Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code
by
Eoin Colfer
Review of Book
The concept has matured nicely by the time it reaches this, the third in the series. This adventure is very cleverly and expertly plotted by Eoin Colfer and sees Arty is at his wiliest and most cunning. He has yet another ingenious plan, this time involving stolen fairy technology. But unfortunately for Butler - right-hand man, bodyguard and good friend - it also involves his "fulfilling the terms of his contract", when he stops a bullet meant for Artemis...
Artemis' greed not only end angers the life of his faithful manservant, but also exposes his newly acquired subterranean friends to villainous exploitation when he is outsmarted and outmanoeuvred by Chicago gangster, Jon Spiro. So once again, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon and her colleagues, the centaur Foaly and Commander Julius Root, et al, agree to assist the mud boy - but on one condition
Now the fairy folk face a dilemma: Do they have the right to wipe Artemis' memory of all his dealings with them, when it will also erase the good influence that The People have had on him, making him better human being? After all, he might start his plotting and planning against them all over again right from the beginning...
It really is a genuinely sad moment when it seems Artemis and his comrades are to part from the fairy folk forever. But Eoin Colfer has devised such a clever ending. When you think it's all over, the epilogue allows the tale to continue - on to what we shall just have to wait and see!
But at any rate, we now know what Stonehenge was built for. It was a pizza parlour in the days before The Mud People started talking in full sentences, underneath which is a fairy shuttle terminal with "3-lane visa clearance booth, duty-free shopping and entertainment complex"... I can never think of Stonehenge in quite the same light each time I drive past now..!
And while Chicago mobster Jon Spiro heads a communications company called Fission Chips, there's mention of Reflexology, Pilates and the much-loved and late-lamented Concorde And a piece of Fowl wisdom to be born in mind:
"Certain battles are won by retreating"
Then there's Commander Julius Root's take on life..
"Being in command means making tough decisions. Not being in command means shutting up and doing what you're told!"
Review of Nat's Reading
In being so familiar with Nat's readings, and especially with the Artemis Fowl recordings where you become helplessly drawn into the characters and humour of Eoin Colfer's world, it is possible to take Nat's wonderful reading for granted. That's because he makes the colloquial dialogue flow so beautifully and makes it all such a pleasure to listen to - a pleasure that never dulls no matter how many times it's listened to. In this story, Nat conjures up yet more convincing accent variations, but my absolute, absolute favourite characterisation is his Loafers McGuire. Nat's impish little Irish accent is pure joy and the passport control scene is such a delightful surprise coming from Nat that I just have to re-play it every time. In fact, the whole Loafers' thread is just priceless.
Loafers to tattooist, Inky Burton: "It's not gonna hurt, is it?" "Of course it is you moron. I'm stickin' a needle in yer arm", thought Inky.
Published by
Published by BBC Cover to Cover/Chivers ISBN - CD 1855490587 May 2003
Cassette 1855499932 May 2003
Complete and unabridged
Running time 5 hours 10 mins. approx