Reviews Batch 15

 Alright so... this next pair of reviews are quite short and so I'm posting them together. Enjoy.

 

Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton

Short Reread Review

I liked Micah a lot. It was short, sweet, and packed a good chunk of backstory in. 

 

 

Bloody Bones by Laurell K. Hamilton

According to my previous rating of 5 stars, I was definitely a lot more into Bloody Bones than I am now. (Down to 3 stars) It's alright and boy, does it go a mile a minute once we meet Seraphina... but that mile a minute-ness is actually what made me dislike it more this time around. I feel like a lot happened in too short of a time-frame to make the plot fit and go where it needed to. I really feel like the ultimate solution to Rawhead and Bloody Bones was too easy. Aaand then there's the first real taste of what vampire "politics" are like in the Anita Blake universe, which I also hate with a seething passion.

So... first, on a reread it's actually kind of nice to "experience" Anita traveling pre-entorage. Larry definitely doesn't count. We don't have 5000 characters to keep track of at any given moment. Just Anita and Larry joined by Jean-Claude and Jason. Very chill. Kind of miss that.

I did enjoy, as usual, further expansion of the Anita Blake world with the fairy stuff. This is one of the very few times Anita comes up against fairies... honestly mostly lack-luster. I'm not a fan of Dorcas, but Magnus was at least as menacing as he needed to be. Rawhead and Bloody Bones was semi-interesting before his end... his lore was a lot more interesting than the actual beastie, in my opinion.

Okay, so, vampire "politics" and show-boating and all the "we're gonna play with our food" crap... I get we gotta have vampires shown to be much more dangerous, but I hate it. I honestly feel this is an extension of their humanity showing through. You've got the power to intimidate so you gotta throw it in the faces of your rivals. I get it. This was particularly drawn out by Janos and his rotting ladies. I like that there's more than one type of vampire, and honestly, that scene, or rather, the aftermath, did very much endear Jason to me. However, the manipulation aspect of it bugs the shit out of me. Consent with a coercion backer does not mean actual consent, no matter whose life appears to be on the line. This also happens pretty much non-stop from the moment Anita and the boys arrive at Seraphina's. Anita, we're about to torture some girls to get you to let us torture you instead. Anita, we're gonna kill Larry. Anita, we're gonna kill Jeff. Anita, Larry's about to get killed again. On and on. Ugh. I hate it.

I legit spent about 4 days avoiding the Janos-in-the-basement-scene. Weird, honestly, because I'd forgotten that trauma happens this early in the series... but my brain remembered. I skimmed it, this time, just to get it over with. Read the rest of the book in about 24hrs.

So yeah, I'm a lot less into Bloody Bones than I was originally. I really found a lot of it repetitive in how it forced the plot to move along. I did like the very ending, though. It was interesting, if also kind of confusing... but not a bad ending at all. 

Favorite Lines

"You've just admitted you don't know anything about my job," I said. "How do you know what will affect it and what won't?" - Anita Blake

"A vampire was a person once. Just being dead doesn't cure you of any problems you had as a live human being. If you have a violent pathology before death, that won't change just because you're dead." - Anita Blake

"It's alright," I said. "Carrot's inert." - Anita Blake 

In Other News

As of posting this, I'm one hatching away from finishing my Ebonwumon project over on OviPets. Gonna go ahead and post about this now so I don't end up forgetting later. Ebonwumon is part of my Mega Digimon Project and based on the Digimon of the same name. I did the tattoos on their heads to mimic the helmet-things on the two-headed Digimon. I also did the tail tattoo.

Ebonwumon took me about 13 months to complete.

Ebonwumon

Welsh Fairies by Mhara Starling

I really enjoyed learning more about Welsh fairies and their stories. I read this basically on the heels of finishing Kelley Armstrong's Cainsville series, which meant that Gwyn ap Nudd and Arawn were rather fresh in my mind. Reading bits of their actual mythology was honestly really satisfying... as was actually learning how to say their names correctly. I think I referred to the Glossary more than I ever have before, just to solidify the Welsh pronunciations in my head.

Welsh Fairies is definitely a jumping-off-point book. There are some stories included in the text, but this is mostly a discussion of those stories rather than a compendium of them. It's really well written and engaging all the way through.

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

2024 Reread Review

Going to start this out by saying: I really do love Omens. I think it’s very well paced, the story is well put together, and the characters are engaging. I flew through it the first time I read it. Definitely a fantastic start to a new series.

