Artemis Fowl Series

  By Eoin Colfer (published by Viking Press)

Artemis Fowl is a bestselling, riveting and exciting adventure fantasy series for age 9 +. Artemis Fowl is a twelve-year-old child prodigy with a criminal mastermind, dedicating his life to leading the Fowl criminal empire, which has existed in his family for generations. 

Book 1

In the first book of the series, we’re introduced to Artemis Fowl, a pre-teen millionaire, genius, and above all, criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren’t the fairies of bedtime stories—they’re dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl was described by the author as ‘Die hard with fairies.’

Who should read this?

The sophisticated and witty writing style makes this a great pre-teen and teen series to hook readers in. The characters are complex – Artemis is an anti-hero, driven by power and money.  He can be cruel and devious however as you learn his back story, you understand his motivations and weaknesses. 

The content gets more graphic and mature from book 5 on, so be aware. Violence is evident in the epic battles and underworld characters and there are mentions of mental health disorders, with Artemis suffering from a combination of issues in the 7th book. For more on this check this handy guide to book trigger warnings. 

When asked why his books are so popular, the author, Eoin Colfer, said: ‘Children tell me I like Artemis because he has power. Young people are often treated like infants and so they like to see a kid with real influence. Also there is farting.’ Time magazine said: “Artemis Fowl is pacy, playful, and very funny, an inventive mix of myth and modernity, magic and crime.”

The Two Cycles of the Series

There are 12 Artemis Fowl books in total. The first book in the series came out in 2001, while the last one came out in 2021.

The Artemis Fowl series, alternatively titled the First Cycle of The Fowl Adventures, introduces Artemis as a villain and the Peoples’ enemy. As the series progresses, Artemis’s character develops and changes as his moral compass grows, creating a great charcter arc and chance of redemption.

The Fowl Twins series, alternatively titled the Second Cycle of The Fowl Adventures, set five years later, follows Artemis’ younger twin brothers Myles and Beckett Fowl, on their adventures.