Thursday, January 31, 2019

More to follow. | OD Ch 10-Epilogue | Artemis Fowl Read Along


Welcome to the finale of this Opal Deception read along -and we're finishing on a doozy of story thoughts here. Usually, I have four or five pages of notes for a week's chapters. This week I had NINE.


Chapter 10: Horse Sense


"Everyone has a right to be temporarily unstable."
Truer words, Foaly; truer words. I'm not the only who thinks that, aside from sick days, we should have a day off option for 'temporary instability', am I?

"Tell me, Chix, or I'll reach down this com link and drag it out of you."
Well, Foaly, sounds like you learned a few things from our beloved Commander Julius Root. He'd been so proud of you, but he'd cover it with a growl and the fumes of a noxious fungal cigar.

While Chix bemoans a possible fate of scraping of vole curry off the streets I'm thinking vole curry!? It is mentioned several times (especially in this book) so evidently it's quite a common dish for the People.
I feel so sorry for them.
Yum.

But Foaly's paranoid streak couldn't let it go.
To be fair, how many times have his paranoid streaks wound up saving the People in one way or another?
Almost every time, yeah?
...except *achem* for that Arctic incident... Paranoia was kind of his downfall there.

"You're approaching this the wrong way, Holly."
Isn't it amazing how often 'genius' is actually the simple details, things we usually just gloss over or take for granted? And this was perfectly demonstrated a few chapters ago, when Artemis -memories in tact- presents the gold spray painted computer disc to Holly.
"Very clever."
"Genius, actually. It merely seems clever in hindsight, but the original idea was pure genius."

"Remember the plan" could be one of Artemis' catchphrases.
Do you think Holly ever got him a sweater or a hat or a coffee mug with that emblazoned across it as a gag gift?

Sool stroked his goatee. It was a win-win situation.
I don't regret this.
This gnome is a terrible person and a worse boss. He's only interested in what will make him look good, rather than taking experienced opinions (like Foaly's) into consideration just because he doesn't like them or putting the People first and foremost -as direct a contradiction to Julius Root as you can get.
Readers like to talk about the characters they 'love to hate' and I would always find myself stumped for one.
Not anymore.

"This is not the start of a beautiful relationship."
No, Sool, it isn't -because unlike Rick or Louie, you don't have a decent bone in your body!
...wow, I really don't like this gnome...

Through sheer force of habit, Mulch almost raised his hand and confessed...
After all, it's highly discourteous to let another dwarf be blamed for your bubbles! Okay, but seriously, this is taking fart jokes to a new level, which is saying a lot for Colfer, who already took fart jokes to a new level by creating a dwarf who uses flatulence as the most versatile superpower imaginable. Not to mention, if Mulch hadn't stopped him, this would have been the most embarrassing defeat. Ever. Grand schemes ousted by a confession of passing wind? Even Opal would have been embarrassed to claim victory like that.

...Mulch often gave voices to the objects he was about to steal.
😂😂😂
This just presents...so many hysterical possibilities.

Okay, but throughout this entire section of Mulch sneaking around on Opal's shuttle, Colfer's hints-but-misdirections are fabulous! HE'S A MAGICIAN.
...we're not going very far.
...there's plenty of room for both of you.
When Mulch Diggums crept out...the charges were no longer on the chair.
Mulch crawled around the box. If there was one thing he didn't need, it was more creaks.
He even mentions the booty box and presents it as an obstacle to be avoided! IT'S GENIUS. Clever in hindsight, maybe, but the original idea is pure genius.

Artemis had goaded her into sealing her own fate.
Remember those extra little touches, Opal, like the underwater television at the Temple of Artemis? Do you regret those yet?

Artemis stared at the screen as if he could destroy the missiles through concentration. "I should have anticipated this."
I wonder why you didn't, Arty?
Back during my Eternity Code read along I suggested that Artemis' moments of mental blindness as far as his genius schemes go are in fact blind spots born of his not caring about the far-reaching consequences of his actions. If this is the case, what would have blinded you here, Arty? Were you too happy by your regained memories? Perhaps they made you cocky, knowing you'd foiled Opal Koboi once before and could certainly do it again? Maybe you were too determined to get vengeance for Holly? Perhaps your new-found conscience made you forget how ruthless and petty a villain can be?
Or maybe it was just a mistake, like any regular human being can make. But it's so much more fun to wonder!