The herding of Olivia to Cainsville honestly gives me horror story vibes. Of course, most of the chapters that aren’t from Olivia’s POV have overt weird vibes. I quite like it. Little reminders that Olivia’s story is being at least partially observed and manipulated by Cainsville residents. Keeps more tension going that way.

I love Rose. She’s no-nonsense, for a fortune teller. She’s practical and caring, in her own way. She kind of gives me a “Golden Girls” vibe, though I think she’s younger than that crew.

I really, really like that Olivia and Gabriel’s relationship is kept platonic. It’s so nice to not have much relationship drama thrown into this. There’s definitely enough of that with James and, to be honest, I don’t think this story needs it.

The weaving in of Cainsville’s supernatural underside is well done and intriguing. It’s very clear, assuming you’re up on your Fae lore, that this leans more than direction than the “traditional” witchy or vampiric direction. I like it, largely.

I feel like the MKULTRA stuff came out of nowhere. It was done fairly well, I think, but on this third read-through, feels forced. That may also be because, just due to the timing of my reading, I sat and stewed in those chapters for a few days… but yeah. I mean, it’s apparently connected to something down the line (which I don’t remember, but which is hinted at in the text), so, set up.

But yeah, if you’re a fan of mystery and the supernatural, I definitely recommend giving Omens a read.

2016 Review

Favorite Lines

"Of course. That's the problem with most theories of prognostication. They presume a single future. You will marry a handsome, rich man and have two children.  Is life so predetermined from birth to death, like a car on a fixed track, no room for detours, no allowance for free will? There are futures, Olivia. Possible outcomes based on choices." - Rose Walsh

"Don't be dull, Olivia. There is no graver sin." - Rose Walsh

"Demon possession strains the boundaries of credibility, given the sheer number of times it seems to happen. One would really hope demons had better things to do with their time." - Rose Walsh

"Rain on a sunny day. That's good luck." - Omen-sense

"Yes, I'm a whole lot braver when they can't hear me," - Olivia Taylor-Jones

Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs

A Spoiler Filled Review

So… I wasn’t so fond of Soul Taken. I feel like there was a lot of… not exactly misdirects, but a lot of dancing around the actual plot to do a whole lotta nothing.

Hooooly Shiiieeeet. Sherwood’s a Cornick. If I had to guess, probably Bran’s brother… probably. Confirmed later on in the book. Go me. But also… big concern all of a sudden that turns out to not be a concern at all so… yay, I guess. Honestly felt somewhat tacked on even though it happened right before Marsilia appeared with her cryptic message.

Maybe I’m just done with overly complicated vampire politic plot lines. Not sure. This was definitely one of those with a fae artifact twist.

Actually, thinking on it, I was just really confused for most of the plot and then everyone was like: Bonarata’s behind this! Still not entirely sure why, but they were right so… yeah. Soul Taken. Not my fave by a long shot.

Favorite Line

"Sadly, gods seldom die unless someone kills them." - Siebold Adelbertsmiter

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

I am honestly not sure how I feel about Smoke Bitten. It contained a large amount of relationship drama, which I hate, but which is also largely resolved at the end... and that relationship drama is one of the worst things, too: people not talking to each other. Or one party refusing to talk to the other. Even Mercy comments about the communication issue, so... yeah. The rest of the story, however, was actually pretty good. I was kept guessing as to who the smoke monster actually was until he was revealed... although I was reasonably sure I had the correct being once bargains were mentioned (thanks Once Upon a Time).

Smoke Bitten had a longer "run time" as far as the sequence of events goes. Took place over a longer time period than usual, anyway, so not so much with the exhaustion setting in. This definitely served to draw out the tension, although there weirdly wasn't a lot of that, either, I felt. Like, it was kind of lurking in the background, but Mercy and Adam and the pack were able to go about their business as per usual for the most part.

But yeah... I don't really have a lot to say about this one. It was alright, pretty solid, gave us a little more insight to the fae. Mostly centered on Mercy and Adam working on Adam's big ol' issue... which sound dirtier than it is.

Favorite Line

"Not all relationships that end are failures." - Zee Adelbertsmiter

Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

Storm Cursed has a lot more government shenanigans in it that I was expecting… which was, like, none. Most urban fantasy books that have such far-reaching, public “fantasy” world stuff like this one keep that back-room government stuff off the stage, so to speak. We get told things happen, but not actually shown any of the inner workings. I’m not sure whether I like it or not.

