Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, #5)

by Eoin Colfer

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Rating in 2018: Four Stars

Book five of the Artemis Fowl series takes a little bit of a departure from the rest of the series.  Whereas the previous four books have involved saving Haven city, or performing a heist on Artemis's behest, this time both Holly and Artemis are working for a greater cause. We are introduced to a whole new group of faeries, who are caught in a time spell that is unraveling.

When I read this series when I was younger, I didn't care for The Lost Colony.  I like the heists and the intricate world of the faerie underground, and a lot of this book relies heavy on the demon culture.  The demons are led by a violence-loving demon named Leon Abbott who is the only one to have jumped out of the time tunnel and returned.  In his foray to the human world, he claims to have learned about the warring intentions of humanity and strives to create a culture of violent, human-hating demons to wipe out all humans.  At its best, it's pretty cheesy.  That said, it really depends on the reader, because while I was still not overly impressed, my husband loved it.

The writing continues to be playful, and I have to admit, No1 adds a fresh feeling to the series.  Colfer is always witty and flows with an easy grace, but now halfway through the series, it does call for something new.  It's easy for a series to get stale.  Colfer is also careful to balance his comedic characters.  Mulch Diggums and No1 are not in any scenes together, keeping the balance between comedy and action.  I personally prefer Mulch to No1, but I think a lot of people will be enchanted by No1.  He's sweet and innocent and naive and excited.

Another aspect we get here, as Artemis is now fourteen, is Artemis's first crush.  He handle the unusual situation the same way he handles everything else - tries to analyze it and becomes confused when he finds himself thinking about her at inopportune moments.  It is delightful and I loved it.  I think it's important in long running series like this to actually feel like the characters are getting older.  The Harry Potter series does this well, and Percy Jackson.  And Artemis Fowl.

All in all, I enjoyed The Lost Colony more rereading it than I did when I first read it.  I appreciate more of Colfer's stylistic choices here, and I see the comedy a little better.  I think most readers will like this one, and appreciate the shift in setting and motive for Artemis.

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Rating in 2006: Two Stars
(no review)