Harry Potter and Alex Rider, Rolled into One (Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony)

Member Name: regal_eagle

Product:	Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony
Date:	18/02/07 (178 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A different sort of hero

Disadvantages: None

Well into the Artemis Fowl series, this is the fifth book to be published about the young mastermind and former criminal. For those who have read the earlier books will be familiar with the witty humour, intelligent plot and the jolting twists that feature in all Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl books.

Characters:
The Lost Colony features all the favourite characters: Foaly, and his inability to keep from boasting about his genius works of technology. Mulch, with his infamous ‘bum flap’ which you would not want in your face for obvious reasons… Butler, and his single- minded protection of Artemis out of both love and duty. Holly, who cannot sit by and let some one else make the world a better place. And of course, Artemis Fowl, the mastermind, the genius, himself, who has recently taken a less selfish route and is actually thinking about the betterment of both men and fairies.
The book introduces a new character, Minerva, who like Artemis, is also a young genius. Artemis sees in her the same greed and selfishness that he used to have, but he tries to make her see the wider picture.

The Plot
Just because Artemis has turned over a new leaf, doesn't mean he’s not fun any more! He is still using his brilliant mind to get them all out of tight fixes- and into guarded fortresses!
Artemis is trying to save a long lost species of fairies that are close to extinction. However, he is up against several adversaries, from Minerva who only wants a Nobel Prize, her disillusioned bodyguard who is out for revenge, to a third most unlikely one…
With Artemis is Holly, back in uniform, and Mulch who has left crime in respect of the death of…in the previous book, and is now using his knowledge of the underworld to root out criminals. When they are contacted by an elite force to investigate why Artemis is so interested in the ‘demons,’ they agree to help. But when events spiral out of hand it is not only the existence of the unhelpful demons at stake, but also their own…

I would give the book a rating of 4 stars. Maybe I’m getting older, but I loved the first Artemis Fowl book more than any of its sequels, but nevertheless, Colfer has a unique style that few authors would be able to match. Colfer is very much like Anthony Horowitz, whom I also admire for his writing. But I think Colfer has more style; instead of moulding his hero into a known one, as Alex Rider has been moulded into James Bond, he has made Artemis Fowl who is totally original. Fowl is not known for his physical prowess, but his mental ability under duress. It is not for him to do the athletic heroics, instead his brains are protected behind the bulk of Butler. Yet, he is still a hero.

I definitely recommend it. Though it is not necessary to read the other books, I would recommend that the first book should be read before any other. It is rumoured there will be one more book after this. I eagerly look forward to it.

Summary: The work of an artiste