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a-okTopic: Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl is our first Book Of The Week!!!
Excerpt:
Butler checked the porta-radar, muting the volume in case the equipment betrayed their position. The red arm swept the screen with agonizing lethargy, and then ... flash! An upright figure by the tree. Too small for an adult, the wrong proportions for a child. He gave Artemis the thumbs up. Possible match.
Artemis nodded, strapping the mirrored sunglasses across his brow. Butler followed his lead, popping the cap on the weapon's scarlet scope. This was no ordinary dart rifle. It had been specially tooled for a Kenyan ivory hunter, and had the range and rapid-fire capacity of a Kalashnikov. Butler had picked it up for a song from a government official after the ivory poacher's execution.
They crept into the night with practiced silence. The diminutive figure before them unhooked a contraption from around its shoulders, lifting a full-face helmet from a definitely non-human head. Butler wrapped the rifle strap twice around his wrist, pulling the stock into his shoulder. He activated the scope and a red dot appeared in the centre of the figure's back. Artemis nodded and his manservant squeezed the trigger.
And in spite of million to one odds, it was at that precise moment the figure bent low to the earth.
Something whizzed over Holly's head, something that glinted in the starlight. Holly had enough on-the-job experience to realize that she was under fire, and immediately curled her elfin frame into a ball, minimizing the target.
She drew her pistol, rolling towards the shelter of the tree trunk. Her brain scrambled for possibilities. Who could be shooting at her and why?
Something was waiting beside the tree. Something roughly the size of a mountain, but considerably more mobile.
'Nice pea-shooter,' grinned the figure, smothering Holly's gun hand in a turnip-sized fist. Holly managed to extricate her fingers a nanosecond before they snapped like brittle spaghetti.
'I don't suppose you would consider peaceful surrender?' said a cold voice behind her. Holly turned, elbows raised for combat.
'No,' sighed the boy melodramatically. 'I suppose not.'
Holly put on her best brave face.
'Stay back, human. You don't know what you're dealing with.'
The boy laughed. 'I believe, fairy, that you are the one unfamiliar with the facts.'
Fairy? He knew she was a fairy.
'I have magic mud-worm. Enough to turn you and your gorilla into pig droppings.'
The boy took a step closer. 'Brave words, miss. But lies nonetheless. If, as you say, you had magic, you would have no doubt used it by now. No, I suspect that you have gone too long without the Ritual, and you are here to replenish your powers.'
Holly was dumbfounded. There was a human before her, casually spouting sacred secrets. This was disastrous. Catastrophic. It could mean the end of generations of peace. If the humans were aware of a fairy sub-culture, it was only a matter of time before the species went to war. She must do something, and there was only one weapon left in her arsenal.
Artemis Fowl is about a 12 year old genius kid who lives in a Dublin Mansion with his insane mother, his butler named Butler, and Butler's little sister Juliet. For years the Fowl Family has been in for the life of crime and are very rich. Since Artemis's father disappeared on a Russian ship carrying Artemis's father and his crew and several cans of soda, Artemis has been determined to find him among his other criminal activities. In this first book Artemis and Butler go on a quest to steal the Fairy's Gold, no easy task, but Artemis is determined.
I really liked this book. I think that it's better for kids over 10 because it can be kind of confusing if you don't know what they're saying. I'd give it a 7/10. If it was made into a movie, it would probably be PG-13.
About the Author: Eoin Colfer
Eoin Colfer was born in Wexford, a beautiful coastal town in the southeast corner of Ireland. He is the second of five sons.
Attending the primary school where his father taught, Eoin first developed his interest in writing and began his life long habit of writing his own stories complete with illustrations. Secondary school continued in the same vein, albeit with the odd sortie to the local girls school for "ceilis" (traditional Irish dancing). On one of these sorties, he met a young lady named Jackie, who would play a rather significant part in his life
In 1991 Eoin married Jackie and a year later they left Ireland and spent the next four years working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. Resettling in Wexford on their arrival back in Ireland Eoin and Jackie recommenced their teaching careers, with Eoin continuing his habit of writing after school.
Not content to rest on his laurels, Eoin wanted to write an Irish story to appeal to a wider audience, a fantasy with a difference. Every child Eoin Colfer has ever taught will testify to his love of traditional magical Irish legends. They will also attest to his innate ability to make these legends come alive for them on a daily basis. It was in this genre he found his inspiration, but then took a unique slant on this well known underworld civilisation.
Eoin decided to send his book to a London based literary agent, Sophie Hicks, and he hasn't looked back since. His monster best seller "Artemis Fowl" was published in hardback in 2001 and was released in paperback on "Fowl Friday" 8th March 2002.
Miramax Films \ Tribeca Productions have optioned the rights for the film version of "Artemis Fowl" and are currently working on the project, Eoin hopes will be filmed in Ireland.
Concentrating full time on writing, Eoin completed the sequel "Artemis Fowl - The Arctic Incident" which proved to be another massive best seller. The third Artemis book "The Eternity Code" is due for release in the USA in May 2003 and in Ireland and Britain in July 2003. Eoin is also working on a musical, so make sure to check on his News page in summer 2003! The new book is expected to come out in May of 2005 and called Artemsi Fowl: The Opal Incident!!!
If you have any more questions about Artemis Fowl of Books In Book Review you can email us at limabean4prez@yahoo.com. Thanks!
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