Yes, I’m back. Again! Work seems to have taken over my life. I really need to learn how to manage my time efficiently. I do not want to miss out on my passion due to work or any other reason. I miss reading so much. I honestly don’t remember the last time I finished a book in a day or two. Those were the days! ? Anyway, I read Artemis Fowl in Jan and Feb. Did the first book’s review in Jan. But then decided to do the review of the series as a whole rather than of individual books.
Artemis Fowl is a 12-year-old criminal mastermind who discovers that there is a fairy world living under the Earth’s surface. In the first book, he plots to kidnap a fairy and hold her for ransom. This is how he comes face to face with Holly Short, the first female officer in her division. Over the course of the next 7 books, they reluctantly start working together and ultimately become friends. We are then taken through the different adventures that Artemis and Holly face together.
I loved the first book. Even though it sounded a bit childish at times the plot was great and I enjoyed it. The book is of course classified as both children’s literature and young adult(?) so the childishness is acceptable. The world-building was great in Book 1. It’s been more than 2 months since I read it but I can still see the fairy world vividly in my mind.
Artemis Fowl was a difficult character to like in the initial books. As we go through the books, he gradually starts to change and I just couldn’t help but like him! Having said that, Holly Short was my favorite character. She is the first female officer in her division but she stands her ground on what she believes is right. She is a strong character but I do wish we got more background on her life. I was expecting this to be covered in the later books but not a lot was mentioned. Only a brief history of her father was given. I needed more than that. None of the other characters in the book made an impact on me!
Moving on to what I did not like, some of the characters kind of kept changing to suit the needs of the plot! Especially Mulch, the dwarf, and Juliet, Artemis’ bodyguard Butler’s sister. It was always Mulch who suddenly pops up to save Artemis and Holly. And every time some new trait of dwarves is revealed which is just what’s required to save the day! If this happened once, I could accept it. But no, it just kept happening again and again in every book! The same goes for Juliet. In the first book, she is shown as kind of a dumb person. But then suddenly from the second book, she is a trained bodyguard. Of course, the plot says she was training to be one for some time. But the timeline between the first and second books do not match.
There were many other glaring plot holes and too many coincidences. Even Opal Koboi who turns out to be the main villain throughout the book didn’t leave much of an impression on me. Her character was very bland and not developed well. I didn’t even care whether she was out to destroy the world! There were also a few deaths in the series but none of them left a mark on me.
Even though the world-building was great in Book 1, the author did not capitalize on this in the subsequent books. There was so much potential but unfortunately, it was not exploited.
My favorite book in the series was Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox. This book is a close 5 star for me. The time travel is done perfectly and I felt both Artemis and Holly’s characters develop well. This is the book that made me love both of their characters. But regrettably, except for the first and this book, none of the others turned out to be exceptional.
The series is good for a one-time read but don’t expect to be blown away. Even the ending was kind of a let-down for me.
My Rating: 2.5⭐/5