For the first book in the series, see Artemis Fowl (book). For the series itself, see Artemis Fowl (series).

Artemis Fowl II is the fictional title character of the Artemis Fowl series of children's books by Irish author Eoin Colfer. Artemis is twelve years old in the first book of the series, and is portrayed as a criminal mastermind and, intellectually, a child prodigy. He begins the book as a cold-hearted criminal; throughout the course of the books, however, Artemis begins to develop a respect for several other members in this series.

Name

Artemis' name comes from Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting (among other things). In the third book in this series, Artemis admits that his name is a female name - but that it is a female name of a great hunter; and that every once in a while a man comes along who is such a great hunter that he has the right to have that name - and that he is such a man. However these may just be scare tactics as Artemis Fowl is trying to scare an opponent when he says this and it would fit with his usual psychological manipulation.

Story

Artemis Fowl was born into the Fowl family, an Irish family of criminals going back at least to the Norman crusades. They had amassed a fabulous fortune, through both legitimate and illegitimate means.

These fortunes had been placed in danger by Artemis's father, Artemis Sr., who invested a huge amount of the Fowl fortune to founding new shipping lanes to the continent of Russia, following the breakdown of communism there. The Russian Mafia decided to eliminate him to prevent competition. Artemis Senior was injured and captured in an attack on his boat, the Fowl Star, while sailing to Russia to establish these routes. His failed business attempt cost the Fowls their billionaire status.

Artemis, who was around ten years old at the time, decided to regain this fortune. Following leads on the Internet, Fowl discovered the existence of an underground world of fairies, who were trying to hide from humans.

Movie

An Artemis Fowl movie to be directed by Lawrence Guterman has been announced.

Books

In the first book, Artemis Fowl, Fowl is twelve years old. His father had disappeared a year ago, presumed dead. After blackmailing a fairy for her copy of The Booke of The People [sic], which outlines the rules and laws which govern the gaining and use of magic by The People (the term used by magical creatures to describe themselves), Fowl uses this knowledge to plan the kidnapping of a fairy named Holly Short. She is a Captain in the LEP's Recon unit (commonly known as the LEPrecon, a pun on "leprechaun"). Despite a number of attempts - including releasing a troll into Fowl Manor - Artemis manages to secure and keep his ransom: one tonne of twenty-four-carat gold.

In the second book, Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, Artemis - now thirteen - discovers that his father is still alive, and being held to ransom by the Russian mafia. His rescue attempt is interrupted when he is picked up by the fairies, where he helps them deal with a human who is being used by a fairy as a intermediary in buying weapons. After erasing his memories, they continue the rescue attempt - and are interrupted by a rebellion underground, orchestrated by a disgruntled LEPrecon ex-Commander. A complex plan is hatched by Artemis, and the rebellion is stopped. The fairies then help Fowl to rescue his father. By the end of the book, Fowl has developed respect for both Captain Short, as well as his bodyguard, Butler.

In the third book, Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code, we find Artemis' father slowly regaining his health - and reassessing his life, deciding to live an honest life. Artemis, in what he considers to be his last criminal act before his father completely recovers, attempts to create a device using fairy technology he stole in the first book, and to use this device to blackmail American businessman Jon Spiro. Spiro steals the device (fatally wounding Butler in the process), but must crack a near-uncrackable code to use it - an eternity code. Butler is revived using fairy magic, and Holly Short once again join forces, to prevent Spiro from being able to use the device Artemis created, which would endanger The People. The book ends on a sinister note, as Artemis - his mind wiped by the LEPrecon, and his developing personality squashed - once again becomes the evil genius we see at the beginning of the first book.

A fourth book has been announced, the title will be Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception. It is due to release on April 20, 2005, but has already been released in certain locations.

Meanwhile the book "The Artemis Fowl Files" has been published, containing two short stories: "LEPrecon" and "The Seventh Dwarf"

External links

• http://www.artemisfowl.com/
• http://www.artemisfowl.co.uk/

http://www.eoincolfer.comThis is the official website of Eoin Colfer. It has the first chapter of the Opal Deception (the 4th book) posted