I love that Artemis Fowl took down Opal Koboi with a box of truffles.
You could say she got her just desserts. (Not sorry)

"You people are becoming quite the team."
Somehow I don't think Trouble Kelp meant this as a compliment, but I can clearly envision Artemis and Holly, Butler and Mulch all exchanging knowing smiles at that. Because when it works, it works.

Chapter 11: Last Goodbye

Speaking of just desserts -Opal certainly gets a nice helping, doesn't she? She mesmerizes herself into the memory of a vineyard owner, but the moment manual labor is mentioned, Opal's newly implanted human pituitary gland cuts off her fairy powers before she can magic her way out of it. ...She had effectively humanized herself.

Villains managing to ironically screw up their own schemes is a running theme throughout this series that I've never picked up on before.
  • Artemis Fowl: Cudgeon goes to extremes for promotion which ultimately leads to his demotion.
  • The Arctic Incident: Cudgeon thinks himself unbeatable, and the inevitable 'I'm untouchable' monologue is what Foaly uses to turn Opal against him.
  • The Eternity Code: Jon Spiro's hatred of Phonetix is how Artemis orchestrates his downfall, while Artemis' own greed leads both to Butler's death and the loss of his memories -two of the things he values the most in the world.
  • The Opal Deception: Opal humanizes herself to conquer the world, which overrides her magic, but not before she's trapped herself with the very last vestiges of the mesmer. Before this, her greed for decadent chocolate is exactly what Artemis uses to trick her. Or, as Artemis so aptly puts it, "It's human nature, and Opal is a human now, remember?"

Of all the things Sool had done to her, this was the worst.
And, let's be honest, this is why I hate him so. freaking. much. Everything Sool has done up to this point could theoretically be forgiven -Holly is, after all, a murder suspect and on the run, so Sool has a leg to stand on- but this last act of not letting Holly attend Julius' funeral is completely irredeemable. Not just because it's an singular even that he can never make up for -though there certainly is that- but because Sool himself refused to let her attend purely out of spite

Because the Tribunal hasn't reached a verdict in her case, she's still a murder suspect. Yeah. Okay. But this is not the reason she doesn't go to the funeral. The reason given is that Sool refuses to let her, even under armed guard, so obviously there did exist the possibility of her attending under guard, even as a murder suspect. And remember -Sool is no longer Internal Affairs. He's the new Recon Commander; while he's part of the Tribunal that will vote on Holly's verdict, there's no indication that he has any part of the Internal Affairs investigation. Which means that his decision to not let her attend Julius' funeral came down as an order from her new commanding officer -Julius' own replacement- not from the IA or as requirement of the Tribunal investigation.

Even worse? The Tribunal votes directly following Julius' funeral; the judgement comes down so soon afterwards that Holly is still watching the recycling ceremony on TV when Foaly and Sool come to tell her. Seriously, they couldn't have voted an hour earlier so she could freely attend? It seems particularly cruel since the vote was seven-to-one in Holly's favor.

I of course blame Sool for everything, because it seems just the kind of petty plan he'd spawn and wrap nice and tight in impenetrable red tape, and all because he doesn't like her, he doesn't like how Recon operates, and he didn't like the 'maverick' Julius Root.

"Julius would have been proud of you. Haven is here today because of what you did."
It's not all bad, of course. Since Holly couldn't attend the funeral in person, she did have Artemis there to comfort her which, frankly, was the best emotional support she was likely to get from the whole Lower Elements. (Sorry, Foaly.) Artemis is adorably reassuring and comforting; he knows just what to say and, unlike their near-death experience at the 'Temple of Artemis', he's entirely genuine.

I love this moment too because it provides a nice, deep look at just how much his and Holly's relationship has deepened in such a short time. By the end of The Eternity Code they were amicable, bordering on friendly, and thanks to the mindwipe and Opal Koboi -you know that old saying, 'absence and near-death experiences devised by crazy deranged pixies make the heart grow fonder'- they've plunged straight into friends-for-life territory. "Bonded by trauma," as Artemis put it.

