The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5)

The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5) by Eoin Colfer




The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5)
by Eoin Colfer (Author)

Review
Release on September 12, 2006
Reading level: Ages 9-12

Amazon review about this book:


"Ten thousand years ago, humans and fairies fought a great battle for the magical island of Ireland. When it became clear to the fairy families that they could never win, they decided to move their civilization underground and keep themselves hidden from the humans. All the fairy families agreed on this, except the eighth family, the demons. The demons planned to lift their small island out of time until they had regrouped and were ready to wage war on the humans once more. However, the time spell went wrong, and the island of Hybras was catapulted into Limbo, where it has remained for ten thousand years. Now the tainted time spell is deteriorating and demons are being sucked back into the present space and time. The fairy council is concerned about this and is monitoring any materializations. But when the spells deterioration accelerates, the materializations become unpredictable. Even the fairy scientists cannot figure out where the next demon will pop up. But someone can. Artemis Fowl, teenage criminal mastermind, has solved temporal equations that no normal human should be intelligent enough to understand. So when a confused and frightened demon pops up in a Sicilian theater, Artemis Fowl is there to meet him. Unfortunately, he is not the only one. A second, mysterious party has also solved the temporal equations, and has managed to abduct the demon before Artemis can secure him. Once again, Artemis will have to pair up with his old comrade, Captain Holly Short, to track down the missing demon and rescue him, before the time spell dissolves completely and the lost demon colony returns violently to Earth."


Review By Booklist


"In this sequel to The Opal Deception (2005), 14-year-old Artemis discovers an unraveling time tunnel connecting demons with the earth. These imps have sworn revenge on humans, and their unpredictable appearances threaten to expose the entire fairy world. As always, Colfer delivers not only continuous action but also witty wordplay and dialogue, understated humor, and plenty of magical technology and gadgetry. A must for kids who have enjoyed Artemis' previous escapades. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved"



Review By AudioFile


"This follow-up to THE OPAL DECEPTION features an island stuck in time, an army of creatures bent on destroying humans, and teenaged genius Artemis, who must solve these problems against daunting odds (including a rival child genius). Artemis discovers a time tunnel used by demons who've sworn revenge on humans and whose "materializations" call potentially disastrous attention to the entire fairy world. Nathaniel Parker's narration highlights Colfer's action-packed drama, delivering the story's chilling implications of murder and deceit with a breathtaking accuracy of tone while highlighting the humor and sarcasm that the Artemis Fowl series is famous for. Fowl fans will be thrilled, and newcomers will race to catch up on what they've missed. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine"



Review By Amanda Richards "Modest to the extreme" (Georgetown, Guyana)
"This is the fifth installment of the Artemis Fowl series, with reportedly just one more to go. Most of the surviving characters are back, including of course Artemis, the teenaged criminal genius and Butler his bodyguard, as well as Holly, the former female LEPrecon official, Foley the Centaur and Mulch the amazing digging dwarf, but this time there are also new and exciting characters. There's Minerva Paradizo, a twelve year old French child genius who can give Artemis' brain cells a challenge, Doodah Day, a thief who's the Michael Schumacher of the Pixie world, Imp No. 1 the non-warping demon, and the megalomaniac Leon Abbot, but that's not all folks.

Way back when humans and fairies were fighting over the island of Ireland, the eighth fairy family, the Demons, refused to go live underground with the others, instead choosing to take their island home of Hybras into another time dimension until they were ready once again to attack the humans. Unfortunately, something went wrong with the transfer, and the whole island, demons and all ended up in Limbo. However, even time spells don't last forever, and as it unravels, demons begin appearing in the present, and even Foley can't work out exactly where the next one will pop up.

As you may have guessed, Artemis has already figured it out, and starts staking out the sites where demons are due to appear, but is thrown for a loop when he realizes that someone else has done the math, and that the demon he's been stalking has been demon-napped under his very nose. To make it worse, his new rival is a girl, albeit a very pretty one.

Book five has all the elements for an exciting read, including time travel, volcanoes, mercenaries, magical creatures (including a Yoda-like Warlock), and weapons - lots of weapons. There's also the code that runs along the bottom of each page, and I can tell you that it has to do with scrolls, demons and the slapping of rude body parts, but the rest is up to you to find out.

Another great addition to the Artemis Fowl series from Eoin Colfer, certified genius."


