Second Book Better than First

I had been disappointed with the first book because I read it with the expectation that it was "the next Harry Potter." For the second book, I went in with the expectation that it probably wouldn't be as good as the first (as sophomore efforts usually fall short). I was wrong again.

Storyline
Artemis Fowl is a 13-year old criminal mastermind who was thrust into the position of head of the family after his father disappears. He schemes and scams increase the depleting family fortune including stealing fairie gold in the first book of the Artemis Fowl series.

In this latest installment, there are two story-lines: human and fairie.

Human: It begins with Artemis Fowl playing mind games with his child psychologist. Now that his mother is no longer delusional, she has become concerned about Artemis' activities and sketchy morals. Therefore, he has been sent to a private school and counseling. He mildly tolerates this inconvenience to his ongoing search for his missing father. It turns out that his father was lost at sea off of the Russian coast and was captured by the Mafiya. A kidnapping scenario ensues across the frozen tundra.

Fairie: Increased criminal activity in the B'wa Kell goblin triad points to possible human involvement. Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police is on the case and investigates connections with Artemis Fowl. If the goblins start a war, the future of the underworld will lie in the balance.

This time, instead of being arch nemesis, Artemis and the fairies must join forces.

Violence
The shooting, fighting, and killing continues with this book. There is one scene where a goblin kills two of his compatriots by shooting them in the back. Senseless violence, his reasoning is that as the only survivor he is guaranteed the promotion. In another scene, Holly looses a finger. (I was especially sensitive to this, because I almost lost my thumb in a car door.) I agree with other member reviews of the first book, and question the need for the amount and type of violence in this second installment.

Magic
Magic healing and mesmir (a.k.a. magical hypnosis) do play their part in the book, but magic isn't what saves the day. It is fast thinking and heroic effort that win out. This book definitely use technology (combined with brains) more than magic to get things done.

Other Returning Characters
Several characters return from the first book including:
- Butler, Artemis' manservant and bodyguard. He is physically big, strong, and dangerous as proven by his fight with a troll in the first book.
- Foaly, a centaur and master inventor for the LEPrecon army. While he is bright, he is also incredibly conceited.
- Root, chief of the LEPrecon army and Holly's boss. Nicknamed "Beet" because his face turns bright red-purple when he gets angry.
- Mulch Diggums, the mud-eating dwarf. He can eat through dirt and clay, but watch out for the intestinal gas!

I highly recommend the second installment in the Artemis Fowl series.