The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3)

The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3) by Eoin Colfer




The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3)
by Eoin Colfer (Author)

Review
Release on May 6, 2003
Reading level: Ages 9-12

Amazon review about this book:

"Book Three-Now available in trade paperback Artemis Fowl is going straight-as soon as he pulls off the most brilliant criminal feat of his career . . . but his plan goes awry, leaving his loyal bodyguard, Butler, mortally injured. Artemis's only hope of saving his friend is to employ fairy magic; so once again he must contact his old rival, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. It is going to take a miracle to save Butler, and Artemis's luck may have just run out. . . . "Readers will burn the midnight oil to the finish." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)"


"In this third installment to Eoin Colfer's funny, fast-paced, fairy-filled adventure series, boy genius and arch criminal Artemis Fowl once again can't resist plotting the perfect crime--and, once again, he can't keep from stirring up so much trouble that the fate of the entire fairy world teeters in the balance.
The once hard-boiled Artemis has softened a bit between his bestselling debut and the seat-of-your-pants Arctic Incident, and that trend continues in The Eternity Code: He's still plotting for a billion-dollar-plus payoff for the Fowl family, but now his enemies are human (chiefly Jon Spiro, a ruthless businessman Artemis tries to blackmail using stolen fairy technology) and he has to turn to his old adversary-turned-friend Captain Holly Short and cutpurse dwarf Mulch Diggums for help. The dialogue and action prove as smart and page-turning as ever this time around, with Artemis struggling to bring his faithful bodyguard Butler back from the dead before racing Mission Impossible-style to triple-cross the double-crossing Spiro.

Colfer's young antihero might be getting more likeable all the time, but that hasn't taken the edge off the Tom-Clancy-meets-Harry-Potter action. Artemis has to agree to a memory-erasing "mind wipe" from the People after helping them recover their technology, but only a foolish fan would count Artemis out after this blockbuster "final heist." Book four can't come soon enough.... (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes"


Review By Booklist


"Gr. 6-9. Could this be Artemis Fowl's last caper? His father, who was rescued from the Russian Mafia in Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident (2002), seems to have turned over a new leaf. But Artemis resolves to do one last job, a job that involves a supercomputer cube he created with stolen fairy technology. Things go totally awry, however, when his proposed pigeon--a billionaire American businessman--turns the tables and Artemis' longtime bodyguard, Butler, is fatally shot. Artemis puts Butler on ice, literally, and calls on Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police for help. The existence of the cube is a threat to the fairy world, and Artemis concocts a convoluted scheme to recover it. As in the previous two books in the series, the action is fast and furious, the humor is abundant, characterizations are zany, and the boy genius works wonders--all of which add up to another wild ride for Artemis' fans. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved"



Review By AudioFile


"[Editor's Note: This is a combined review with ARTEMIS FOWL and THE ETERNITY CODE.]--Colfer's series features two complex societies: the wealthy, if felonious, above-ground world of the human Fowl family and the elaborate, technologically advanced underground world of the fairies. Artemis Fowl, the 12-year-old scion of a famous Irish crime family, sets out to restore the ancestral fortunes depleted by his father's supposed death at the hands of the Russian mafia. The young criminal mastermind's plan rests on the kidnap and ransom of a fairy. The ransom demanded will be fairy gold. Into this world of adventure, corruption, and extraordinary technology comes narrator Nathaniel Parker, who has a distinct voice for everyone--from the young Master Fowl to the kidnapped LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police) Captain Holly Short and the astonishing computer genius of the fairy world, the centaur Foaly. Parker creates a complete pantheon of accents and pacing to complement Colfer's worlds. The sequels, in which Artemis--strangely developing what appears to be a conscience--invokes the help of the fairies to save his father (THE ARCTIC INCIDENT) and to rescue both the humans and fairies from the evil Jon Spiro (THE ETERNITY CODE) maintain the impeccable voicing and pacing developed in the first book. The recurring characters are instantly recognizable from one book to the next, encouraging the listener to suspend disbelief and become completely immersed in the escapades, often laced with humor, of Artemis and his various companions. While the pronunciation the Vietnamese surname "Nguyen" may startle some listeners, and the 1940s-style Asian accent is somewhat stereotypical, this does nothing to diminish the rip-roaring adventure. Parker's splendid narration should lead to family listening that might just encourage discussion of truth, friendship, and loyalty. S.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine"


