Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Blurb: Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

Review by Dale: 
So you have read the Harry potter series, then you read the hunger games series. You may have even read the twilight books. But now you are wondering what am I going to read now? Have you read the Artemis Fowl series? This long running series is about to come to an end, after seven books the eighth and final book is coming this year. Lets have a look at this great series one book at a time.

Book 1 Artemis Fowl

Artemis is a young twelve year old genius with a penchant for thievery. In an effort to rob back his families fortunes he hatches an audacious sceme to steal gold from leprechauns. When I was a kid I heard the legends and studied the lore as all kids do. We all new about the gold at the end of the rainbow and that if you captured a leprechaun then you might get your hands on that pot of gold. Artemis has heard the legends as well and sets in motion a cunning plan to get that gold.

This book is told from a perspective thats not that common (and usually confined to caper plots) , in that the hero of the story is an anti hero, the bad guy. Imagine watching Star Wars where your rooting for Darth Vader instead of Luke Skywalker. It's certainly fun hoping the bad guy will get away with the treasure, cheat those cute little faires out of their hard earned gold and win the day.

This book is extremely well written, the story flows from the page and is a delight to read. Yet its not just the story itself thats immensely entertaining but also the way its written, the narrative prose in ever sentence transforms even the most mundane of character actions into a passage of beauty. It's little wonder when you consider that some of the greatest writers who have ever lived have come from Ireland and Eoin Colfer is from Wexford, not far from Dublin, home of the literary master James Joyce.

So if like Trolls, Goblins and Faery Folk, if you like polished poetic narration, and imaginative story, then you will love Artemis Fowl.

Ages: 10+ (mild action related violence)
Format: eBook
Available from Disney-Hyperion
Price: eArc (at time of review)
Wordcount: 280,000 (appx)
Author:Eoin Colfer
Link: Official Site

Troll Hunters Skyfall by Michael Dahl

Blurb: Part of the Troll Hunters series. Evil and danger rumbles under the earth. Follow the adventures of a group of contemporary teenagers who discover that their town, and ultimately the entire world, is under attack by fierce creatures from deep beneath the earth. These creatures were known to the earliest humans as trolls or goblins, but they are much more dangerous than their fairy-tale versions. The teens make unlikely allies along the way, including a half-man, half-troll, as well as some legendary constellations that quite literally come to life. The young heroes will also discover their own untapped celestial abilities in an epic battle between good versus evil spanning four intense books. (Jacket Copy: Capstone. Image: Goodreads)

Review by Dale:

This is a short novella written in a very easy style that hits its mark with younger readers. I finished this in about forty five minutes, and found I had chewed my nails to the quick in the process. The story is about a group of young kids who stay up to watch a meteor shower and get attacked by Trolls. Then discover that is just the beginning of a troll invasion!

Is it just me or are trolls scary? I mean really scary, they want to eat you, they live in the woods, underground and did I mention they want to eat you? This well written story by Dahl is very spooky, and dark and very readable for younger readers. It appears to be the first in a series because there are so many questions left in your mind after reading this. What about the centaur or Doctor Hoo and what's with the glowing eyes? Yes so many unanswered questions I can't wait for book two!

This book is illustrated too and the pictures are fantastic, just enough detail to capture the action but not overly done to spoil your own imaginings of the scene. 

So if you want something to read this saturday afternoon, something easy, spooky, and exciting, pick a good spot and read Skyfall by Michael Dahl. Ages 10 and up

Format: eBook ARC
Available from Capstone
Price: $0.00c (at time of review)
Page count: 114pp (appx)
Author: Michael Dahl
Available February 2012