On the Shelf

This week was slow for reading. Among essays, Clubs, Stage Crew, work, and Marching Band competition, I've been sweating tears of pure effort and work. This still hasn't stopped me from reading though. If anything, I'm more excited than ever as recently I've acquired the last of a series of books from my childhood. The Artemis Fowl Series has reached it's end, and I hope it is as brilliant as it's beginning.
Artemis Fowl was always a hero of mine. He was young, he was rich, he was intelligent, he was a dreamer. He had a goal most would consider hopeless and a child's folly, yet with his brilliance he discovered a mystical land beneath the earth's crust inhaling and exhaling magic, fairies, and gold. He was the villain and the hero of his own story, being both mad with power and aiming for a rather wholesome purpose. He also spoke one of the most influential quotes I have ever heard in my life.

"If I win, I'm a prodigy. If I lose then I'm mad. That's the way history is written." 

I have never forgotten the cover of this book, the gold binding, the elegant script, the Gnommish symbols spelling out their message, the back covers warning.

STAY BACK HUMAN. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.

Honestly the whole presentation was wonderful, amazing, stupendous, and any other adjective that is of a higher caliber than good.
But for all it's brilliance and Majesty, the book has it's flaws. Character development is predictable, the plot is fairly predictable, the villains take turns returning and plotting another plan to destroy Artemis and his companions. People die, but they don't, Artemis falls in love, yet he doesn't, He is evil, but then he's not. The book is written as a children's book, so I give it a little leniency because really, would you give a child a book in which the best characters all end up dead?
But the plot is unique, the characters are all lovable, and the writing is spectacular and simple. It doesn't take a genius like Artemis to read these books and the humor is well written and preformed.
Artemis ends up with one of the greatest fails in all of history.

Holly: (After punching Artemis) Be a good Mudboy and I might bring you back a lollipop.

     Artemis: (After Holly leaves) I don't like lollipops.
So the greatest mind in England retorts... It made Artemis a bit more reachable and added comedy to his character that wasn't seen before. Everything is hilarious in these books from the unfortunate names (meet Dwarves Mulch Diggums and Kolin Ozkopy) to the odd quotes you'll be laughing at something in each chapter.
I love the books, absolutely adore every convoluted plot, every reoccurring villain, and every witissism that the author cleverly settled into the script. Bravo Eoin Colfer Bravo.
It's worth a try, just to test the waters. I will forever be grateful that I picked up that gold book so long ago. And who knows, it might lead you to other books. (I was an extreme case, Artemis read War and Peace so I decided I would... Wow that was a terrible decision.)
Honorable Mention of the Week: Akinator
This mystical internet Genie can read your mind, and he knows his stuff. I spent the entire day today trying to find a character he didn't know about but I could only find 1 out of 100 that stumped him. He knew everyone from Carl Gauss the physicist to Ikuto Tskyomi from Shugo Chara (A Japanese Anime). It's worth a try to find out who he doesn't know and if you stump him send me a comment with the name of your character. It's fun and gives you at least 5 minutes of entertainment, so try!