All the witch stuff is also interesting. We’re definitely lacking in world-building on that front. I don’t even think we’ve gotten a description of the white, gray, and black distinctions before. I’m very glad Adam and Mercy have taken a hard stance against black witches. Don’t need any of that mojo around.

The somewhat revelations about Sherwood, or at least his wolf, are… interesting, to say the least. A witchborn werewolf isn’t something I’ve ever come across in any of the books I’ve read. Harry Potter does not count because reasons. But anyway, that whole thing was tragic, in its own way.

I definitely enjoyed the twistiness of Storm Cursed. I had fun reading it and I feel that it’s another solid Mercy entry.

Favorite Lines

"Epic," she said with a wry glnce at Ben. "Epic it is. I think I will probably quit apologizing." Then she said, "I suppose I'll find some other way to irritate you." - Mary Jo

"Just because something is stupid doesn't mean it is not true," said Stefan

"Sometimes there us no way to make things better. There is only making it through." - Mercy Hauptman

"Politicians have to lie," Adam said. "It's written into their black souls. It's only a problem when they begin to believe their own lies."

Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

A Spoiler Free Review

First, having seen the cover before I read Night Broken, I was very concerned about the big ol’ fire doggo. Having now read Night Broken his presence makes much more sense and I am less concerned. Hopefully, that holds up for later… which I can now confirm, having finished Fire Touched.

I was so, so happy to see the Pack meeting. So happy to see that Honey has Mercy’s back. I’m not sure how I feel about Adam straight up being done with how people are treating Mercy, but I also definitely agree that the wolves are too dangerous for constant disagreements about her so… yeah. Interesting but clearly necessary development. Was not expecting that.

I enjoy Mercy as a character… which shot straight to love when she quoted The Princess Bride. And speaking of love, I love Baba Yaga so much. She’s awesome. She really only cemented herself as one of my favorite Mercy Thompson characters throughout Fire Touched, though I won’t say any more about that.

Fire Touched had a lot of world building going on. Had to give the Pack a new role in society or, more accurately, cement the role they’d kind of taken over. Had to get the Fae back into the world and not just stuck on the reservations. Had to explain Underhill. Even had to expand the world a little with more development on Thomas Hao. It was definitely more of a world building book that I was expecting, given how relatively insular the Mercy books have been up til now.

Fire Touched was definitely a good read and gave a lot to look forward to in the coming books.

Favorite Lines

"Neutral doesn't work," Charles said. "When you watch you allies commit atrocities and do nothing, who is more reprehensible? Those who rape and plunder or those who could have stopped it but do nothing?" - Charles Cornick

"You say fae, I say witch, and I'm bigger than you -- so I can call myself what I want." - Baba Yaga

"Don't ignore your experts," - Mercy Hauptman

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

A Slightly Spoilery Reread Review

Silver Borne is another solid entry in the Mercy Thompson catalogue. It mostly deals with the ties between Mercy and the wolves she’s surrounded with. Also there are fae involved again. Most of what follows are my notes from my reread. I vaguely remembered the Phin plot, but only vaguely. Everything else was written as I read this time.

I HATE the bowling scene. I HATE characters not talking to each other. HATE IT. The conflict WILL NOT resolve unless you talk about it. Being silent on the matter helps nothing. Which is why I love Adam and Mercy so much. They might make mistakes in the moment, but they take the time to talk things out. It makes them a more solid unit and a more believable couple. I seem to remember that this is the last of the big drama between them, but I also only read the next two books in the series, so I’m not entirely sure. I hope so. I’d much rather see a healthy relationship than a constantly battling one.

I find it interesting that the werewolves in the Mercy Thompson universe basically get Dissociative Identity Disorder with a big ol’ side helping of shapeshifting… apparently. It’s also interesting that the wolf can wholesale take over, even if the werewolf is in human form. Clearly that doesn’t happen super often, as Samuel/Sam’s case is extreme, but… yeah. Super interesting. This is further expounded upon once Adam knows about Samuel’s condition.

We get some more fae lore here, which is great. I will forever enjoy getting more fae lore. They’re a weirdly big part of the Mercy universe. I say weirdly because most werewolf books I’ve read largely revolve around the wolves and vampires. Not much else.

I liked Mercy’s mind-scape where she met with Bran at the end of the book. It’s always interesting to see how a main character’s mind works and how the author chooses to visualize it. Garland and rocks is definitely original.

