Scan barcode
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
This is my last sci-fi / fantasy summer review. It's time to hit the books, head back to school. Next week, and for the month of September, I'll feature reviews of back-to-school and school related titles.
I've never reviewed an Artemis Fowl book because my kiddos read through them at an alarming speed early on (in elementary school) and by the time I was book blogging, they were in high school and totally out of the series. But I saw this at the library, pre-COVID shutdown, and thought, ah, what the heck, I'd give it a shot for old times sake.
It was far better than I remember the Artemis books being!
The premise was already well-established. The Fowl twins are Artemis' younger brothers, all born to a crime-boss family whose father turned his life around, not really, but at least 120-degrees to a slightly more above-board approach to life, although you can never forget all the enemies you've made as a crime boss, so you educate and prepare the heck out of your kids in case they're ever kidnapped.
Which sounds great, until the Fowl parents do the "incredibly stupid-parent thing" and leave the twins alone with NANNI, the family AI that manages all their compound security.
Eleven-year-old Fowl twins Myles (the brains) and Beckett (the brawn) are playing on the beach -- do these boys actually play? No. Well, they're on the beach of the Irish coast where their parental compound is located, when a "toy" troll burrows up from the inner depths of the earth and splutters onto the sand.
Beckett sees it immediately after nefarious criminal mastermind Lord Teddy Bleedham-Dry (wink! wink!) shoots it with a shrink-wrap bullet, that wraps the little guy in plastic and Beckett mistakes it for an action figure. A plastic toy. He names it Whistle Blower.
NANNI senses the gunshot and whisks the boys off to the saferoom, via drones, with the troll still tucked in Beckett's pocket, and issues a full-blast EMP.
Fairy Lazuli Heitz, a specialist with the Lower Elements Police Force, just happens to see it all happen and ... makes Dalkey Island, the entire Island, disappear. Using super-advanced fairy technology, of course. Or you can just call it magic and leave it at that. It's her duty to retrieve the troll, at any cost. Well, not any, but a lot of cost, most of it to her career, if she gets this wrong. Plus, the EMP did a number on her regenerative suit, so she can't fly -- not until her suit recharges. Which takes forever.
Lord Bleedham-Drye is perturbed, and the disappearance of the entire island sets of the radar of one nun who's out to prove the existence of fairies and exploit them. Soon Sister Jeronima Gonzalez-Ramos de Zarate is on the Fowl doorstep and kidnaps the boys, while Lord Bleedham-Drye bides his time, like a true hunter.
They both seriously underestimate Myles and Beckett, time after time.
I won't go any further than this, but it was full of truly smart twists and turns and a few I didn't see coming. My daughter read it, but it's a bit young for her now.
Enjoy this light summer read, especially if you caught the Artemis Fowl movie release on Disney Plus earlier this year! We didn't, but I've explained it's a bit beyond my two kiddos by now, and we generally don't watch movies we know are based on books, ever. My daughter says they ruin the "pictures" in her mind from reading the books. Think Percy Jackson. For us, it's better to play it safe and just abstain.
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
I've never reviewed an Artemis Fowl book because my kiddos read through them at an alarming speed early on (in elementary school) and by the time I was book blogging, they were in high school and totally out of the series. But I saw this at the library, pre-COVID shutdown, and thought, ah, what the heck, I'd give it a shot for old times sake.
It was far better than I remember the Artemis books being!
The premise was already well-established. The Fowl twins are Artemis' younger brothers, all born to a crime-boss family whose father turned his life around, not really, but at least 120-degrees to a slightly more above-board approach to life, although you can never forget all the enemies you've made as a crime boss, so you educate and prepare the heck out of your kids in case they're ever kidnapped.
Which sounds great, until the Fowl parents do the "incredibly stupid-parent thing" and leave the twins alone with NANNI, the family AI that manages all their compound security.
Eleven-year-old Fowl twins Myles (the brains) and Beckett (the brawn) are playing on the beach -- do these boys actually play? No. Well, they're on the beach of the Irish coast where their parental compound is located, when a "toy" troll burrows up from the inner depths of the earth and splutters onto the sand.