"I quit."
Just a page before Holly throws down her badge before Ark Sool, Artemis had told her that Julius would have been proud of her for saving Haven. While I don't disagree, it could also be argued that in saving Haven, Holly was also just doing her job, like any good LEP officer.

It is when Holly quits that I think Julius really would have been proud, because Holly is taking his words to heart. At the beginning of the book, Holly is all set to turn down the promotion because it will cut down on her surface time, what she loves, and Julius convinces her otherwise, because her job is to protect the People. To do what she has to for the People, even accepting a promotion that will shackle her to a desk.

Being a police officer isn't just something Holly loves; it's what she is. It's a part of her as much as breathing. But with Sool breathing down her neck, she knows she won't be any help to the People -and helping the People is what she needs to do.

She quits, not for herself, but for the People. Just like Julius taught her.

I also want to point out something from the epilogue. The newspaper clipping marvels at the return of the lost Fairy Thief painting and wonders: Is someone out there reclaiming lost or stolen masters for the people?
And no; I don't think that wording is a coincidence.


More to follow.

"It's a strange feeling, not to know who you are exactly." I love this conflict in Artemis, pulled between wanting to pursue his criminal enterprises and wanting to be a normal teenager with loving parents, with a whole slew of rediscovered memories he hasn't exactly grown back into yet.

Holly teases about keeping an eye on him and Artemis laughs it off; he's already got his parents and Butler doing that. And then Holly says something utterly profound and compelling: "Well then, maybe it's time you let them."

I've read this book a dozen times and I have always glossed over this line. It's just good dialogue, right? No; I don't think so, not anymore. It's much deeper and more subtle than that and I don't think I've given Colfer enough credit for his character depth and subtle development in Artemis right here.

I have always seen The Eternity Code as Artemis' key turning point from villain/criminal to hero/anti-hero. I was wrong. While it was undoubtedly a big step in the right direction, Artemis does not fully embrace the new direction -he did, after all, make that massive charitable donation irreversible in case he became weak later and decided to steal it back. Before he could try embracing it, the mindwipe robbed him of further improvement in that area. Basically, his development in The Eternity Code was the foundation for the actual key turning point of his character that we see right here in The Opal Deception.

Let's look back on my point about the series' villains ironically causing their own downfalls. It remains true, but these villains all share one more distinctive quality: they rely on themselves and themselves alone. They might have minions or lackeys who execute their plans, but they don't actually trust anyone else to help them. They're all arrogant lone wolves. Even Artemis is like this; he rarely trusts anyone with the whole of his plans, he only asks for help when he's caught red-handed and in over his head, and he won't let anyone help him on a personal level, with his internal conflicts -like this one. When he tells Holly that he already has two parents and one bodyguard trying to keep him on the straight and narrow, it's got a weight to it; I picture him sort of scoffing at it, implying they're efforts are not only unsuccessful, but a wasted effort. Useless.

Holly's reply is so profound and so obvious I expect it hit Artemis upside the head. "Well then, maybe it's time you let them."

They're interrupted at this moment by Foaly and Sool, so Artemis doesn't have the time to respond or even to let this really sink in. But it's got to take root in that big brain of his. This is the moment that -I think- Arty starts to fully realize that his parents, Butler, and his friends can put every ounce of their energy into helping him -and it won't make the slightest bit of difference to him if he doesn't accept it. There is nothing anyone can do to help him make that change; they can support him, but Artemis is the one who has to make the choice. This is something he has to do himself.

When Artemis first regained his memories, his most profound and treasured revelation was the fact that he had friends. We talked about this; I love that this is the memory Artemis focuses on. This is the thing that matters the most, out of everything, because Artemis Fowl isn't the 'friend' type, because he won't let anyone in, because he doesn't need anyone.

Up to now, Artemis has closely paralleled the patterns of every villain he's faced to some extent. Ever since the first book, our favorite genius has been stuck in the same vicious cycle, maybe learning new lessons and strengthening his conscience each time, but always falling victim to the same basic flaws and cycling through the same mistakes, despite the helping hands and watchful eyes of his loved ones. So far, every villain Artemis has faced has been a friendless, ambition-at-all-costs kind of bad guy. And so far, Artemis has been the same way himself.

