Rating: 4/10
The last Artemis Fowl I read was almost 2 years back. However, I still preordered the latest installment in the series, and found it waiting outside my door one [film grainy] evening.
The previous books in the series were good as far as I remember. There was tech, gadgets, action and a plot believable to an extent. However, the latest edition does all it can to disappoint.
This was clearly obvious after I read the back of the book. Artemis has a form of Multiple Personality Disorder that seems fake, and is stretched to the limit, eliciting no laughs. But the most annoying thing is the fact that the gadgets featured are stupid, and the use of tech is very watered down as compared to the first book. Also, the ending is unbelievable with a weird romantic side shown to the diabolical villain who in the end chooeses to “valiantly” die along with his wife. And I did expect more from the Atlantis part of the story, but there was hardly enough to satisfy. Its almost as if Colfer has watered down the book to make it child-friendly.
Also, somehow inexplicably everyone keeps punching the other person in the Solar Plexus.
This does remind me of the South Park episode “The China Problem” where George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are shown raping Indiana Jones. I mean seriously, what has Colfer done with the character? Have some 3 year diaper wearing prodigies who have trouble understanding multi layered plots hired fairies to perform a mesmer on the author? Or did they just have fetishes for watching lead characters being raped by their creators? I guess that seems to be the general idea.
To be perfectly fair though, the book does have its good points. Like the fact that the antagonist was Prisoner no. 42 when imprisoned. And the fact that there are giant squids (Who doesn’t love ‘em?).
In all other respects, you could give this tome a skip.
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- Eoin Colfer to bid farewell to Artemis Fowl (guardian.co.uk)
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