ARTEMIS FOWL by Eoin Colfer
Set in two sharply contrasting realms --- the aboveground world that humans inhabit and the imaginative underground netherworld where "the People" (otherwise known as fairies, gnomes, goblins and trolls) reside --- the Artemis Fowl series is an interspecies fantasy thrill ride that will keep readers alternately holding their breath in suspense and laughing out loud during many comic moments.
Combining extraordinary hi-tech gadgetry, clever fairy magic and old-fashioned myth, the series pits good against evil in page-turning scenarios that introduce a completely original cast of characters --- from flying fairy police and paranoid centaurs to gassy dwarfs and murderous trolls. Artemis Fowl the Second, the series's human protagonist, is a modern-day child prodigy who is easily the most devious and ingenious member yet of the illustrious Fowl crime family in Ireland. His thirst for gold and penchant for underhanded enterprise leads to his discovery of a whole new class of citizenry that he can exploit --- the technologically advanced fairy world, hidden from human view in a complex underground lair near the Earth's core.
But the fairies prove not to be the easy targets Artemis had envisioned, given their magical powers and advanced technology far superior to that of mere humans. A daring battle of wits and weaponry ensues, with the two sides eventually reaching an uneasy truce and later turning out to be unlikely allies as the series progresses.
Dark humor and barbed insults punctuate the action-packed scenes filled with breathtaking laser battles and dramatic rescue missions. With six bestselling books in the series to date as well as a companion title, you won't want to miss any of Artemis's spellbinding adventures. In this feature, you can get in on the action by learning more about the books, the characters and the mastermind behind the series, as well as brush up on essential fairy trivia, take a fun quiz, and much more!
--- Reviewed by Joni Rendon
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