But what if he wasn't anymore? What if he came to value friendship above greed and ambition? What if he took the chance to become the hero? What if he let Butler and Holly and his parents help him?

And this, right here, is the true turning point of Artemis' character, reflected in his first waking thoughts after this conversation with Holly:


Artemis Fowl had a big decision to make: which way would his life go from here? The decision was his.

Or, in the words of Michael Jackson:
I'm starting with the man in the mirror,
I'm asking him to change his ways.
-Man in the Mirror, 1988 Epic Records
It's been a while since I read books 5-8 but I am so excited to see how well this change begins to manifest itself, not only in Artemis' character, but in the books themselves, especially in The Lost Colony, who's 'villain' Minerva is a direct parallel to his younger self. I've always loved The Lost Colony and Minerva, but I have a feeling this time around the book is suddenly going to explode with much more profundity and depth than I've ever given it credit for.

I'm looking forward to holding Artemis and Colfer to their closing promise as we finish The Opal Deception: More to follow.

D'arvit, guys, I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS!!!


Your #FowlDay Challenges, if you choose to accept them, are:
1) Gag Gifts -Commenting below or using #FowlDay on social media, describe what gag gifts our favorite characters might give each other. For example: Holly would give Artemis a mug that says REMEMBER THE PLAN with a spooky vampire smile.
2) Share your favorite quote from this week's reading!


Next week we start The Lost Colony -and it's going to be fantastic!

February's reading schedule for The Lost Colony:
Feb 1-7: Chapters 1-4
Feb 9-14: Chapters 5-8
Feb 15-21: Chapters 9-12
Feb 22-28: Chapters 13-16

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Scars & Memories | OD Ch 7-9 | Artemis Fowl Read Along


Happy Fowl Day! Thanks for joining me again for this week's discussion on The Opal Deception. Chapters 7-9 -take it away!


Chapter 7: The Temple of Artemis

Revenge was certainly sweet, but it was also a distraction.

This rings to me like 'first world problems'. Wow, Opal, you just have to take your revenge on my favorite motley crew, but actually enjoying that revenge is starting to cut into your day job? Seriously?


"I hardly think that qualifies you for sainthood."


This burn of Opal's, when Artemis is not-so-silently judging her for decorating her vehicle in animal furs, just tickled my fancy.


"And what is it this time?" Artemis asked mockingly. "Another orchestrated rebellion? Or perhaps a mechanical dinosaur?"


Of all the things to say, Arty, you choose a mechanical dinosaur? I love this kid. ^_^


"It may interest you to know that your chosen human name, Belinda, means beautiful snake. Also rather fitting. Half of it, at any rate."


I love when Artemis wants to get under someone's skin. He knows exactly what buttons to push and has no qualms whatsoever pushing them.


Riverdance. Ha-ha.


Artemis is underwater, oxygen deprived, and being tossed around by the current and he notices how it whips his legs around and this is what he thinks.

Is it bad that I love Artemis' sense of humor best when's he's delirious?


"I am really starting to dislike her," he panted.


Really, Arty? Just now? Only now?

On the one hand, this is just Artemis being Artemis.

On the other hand, it could also be argued that Artemis (in his current mindwiped, turned-back-to-his-criminal-ways state) has found Opal's behaviour and revenge perfectly understandable up to this point. Possibly because he can empathize with the loss of all she held dear and has so far judged the dished revenge deserved (which makes one wonder if Artemis has pre-planned any such scenarios should anyone ever threaten his family or the Fowl Empire) or perhaps he is just cross-referencing everything he knows about the pixie via Holly with the pixie herself.

"She may come to regret little touches like the underwater television, because it's things like this that give me the motivation to get out of here."


"If we make it throught this, we will be friends. Bonded by trauma."


While Holly is bemoaning that Artemis might die before he remembers their friendship, I find Artemis' response very sweet.

I need to exercise more than my brain in the future.

How many times does Artemis think this?

And how many times does Arty actually exercise?


And this is one of many reasons we relate so well to a child genius.

It should be easy enough. He'd climbed ladders before. One ladder at least. Surely.

This is something I love about Eoin's humor. Never mind their lives are in mortal danger/there's a mob of hungry trolls after them/what have you, there's still time for Artemis to realize he's never climbed A LADDER in his life before now and for Eoin to tease him about it.