Favorite Lines

     "I raised my eyebrows, and said in dulcet tones, 'Are you telling me you can't fix it? I'm sorry. I distinctly remember you saying that there is nothing you can't fix. I must have been mistaken, and it was someone else wearing your mouth.'

     He gave a growl that would have done Sam credit and pushed himself back under again, muttering, 'Deine Mutter war ein Cola-Automat!'

     'Her mama might have been a pop machine,' I said, responding to one of the remarks I understood even at full Zee-speed. 'Your mama...' sounds the same in a number of languages. 'But she was a beauty in her day.' I grinned at Gabriel. 'We women have to stick together.'

     'Why is it that all cars are women?' he asked.

     'Because they're fussy and demanding,' answered Zee.

     'Because if they were men, they'd sit around and complain instead of getting the job done,' I told him." - Mercy Thompson, Zee Adelbertsmiter, and Gabriel Sandoval

"Endings are relative," I said, and Samuel jerked his head up. "I mean, as long as no one is dead, they get the chance to rewrite their endings, don't you think? Take it from me, Samuel, a little time can heal some awfully big wounds."

In Other News

I finished another OviPets project today. Goatmon, the Rangifer version (there will be an Ovis version down the line), took me 9 months to complete. Goatmon is part of my Armor Digimon Project. I did the little bit of tattooing around the ankles. Supposed to be Goatmon's shackles. *shrug*

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

A Spoilery and Possibly Triggering Reread Review

First and foremost: Queen of the Damned is such a horrible movie and a horrible adaptation. However, Queen of the Damned is pretty much unadaptable as a movie. Needs a mini series at least. Give those plot lines time to breathe or, ya know, exist. Good book, bad movie. Stewart Townsend is best on-screen Lestat. Fight me.

Iron Kissed was really good and mostly enjoyable. Mercy books are kind of like watching Netflix shows. The chapters run together in cliff-hanger-ish ways, but a bit more subtle. Keeps your attention and keeps you wanting to turn the page. I have a hard time putting down the book when I know I should, chapter breaks or not.

Iron Kissed focuses a lot on the fae. We learn a lot more about them and how they work. We also learn that they’re definitely scary af. Even their objects aren’t to be trifled with. I very much enjoyed the world-building. It was fun, until it wasn’t… and this is where the spoilers are going to start, if you’d like to avoid them. Also a trigger warning: discussion of rape.

This Is You Final Spoiler and Trigger Warning

I really like how Mercy’s love triangle is handled. Turns out, not an actual love triangle. Makes me very happy. Love triangles have always bugged the shit out of me. These days I’m more likely to just yell at whatever I’m reading or watching that they should just consider a Polyamorous relationship, because the stupid drama is just stupid. Mercy neatly bypasses all that with Samuel and Mercy realizing she’s just pack to him and not mate.

I really and sincerely hate rapist antagonists. Tim Milanovich is definitely one of those and he’s hella gross. I hate him and I hate seeing what he did to Mercy. And that was written before I reread the actual rape part… why is it female protagonists so often end up raped and male ones don’t? Mind you, I don’t read a lot of male-led series, so I’m mostly assuming… seems to be a thing with female protagonists, though. Some form of rape, be it mental of physical, often happens to them at some point in their lives. Ugh. Also, I say that, but the last handful of series I’ve read don’t include rape plots… just this one. TV series on the other hand… I’m probably projecting in my utter disgust, but… idk. I’m also pretty sure some part of me was dreading that part of the story as well… which is possibly why it took me longer than normal to get through Iron Kissed.

Adam’s complete acceptance of Ben is heartwarming. I teared up. Also got set off by the Pack showing up for Mercy. I know it’s essentially on Adam’s orders, but still. Ben is definitely my favorite wolf after Warren.

I am overall pleased with how Iron Kissed handled everything. That said, I am also very aware that Mercy largely getting over her trauma in a week or so isn’t at all realistic. I barely remember anything from the next four books, which I have previously read, so I can’t say whether or not there’s anything lingering, but a part of me highly doubts it.

