This time around I want to go over one of the more intriguing kids series that I have come across. I know many of you have probably already heard of it but I still want to discuss the first book today. The book in question is Artemis Fowl, written by Eoin Colfer, and there are numerous things about it to discuss but I will go over them in more detail later. Time to go over what the book is actually about first. Artemis Fowl is the name of the book and the name of the main protagonist. He is a young genius, about twelve at the time of the first book, who is determined to restore his family fortune after an unfortunate investment that resulted in the loss of a large part of the fortune and the supposed death of his father, also named Artemis Fowl. However, the Fowl family is a family of criminal masterminds with Artemis being the next in line to take over. His plan to regain the fortune is rather audacious and daring but comes across as slightly insane as well. He plans to kidnap a fairy and hold them ransom. While hoping to get any fairy he ends up with Holly Short, a captain in the Lower Elements Police recon unit or LEPrecon as it is more commonly known. From there it goes about how you would expect as Artemis Fowl and his bodyguard, Butler, go head to head with the LEP lead by Commander Root, Short’s superior officer, in an attempt to outsmart each other.
As you have probably gathered this is a particularly interesting work because, technically speaking, Artemis Fowl is a villain but is also the protagonist of the story, meaning he is the main character whose viewpoint we see the most of. I don’t know about you but typically kids’ books are about the heroes, not the villains. This makes it a nice change of pace. It is still a great read and despite Fowl being a villain he still shows his humanity and his capacity for empathy throughout the story. He worries about the mental health of his mother after the disappearance of his father and he does his best to not harm the fairies, at least not too much anyway. Fowl is also a man of his word and a man of honor so he does exactly what he said he would do for most of the story. He does come across as a little arrogant and overly sure of himself at times and is frequently reluctant to explain his plans and thought process, even to his comrade and bodyguard Butler. However, he also shows some character growth by the end of the book and the ending sets it up nicely for a continuation of the series in the future. I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Honestly, yes I would recommend this series for other readers. It is a great story with plenty of fantasy elements that can really draw the reader in. The book is primarily aimed at younger readers so just about anybody who can read a slightly thicker chapter book could probably read this book. If the person in question enjoys fantasy then they should really give it a try. There are moderate amounts of violence but less so than similar books such as Percy Jackson. In my opinion, it could be read and enjoyed by anyone of any age range even though it is aimed at younger readers. If you happen to be familiar with it go ahead and share what you think in the comments. I am curious what you think about the book and the series in general.