Fun With LIttle People

Who'd have thought that Artemis Fowl would be needed to save the Fairy People. Opal Koboi has escaped and is enacting revenge against those who foiled her previous plans for domination of the People.

In what appears to be the final in the Artemis Fowl series, Artemis and Butler are still under the effects of the mind-wipe when they come under attack from Opal. Holly Short has fleed the Haven under suspicion of murder and must try and save Artemis' life. Mulch Diggums is still in prison, but discovers a secret that he must get to Artemis. Everyone in the Haven is in danger and the only people who can save the day are criminals, suspected criminals and a human criminal genius mastermind.

Sounds like a Eion Colfer book!

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception closely follows the events of The Eternity Code. We find Artemis and his bodyguard Butler out on a school trip and he's up to his old trick of thievery. Artemis seems a changing boy. One who is starting to truly evaluate the himself and the world around him. His loving parents are a major factor in his life now. He no longer needs to be his own family, purely relying on himself for everything now that his father is back and mother has regained her senses.

I quite like the new self-assessing Artemis. He's growing older; he's fourteen now, a time when we start to think about who we really are. This thread carries through the book and ultimately affects how it ends. Holly Short works best when under enormous pressure, and this is the worst situation she's ever been caught in the midst of. She is as witty as ever, even in stressful circumstances, and has a tough job convincing Artemis about the Fairy world and how his history is intermingled with hers.

The Opal Deception is a return to form for the Artemis series. It's fast, funny and full of action with characters that are relatable and entertaining. I'm sad that it appears to be the final chapter for now, but am glad it goes out with an adventure worthy of this criminal genius.