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A review by cyrce
The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
4.0
Atlantis Complex is, in the Artemis Fowl series, a fairy-based psychosis that develops in guilt-ridden criminals. And, for this entry into the series, Artemis is in the grips of the complex and had been for a while.
But things don’t go Artemis’s way. between the Atlantis Complex and the older brother of the late Julius Root causing problems, Artemis’s project seems to be all but forgotten in favour of solving the latest catastrophe of the fairy kind. Colfer addresses a type of fairy-human interaction we’ve seen hints of between Artemis and Holly. It makes me wonder if those two would ever end up like Leonor and Turnball Root.
While the previous books enforce the theme of good triumphing over evil–even, to an extend, in the first where Artemis has a change of heart–The Atlantis Complex departs from it. With only one book in the series following it, I suspect this is the only one that will resolve the conflict in such a bittersweet way. However, Colfer’s attempt at pushing humour in through the stage 2 manifestation of Atlantis syndrome is a little forced. It might have been better to simply have Artemis stuck obsessing over numbers and growing more and more paranoid rather than adding in multiple personality disorder to the mix.
Still, I will continue to the end with The Last Guardian. Hopefully a reasonable amount of time has passed for Artemis to be rid of his Atlantis complex.
Spoiler
How long it had been since the last book is unclear. A few weeks? A few months? I’m not entirely certain. But it was enough time for him to explain everything to his mother and create something to SAVE THE WORLD. Supposedly. As well as develop Atlantis complex. In the middle of all of this, Artemis is about to unveil his project–The Project, as he calls it–to his fairy friends in an effort to get their help with his Project.But things don’t go Artemis’s way. between the Atlantis Complex and the older brother of the late Julius Root causing problems, Artemis’s project seems to be all but forgotten in favour of solving the latest catastrophe of the fairy kind. Colfer addresses a type of fairy-human interaction we’ve seen hints of between Artemis and Holly. It makes me wonder if those two would ever end up like Leonor and Turnball Root.
While the previous books enforce the theme of good triumphing over evil–even, to an extend, in the first where Artemis has a change of heart–The Atlantis Complex departs from it. With only one book in the series following it, I suspect this is the only one that will resolve the conflict in such a bittersweet way. However, Colfer’s attempt at pushing humour in through the stage 2 manifestation of Atlantis syndrome is a little forced. It might have been better to simply have Artemis stuck obsessing over numbers and growing more and more paranoid rather than adding in multiple personality disorder to the mix.
Still, I will continue to the end with The Last Guardian. Hopefully a reasonable amount of time has passed for Artemis to be rid of his Atlantis complex.