"Nobody's that perfect. That's how I knew."

It's adorable to me that Artemis tried to fake remembering just to comfort Holly in their last moments. But that Holly is able to not only see through it, but to twist it into this important life lesson is one of the things I love about these characters.


Parents who never had the chance to be truly proud of him.

Foaly said the mindwipe wouldn't likely be enough to revert Artemis back to his book 1 self. While they were wrong on that, Artemis was continually plagued with guilt from his fairy-influenced conscience. From this, we can assume that, even if he didn't get his memories back, he would have chosen to become a hero.

On the other 
hand... This particular revelation is inspired by a life and death scenario, just as the previous decision had been in The Eternity Code (albeit not his own life and death, but Butler's).



Mulch can fart his way out of anything. ANYTHING.

Found on pinterest. Original attribution unknown.

And suddenly, in spite of everything, Artemis felt completely safe.

Artemis is still within the grasp of a herd of trolls. He is still underground, in a to-scale replica of the Temple of Artemis, placed there by a vengeful pixie who wants to see him dead. A PIXIE, because apparently fairies are real. And despite all of this danger, threat, and confusion, it is the mere sight of Butler that makes Artemis feel completely safe. 

Can I get an "awwwwww..."?


Times that Artemis almost remembers: 4.



Chapter 8: Some Intelligent Conversation



I have friends? thought Artemis Fowl the Second. I have friends.


I love that this is his biggest and most prevalent revelation when he finally gets his memories restored.

"Genius. Of course. Believe it or not, I actually missed that smug grin."

That's it, Holly; nothing says I missed you or welcome back like I actually missed that smug grin



Chapter 9: Daddy's Little Girl



Opal's plan...was one of simplicity in its execution, but genius in its conception.


In other words, your plan is sheer elegance in its simplicity, eh, Opal?

Middleman, anyone?


Holly studied her trigger finger. A faint scar circled the base where it had been severed during the Arctic incident. She could have healed the scar or covered it with a ring, but she preferred to keep it where she could see it. The scar was a part of her. The commander had been a part of her too.




The Irish boy felt the same thrill of rediscovery that a small child feels when he has chanced upon a lost favorite toy.


I really love this description of Artemis and his joy at regaining his memories and knowledge.


Artemis smiled to herself. It seemed as though good was a more powerful motivation than bad. Who would have thought it?


It might have taken the rise of a vengeful pixie as smart (arguably) as himself and the tragic death of Julius Root to give him determination, but Artemis has finally hit upon a grand truth that has so far eluded him.


Artemis was delighted at his bodyguard's astuteness.


Does anyone else picture Artemis beaming, his eyes shining, like a proud parent?

Just me?

Okay then.


"Seven and a half hours to save the world. Isn't there some law that says we get at least twenty-four?"


Ahh, don't you wish, Holly?

That's a wrap on my thoughts, but what did you think of this week's chapters? Share in the comments below.

Your #FowlDay Challenges, if you choose to accept them, are:
1) Share your favorite quote from this week's reading here, on my Facebook, or my Twitter.
2) Would you rather...be saved by Artemis or Mulch Diggums? This is a tough one for me, since people usually wind up injured or tricked in any given scheme of Artemis'; with Mulch, there's the obvious smell factor.

Next week, we'll tackle the last of The Opal Deception, so don't miss it!


January's reading schedule for The Opal Deception will be as follows:
Jan 18-24: Chapters 7-9

Thursday, January 17, 2019

"So We're Friends Now?" | OD Ch 4-6 | Artemis Fowl Read Along

Chapter 4: Narrow Escapes


Angeline sighed down the phone line. "I'm fine, Arty, but you sound like you're doing a job interview, as usual. Always so formal."

During our Eternity Code read along last month, I started wondering about the exact nature and effects that Holly's healing had on both of Artemis' parents. Namely, is the obviously profound mental effect it had on both of them a reemergence of their own natural personalities -Angeline describes the changed Artemis I as who he was before the Fowl Empire got a hold of him? Or did Holly's healing actually alter their personalities? We know fairy magic is capable of this because of the relocation program we witnessed with Loafers McGuire.
So naturally this comment from Angeline Fowl about Artemis' formality is very interesting to me. I'd always suspected that Artemis' rigid manners were due to a rather strict upbringing. Maybe this was true as far as Artemis Sr. before the Arctic rescue, but has his mother always been this easy-going? Or is this, too, a by-product of the fairy healing?

