A twelve-year-old criminal genius kidnaps a fairy to restore his family's fortune
A boy genius versus the fairies
Artemis Fowl is twelve, extremely clever and determined to rebuild his family's lost fortune. With his loyal bodyguard, Butler, he discovers that fairies really exist, living deep underground with technology far beyond ours. He steals their secret book, decodes it and kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the fairy police, demanding a ransom of fairy gold. The fairies, however, have no intention of paying.
Who will enjoy it
Readers aged about ten to fourteen, and adults, who enjoy fast, funny fantasy with gadgets, heists and a clever antihero.
What you will get
A fast, funny and inventive adventure that mixes fairy tales with high-tech heists, starring a brilliant young antihero and a feisty fairy captain.
Artemis Fowl Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Fantasy · Fairies · Criminal mastermind · Adventure
Length
320 pages · ≈ 9 h
More about this book
Colfer turns classic fairy folklore upside down. His fairies are not tiny creatures with wings but the People, who were driven underground long ago and now live in a high-tech city, protected by an elite police unit called LEPrecon. Artemis lives in Fowl Manor in Ireland; his father has disappeared and his mother is unwell, and he believes that gold is the answer to his family's troubles. He tracks down a copy of the fairies' secret book of rules, translates its code and learns how to capture one.
When Holly Short, a tough, quick-witted captain, comes to the surface on a mission, Artemis and Butler seize her and lock her in the manor. Commander Julius Root, Holly's hot-tempered chief, surrounds the house and freezes time, while Foaly, a sarcastic centaur, provides gadgets and technical support, and Mulch Diggums, a dwarf thief, is sent to tunnel inside. Artemis seems always one step ahead, but Holly proves a formidable opponent, and a troll set loose in the manor creates a frightening battle. The book is packed with humor, clever twists and a touch of heart beneath Artemis's coldness.
Quick, witty and gadget-filled. About 320 pages in the Disney Hyperion paperback, the first of a long series.
Eragon
The Thief Lord
The Princess Bride
The Sea of Monsters
The Color of Magic
The Lightning Thief
The Eyre Affair
The Titan’s Curse
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Battle of the Labyrinth
Hogfather
Good Omens