Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind who comes from a legendary crime family. He is a genius and a millionaire and he is all of twelve years old. The pale adolescent has devised a shocking plan, to rid the fairies of their gold.
With his mother in a haze of grief because Artemis' father has disappeared, Artemis has been left on his own save for the help and support of his bodyguard, Butler. Artemis hopes his plan will restore some stability to his life.
The plan? Kidnap a fairy and make them talk and hand over their secrets, but Artemis just so happens to capture Captain Holly Short, the smart and feisty member of the LEPrecon Unit. She is not about to surrender to the criminal genius.
What ensues is pure chaos as the LEPrecon Unit goes in full force to save Captain Short. The story is full of strange creatures and fantastic gadgets, which no doubt are bound to appeal. It's fast paced and with some great moments of hilarity such as when the humans, or mud people, come in contact with a troll and an elf.
Ultimately though I was a bit unsatisfied with the story because it consisted mainly of one rescue mission. I wish there had been less time spent on the rescue and more on developing other aspects of this new world.
Added 05/07