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====''Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian''====
====''Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian''====
{{main|Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian}}
{{main|Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian}}
**Spoiler Alert**The final book of the series, ''Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian'', was released on July 10, 2012.<ref name="Guardian excerpt">{{cite news|last=Minzesheimer|first=Bob|title=Exclusive excerpt: Artemis Fowl Book 8, 'The Last Guardian'|url=http://books.usatoday.com/bookbuzz/post/2012-02-16/exclusive-excerpt-artemis-fowl-book-8-the-last-guardian/628837/1|accessdate=23 March 2012|newspaper=USA Today|date=16 February 2012}}</ref> Opal Koboi opens the Berserker's Gate, a portal located on the Fowl estate, behind which dwell the spirits of Fairy soldiers, the last victims of the Battle of Tallite, the final blow in the war that sent the People underground. The spirits rise and possess the bodies of Artemis' brothers and Butler's sister Juliet, as well as an assortment of wildlife and corpses. Artemis and Holly return the spirits to the portal before they rampage across the world, but the closing of the portal kills Artemis. Foaly clones Artemis, and Artemis's soul inhabits the clone. The clone comes to life, and Holly, in order to help him regain his memories, explains how she originally met Artemis, starting with the opening line of the first book in the series.
The final book of the series, ''Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian'', was released on July 10, 2012.<ref name="Guardian excerpt">{{cite news|last=Minzesheimer|first=Bob|title=Exclusive excerpt: Artemis Fowl Book 8, 'The Last Guardian'|url=http://books.usatoday.com/bookbuzz/post/2012-02-16/exclusive-excerpt-artemis-fowl-book-8-the-last-guardian/628837/1|accessdate=23 March 2012|newspaper=USA Today|date=16 February 2012}}</ref> **Spoiler Alert**Opal Koboi opens the Berserker's Gate, a portal located on the Fowl estate, behind which dwell the spirits of Fairy soldiers, the last victims of the Battle of Tallite, the final blow in the war that sent the People underground. The spirits rise and possess the bodies of Artemis' brothers and Butler's sister Juliet, as well as an assortment of wildlife and corpses. Artemis and Holly return the spirits to the portal before they rampage across the world, but the closing of the portal kills Artemis. Foaly clones Artemis, and Artemis's soul inhabits the clone. The clone comes to life, and Holly, in order to help him regain his memories, explains how she originally met Artemis, starting with the opening line of the first book in the series.


=== Other works ===
=== Other works ===

Revision as of 21:33, 2 April 2013

This article is about the series. For the first book, see Artemis Fowl (novel). For the main character, see Artemis Fowl II.

Artemis Fowl
First edition cover of the first book
Artemis Fowl
The Arctic Incident
The Eternity Code
The Opal Deception
The Lost Colony
The Time Paradox
The Atlantis Complex
The Last Guardian
AuthorEoin Colfer
LanguageEnglish
GenreFantasy, Young adult
PublisherViking Press/Disney Hyperion/ Puffin Books
Published2001 – 2012
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback), Audiobook

Artemis Fowl is a series of eight science fiction fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer, featuring the titular character, Artemis Fowl II. A teenage criminal mastermind, Artemis captures a Fairy, Holly Short, in the first book and holds her for ransom to exploit the magical Fairy People and restore his family's fortune. In the sequel, Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, he allies with the Fairies to rescue his father from the Russian Mafia. The series introduces Artemis as an anti-hero and the fairies' enemy, but as the series progresses, he assists the Fairies in resolving conflicts with worldwide ramifications; Artemis develops a strong sense of morals, and by the final book, he is willing to sacrifice his life for his friends. The series concluded with Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian, released July 2012.[1]

The series has received positive critical reception and generated huge sales. It has also originated graphic novel adaptations, and a film adaptation is currently in the writing process.[2]

Series overview

Main series

Artemis Fowl

Main article: Artemis Fowl (novel)

Artemis Fowl is the first book in the series. Artemis Fowl, the main character and anti-hero, and his bodyguard, Butler, kidnap Lower Elements Police Captain Holly Short, a fairy elf, and demand a ransom from the People - the various fairies who have moved their entire civilisation underground to hide from humans - for one ton of twenty-four carat gold.