I've never been so curious about Artemis' upbringing before this read along, but now I want to know everything. I'm excited to get to The Time Paradox because as I recall it delves more into what his childhood was like.

Luckily, Artemis had been able to rescue him with Butler's help.

So in Artemis and Butler's mind-wiped brains, they managed to rescue Artemis I from the Mafia on their own. I simply find this interesting on a couple of levels:

1) That Foaly would leave even this much of the actual events in their minds; I know he said that Artemis wouldn't remember the People even if they showed up at his front door dancing the cancan, but what about Butler? Especially considering that the rescue operation is in his wheelhouse of skills and directly related to their trip underground to disperse the B'wa Kell uprising. But I suppose even that's not strong enough to trigger a recall for him.

2) How, exactly, does the fairy-free version of the rescue play out in their minds? I wonder this mostly because in The Arctic Incident, Artemis is fairly certain a rescue will be impossible without the aid of fairies. Personally, I suspect Artemis knows simply that it happened, but doesn't remember anything in detail nor has any desire to, which is really just his brain evading the sticky problem because it knows the events won't stack up -something Foaly's mind wipe technology is counting one. I also suspect that, should Artemis really concentrate on the details, what he'd get is a series of far-fetched 'possibilities' that wouldn't really answer his questions -just like the Sherlock episode "The Six Thatchers", not answering several times how Sherlock actually survived his Reichenbach fall.

And this thought entertains me to no end.

"...Use that big brain of yours to make yourself and other people happy. Forget the family business. Living is the family business now."

1) Angeline Fowl is awesome. I adore her.

2) I'm always looking for good life lessons and bits of wisdom in books to add to my own life: This is a good one.

3) The internal battle that this stirs in Artemis is lovely.


Angeline Fowl had a way of awakening his conscience. This was a relatively new development. A year ago he may have felt a tiny pinprick of guilt at lying to his mother, but now even the minor trick he was about to play would haunt his thoughts for weeks.

BEHOLD! The fairy influence and hard-learned lessons are still in Arty's subconscious.

And these doubts and indecisions from Artemis continues on, but my favorite is in regards to The Fairy Thief. While Arty tries to justify that the theft of thieves isn't really a crime, a little voice in his head is whispering that it's only justified if he gives the painting back to the world, instead of keeping it for himself.

In my head these little voices are personified not by a shoulder angel and demon, but a pre-mindwipe Artemis and an in-the-midst-of-ransoming-Holly-for-gold Arty.
D'arvit! I was hoping to find a piece of fan art with this idea, since I'm rubbish at drawing myself, but no luck.

"It can't go inside," muttered Artemis absently, and was immediately surprised.

I have always loved this moment when Artemis is admiring Herve's The Fairy Thief painting, depicting a fairy about to steal a child, but hesitating at the window sill, and all the other fairy-influenced bits trickling down despite the mindwipe.

This also makes me curious about Herve. Did this painter know enough about fairies to actually depict his painted creation's hesitation without an invitation intentionally?
Is this there now a need for a 'Herve and the People' fanfic?

Holly's inner voice

That core of steel she has that makes her such an excellent LEP officer, that makes her get back up when she's down, and do her best no matter what?

It sounds an awful lot like Julius Root.

Chapter 5: Meet the Neighbors


Daniel Mays as DCI Jim Keats
in Ashes to Ashes

...[Ark Sool] believed that the LEP was basically a bunch of loose cannon who were presided over by a maverick.

This description of Sool reminds me of another IA character, DCI Jim Keats from the British cop show Ashes to Ashes. He also describe the group of heroes as 'mavericks', though he did slither his way into the group with a promise of helping them because he claimed to have a soft spot for the old mavericks. It's interesting to to note that Keats also turned out to basically be the devil in disguise.

Oh, hi, Ark Sool!

I didn't think it was possible, but I hate Sool even more now.

In his dreams, strange, red-eyed creatures had ripped open his chest with scimitar tusks and dined on his heart.

