The Arctic Incident: Artemis Fowl, Book 2
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Humans and fairies team up in high-action, witty sequel.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
In THE ARCTIC INCIDENT, Butler springs Artemis Fowl out of boarding school to save his kidnapped father. Russian Mafiya found Artemis senior in an Arctic shipwreck and are asking for ransom. One thing Artemis II knows for sure is that the Mafiya won't leave him or his father alive even if they deliver the money. He has to think of a plan to free him quickly and on the sly. Meanwhile, underground, (fairy) Captain Holly Short discovers some insidious goblin activity while on stakeout. Goblins are transporting batteries from somewhere aboveground, clearly trading with the Mud Men (people) -- which is most illegal. Holly suspects Artemis is behind it and takes a squad up to the surface to find out what he knows, which is nothing. Even though her bust is a bust, both Artemis and Holly realize they may need each other. Holly needs Artemis' bodyguard, Butler, to take out the human who's working with the goblins. Artemis needs fast passage to the Arctic to save his father, and there's nothing faster than traveling in a fairy ship deep in the Earth.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of the child mastermind series will love the high action, wit, and amazing fairy tech in this sequel. They'll also love to see Artemis and Butler team up with the People, his former worthy adversaries. Both need the other more than they know, especially when things get very complicated both above and below ground. Author Eoin Colfer has always had a gift for throwing problem after problem at his characters and giving them just seconds to solve them before something explodes or someone falls to their death. In The Arctic Incident there's a radioactive train, a charged plasma tube, a nuclear submarine, and lava fissures, plus baddies like goblins, the Russian Mafiya, and a revenge-fueled tech genius after them.
The only minus to this fast-paced storytelling is that it's not always easy to visualize this world. Details on where the People live are spare and mainly focus on the fairy tech. Perhaps that's why the graphic novel versions of the series are also so popular.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Artemis is changing in The Arctic Incident. When does he show humility? Why? How is he similar to Foaly?
For readers who pick up the graphic novel as well, which version do you like better? Did you imagine the world the same way?
What do you think is next for Artemis? For Holly? Do you think they'll ever work together again?
Book Details
- Author: Eoin Colfer
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date: May 7, 2002
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
- Number of pages: 277
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: February 4, 2020
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