Horn Book

Holly Short and Artemis Fowl find themselves uneasily on the same side as they deflect a palace coup in the Lower Elements, and, up above, try to rescue Artemis's father from kidnappers. The two plot strands aren't sufficiently entwined, and an excess of action sequences and high-tech fairy fighting gear give the book a frenetic quality. But fans of the first book will be undeterred.

Kirkus Reviews

In this sequel to Artemis Fowl (2001), the intellectual brilliance and total lack of scruples of the eponymous hero have enabled him to use his father's criminal empire to accumulate a vast fortune. Artemis utilizes this money to finance the search for his father, still missing two years after a disastrous and almost legitimate foray into Russia. Upon the receipt of an e-mailed picture, supposedly of his father, Artemis and his bodyguard, Butler, start the journey to Russia, only to be abducted by an old adversary Captain Holly Short, of the fairy police, LEPrecon. Holly and her commander erroneously suspect Artemis of masterminding a smuggling ring. The deal Artemis and Butler make with the LEPrecon officers (Artemis lends his brain to solve the smuggling puzzle; LEPrecon lends its advanced technology to the search for Fowl, Senior) leads to a series of major and minor disasters, which provide suspense and tension to this well-plotted story. Characterization is slight but amusing: Holly Short, first female captain in the LEPrecon is a feisty but warmhearted fairy, Foaly the centaur head of LEPrecon's technology department is brilliant if irascible, and the dwarf, Mulch, is hilarious, full of himself and of dwarf gas—don't ask. Filled with puns, word plays, and inventive new concepts about the fairy realm, this mix of fantasy and science fiction will delight fans and make converts of new readers. An exhilarating Celtic caper that stands very nicely indeed on its own merits. (Fiction. 11-14)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Rocketing readers back into a world of modern fairies (they pack heat and wear motorized wings), Colfer here reunites 13-year-old antihero Artemis with his former kidnap victim, Captain Holly Short, an elf officer with the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance) squad. As the erstwhile arch enemies join forces to squelch a power-hungry pixie's coup attempt in one world and to rescue Artemis's long-missing father in another (he's being held for ransom by the Russian Mafiya), the boy proves he has a heart after all, even as he builds his reputation as a world-class criminal mastermind. Once again, the roller coaster of a plot introduces a host of high jinks and high-tech weaponry as Colfer blends derring-do with snappy prose ("The broad grin disappeared like a fox down a hole") and repartee ("Hey, Mulch, if you listen really hard you can just about make out the sound of nobody giving a hoot"). The resulting fantasy hosts memorable characters, many of whom (such as the flatulent dwarf Mulch Diggums) reprise roles that helped attract fans to the first adventure. The author ratchets up the body count in this return engagement (perhaps too steeply for some tastes), and the high-concept premise may be a tad slick for others, but Colfer's finger is firmly on the pulse of his target market, and along with extra helpings of sly humor ("The sprite's breathing calmed, and a healthy green tinge started to return to his cheeks") he delivers a cracking good read. Ages 10-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

<EMPHASIS TYPE=""BOLD"">FYI:<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The one-day laydown date for this novel is May 3.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8 In this entertaining sequel, Artemis Fowl tries to rescue his father from Russian Mafiya gangsters. Here, the criminal mastermind teams up with Captain Holly, the same leprechaun officer whom he battled in the first book. He needs her fairy magic and technology to help with his mission, while she and her friends enlist the boy to aid them in preventing a goblin revolt. The action is brisk, with fiendish plots, ingenious escapes, and lively battle scenes. Though still diabolically clever, Artemis loses some of his edge as the story proceeds, and even commits a few selfless acts along the way. His own bafflement at these sentimental lapses is amusing, and he develops into a more likable figure. His unbridled greed and ambition were essential to his antihero appeal in the first book, and a gentler Artemis is not quite as engaging. Still, it's fun to see him run rings around a school counselor, and his verbal jousts with his fairy allies keep some of that spark alive. Many characters from the first book return, though none develop much beyond their basic personality traits. The satisfying conclusion resolves the fate of Artemis's father and sets the scene for future sequels. -Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.