Review By T. Burger (Chicago)
"The Artemis Fowl series has always been superbly written and brilliantly conceived, with an astonishing array of humor, techno-gadgets, mind-bending plots, daredevil escapes and rescues...frankly, they have a tendency to leave one dizzy - but enchanted.

And this might be the best entry in the series to date.

There are many reasons for this. First, there were at least three places where Colfer could have stopped writing, wrapped the book up, given it a different title, and shipped it off to his publisher and wait to collect his (surely) generous royalty checks. But he didn't. He took us from climax to climax as if we rode a roller coaster, each one at least as exciting and breathtaking as the last - if not more so. Second, Colfer introduces a magnificent new character, Minerva, a 12-year old girl who is quite similar to the 12-year old Artemis we met in the first book. Artemis has a nemesis. Third, and perhaps most importantly, Artemis himself has changed. He is fully in possession of a conscience now, is 14-years old, and finds himself quite uncomfortably pubescent.

As always, Colfer writes in a very loose third-person omniscient voice, hopping from character to character. This is dangerous, unless the author has a firm grasp on all of the elements of his story. Luckily, Colfer does. It's a rare author that can take us into the enemy camp, show us who they are, how they live, their blueprints for whatever foul act they plan to commit, and still leave the pages of the book dripping with tension.

The demands that Colfer places on Artemis are staggering, and by extension the demands he places on himself as a writer are similarly so. To not violate Artemis' core-identity, yet have him find his way with the use of a moral compass, is virtually unthinkable. But Colfer did it. Artemis grew, he changed, but yet he was still Artemis at heart. Brilliant, conniving, and, when need be, ruthless. Ruthless...and still a good guy? Yup.

I'm thankful that Colfer didn't take the easy way out, and that he pushed himself harder and further than I've seen him do yet. If this book is any indication of what we can expect from the next - I'm holding my breath. Thankfully, Colfer writes quickly, so it shouldn't be too long of a wait, and I won't find myself in a morgue somewhere."



Review By The No Evil Killer "Know No Evil"
"Averaging one a year, Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series is no rush-job, I am increasingly enjoying and looking forward to every entry more than the Harry Potter series. Colfer's magical world just seems more accessible and imaginative. And he is constantly changing the type of story rather than just another labored part of a single massive arc.

Slightly longer this time around, the book has Artemis tracking demon activity on the time-displaced island of Hybras. The time spell which keeps Hybras stuck in oblivion is beginning to unravel and Artemis is busy investigating how to fix it when a 12-year-old French female rival (and love interest) kidnaps an insecure, classically educated demon, just as he manifests on Earth, right under Artemis' nose. Not knowing what trouble she has started, Artemis must break into her chatau, travel to Taiwan and match wits with her psychotic security in the Taipei 101 Tower to get the demon back before travelling to Hybras to fix the time spell with Captain Holly in tow.

I especially like the relationship between Artemis and Holly. Once enemies but now close friends. And the ending, not only including an imaginative and pretty damn cool twist, in which they become a part of each other forever (not giving anything away) was a nice touch.

As usual it's packed with ultra-technology that always seems realistic now matter how far-fetched, the typical amount of globe-trotting and the right amount of humor.

Artemis Fowl is definitely the best fantasy boy-hero. Harry Who?"



Review By Haley "knutty knightingale" (West of the Horizon)
"I went to the bookstore with my mom yesterday. She told me she would buy me ONE BOOK. Such a deal is precious, and I was deeply considering which lucky (hardcover, of course) book I would choose.

Moments after arriving in Borders and seeing the fifth Artemis Fowl, that privileged book slot had been filled.

And all I can say is...wow! I've always loved this series, ever since I discovered it about a year or so ago. But this is really incredible...I mean, how many authors can pull off a character that spouts synonyms during crises?

I was a bit shocked in the end, with the whole time-change...ah, but I shouldn't say anything. Goodness knows I've checked reviews on Amazon before buying a book and had a major plotline ruined...

Just buy this book. And while you're at it, get the others, too.

Haley

P.S. I've always wanted to make a list of books that SHOULD be turned into movies but AREN'T, and this seems like an okay place, especially since many Amazon browsers want more titles to read. So...

