The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl, Book 2) [Paperback]

Eoin Colfer (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 18 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Artemis Fowl

Artemis is at boarding school in Ireland when he suddenly receives an urgent video-email from Russia. In it is a plea from a man who has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafiya: his father. As Artemis rushes to the rescue, he is stopped by captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. But this time, instead of battling the fairies, he is going to have to join forces with them if he wants to save one of the few people in the world he loves.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eoin Colfer (pronounced "Owen") (born May 14, 1965) is an Irish author. Eoin Colfer grew up in Wexford, Ireland, along with his four brothers, Paul, Eamon, Donal, and Niall. He first developed a passion for writing in primary school, reading viking books inspired by his history lessons at the time. His father was a primary school teacher, as well as an artist and historian. His mother is a drama teacher. In 1986, Colfer became a Primary School teacher, but continued to write in his free time.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Miramax (May 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786817089
• ISBN-13: 978-0786817085
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #587,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #75 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Mysteries

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No decoding required this time., October 6, 2004

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl, Book 2) (Paperback)

Having eaten my way through the first book like a dwarf burrowing through loosely-packed earth, I found this one slightly slower going. My new favorite genius-millionaire-criminal mastermind is now a teenager and he's not as tough and full of brass as he was in book one.

Cut him some slack though, his mommy's back to normal, and ready to start trying to control his life, and he's just discovered that his dad is still alive, and being held for ransom by the Russian Mafiya in a nuclear submarine graveyard. Even geniuses have their limits.

Captain Holly Short isn't having a good time either. After Artemis successfully procured half of the Recon ransom fund in book one, she's been given a "time-out" doing stakeouts for smugglers for the Customs and Excise Department. It seems that someone is organizing the dim-witted goblins to do some good old fashioned gun running, and of course, our intrepid heroine lands herself in the middle of the melee.

Opal Koboi is a new character, a pixie with talents to rival the resident geek Foaly the Centaur, and has absolutely no scruples whatsoever.

Someone has been re-engineering laser guns to work with regular AA batteries, and Holly feels that Artemis is involved. Artemis would rather get along with the process of rescuing his father, but after an interrogation proves Holly incorrect, they team up as an unlikely pair of secret agents to solve both problems.

What follows is action galore, as the book accelerates to warp speed, and even Artemis is forced to be a hero, albeit a puny little one. Each of our favorite characters from book one takes center stage at one time or the other and even Mulch becomes a leading dwarf with a pivotal role.

The story ends with a crazy rescue plan that goes terribly wrong, until girl power again triumphs over rotten luck.

A wonderful follow on from the first book, and an encouraging preview to the third.

Amanda Richards, October 6, 2004.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another hostage, high-tech gadgets and more mayhem :), January 20, 2005

By 

M. B. Alcat "Curiosity killed the cat, but sa... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl, Book 2) (Paperback)

This is the second book in the "Artemis Fowl" series, and it starts a little after all the things that happened in the first book in the series, that is a kidnapping and general mayhem. "The Artic Incident" just gives us the opportunity of getting to know better quite a few of the characters we already like, and lets us participate in another adventure that curiously enough involves another hostage (of another species this time, though), high-tech gadgets and more mayhem :)

Artemis has changed, but only a little: he still is a willful 12-year-old criminal, intelligent, very rich and intent on having his way no matter what. Despite his opposition, his mother sent him to a boarding school, and he is there when he receives a message telling him that his supposedly dead father is very much alive, and held for ransom by the Russian Mafia. Ironically enough, this time Artemis will need the help of the fairyfolk to rescue his father. The problem is that most of them detest him, especially his former hostage Captain Holly Short. How will Artemis solve this "little" inconvenient?.

As if that problem weren't big enough, there is also another little matter that must be taken into account: the goblin attempt to dominate the fairyworld, with human help. Throw in a lot of deceit, some violence and a certain amount of espionage, stir, and you will have an explosive situation that Artemis must worry about because... how can the fairies help him, even if they wanted to, if they face an overthrow of their government by violent means?.

All in all, I think your kids are highly likely to love this book (that's essential), and you won't die of boredom if you read it to them (hey, that's very important too). Recommended!!!

Belen Alcat

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Light-hearted Continuation of Artemis Fowl Saga, January 31, 2005

By 

Scott Schiefelbein (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl, Book 2) (Paperback)

"The Arctic Incident" gives fans of Eoin Colfer's smash mega-hit "Artemis Fowl" more to savor. More witty writing, more sarcastic characters, more over-the-top action, and more of everyone's favorite 13-year old criminal mastermind.

Set essentially a year after the first novel, Artemis is chafing from getting one of his heart's desires -- the return of his beloved mother's sanity. Who wouldn't rather have their mom lucid rather than delusional? Not Artemis, even though her return to normalcy has wiped out Artemis' beloved autonomy. So young Artemis opens the novel in boarding school with a hilarious encounter with an overmatched guidance counselor. (Really -- how much guidance does a criminal mastermind need?)

A counseling session is cut short when a ransom email arrives, hinting that Artemis' departed (and presumed, by many, to be dead) father is alive in the Russian Arctic. Young Artemis instantly commences a rescue mission . . . a rescue mission with a vengeance, to be sure.

But this would not be an "Artemis Fowl" novel without the faerie world. Our heroes, Captain Holly Short and Commander Root are back, as is the centaur computer genius Foaly, uncover what appears to be a goblin plot to smuggle contraband weapons. And this plot has a more sinister intent, one hidden even from the goblins . . .

And what else would an escaped dwarf thief, Mulch, do besides hang out in Los Angeles, stealing Academy Awards?

In many ways, none of the characters have changed. Short is still a derring-do pilot and field agent. Root is still in a perpetual fury. Butler, the bodyguard, is back, with a penchant for cracking skulls. Foaly is still as caustic as he is brilliant. And so on and so forth.

Outlandish plot twists, fueled by Colfer's astounding imagination, keep the pages turning fast and furious. Will the goblins be thwarted? Will Artemis save his father? Will the ultimate villain be caught?

Count on losing several hours of sleep as you read "just one more chapter." Count on laughing out loud at brilliant dialogue and terrible puns. And count on reading "The Arctic Incident" again.

Enjoy!