Beckett sees it immediately after nefarious criminal mastermind Lord Teddy Bleedham-Dry (wink! wink!) shoots it with a shrink-wrap bullet, that wraps the little guy in plastic and Beckett mistakes it for an action figure. A plastic toy. He names it Whistle Blower.
NANNI senses the gunshot and whisks the boys off to the saferoom, via drones, with the troll still tucked in Beckett's pocket, and issues a full-blast EMP.
Fairy Lazuli Heitz, a specialist with the Lower Elements Police Force, just happens to see it all happen and ... makes Dalkey Island, the entire Island, disappear. Using super-advanced fairy technology, of course. Or you can just call it magic and leave it at that. It's her duty to retrieve the troll, at any cost. Well, not any, but a lot of cost, most of it to her career, if she gets this wrong. Plus, the EMP did a number on her regenerative suit, so she can't fly -- not until her suit recharges. Which takes forever.
Lord Bleedham-Drye is perturbed, and the disappearance of the entire island sets of the radar of one nun who's out to prove the existence of fairies and exploit them. Soon Sister Jeronima Gonzalez-Ramos de Zarate is on the Fowl doorstep and kidnaps the boys, while Lord Bleedham-Drye bides his time, like a true hunter.
They both seriously underestimate Myles and Beckett, time after time.
I won't go any further than this, but it was full of truly smart twists and turns and a few I didn't see coming. My daughter read it, but it's a bit young for her now.
Enjoy this light summer read, especially if you caught the Artemis Fowl movie release on Disney Plus earlier this year! We didn't, but I've explained it's a bit beyond my two kiddos by now, and we generally don't watch movies we know are based on books, ever. My daughter says they ruin the "pictures" in her mind from reading the books. Think Percy Jackson. For us, it's better to play it safe and just abstain.
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
alijoy94's review against another edition
4.0
Return to the world of Artemis Fowl and the LEP, this time following the adventures of the now eleven year old twins Myles and Beckett. With miniature toy trolls, a pixie/elf hybrid (a.k.a. a pixel), villainous dukes and secret agent nuns, Eoin Colfer has brought his usual wit, unbelievable feats and a touch of the insane to the debut of his newest series. Full of hints and cameos of everyone's favourites from the original series, the Fowl Twins is sure to be a hit amoungst fans, new and old!
claundici's review against another edition
5.0
SO FUCKING DELIGHTFUL. nineteen years gone by and my man Eoin continues to deliver solid action-packed plots and funny as fuck characters. i even teared up a li'l bit a couple of times. too precious.
leah04's review against another edition
3.0
This was good entertainment but i didn’t fell in love with it.
3,5 ⭐️
3,5 ⭐️
vermidian's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I went into this book ready to meet the twins as functioning members of the Fowl family, and I got them. Myles is the smart, Artemis-like twin - the personality type that the series has come to depend on. Beckett is the "dumb" polygot and martial artist. They are also physically different looking, just to drive home the point of "these twins are nothing alike!" But it was stereotyping to the max, and that aspect kind of bothered me at times. Myles also suffered heavily from comparing himself to Artemis constantly, to the point that he still felt like a character in the book. Through digital recordings and references to him that felt like nearly every chapter, Myles (and sort of the whole book) fell under the shadow of the previous series. And, to be fair, I expected that somewhat. Artemis Fowl was a great book series and it's why I continued on to this subsequent series. However, I feel like the new Fowl characters would really shine if they had let them stand on their own four feet without the constant mentions.
I liked Lazuli. I thought it was fun to explore her identity in the fairy culture. However, I kind of felt like she sort of took a back seat in this book. She was a necessary element for the book to have, as I assume this will kick off subsequent adventures exploring the underground fairy world. However, I sometimes felt she was just kind of set dressing so that the Fowl twins could succeed. I felt like she really came into her own in that final fight when she got her magic, so I look forward to seeing her grow more over the course of the later books. I felt like they spent more time developing Whistle Blower, who was honestly kind of cute. NANNI was also an interesting side character, and I love the idea of artificial life becoming sentient, so I'm interested in seeing what way they go with her.