1. Underland Chronicles (Get Luxa and Ripred right)
2. Shadow Children (Get Trey and Jen right)
3. Artemis Fowl (Get Holly, Artemis, Root and Butler right)
4. Books of Pellinor (Get Cadvan right)
5. Young Wizards (Get Dairine right)
6. Prydain Chronicles (The Disney movie THE BLACK CAULDRON does NOT count.) (Get Gurgi, Eilonwy, and Fflewddur Fflam right)
7. The Dark Is Rising (um, actually, they ARE making this into a movie. Yay! Same studio that did Chronicles of Narnia, I think...)
8. The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy (Get Emily and Marak right.

And now, for books that have been (or will be) made into movies that you need to read anyway, if you haven't already:

1. Harry Potter
2. Lord of the Rings (any person who has not read this by their fifteenth birthday is severely deprived and should contact their local Social Services immediately.)
4. Chronicles of Narnia

Maybe that will help sustain you until the next Artemis Fowl book!


Rating: Very Good"



Review By T. J. Jones "TJ" (San Diego, CA United States)
"Eoin Colfer returns to his beloved Artemis Fowl series in "The Lost Colony" which sees old Arty, the kid genius who is now fourteen, dragged into saving the eighth faeirie family also known as Demons. The series needed to go into a new direction, and with puberty for Artemis comes new challenges and gasp ... girls! Colfer mixes the old with the new in this fifth outing and I am happy to say that it does not disappoint one bit!

The island of Hybras is falling apart. Its demons, which sent the island into limbo there ten thousand years ago when the faeires were forced underground by humans, are suddenly materializing on Earth at random places. Of course, this can only mean bad news for the faerie race as if humans discovered these demons, than their whole world could poetentially be exposed. And of course, who is there first to meet these confused demons but Artemis Fowl, who has somehow learned how to predict where and when these materalizatons will occur. But someone else has figured out the materalizations as well, a twelve year-old French girl named Minerva Paradizo; and when she kidnaps one of the demons, all "hell" breaks lose for Artemis and his friends. Now, it is up to Artemis and his old team to save the kidnapped demon and his race before Hybras's time spell collapses and the demons become extinct forever.

I have to admit, I thought Colfer should have stopped at book number three. "The Eternity Code" in my opinion was the best Artemis Fowl book and it ended with a perfect bang. I was surprised when book number four came out. "The Opal Deception" was entertaining and fun, but in my opinion it did not do much to move the story along. Oh, how glad I am to admit I was wrong now. "The Lost Colony" gives whole new breath and life to the series, adding new characters and new, interesting plots. Artemis has grown up and is no longer the the self-obcessed and stoic criminal mastermind he once was. He actually has feelings now and is battling the effects of puberty! Credit to Colfer for aging his hero along successfuly, for the series needed to go into a new direction if it hoped to retain the same quality it had before book four. The story is still however just as witty, fun, and full of all those cool gadgets and of course magic. The characters are all memorable and by the end, you'll be biting your nails in anticipation for their fates.

"The Lost Colony" closes with a bang, a real nail-biter of an ending that leaves the reader wanting more and sets up perfectly what I hear is sadly the last book in the series. Fun, original, magical, and always hysterical, I highly reccommend "The Lost Colony" to all those readers who love it when a bad guy goes good ... sort of."



Review By Y. Slayton (Washington)
"Eoin colfer is the author of Benny & Omar, Benny & Babe, The Supernaturalist, and of course the Artemis Fowl Books. In early 2006, Eoin Colfer spent several weeks touring the US and he'll beback in the US in October.

The Artemis Fowl series has five books so far

1 Artemis Fowl
2 The Artic Incident
3 The Eternity code
4 The Opal Deception
5 The Lost Colony

The Lost Colony came out in the UK in August and a friend who works at bookstores who got me a copy.

The Artemis Fowl books aren't popular for their depth or their detail, they are known for their fast pace and fun adventure. If you haven't read the previoius books, you may find this one tough as a starting point, but this isn't a deep book and there's no deep thought required, so you may be able to step right in. To catch you up, Artemis Fowl II is the son of a European crime lord, Artemis Senior. At the beginning of the first book, Artemis's father disappeared, along with the family's fortune, which sent his mother into a catatonic state.

When Artemis, along with his friend and bodyguard Butler, discovers the existence of fairies, he decodes their book in order to capture one. The fairie he eventually captures is Captain Holly Short, and capturing Holly is what gets the entire LEPrecon force after him.