Review By School Library Journal


"Grade 5-8-Antihero Artemis Fowl, now 13 years old, is back. He has used stolen fairy technology to create a supercomputer known as the "C Cube," which will render all existing technology obsolete. He meets with Jon Spiro, head of "Fission Chips," with a proposition. For a price, he will suppress his cube, and allow Spiro time to sell his potentially worthless stocks and buy into Fowl Industries. Spiro double-crosses Artemis, and in the ensuing melee he steals the C Cube and Artemis's bodyguard, Butler, is murdered. The scene is totally out of James Bond; one fully expects to hear the familiar theme music and to see the credits as it concludes. The action does not let up as Artemis teams with the fairy policewoman Captain Holly Short and other companions to bring Butler back to life, and then to retrieve the Cube from Spiro's Chicago fortress. The plot is filled with crosses and double crosses, unmarked vans, and impenetrable security systems. It's exciting stuff, but the writing is often clich‚d at worst, and merely workmanlike at best. Butler's death scene is particularly hackneyed, echoing every overly dramatic death scene one can think of. Still, this latest adventure is sure to be popular with fans of the series.
Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc."



Review By Inside Flap


"After being held prisoner for years, Artemis Fowl's father has finally come home. He is a new man--an honest man, much to Artemis's horror. He makes his son promise to give up his life of crime, and Artemis has to go along with it. But not until he has completed one last scheme.

Artemis has constructed a super-computer from stolen fairy technology. Called the "C Cube," it will render all existing human technology obsolete. He arranges a meeting with a powerful Chicago businessman, Jon Spiro, to broker a deal for the C Cube. But Spiro springs a trap--he steals the C Cube and mortally injures Butler. Artemis knows his only hope of saving his loyal bodyguard is to employ fairy magic; so once again he must contact his old rival, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police.

It is going to take a miracle to save Butler, and Artemis's luck may just run out. . . "


Review By Sebastian Fernandez (Tampa, Florida United States)
"First of all let me say that this book saved me from a painfully long wait at the dealership where I took my wife's minivan for service. I expected this to take about an hour or so, and that is what I was told when I got there. I should know by now not to trust these estimates, since I ended up being there for three hours. It was the perfect amount of time to finish this book though, which I had started that morning at home. Colfer helped me feel as if the three hours were only one, and that is really something to applaud!

Artemis' father is recovering in a hospital in Helsinki, from his shipwreck in the Arctic and further kidnapping by the Russian mafia. More important, he is a changed man, that has stopped considering gold to be the ultimate goal and wants to focus on his family instead. This means that Artemis will have to lead a normal life, go back to school and forget about criminal activities. But there is still time for one more run around the block, and Artemis goes for broke. He has created, with the help of fairy technology, an impressive artifact he named the C Cube. This cube can perform an extensive list of unbelievable tasks, such as track satellite activity and crack security systems. And that is just the beginning.

Artemis' plan is fairly simple, he set up a meeting with the powerful Spiro and he will offer to keep the cube of the market in exchange for a vast amount of gold. This will allow Spiro to make a killing in the stock market and sell his company at a much higher rate than he could if a competitor had the cube. However, in an uncommon turn of events, Artemis is fooled, Spiro steals the prized possession and his bodyguard injures Butler with a fatal wound. Now Artemis will need, once more, the help of the fairies, in order to perform a miracle, or he will end up losing his bodyguard and best friend.

That is not the only complication, since the cube can among its many wonders detect fairy technology. Thus, all the sensors in the underground world went off when Artemis demonstrated the cube to Spiro. Foaly, the centaur that is master and commander of the fairy technology, has decided on a lockdown. With the help of Captain Short, he is trying to figure out how to prevent the humans from discovering the People. The situations with Butler and the cube will once again throw together the characters that readers of this series cherish: Artemis, Foaly, Holly Short, and even the dwarf Mulch Diggums. We will also get to see an almost unexplored side of Juliet Butler.

Colfer has done it again, with a fast-paced and enthralling book that can be read in one sitting. There is the usual humor to go along with the captivating story and keep it fresh. But also, the author introduces another element in this book, Artemis' diary. This is an important tool to allow the reader to peek into the psyche of the criminal genius, and understand that behind the Machiavellian mind there is a boy that seeks his father approval. I do not think I can wait long before reading the next book in this series, I hope the quality remains at this level."


