An arch-criminal, fairy cop, and butler bodyguard walk into a plot.
With the eighth Artemis Fowl book coming out in July, I have a perfect excuse to revisit one of my favorite YA series. If you missed the first part of this Series Review (books 1-4), you can catch up here. In this article, I swan dive into the next two books in my countdown to Artemis Fowl #8.
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony
Just as you were settling down into plot complacency, this Artemis Fowl book takes a hard right into inter-dimensional travel. A long time ago, when the fairies realized they were losing the war with the humans, they decided to retreat into the earth–all except for the fifth fairy family, the demons. The demons took their island of Hybras and sent it into another dimension with a spell.
But after a long series of calculations, Artemis is beginning to suspect that the magic holding Hybras in limbo is beginning to unravel. Soon, the island will come crashing back through time and space, bringing the demons along.
The demons who’ve spent the entire time since the war training for their final battle with humanity.
Colfer isn’t afraid of switching it up. Even as Artemis tracks possible demon activity around the world and encounters a 12-year-old arch-nemisis (and potential love interest), we also get a glimpse of what’s happening on the other side on Hybras through the eyes of an awkward teenage demon. When that young demon accidentally manifests on Earth, he is kidnapped from right in the middle of a classic Opera show, and right out from under Artemis’ nose (and opera glasses).
Book five delivers everything I look for in a Colfer book–strong friendships, unexpected twists, death-defying risks and a fun adventure. The technology is great, the mercenaries fun, and the final battle an on-the-edge-of-your-reading-seat experience.
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox
Artemis’s mother is deathly sick. The only thing that can cure her is a fairy drug synthesized from the fresh brain fluid of the African lemurs. Thing is, when Artemis was 12 years old, he sold the last African Lemur to an extinctionist cult. But the fact that the animal is now extinct isn’t going to stop him–not when his mother’s life is on the like and when he knows a certain time-traveling demon from Book #5.
In Time Paradox, the older Artemis Fowl comes face to face with his devious, Machiavellian younger self. What should have been a very straight-forward hop back in time becomes infinitely more complicated when Artemis Fowl discovers that he can no longer trust his memories of what had happened all those years back.
And as with any time travel story, Colfer delivers plenty of twists and turns to what should have been a simple retrieval mission. Fans of the series will be delighted by the return of the young and diabolic Artemis Fowl they remember from the first book and a few other long time characters from previous books.
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Keep an eye out for our upcoming article covering books 7 and…eight! Coming soon to a Canary roost near you. And in the meantime, browse below for a slideshow of book 5 and 6 covers, from the Colfer’s debut in 2001 to the new bright-white 10th anniversary editions.
The Artemis Fowl Cover Evolution, 2001-2011
Books 5-6
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The Book Canaries 
I love Artermis Fowl! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
Me too! Sooon, so soon, and yet so far away…
I must say, I don’t like the new covers that have been designed – I much prefer the older ones.
Looking forward to book very much!
There’s something so…clinical about them. And a dash creepy. My favorite covers are probably the middle ones.
I like covers individually – I think that the old American Time Paradox cover is pretty cool, for example, but I don’t really like the rest. Have you read the first chapter of Last Guardian yet? Such a teaser…
I haven’t seen an ‘Artemis Fowl’ book in a while. I have never read them. My grandson loved them, and years ago, when he was to be home sick for some time, I went to a used book store to find a book for him to read. I had tried to buy some comic books, but no one sells them on our island. The seller said these were popular with kids… he was 10 I think. I bought him a few more over the years. He starts college in the fall… I will have to tell him a new one is coming out and see if he gets excited.
My grandson is half Irish, and really liked that the author was Irish. He is an All-American kid type and I liked seeing that little bit of Irish Pride peeking through.
Cool slideshow…
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