Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer, 2005

When we last saw our heroes, at the end of The Eternity Code, Artemis and Butler had submitted to a fairy mind wipe and had no memory of their adventures with the Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance.

Now, arch criminal Opal Koboi has escaped but no one except the elf, Captain Holly Short knows it. LEP Recon thinks Holly has lost her mind and killed her commanding officer and they are trying to capture her. Holly knows she has one chance to capture Koboi but it means saving Artemis and restoring his memories.

Opal has set the human world and the fairy world on a collision course. The very existence of the Haven (the fairy realm) is threatened. Artemis's very cool bodyguard, Butler as well as the dwarf felon, Mulch Diggums are part of the team again. The Lower Elements have their share of bureaucrats and administrative incompetants which frustrate the centaur, Foley who is LEP's technology guru. His technological wonder gadgets give these stories an extra dimension.

One passage in the book made me laugh out loud knowing something about the Colfer's TV preferences.

Holly walked rapidly into the cockpit and strapped herself into the pilot's chair, "Seven and a half hours to save the world. Isn't there some law that says we get at least twenty-four?"

Artemis strapped himself into the copilot's chair. "I don't think Opal bothers with laws," he said.

When Colfer visited Houston recently for a book signing, he shared that one of his favorite T.V. shows is "24."

The story has plenty of action and humor. Trolls REALLY are scary. Colfer described his Artemis Fowl books as "Die Hard with Fairies." I would agree. This is a fast paced and fun summer read.