A graphic novel adaptation was released in 2007. A film adaptation was reported to be in the writing stage in mid-2008 with Jim Sheridan directing.[3]

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident

Main article: Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident is the second book of the series. It follows the rescue of Artemis Fowl I from the Russian Mafia, alongside the battle against the goblin rebellion led by the pixie Opal Koboi and elf Briar Cudgeon. A graphic novel adaptation was released in 2009.

Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code

Main article: Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code

Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code covers the theft of the fictional C Cube by Jon Spiro and its eventual recovery. Butler is shot in the chest, and Holly Short heals him but he becomes several years older in the process. In the end, the Lower Elements Police mind-wipe Butler and Artemis, although they regain their memories in the next book. The graphic novel adaptation is scheduled for release around the end of 2012.[4]

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception

Main article: Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception

The fourth book, Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception, covers pixie Opal Koboi's second attempt at world domination, after her first unfruitful attempt in the second novel. Koboi convinces Giovanni Zito, a fictional environmentalist, to send a probe into the ground. The probe would have revealed the existence of fairies to the humans, but Artemis and Holly stop it. However, Koboi kills LEP Commander Julius Root, framing Captain Holly Short. Short is eventually acquitted but does not return to the LEP. Without Root, Short leaves the LEP and joins Mulch Diggums to form a private investigation firm. Ark Sool becomes LEP's new commander.

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony

Main article: Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony involves bringing the demon island Hybras back from "Limbo," with the help of N°1, a powerful demon warlock. The demons regroup in Limbo, hoping for enough warriors to overthrow the human race so fairies could live on the surface once more. The time spell goes wrong, trapping the demons in Limbo without a warlock to bring them back. After Artemis predicts where a demon will show up, he meets Minerva, another child prodigy. Once N°1 revives the remaining warlock, Qwan, the group saves Hybras after defeating Abbot, a traitor demon. While they are in the time stream, almost three years pass in the human world, and Artemis returns to find that he has twin brothers, Myles and Beckett.

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox

Main article: Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox

The sixth book of the series, Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox, was released in the United States on 15 July 2008 and in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2008. Artemis' mother, Angeline Fowl, becomes ill with Spelltropy, and the only cure lies in the brain fluids of the silky sifaka lemur, the last of which Artemis killed when he was ten. N°1 sends Artemis and Holly to the past, where Artemis must battle his former self to recover the last silky sifaka lemur before the younger Artemis kills it in a business transaction with Damon Kronski, the leader of the Extinctionists.

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex

Main article: Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex

In Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, Artemis contracts Atlantis Complex, a psychological disease which is the fairy equivalent of a combination of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, extreme paranoia, and Multiple Personality Disorder.[5] His alter ego, Orion, becomes dominant and wreaks havoc, proclaiming Holly to be his true love and calling Foaly his "noble steed." Meanwhile, Turnball Root, Julius Root's older brother, is doing all he can to break out of prison and restore youth to his elderly human wife, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Artemis fights his crippling paranoia and does all he can to save the fairies.

Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian

Main article: Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian

The final book of the series, Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian, was released on July 10, 2012.[6] **Spoiler Alert**Opal Koboi opens the Berserker's Gate, a portal located on the Fowl estate, behind which dwell the spirits of Fairy soldiers, the last victims of the Battle of Tallite, the final blow in the war that sent the People underground. The spirits rise and possess the bodies of Artemis' brothers and Butler's sister Juliet, as well as an assortment of wildlife and corpses. Artemis and Holly return the spirits to the portal before they rampage across the world, but the closing of the portal kills Artemis. Foaly clones Artemis, and Artemis's soul inhabits the clone. The clone comes to life, and Holly, in order to help him regain his memories, explains how she originally met Artemis, starting with the opening line of the first book in the series.