Was it enjoyable? Yeah. I don't think it was as good as the original series, but that's a tall order anyway. Will I read on? Also yes.
I liked Lazuli. I thought it was fun to explore her identity in the fairy culture. However, I kind of felt like she sort of took a back seat in this book. She was a necessary element for the book to have, as I assume this will kick off subsequent adventures exploring the underground fairy world. However, I sometimes felt she was just kind of set dressing so that the Fowl twins could succeed. I felt like she really came into her own in that final fight when she got her magic, so I look forward to seeing her grow more over the course of the later books. I felt like they spent more time developing Whistle Blower, who was honestly kind of cute. NANNI was also an interesting side character, and I love the idea of artificial life becoming sentient, so I'm interested in seeing what way they go with her.
Was it enjoyable? Yeah. I don't think it was as good as the original series, but that's a tall order anyway. Will I read on? Also yes.
angeldu's review against another edition
4.0
As we've come to expect from the Artemis Fowl series, this book is again filled with the outrageous exploits of the Fowl brethren, fraternal twins Myles and Beckett Fowl. They're complete polar opposites; Myles is even more tedious than his older brother (who is now on a space mission to Mars) and Beckett is too busy talking to animals to put on clothes. Nonetheless, the brothers love each other and complement each other perfectly - Myles is the brain and Beckett is the brawn.
When Bleed-Them-Dry duke wants to capture a troll to use troll poison for immortality, the Fowl twins get kidnapped by a CIA like religious anti-fairy group. Lazuli Heitz is dragged into this mess when she is sent to rescue this troll and from then on all hell breaks loose. Filled with as much tech as you'd expect from an Eoin Colfer book, it was very fast paced and the narration suitably witty. A highly enjoyable return to the Fowl universe.
When Bleed-Them-Dry duke wants to capture a troll to use troll poison for immortality, the Fowl twins get kidnapped by a CIA like religious anti-fairy group. Lazuli Heitz is dragged into this mess when she is sent to rescue this troll and from then on all hell breaks loose. Filled with as much tech as you'd expect from an Eoin Colfer book, it was very fast paced and the narration suitably witty. A highly enjoyable return to the Fowl universe.
mari_lace_reads_things's review against another edition
3.0
Artemis Fowl è una delle mie saghe preferite in assoluto. Scoprire l'esistenza di un sequel sui gemelli mi ha vagamente preoccupata, per quanto rivedere Artemis e gli altri non mi dispiacesse in linea teorica.
Fowl Twins ha alcuni degli elementi vincenti di Colfer: umorismo e un intreccio che funziona, per dirne due. Per me, però, non regge l'inevitabile confronto. (Seguono riferimenti ad AF e vaghi spoiler di questo romanzo; non tanto sugli eventi, ma commento i personaggi/parlo di chi appare.)
Myles Fowl è Artemis2, un giovane genio criminale che pretende di essere persino superiore ad Artemis (personalmente tutti gli esempi di questa "superiorità", tipo Myles che suggestiona Artemis nel sonno senza che lui se ne renda conto, mi hanno abbastanza irritata, ma questo immagino sia un problema mio).
Beckett Fowl viene presentato come il braccio del duo, quello che non pensa ma fa, ricoprendo in pratica il ruolo di Leale in questo romanzo. Solo che Leale è una guardia del corpo che si è addestrata per anni, Beckett un bambino prodigio che riesce a eseguire una complessa mossa "impossibile" da replicare così, a istinto, perché lui è Beckett e Beckett può. La facilità con cui sottomette decine di adulti presumibilmente addestrati almeno un minimo è ridicola – va bene la sospensione dell'incredulità, ma insomma.