Interesting! I've never noticed before, but Arty's dreaming about trolls here. Despite the mindwipe, it's amazing how much information Butler and Artemis' subconscious minds retained. It also has me thinking now that Herve very likely could have been mindwiped as well, and still had the subconscious though to make that fairy thief hesitate at the window.

"Why are you crying, girl?"

This is such a wonderful reference to Peter Pan and I love it. ^_^

This is it.
This is Artemis and Holly's entire relationship to this point in a nutshell.
An acorn nutshell.

Chapter 6: Troll Nasty


You've got a 'friend' in me

When Butler discovers Mulch making himself at home in Fowl Manor, the dwarf claims that they were -hopefully are still- friends. And this got me thinking about how many times the word 'friend' has been used so far in this book. Foaly uses it to describe Holly and Julius; Holly uses it when thinking of Artemis and Butler; Mulch uses it when thinking of Holly, Artemis, and Butler. Angeline prompts Artemis that he should be worrying about teenager worries, school and friends.

I find this interesting mostly because, before the mindwipe, most of the gang were maybe grudging partners in crime, maybe friend-ly, or on the brink of friendship, even -but they weren't quite friends yet. I don't recall any of them using the word to describe one another, not even Foaly. (Feel free to correct me on this if I'm wrong.) The closest I can think of is when Holly mentions to Foaly the mindwipes were a pity in The Eternity Code, because she and Artemis had almost become friends.

I like this decisive shift in everyone's behavior. It's due in part, I think, because of Julius' sudden murder, sort of helping everyone realigning their priorities. But there's that age-old adage, too: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Well, that's all for this week's discussion. Thanks for joining me and please comment below with your own thoughts on these chapters!

Your #FowlDay Challenges, if you choose to accept them, are:
1) Share your favorite quote from this week's chapters here, on my Facebook, or my Twitter.
2) Weigh in on the discussion of the healing's effects on Artemis' parents.

Tune in next week for more discussion; same Fowl day, same Fowl blog. ;)

January's reading schedule for The Opal Deception will be as follows:
Jan 11-17: Chapters 4-6
Jan 18-24: Chapters 7-9
Jan 25-31: Chapters 10-Epilogue

Thursday, January 10, 2019

The Saddest One of All | Opal Deception 1-3 | Artemis Fowl Read Along


The clones looked fine, but they were basically shells with only enough brain power to run the body's basic functions. They were missing the spark of life.

I'm pointing this bit out to save for a later date; specifically, when we get to The Last Guardian, because Opal's clone does come back into play a little. It's been long enough since I read that book that I can't remember quite how all the pieces fit. So this is a reminder for me to compare the two, when the time comes, and a reminder for you to help remind me. ;)


It occurs to me that Opal Koboi is to Artemis Fowl novels what Number 1 is to Bond Films. Now that I think about, all throughout The Arctic Incident Colfer refers to Opal several times with cat-like traits (purring, curled cat-like on her Hoverboy), which correlates rather nicely with the fact that Number 1 is usually seen villainously stroking a fluffy white cat. Coincidence? I think not.

Pascal Herve is not, if you were curious, a real life painter. I was kind of hoping that maybe all but the 16th rumored Fairy Thief might be real paintings, but alas. Pascal Herve is, however, the name of a French cyclist and we know that Eoin does love to share names across his universes; maybe he's a cycling fan?

"This outfit is preposterous."
I love Artemis trying to play the part of a normal, modern teenager. He's such a cranky old man, griping about these 'brainless young kids, these days.'

Perhaps next time.
Leaving the bank vault with his prize, Artemis gloats at the rest of the security boxes. Ahh, for a criminal mastermind, the world is filled with such wonderful possibilities, isn't it?

For the first time Artemis smiled sincerely, and for some reason the sight sent shivers down Bertholt's spine. "Do you know something, Bertholt? I think some of my best work will be done in banks."
Any time Artemis' vampire smile appears in a good moment. But this one also gets added to the joke counter.