Other works

Main articles: Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel and The Artemis Fowl Files

Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel is a graphic novel adaptation of the first book, and was published in October 2007. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident: The Graphic Novel, an adaptation of the second book, was released in 2009. An adaptation of the third book is set to be released in July 2013.[4]

The Artemis Fowl Files is a companion book to the series, and was published in October 2004.

Electronic Arts has brought the first six books in the series to the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi as parts in its Flips kids' range which was released 4 December 2009.[7]

"Artemis Fowl: The Seventh Dwarf" is a story written for World Book Day[8] and is set between the first and second books.

The audiobooks were narrated by Nathaniel Parker.[9] Adrian Dunbar and Enn Reitel narrated certain versions from different audiobook companies.

Film adaptation

In 2001 plans were announced for a film adaptation of the series.[10] Miramax Films was named as purchasing the film rights, with Lawrence Guterman signed to direct.[11] In 2003 Colfer stated that a screenplay had been finalized and that casting was due to start the same year, but expressed skepticism over whether or not this would come to pass.[12] The film remained in development and was assumed to be in development hell until 2011, when it was reported that Jim Sheridan was interested in directing the movie.[13][14]

Major characters

Main article: List of Artemis Fowl characters

Artemis Fowl

Main article: Artemis Fowl II

An Irish child prodigy and a ruthless master criminal, Artemis Fowl II uses his intelligence to build his family fortune through crime. This stems from his family, who have been criminals for generations.[15] At first, Artemis is cold, cynical, and distant even from his closest friend and bodyguard, Butler. Throughout the series, his moral character improves, and he begins to show remorse for his actions and love for his family. Under the influence of Holly and his family, he steals only from those who deserve it, and shares his loot with the public. In the first book, he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the fairy LEP to obtain massive amounts of gold. He later works with fairies to defeat villains and save both the human and fairy worlds.

Domovoi Butler

Domovoi Butler is the Fowl's loyal manservant and Artemis' bodyguard. He is also Artemis' closest friend and accomplice.[16] His comprehensive knowledge of weapons and extensive training in martial arts at Madam Ko's have allowed him to become the only being to single-handedly defeat a troll. Butler follows Artemis around the world on his adventures and possesses a wide variety of contacts he uses to aid Artemis. He wants Artemis to practice everyday, who instead, spends the time building a laser.

Foaly

Main article: Foaly

Foaly is a centaur, a technical genius, and a computer geek. He works for the LEP (Lower Elements Police), the fairy authorities, and is in charge of preventing humankind from discovering the fairy civilization. He designs weaponry, wings, and other technical gadgets that the LEP need. He is not polite to others, except for Captain Holly Short. He is 'hitched' or married to a centaur named Caballine, and apparently has kids, though the number was not specified.

Holly Short

Main article: Holly Short

Holly is a determined, forthright elf and the only female member of LEPrecon, the recon division of the LEP. Holly is three feet tall and slender, with coffee-colored skin and crew-cut style auburn hair. She has one hazel eye and one blue eye, the latter of which she received when she switched eyes with Artemis in the fifth book. Compassionate and caring, she goes as far as healing Butler from fatal wounds sustained fighting a troll, even though he has been integral in the plan to hold her hostage—this act goes some way to changing both Artemis' and Butler's views on fairies. Since then, she has often helped Artemis and Butler save the human and fairy worlds. Her relationship with Artemis has changed dramatically since the beginning of the series, morphing from hostility to grudging respect to friendship to a possibility of more, as seen in The Time Paradox.

Opal Koboi

Main article: Opal Koboi

Opal is a deranged pixie whose dream is world-domination and the destruction of the LEP. A prodigy, she built Koboi Laboratories, a technology company, which she used to crush her father's company. Featured in several of the Artemis Fowl books as the main antagonist, she attempts to take over Haven with a goblin army, alert humans to the existence of fairy people, and control time. In the fourth book, Opal kills Commander Root using a bomb and frames Holly for the murder. She detests Foaly, a technology-loving centaur who works for the LEP, because he once bested her in a competition.

