As most engineers I know I have a rather childish part of me that refuses to grow up with the rest of the body and the mind. I still like to play, I like cartoons, I am fascinated by toys and so on. For the same reason I usually lurk in the teen section of bookstores because I’m sure to find some hidden pearls. Sometimes I get burnt (Time Stops for No Mouse was way too childish even for me), other times my research is successful.
Artemis Fowl is one of those successful cases. Although it is not at the same level of Harry Potter (here Good and Evil aree pretty distinct and the Evil one has no good intentions) it is an entertaining reading.
This is the fourth book in the series. The plot is following from the previous book: Artemis and Butler (Leale in Italian) have undergone a mind-wipe and they don’t recall anything about the people and LEPrecon. Opal is in coma, and Holly Short (Spinella Tappo) is about t be promoted.
In this book you’ll find the usual wealth of futuristic gadgetry, Artemis will be back in full… mind and will begin to grow some sentiments.
Opal plan is astute and well thought.
I found Folay (Polledro) character to be a little underutilized and he’s doing the idiot-savant a bright guy that cannot think about the obvious.
I am not fully satisfied by the dwarf Mulch Diggums (Bombarda Sterro). It seems like that when the writer finds no way out for a given situation he forges a new secret dwarfs ability. A cheap Deus Ex Machina gimmick to solve problems. I have not checked, but it is possible that this brings some inconsistencies to the previous books.
An easy book that flows in a couple of days full of techies and action.