Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Eoin Colfer |
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| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Series | Artemis Fowl series |
| Genre | Children's, Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Hyperion Books |
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Publication date
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May 2002 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book |
| Pages | 277 (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | 978-0-43945070-6 |
| OCLC | 49778083 |
| LC Class | MLCS 2006/41940 (P) |
| Preceded by | Artemis Fowl (2001) |
| Followed by | The Seventh Dwarf (2004) The Eternity Code (2003) |
Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident is an exciting fantasy novel for young adults. It was written by the Irish author Eoin Colfer and came out in 2002. This is the second book in the popular Artemis Fowl series. It continues the adventures of Artemis Fowl II, a super smart twelve-year-old who is also a criminal mastermind. In this story, Artemis has to stop a rebellion by goblins and save his father, Artemis Fowl I. The book tells the story from different characters' points of view, which helps you understand everything that's happening. It was a New York Times bestseller and critics really liked it, saying it was as good as the first book.
Contents
The Story Begins
The adventure starts near the Bay of Kola in Russia. A dangerous group of criminals called the Russian Mafia had sunk a ship called the Fowl Star. Two of their members find the body of Artemis Fowl I, Artemis's father. He had been a powerful criminal leader. Surprisingly, he survived the sinking, even though he lost a leg and sight in one eye.
Three years later, his son, Artemis Fowl II, is at school. He gets a call from his loyal bodyguard, Butler. Butler shows Artemis a video. It proves that Artemis's father is alive, but he's being held by the Russian Mafia. Artemis knows they will soon ask for money. But he also knows that paying won't guarantee his father's safety or his own. So, Artemis starts to make a clever plan.
Trouble in the Fairy World
While Artemis is dealing with his problems above ground, the Lower Elements Police (LEP) in the fairy world are facing their own issues. Captain Holly Short, who was recently in trouble, and Private Chix Verbil are on a routine watch. They are suddenly attacked by a group of goblins. These goblins have dangerous, old weapons powered by human batteries, which are illegal.
Captain Short quickly suspects young Artemis Fowl. Even though he doesn't want to, LEP Commander List of Artemis Fowl characters#Julius Root sends Holly to bring Artemis and Butler in for questioning. However, Foaly, the LEP's smart centaur tech expert, uses his special machine to prove Artemis is innocent. Commander Root decides to ask Artemis and Butler for help. They need to find out who is giving the goblins these illegal weapons.
The Real Masterminds
No one in the LEP knows that the goblin attacks are being planned by Briar Cudgeon. He was a former LEP Lieutenant who got into a lot of trouble and was removed from his job. Briar is working with Opal Koboi, a super smart pixie who thinks she's the most important person ever. Opal is also Foaly's biggest rival in technology. No one suspects Opal because the goblins have also been attacking her own properties. Briar and Opal aren't worried about Commander Root's investigation. They plan to wait for the right moment to get rid of him. Then, they can take over Haven, the fairy city.
A Dangerous Mission
Foaly's investigation suggests a human detective in France, Luc Carrére, might be involved. Holly leads a team including Root, Artemis, and Butler to France to question Luc. Butler breaks into Luc's apartment in Paris. He finds Luc, who has been put into a trance, along with fake money and a fairy gun. Butler makes sure Luc can't cause trouble and confirms Luc knows nothing about the goblins using batteries. Luc is then left to be arrested.
Artemis feels that the operation was too easy. But he puts his worries aside. The group then travels to Murmansk, Russia. They plan to try and rescue Artemis Fowl I. Cudgeon sees this as a perfect chance to kill Root. He sends a goblin attack team to ambush them. The goblins almost succeed because Opal Koboi has secretly disabled all fairy weapons. Butler is knocked out and trapped under rocks with Commander Root. Holly and Artemis use a special train to free them.
During the escape, Holly's finger is accidentally cut off by a train door. They have to perform an emergency healing. Holly asks Artemis about his father and why he became so ruthless. In a rare honest moment, Artemis admits he made a mistake. This shows that he is starting to change and become a better person.
Inside Koboi Labs
Underground, Briar Cudgeon traps Foaly in his control room. Opal then disables all LEP weapons. This makes it look like Foaly is the one behind the goblin rebellion. The rescue team is now powerless to stop the goblins as they attack Haven city. The situation for the LEP in Haven becomes very serious.
Foaly, still trapped, uses Artemis's laptop. He sends a secret text message to Artemis's phone. This message tells the rescue group that Opal Koboi controls all fairy weapons and communications.
After getting the secret message, Artemis decides they must break into Koboi Laboratories. They need to get control of the weapons back to the LEP. This means stopping their mission to rescue Artemis's father. Root reluctantly agrees. He mentions that the only fairy who ever managed to break into Koboi Labs was a dwarf named Mulch Diggums. Mulch was a builder of the facility and loved to steal. Everyone thought he was dead after he broke into Fowl Manor before.
Holly then reveals that Foaly suspected Mulch had survived. Foaly realized some of the gold Artemis returned to the fairies was missing. He traced some of it to Los Angeles. There, Mulch was living as a rich, tiny millionaire and a famous Oscar thief. The group heads to Los Angeles and captures Mulch again.
The Break-in
Root threatens Mulch with a terrible goblin prison. He offers Mulch a two-day head start if he helps them break into Koboi Labs. The team uses Mulch's old plan. They enter through one of the giant titanium foundation rods. Mulch and his cousin had secretly diverted sewage into one rod, making it hollow.
After climbing down the rod and through Mulch's hidden tunnels, Butler, Root, and Holly charge towards the communications center. While these three fight through many goblins, Artemis takes another route. He sneaks through a network of deactivated plasma cannons to reach the center.
Artemis manages to get into the main control hub. He contacts Foaly, who uses Artemis's laptop to play back Cudgeon's own voice. This recording reveals that Cudgeon planned to betray the goblins. Cudgeon isn't worried. He reactivates the plasma cannons to knock out all the goblins in Koboi Labs.
Butler, Root, and Holly smash their way into the center. Cudgeon holds Artemis at gunpoint. But Foaly calls Artemis's mobile phone. Artemis hands it to Opal Koboi. Opal is furious when she hears Cudgeon's plan to betray her too. The two masterminds fight on Opal's hoverchair. Cudgeon is killed when he is thrown into an open DNA cannon. The crash causes Opal to pass out and destroys the remote control she used for LEP weapons. Foaly uses the restored power to activate DNA cannons in Police Plaza. This neutralizes most of the goblins involved in the revolt. Foaly stays in his control room because the LEP outside still thinks he caused the revolt.
Rescue and Return
Artemis, Holly, Butler, and Root then go to Murmansk. They rescue Artemis Fowl I. Artemis's plan to fake his father's shooting almost goes wrong when the Russians throw the man overboard. But Holly manages to save Artemis Senior and heal his worst injuries, though his leg is still gone.
The Russian Mafia are tricked out of their money. Artemis had Foaly print fake notes that dissolve when delivered to their boss. The group returns to Europe. Holly leaves Artemis Fowl I on the steps of a hospital in Helsinki.
The story ends with Dr. Po, Artemis's guidance counselor, asking him if he has learned anything and found someone he admires. Artemis thinks of his father and all the people who helped rescue him. He answers, "Yes, I believe I have."
See also
In Spanish: Artemis Fowl: Encuentro en el Ártico para niños
