because then I could see them, too."

"Mother, please."

But it was no use. Angeline was gone. She crawled to the far corner of the bed, pulling the quilt under her chin.

"Send the new girl."

"Yes, Mother."

"Send her with cucumber slices and water."

"Yes, Mother."

Angeline glared at him with crafty eyes. "And stop calling me Mother. I don't know who you are, but you're certainly not my little Arty."

Artemis blinked back a few rebellious tears. "Of course. Sorry, Moth - Sorry."

"Hmmm. Don't come back here again, or I'll have my husband take care of you. He's a very important man, you know."

"Very well, Mrs Fowl. This is the last you'll see of me."

"It had better be." Angeline froze suddenly. "Do you hear them?"

Artemis shook his head. "No. I don't hear any - "

"They're coming for me. They're everywhere."

Angeline dived for cover beneath the bedclothes. Artemis could still hear her terrified sobs as he descended the marble staircase.

The Book was proving far more stubborn than Artemis had anticipated. It seemed to be almost actively resisting him. No matter which program he ran it through, the computer came up blank.

Artemis hardcopied every page, tacking them to the walls of his study. Sometimes it helped to have things on paper. The script was like nothing he'd seen before, and yet it was strangely familiar. Obviously a mixture of symbolic and character-based language, the text meandered around the page in no apparent order.

What the program needed was some frame of reference, some central point on which to build. He separated all the characters and ran comparisons with English, Chinese, Greek, Arabic, and with Cyrillic texts, even with Ogham. Nothing.

Moody with frustration, Artemis sent Juliet scurrying when she interrupted with sandwiches, and moved on to symbols. The most frequently recurring pictogram was a small male figure. Male, he presumed, though with the limited knowledge of the fairy anatomy he supposed it could be female. A thought struck him. Artemis opened the ancient languages file on his Power Translator and selected Egyptian.

At last. A hit. The male symbol was remarkably similar to the Anubis god representation on Tutankhamen's inner-chamber hieroglyphics. This was consistent with his other findings. The first written human stories were about fairies, suggesting that their civilization predated man's own. It would seem that the Egyptians had simply adapted an existing scripture to suit their needs.

There were other resemblances. But the characters were just dissimilar enough to slip through the computer's net. This would have to be done manually. Each Gnommish figure had to be enlarged, printed, and then compared with the hieroglyphs.

Artemis felt the excitement of success thumping inside his rib cage. Almost every fairy pictogram or letter had an Egyptian counterpart. Most were universal, such as the sun or birds. But some seemed exclusively supernatural and had to be tailored to fit. The Anubis figure, for example, would make no sense as a dog god, so Artemis altered it to read king of the fairies.

By midnight, Artemis had successfully fed his findings into the Macintosh. All he had to do now was press Decode. He did so. What emerged was a long, intricate string of meaningless gibberish.

A normal child would have abandoned the task long since. The average adult would probably have been reduced to slapping the keyboard. But not Artemis. This book was testing him, and he would not allow it to win.

The letters were right, he was certain of it. It was just the order that was wrong. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Artemis glared at the pages again. Each segment was bordered by a solid line. This could represent paragraphs or chapters, but they were not meant to be read in the usual left to right, top to bottom fashion.

Artemis experimented. He tried the Arabic right to left and the Chinese columns. Nothing worked. Then he noticed that each page had one thing in common - a central section. The other pictograms were arranged around this pivotal area. So, a central starting point, perhaps. But where to go from there? Artemis scanned the pages for some other common factor. After several minutes he found it. There was on each page a tiny spearhead in the corner of one section. Could this be an arrow? A direction? Go this way? So the theory would be, start in the middle then follow the arrow. Reading in spirals.

The computer program wasn't built to handle something like this, so Artemis had to improvise. With a craft knife and ruler, he dissected the first page of the Book and reassembled it in the traditional Western languages order - left to right, parallel rows. Then he rescanned the page and fed it through the modified Egyptian translator.

The computer hummed and whirred, converting all the information to binary. Several times it stopped to ask for confirmation of a character or symbol...