And deep underground, we find Holly grappling with the possible doom of promotion. Luckily -or not so luckily?- Root is there to help her make the right decision.
"...this promotion is not for you; it's for the People."
I've mentioned before that Holly Short is basically my favorite action hero. And the thing about heroes is that they are the ones who sacrifice not only their own well-being but their own desires for the greater good and the needs of others. Holly is a true one. Later on, when she volunteers despite her fear to accompany Root into E37 and the obvious trap, she steadies herself with a similar thought. That was what being an LEP officer was all about. Protecting the People.
And this brings to mind yet another parallel to Die Hard's John McClain; this conversation from Live Free or Die Hard popped into my head while reading this chapter:

The Artemis Fowl series -almost entirely thanks to Holly Short- really is Die Hard with fairies!

So Holly is reminded, yet again, that what she wants is not the most important thing here. That's not the job. But Root, never a softy, nevertheless finds a way to soften the blow -even if his attempts to actually soften the blow did little to help.
"If it makes any difference," he said quietly, almost awkwardly, "I'm proud of you."
...
It does make a difference, thought Holly...A big difference.
This is, without a doubt, the nicest thing Root has ever said to her and, I think, the one thing he could say that would ever truly matter to Holly.
*sniff

While Holly and Root are heading toward E37, we find out about the movie in production inspired by the events surrounding the B'wa Kell uprising, and this bit struck me as particularly funny.
...and Artemis Fowl was to be completely computer generated.
I mean, Hollywood today generates their scariest monsters with CGI -why not the fairies? And to the People, what indeed could be more frightening than a too-smart, cold-hearted Mud Boy?

"Every shot is registered on the LEP computer, so we can tell who fired, when they fired, and in what direction."
The irony here. Foaly is so proud of his new toys. And Koboi did vow to bring him down by besting him at his own precious skill set.

"Just push the button, before I come out there and push it with your face."
"Some things never change," muttered Foaly, pushing the button.
A reference, of course, to another charming Root/Foaly/faced-used-for-button-pushing conversation. But this -we know and Foaly will soon know- is a lie; things always change, eventually.

"It really tugs my beard to put us in harm's way over a goblin, but that's the job."
Heroes. Greater good. Protecting the People, even the bad ones. Colfer does such a wonderful job leading up to this moment. Even Koboi, taunting Holly about whether they've come up with something ingenious -it makes you wonder, if Holly and Root had decided to leave Scalene and save their own skins, would Koboi have still had a way to carry out her plan? Or is Koboi so familiar with how they work, with how their hero brains think, that she knew they would never leave the goblin in danger? Would that have been the ingenious plan to save them both? But in the end, it doesn't matter. Holly and Root are heroes, through and through. Even if they knew leaving Scalene behind would have saved them both, they never would have done it. Because they're the guys.

Random aside -I've never picture Root with a beard before.

Were they just about to do exactly what she wanted?
Taunted by Koboi, Holly starts to question their plan. But Root's in position. And they have a plan. So she follows it. I imagine that going's to be responsible for a lot of sleepless nights.

Faced with the tiniest possibility of saving her commander, Holly doesn't hesitate to jeopardize her own position -or to defy Root's orders one last time- to take that chance.
"I'll save Artemis next," she said.
And this, of course, demonstrates the most common burden of heroes: the inability to save everyone -and the inability to accept that.

"Be well."
-I love these as the last words of Julius Root. He's already said he's proud of her; he's trained her as best he could; despite flaws, she's lived up to and even exceeded his expectations; he knows she'll do what needs to be done to protect the People. In the end, this seemed the most important thing left to say.

Right now, she had an order to follow. And she would follow it, even if it was the last thing she ever did, because it had been the last order Julius Root ever gave.

This has always been the hardest chapter for me to read. Losing Root never seems to get easier.
When I first discovered the series, I talked my family into listening to the audio versions on car trips. They took this chapter even worse than me. My mom flat-out refuses that it exists; instead, she and my sister assert that a shared universe with Stargate SG-1 allowed Root to be resurrected with a healing sarcophagus and that Root is still alive and well below ground. They didn't read much farther into the series.

Sorry to start the new year off on a sad note, but Root's memory will live on in Holly -especially as she gets ready to take down Opal Koboi.
Next week, we're reading chapters 4-6 and discussing here Jan 17 for #FowlDay. Don't miss it, and thanks for joining me!
But don't leave me hanging -what are your thoughts on this week's chapters?