Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Eoin Colfer |
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| Translator | franche |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Series | Artemis Fowl series |
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
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Publication date
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30 April 2005 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback), Audiobook CD |
| Pages | 352 (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | 0-14-138164-7 (first edition, hardback) |
| OCLC | 60343030 |
| Preceded by | The Eternity Code (2003) |
| Followed by | The Lost Colony (2006) |
Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception is an exciting fantasy novel for teens. It was published in 2005 and is the fourth book in the popular Artemis Fowl series by Irish author Eoin Colfer. This book continues the adventures of the clever young mastermind Artemis Fowl II and his fairy friends. In this story, they must stop the brilliant but evil pixie, Opal Koboi, from causing big trouble for both the fairy world and the human world.
Contents
Plot Summary
Opal's Escape and Evil Plan
The story begins with the mischievous pixie, Opal Koboi. She is pretending to be in a coma at a hospital. This is her way to escape from the Lower Elements Police (LEP). She was caught after her last attempt to take over the world.
Opal is very clever. She manages to swap herself with a clone that looks exactly like her. This clone is brain-dead, so no one notices the switch. She had been watched very closely, with DNA tests and special trackers. But she still found a way out with help from the Brill Brothers.
A Dangerous Trap
After escaping, Opal sets a trap for Commander Julius Root and Captain Holly Short of the LEP. She lures them into a dangerous lava chute. There, Opal uses a hidden bomb to kill Commander Root. She then makes it look like Holly is the one who did it. This makes Holly a wanted criminal.
Opal also tries to get rid of Artemis Fowl II and his bodyguard, Domovoi Butler. She sends a dangerous device called a bio-bomb after them. Luckily, Butler is quick and jumps from their hotel. This saves them from the explosion.
Artemis's Memory and New Friends
In the previous book, Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code, Artemis had his memory erased. He doesn't remember meeting the fairies or his past adventures with them. This makes him act more like his old, tricky self. But deep down, he still has a good side.
Holly finds Artemis and rescues him. She tries to make him remember, but it doesn't work. Artemis agrees to help her, but only if she pays him. Later, Opal captures them both. She throws them into an old fairy theme park filled with dangerous trolls.
They have a tough fight against the trolls. Luckily, their old friend Mulch Diggums, a dwarf, and Butler arrive to save them. After this scary experience, Holly and Artemis become good friends. Artemis realizes that helping friends is more important than money.
Stopping Opal's World-Ending Plan
Opal moves forward with her biggest plan yet. She tricks a rich human environmentalist named Giovanni Zito. She makes him believe she is his adopted daughter, Belinda Zito. Opal wants him to send a special probe deep into the Earth. Her goal is to make humans find the fairies. This would start a war between humans and fairies, which could destroy all fairies.
After being rescued, Mulch gives Artemis a special disk. This disk helps Artemis get all his memories back. He feels very guilty about how he treated the fairies, especially Holly. For the first time, he truly apologizes to her. He realizes that Holly, Butler, and Mulch are his only true friends.
Together, the four friends decide to stop Opal Koboi. It's a difficult task because the LEP still thinks Holly killed Commander Root. They are also hunting Holly.
The Final Showdown and New Beginnings
The story builds up to a struggle over the probe. The probe eventually misses its target. Opal crashes into a woman's field. She uses her last bit of magic to trick the woman into thinking she is her child.
However, a week later, the LEP catches Opal. Holly is cleared of all charges for Commander Root's murder. But she is unhappy with the new Commander, Ark Sool. So, she decides to leave the LEP. Holly and Mulch Diggums start their own private investigation business.
Artemis has truly changed. He secretly donates a famous painting called The Fairy Thief to the Louvre museum. He had stolen this painting right before Opal's attack. This shows he is now using his cleverness for good.
The Secret Code
At the bottom of the book, there is a secret code. It contains a message from Foaly, a smart centaur. You can translate this code if you know the Gnommish alphabet. This alphabet can be found in The Artemis Fowl Files by Eoin Colfer or on the Artemis Fowl website.
On the cover of the US version of the book, there's another hidden message. It faintly repeats "Opal wants revenge" several times on the sides of a tube. The Gnommish symbols around the molecules on the front cover also read "DNA never lies."
See also
In Spanish: Artemis Fowl: La venganza de Opal para niños