Mulch Diggums

Main article: Mulch Diggums

Mulch is a kleptomaniac, criminal dwarf who has been involved in crime for about 300 years. When considered with the average fairy life span he is not old by any means, making him nice and spry, a good advantage for a criminal. He once was a mining dwarf, but later decided that stealing from mud men (in other words, humans) suited him much better. He insists that humans were stealing from fairy-kind and the earth and that he is simply taking them back or repossessing the items. In the early books, he assisted the LEP or Lower Elements Police against Artemis Fowl, although later, he sides with Artemis Fowl. But eventually, when the fairies and Artemis are on stable ground, he joins forces with The People on many adventures.

Commander Julius Root

Juilus Root was the Commander of the Recon branch of the LEP. Known for his ruddy face and extremely short temper, he commanded Holly Short on many missions until his death in The Opal Deception.

Themes

Colfer has said in interviews that the series is about Artemis growing up.[3] Themes of greed, trust, and the difference between good and evil are also present in the books.

Critical reception

Colfer summed up the series as "Die Hard with fairies."[17] Critics call the series "the new Harry Potter",[18] although Colfer does not agree.[19] Kate Kellaway of The Observer called the first book "a smart, amusing one-off. It flashes with hi-tech invention – as if Colfer were as much an inspired boffin as a writer".[19] Time.com said, "Artemis Fowl is pacy, playful, and very funny, an inventive mix of myth and modernity, magic and crime",[20] while The New York Times Book Review said that "Colfer has done enormously, explosively well".[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Eoin Colfer signs three-book deal with Disney Publishing Worldwide". Gamut News. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  2. ^ "Artemis Fowl Confidential Eoin Colfer Interview (August 2008)". Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  3. ^ a b Al's Book Club for Kids: Author Eoin Colfer Discusses "Artemis Fowl" (Television production). Today New York Studio: NBC news. 1 August 2008. Event occurs at 03:20. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  4. ^ a b Artemis Fowl Confidential Eoin Colfer Interview (January 2011). Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  5. ^ The Atlantis Complex, Artemis Fowl #7. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  6. ^ Minzesheimer, Bob (16 February 2012). "Exclusive excerpt: Artemis Fowl Book 8, 'The Last Guardian'". USA Today. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  7. ^ Jon Jordan (10 September 2009). "EA brings Artemis Fowl, Too Ghoul For School, Cathy Cassidy and The Magic Faraway Tree to DS". Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  8. ^ YouTube – Eoin Colfer reads from The 7th Dwarf (World Book Day 2004). Retrieved 14 September 2008.
  9. ^ "Audiobooks narrated by Nathaniel Parker". Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  10. ^ "Author's 'Fowl' play includes sequel, movie". USA Today. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  11. ^ "Miramax Has Rights To Make Movie Of Book Artemis Fowl'". Star-News. 19 February 2003. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  12. ^ "A moment with ... 'Artemis Fowl' author Eoin Colfer". Seattle PI. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  13. ^ "Irish fantasy role raises Saoirse's elf esteem". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  14. ^ "Artemis Fowl Film Attracts Director Jim Sheridan And Star Saoirse Ronan". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  15. ^ Colfer, Eoin (26 April 2001). Artemis Fowl. Artemis Fowl series. Viking Press. pp. 28–29. ISBN 0-670899623. OCLC 46493219.
  16. ^ Colfer, Eoin (26 April 2001). Artemis Fowl. Artemis Fowl series. Viking Press. p. 16. ISBN 0-670899623. OCLC 46493219.
  17. ^ Frederick, Heather Vogel (23 April 2001). "'Die Hard' With Fairies". Publishers Weekly. 248 (17). Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  18. ^ "Film Runs Afoul on Artemis – Fi Sci – Your Source for Sci Fi Goodness – Sci fi/ Fantasy News". Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  19. ^ a b Kellaway, Kate (13 May 2001). "Elf and happiness". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  20. ^ Shields, Elinor (7 May 2011). "A Magical Myth". Time Magazine. 157 (18). Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  21. ^ Maguire, Gregory (17 June 2001). "Children's Books". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 March 2012.

External links

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