E parlando di Leale: Artemis e Domovoi convenientemente sono su un razzo verso Marte, per nessun altro motivo se non che metterlo nello spazio era l'unico modo per togliere Artemis di mezzo e giustificare il suo non intervenire nelle avventure dei fratelli (Artemis. Un cadavere in buona salute. Nello spazio.), ma Juliet dov'è finita? Colfer ce l'ha per vizio di perdersi i personaggi, ma se posso passare sopra Minerva Paradizo, l'assenza totale della GUARDIA DEL CORPO DI MYLES E BECKETT si meritava almeno una frase di spiegazione. Il romanzo si apre sui gemelli da soli sulla spiaggia di famiglia, con i genitori in viaggio e Artemis nello spazio, ma non una parola su Juliet Leale. Al suo posto c'è TATA, un'intelligenza artificiale incaricata di proteggerli. Anche così, lasciare a vivere da soli due undicenni: yay for parenting.
Il personaggio che ho più apprezzato probabilmente è la specializzanda Lazuli, una creatura ibrida del Popolo che si ritrova coinvolta nell'avventura dei gemelli uscendone a fine romanzo molto cambiata.
L'avventura vera e propria non mi ha coinvolta molto, lo sviluppo in sé è stato abbastanza prevedibile, con qualche elemento interessante qua e là (tipo l'ACRONYMO, con le conseguenze di alcuni dei fatti di AF).
Nel complesso una lettura che può essere piacevole per passare il tempo, niente di eccezionale. Non sono interessata a leggere i due seguiti.
Fowl Twins ha alcuni degli elementi vincenti di Colfer: umorismo e un intreccio che funziona, per dirne due. Per me, però, non regge l'inevitabile confronto. (Seguono riferimenti ad AF e vaghi spoiler di questo romanzo; non tanto sugli eventi, ma commento i personaggi/parlo di chi appare.)
Myles Fowl è Artemis2, un giovane genio criminale che pretende di essere persino superiore ad Artemis (personalmente tutti gli esempi di questa "superiorità", tipo Myles che suggestiona Artemis nel sonno senza che lui se ne renda conto, mi hanno abbastanza irritata, ma questo immagino sia un problema mio).
Beckett Fowl viene presentato come il braccio del duo, quello che non pensa ma fa, ricoprendo in pratica il ruolo di Leale in questo romanzo. Solo che Leale è una guardia del corpo che si è addestrata per anni, Beckett un bambino prodigio che riesce a eseguire una complessa mossa "impossibile" da replicare così, a istinto, perché lui è Beckett e Beckett può. La facilità con cui sottomette decine di adulti presumibilmente addestrati almeno un minimo è ridicola – va bene la sospensione dell'incredulità, ma insomma.
E parlando di Leale: Artemis e Domovoi convenientemente sono su un razzo verso Marte, per nessun altro motivo se non che metterlo nello spazio era l'unico modo per togliere Artemis di mezzo e giustificare il suo non intervenire nelle avventure dei fratelli (Artemis. Un cadavere in buona salute. Nello spazio.), ma Juliet dov'è finita? Colfer ce l'ha per vizio di perdersi i personaggi, ma se posso passare sopra Minerva Paradizo, l'assenza totale della GUARDIA DEL CORPO DI MYLES E BECKETT si meritava almeno una frase di spiegazione. Il romanzo si apre sui gemelli da soli sulla spiaggia di famiglia, con i genitori in viaggio e Artemis nello spazio, ma non una parola su Juliet Leale. Al suo posto c'è TATA, un'intelligenza artificiale incaricata di proteggerli. Anche così, lasciare a vivere da soli due undicenni: yay for parenting.
Il personaggio che ho più apprezzato probabilmente è la specializzanda Lazuli, una creatura ibrida del Popolo che si ritrova coinvolta nell'avventura dei gemelli uscendone a fine romanzo molto cambiata.
L'avventura vera e propria non mi ha coinvolta molto, lo sviluppo in sé è stato abbastanza prevedibile, con qualche elemento interessante qua e là (tipo l'ACRONYMO, con le conseguenze di alcuni dei fatti di AF).
Nel complesso una lettura che può essere piacevole per passare il tempo, niente di eccezionale. Non sono interessata a leggere i due seguiti.
sagenguyen's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0