In The Lost Colony, Artemis Fowl is dealing with another child prodigy, a new race of the fairy people and battling his own puberty. As a grown up reading Artemis Fowl, I enjoy it because it takes me a way to a new reality. The plot twists and turns as Artemis thinks on his feet to avoid another disaster - with the aid of Butler, Holly and Mulch along with some new characters."


Review By Jillian P. Phippen (Orem, UT USA)
"Artemis Fowl is growing and evolving. He's developed a conscience that even Foaly can't deprogram. I am consistently amazed at the plot jumps, high action, and character development, and I think the books do grow with the reader, but I think that a young reader will still read and enjoy the books and not be overwhelmed by the size of the book. A good young reader can read every book in the Artemis Fowl series and walk away feeling satisfied and pleased, unlike in the Harry Potter series where the reader really does need to grow and mature before he or she can tackle book 5 or 6. One SHOULD be 15 to read HP book 5, or else one can't imagine what the gloom and doom is all about!

Eoin Colfer's books are great. They will appeal to the young adult audience, and they are easily read and enjoyed. As an adult, I was delighted with the "Sherlock Holmes" feel of Artemis Fowl himself, and I loved the wide rage of characters in the novels. These are enjoyable at any age, but they are spot-on for the age-group they are targeted toward."



Review By Robert Schmidt (Honolulu, HI USA)
"I admit to being an Artemis Fowl fan. I love the characters, the plots, and the new worlds, beings, and technologies dreamed up by author Eoin Colfer.

The Lost Colony is the fifth book in the series. It covers about 3 years of Artemis' life (you'll learn what this means). In the meantime, this youthful EX-criminal mastermind sacrifices much to save one of the fairies from exploitation and destruction... the demons. Artemis travels from Europe to Taiwan, to a lost island in another dimension (the "lost colony" of the title), and to... another place and time.

Colfer continues to introduce his faithful readers to new characters, new technologies dreamed by by Foley, and levels of heroism worthy of the erection of statues. Be warned... a character you love will die in this book!

I don't know if you need to have read the previous four books to get the "flavor" of Artemis Fowl. I think it would help.

Enjoy this adventure... for all those readers with active imaginations!"



Review By C. Staff "and the Readers
"Artemis is back and better than ever!

When Artemis Fowl the Lost Colony came out I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. And as it turned out, it took a place on my list of Top Ten Books Ever Read. No don't get me wrong, the other books in this series are also very good but Eoin Colfer took this particular one to the next level.

The Characters:

Artemis: A teenage genius, the main character with a dry sense of humor and a boundless intelligence. He is always the mastermind behind the big schemes.
Butler: A hardened body guard who is Artemis's protector. Usually saves Artemis from situations he doesn't want to be in
Holly: A former lepRECON elf.
Foaly: A paranoid centaur who is addicted to technology. Without him the fairies would be defenseless.

For those of you who haven't read the first 4 books of the AF series I would highly recommend that you read those before you pick up this read, if you don't you'll miss out!

As demons start to pop up randomly around the globe, the fairies are getting nervous about loosing there cover underground. No one knows anyway of finding when the next demon is going to appear, not even Foaly the genius centaur. But as always Artemis has figured out a way to do the near impossible. Through the solving of highly complex equations he has found how to predict when the next demon will appear. He is not the only one though; there is someone else who has done the math and she is only twelve years old. It's a battle of wits between two kid geniuses including futuristic suits, weapons, more weapons, dry comebacks and some nice humor you will hardly be able to put this page turner down. Oh and I forgot something...there's a maniac killer by the name of Billy Kong who wants to end all fairies.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy/science fiction novels and people who like the Harry Potter Series. This is a must read, another perfectly formed and sculpted Artemis by Eoin Colfer. 10/10, Two Thumbs Up, 5 Stars, and what ever else you can think of that's a perfect rating. Dang I can't wait for this to become a movie... "


About the Author
"Eoin Colfer is the New York Times bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series; The Supernaturalist; Eoin Colfer’s Legend of Spud Murphy; Eoin Colfer’s Legend of Captain Crow’s Teeth; The Wish List; and his latest book, Half Moon Investigations. He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children."


If you would like to buy this book, you can check out its available for The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5) (Hardcover) at amazon.com