Review By TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier."
"Artemis Fowl the Second has a brilliant plan--one last scheme to make his family some money, then he'll leave the crime life behind him and turn over a new leaf. Everything starts out fine, with Artemis meeting with billionaire businessman Jon Spiro to discuss a mutually agreeable arrangement. Artemis, you see, has developed the C Cube, a mini-supercomputer that can do almost anything. For the right price, Artemis will withhold releasing the Cube to the public to allow Spiro's company to catch up in the technology world. All seems well, until Spiro steals the Cube, his bodyguard, Blunt, fatally wounds Butler, and Artemis is left wondering how it all went wrong.

What follows is Artemis's desperate plea to the fairies to help heal Butler and rescue the C Cube from evil Spiro, before he becomes aware of the Fairy World and wreaks havoc on the creatures living below ground. As Captain Holly Short is once again drawn into one of Artemis's dangerous schemes, she does so, along with Commander Root, with one condition--when the C Cube is recovered, Artemis, Butler, and Butler's sister Juliet will all submit to mind wipes, erasing every trace of the fairies from their memories. Artemis agrees, desperate to save Butler's life, but already he has plans to avoid the erasure of a mind wipe.

THE ETERNITY CODE contains a lot more action-adventure than the two previous books, and a lot less of the world of Fairy. It is, though, still a very fast-paced, enjoyable read, and I'm left wanting to know what will happen next. Thoroughly entertaining, and highly recommended."



Review By MysteryLover231 "L.R"
"In the "Eternity Code" Artemis Fowl starts off with a bang (literally) when a supercomptuer (The C-Cube) he built out of fairy helmet components is stolen by Jon Spiro, a ruthless buisinessman, and his bodyguard Arno Blunt. Butler is mortally wounded, and the faries underground city of Haven is in danger of exposure. So, Artemis tricks a LEPrecon agent, none other than Captian Holly Short, into coming aboveground to heal Butler. That is the summary of the first few chapters. Not many faries actually take a large part in the story except for Holly and Mulch Diggums. Foaly only comes in near the end and he's only on the comlink, so I don't know if that's an 'appearance' or not. Anyhow, the seemingly grim book is humorous at times. I loved when Artemis scared the waitress (must read to appreciate), Mulch's attempt at driving, and the scene when Pex and Chips try to 'bury Mulch deep'. The ending was kind of depressing, and I wondered if this was the end of the series, but I read it when book 4 wasn't even an internet rumor yet, although newcomers have the benifit of not having to wait 2 years (or however long it took) for the next one. Read the first two though, or you will be EXTREMELY confused."



Review By bensmomma "bensmomma" (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
"There's no escaping it, Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code is a gripping, lightning-fast read. If you are a fan of the previous two books in this series, you'll definitely want to give it a try. This time child criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl's master creation - a tiny computer based on the fairy technology he stole in the last book - is hijacked by a Chicago mobster, Jon Spiro. Artemis teams up with the fairies to get it back.
Because "Eternity Code" revolves around Artemis vs. evil human adults more than Artemis vs. fairies, we lose some of the entertaining and creative descriptions of the Fairies' underground universe. The only fairy creatures who play much of a part in the action are Holly Short and Mulch Diggums. What's more, the human-vs-human violence is really R-rated: loyal bodyguard Butler gets a mortal gunshot wound to the chest in the first chapter (how will he survive?), and Spiro's henchman are constantly choking and destroying (or attempting to destroy) other characters.

It's an extremely well-plotted book. You won't be able to put it down. Still, as a reader and as a parent, I would have preferred more of the fairies and less of the mobsters."


Review By Randy Given (Manchester, CT USA)
"On a scale of 10, I would rate the first book a 9, the second book a 7 and this book a 6 (but lean toward 4 stars instead of 3). This book seems a bit rushed and thrown together. Not as creative as the other two and not as easy to read. We get the usual characters and it gets pulled off pretty well. Still, I would only read it after reading the other two."



Review By plasmaball3000 (Charlottesville, VA USA)
"Artemis Fowl is a criminal. At least he was before his father got back from a two-year imprisonment in Russia. The boy's father, a former criminal himself, has made Artemis promise give up his criminal schemes to help put the family back on the track a proper family should be on. But what fun is there in leaving the criminal world without a big finish?
So Artemis has invented the C Cube, out of fairy technology stolen from previous adventures of his, of course. But when a business deal involving this revolutionary object goes about as wrong as trusting a dwarf to keep his hands off a pile of gold, Artemis needs to call in fairy help, Captain Holly Short of the LEP, to be exact, in order to save his only friend.

Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code is a breathtaking adventure and the third book in the captivating Artemis Fowl series. Fans of the originals will be as amazed and drawn into this story as the first two."



Review By Nancy E. "Nancy" (USA)
"Thirteen-year-old Artemis Fowl is going straight. Now that his father is back and wishes the whole family to become nice and legal he's decided to stop all of his criminal activities and focus the rest of his energy on his education, that is right after he pulls off the crime of his career. It seems simple, blackmail one of the most powerful American businessman, get a metric ton in gold, then settle down at last. Unfortunately nothing goes to plan. The C Cube, a hybrid of fairy and human technology that Artemis was planning on using to revolutionize electronics has been stolen, by the worse person possible. Not only that but Artemis's bodyguard, Butler, is fatally wounded with nothing to save him. Now the human world and the fairy world is at his mercy. Fortunately Artemis has protected the C Cube with a special Eternity Code. For anyone else besides himself, cracking that code will take well ... an Eternity. Artemis knows that his life is endanger so he calls upon the help of Captain Holly Short of the LEP, a high-tech fairy police force, to help him fix his problems. Artemis knows that this is not going to be a simple plan, and more than likely, his last adventure with Holly and the LEP.
I didn't think it could get much better after the Arctic Incident. The scene where Artemis was finally reunited with his father seemed like it could never be topped. Boy was I wrong. In this book Artemis is up to his eyeballs in trouble that he never could plan for and chances are he won't make it out whole. At thirteen-and-a-half Artemis has finally begun to develop into gasp! A decent person! All of our old favorites return including Foaley, Mulch Diggums, and Juliet Butler, who finally has a decent sized role. The new villains are absolutely great as well. Add to all of this a shocker ending and you have a great book. I loved Artemis's diary entries where he talks about what it was like to hear that his father had changed. They really give you a good look into who Artemis really is.

Fans of the series will be happy to learn that this is not the last book in the series. I know for a fact that Eoin Colfer is at least planning on writing one more book, although originally The Eternity Code was the last planned book in the series. Eoin Colfer fans will also be happy to learn that The Wish List is going to be released in the United States in October. I can't wait to see what this talented author comes out with next!"



Review By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
"Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code tells of a father returned home from prison a reformed man - much to Artemis Fowl's horror. Artemis is determined not to give up his life of crime - until one last scheme is completed, anyway. His construction of a super computer is slated to change the world in this fast-paced story of teens at work, recommended for high school audiences."



Review By Adam Craig (Columbus, OH)
"The Eternity Code is a straightforward, action-packed, edge of your seat, amazing book. This volume in the series blew the previous two out of the water, in my opinion.

The Eternity Code starts out with Artemis deciding to go forward with his one last criminal job, even though his recently awakened father wants him to stop his criminal antics immediately, so the Fowl famliy can go legitimate, and be a real family. Artemis' last job is to meet with Jon Spiro, a dirty, feared CEO of a technology company and supposedly with a lot of connections to the Chicago mob. The meeting goes extremely wrong, with Spiro outsmarting Artemis and Butler ending up "dead." Spiro gets away with the C Cube, Artemis' computer based off of fairy technology. When this happens, Commander Root and Holly Short decided to get involved, given the ramifications if Spiro were to find out about the People's existence.

When the crew gets back together, including a surprise visit from Mulch Diggums, the book really takes off. The interaction between all the main characters is entertaining and hilarious, and the action is great to top it off. One of the best parts of this book were the brief flashbacks of Artemis via his "encrypted" diary of his talks with his father. Aiming at kids, you knew these books must have some good message to put forth, and Artemis Fowl I is the character who is going to be the "moral" one in future novels. At the end of this novel, Artemis almost seems truly ready to give up his life of crime, but then the epilogue throws everything on its head.

Can't wait to read the next one... "


About the Author
"Eoin Colfer is a former elementary school teacher who became a publishing phenomenon with the New York Times bestsellers Artemis Fowl and Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident. Previously he had written several other bestsellers in Ireland, including The Wish List and Benny and Omar."


If you would like to buy this book, you can check out its available for The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3) (Hardcover) at amazon.com