Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident is a young-adult fantasy novel written by Irish author Eoin Colfer. It is the second book in the Artemis Fowl series, preceded by Artemis Fowl and followed by Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code. It follows the adventures the thirteen-year-old criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl, as he thwarts a goblin rebellion and rescues his father, Artemis Fowl I. The third-person narration switches back and forth constantly, allowing the reader to understand more of what is going on. A New York Times best-seller,^[1] the novel was well-received by critics, and reviews compared its quality and success to those of its predecessor.

Plot

Artemis Fowl II is the thirteen-year-old son of an Irish crime lord, Artemis Fowl I, and the fairy underworld considers him dangerous. After being falsely accused of supplying contraband to a goblin smuggling ring, Artemis and his bodyguard, Butler, defeat the culprit. In return, the fairies Captain Holly Short and Commander Julius Root of the Lower Elements Police assist the pair in rescuing Artemis' father, whom the Russian Mafia has held hostage.

A goblin hit squad ambushes the rescue group, and the group shelters underneath an overhang. Realizing that it is a trap, Butler pushes Holly and Artemis out as the overhang collapses. The rubble knocks Butler unconscious and traps him and Commander Root. Holly and Artemis free Root and Butler. Holly questions Artemis about his father and how he came to be so ruthless in the events of the previous book, and, in a rare moment of sincerity, Artemis admits he made a mistake, a sign of his moral development that continues through the series.^[2] Meanwhile, Briar Cudgeon ambushes and locks Foaly in the Operations Booth and disables LEP weapons, framing him as the mastermind behind the rebellion against the LEP and leaving the rescue group powerless to stop the goblins as they begin their attack.

Foaly sends a text message to the rescue group, revealing that all weapons and communications are controlled by Opal Koboi.^[3]

Artemis decides to take over Koboi Laboratories and return all weapons to the LEP, interrupting the rescue mission. Holly reveals that Foaly had a hunch that Mulch Diggums, the criminal and kleptomaniac dwarf that had been presumed dead after the Fowl Manor siege, was still alive and in Los Angeles. As he had broken into Koboi Laboratories before, they go to apprehend him once again.^[4]

They then break into Koboi Laboratories through a hollow titanium foundation rod.^[5] Artemis manages to turn both the goblins and Koboi against Cudgeon. Cudgeon is killed when he is thrown into the open DNA cannon plasma feed which simultaneously blacks out Opal Koboi. The restored power activates DNA cannons in Police Plaza, neutralising all goblins there. However, Foaly is still trapped in the Operations Booth, as the LEP outside, commanded by Captain Trouble Kelp, still thinks he is to blame for the revolt.^[6] The rescuers then go to Murmansk and rescue Artemis Fowl I.

Critical reception

Critical reception was generally positive. January Magazine noted that after the success of the novel's predecessor, Arctic Incident had "a lot to live up to." The review said the novel was "refreshing and innovative." It lauded Colfer's continual expansion of characters.^[7] Kirkus Reviews praised the novel's "puns, word plays, and inventive new concepts about the fairy realm" and called the book an "exhilarating Celtic caper" that would "delight fans and make converts of new readers."^[8] The reviews, however, were not all positive. While Publishers Weekly described the novel as a "cracking good read," the review cautioned that Colfer "ratchets up the body count...perhaps too steeply for some tastes" and that "the high-concept premise may be a tad slick for others."^[9] Goodtoread.org did not receive the book as positively, citing Butler and Artemis' awkward relationship and Artemis as "an unconvincing 13-year-old genius." However, the reviews concluded that the book was "interesting enough."^[10]

References

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