Favorite Lines

"I didn't brush my teeth with gunpowder this morning so I could go shooting my mouth off, Mercy, but this is serious." - Warren Smith

"We might not be able to lie... but truth and honesty are rather difficult." - Zee Adelbertsmiter

"Some people are boys longer than others," - Mercy Thompson

"If there was one thing I'd learned over the past few interesting (in the sense of the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times") months, it was that when things started to get dangerous, it was important to have people who knew as much as you did. That way, when I stupidly got myself killed -- someone would gave a starting place to look for my murderer." - Mercy Thompson

Midnight's Daughter by Karen Chance

A Spoiler-Free Reread Review

Originally Posted in GoodReads: 8-24-22
 

So apparently I thought Midnight’s Daughter was super chaotic the last time I read it (2018). It really isn’t. Dory does bounce from location to location, but it’s not like there aren’t long stretches between where she isn’t in the middle of some fracas. I also thought Midnight’s Daughter was better served by reading it all at once instead of peace-meal… I still mostly stand by this, but reading it peace-meal this time didn’t throw up any issues for me. Actually made me focus on the sections I was reading as opposed to making it all blur together in a confused jumble.

Dhampir are one of those supernatural entities you almost never hear about. Like, to the point people are surprised they exist at all. See The Twilight Saga, for example. Renesmee, for all the drama surrounding her, is probably the most famous dhampir, though she is never named as such. Anyway, because dhampir are so rare and because I’m a big vampire nerd, that’s probably what originally drew me to read Midnight’s Daughter back in my early 20s. Well, that and this semi-weird idea I had to try at least one book from every author in the library… but that was a different time.

I’m pretty sure I started reading the Dory trilogy of books before I read the Cassie books. Dory is awesome. She’s the kind of femme fatale character I was really into reading and still really like to see. We need more capable female characters whose flaws aren’t rooted in some kind of male-adjacent trauma. Dory is very much her own person with her own set of semi-debilitating flaws. I mean, technically Dory’s issues are Daddy related, but they also have a lot more to do with what she is rather than who wronged her in the past.

Getting a look at Mircea from a completely different perspective is fun. We get to see him more in his role as family leader and protector and less in a sexual connotation. His dynamic with Dory is interesting, hinting at some stuff we get down the line but that I won’t go into here. He’s definitely the put-upon father figure who really just wants the best for his little girl despite her really not wanting anything to do with him.

Gotta do a quick Dory vs Cassie here. Dory has been around a lot longer and seen a lot more and therefore actually knows things. And if she doesn’t know things, she seeks out the information. Cassie has been very sheltered, is only 18, and doesn’t seem to know how to pick up a book to find the information she needs. Cassie floats from situation to situation with Pritkin doing the research heavy lifting and not letting her help, apparently. This sort of thing really stands out in the narration. We get a lot more info about the world we’ve stepped into with Dory’s first book than we ever did with Cassie’s first three.

Dracula isn’t really interesting as a villain in this. He’s definitely not the suave, debonair, Bella Lugosi type but neither the Nosferatu type. He lurks about in the background for about half the book before showing himself to definitely be insane before basically fucking off again for a good chunk of the novel. I honestly think Mircea made a mistake changing this brother. Drac is clearly unstable and probably would have shown that in life, as well. But we know from Cassie’s books that young Mircea didn’t exactly have the best judgement when bringing people over so… yeah. Drac shows himself to be kinda racist in Dory’s case and he has that “do what I want even if it’s impossible or you die” thing going on.

Not entirely sure how I feel about the effects of Fey Wine. Like, I really enjoy the flashbacks of Dory’s life we get because of it, but… I dunno. It seems a bit weird to infuse wine with magic. Or maybe it’s just something about the grapes in Faerie. That’s never explained. The flashbacks were definitely a highlight on this reread.

The Fey themselves are definitely more of a serious threat in this book than they were in Cassie’s books. They’ve got formidable powers and actually seem to know what they’re doing… seem to, don’t actually because they got confused about Claire… who turns or to be more of a semi-flighty badass than is originally stated by Dory. Also, if you just read the Dory books, you get the impression that the Fey are pretty much elves, which is not the impression left by the Cassie books, where they’re much more diverse.

So yes, overall, Midnight’s Daughter is very good and does leave an impression of chaos behind. I attribute this to the giant, sprawling, and, at times, confusing fight scene at the end coupled with Mircea’s info-dump. However, the rest of the book is less chaotic and somewhat nuanced. I really, really enjoyed it on this, my third reread.

My 2018 Review is posted below. It's muuuuuch shorter than this one.

A Spoiler Free Reread Review

Originally Posted on Good Reads November 2018

Such, such chaos. Well plotted enough to have everything come together with a nice bow at the end, but it’s mostly chaos. I think a good portion of it is relatively realistic, in terms of said chaos. Dory tend to fly by the seat of her pants from one crazy situation to another with little to no time to rest in between so the random and not-so-random stuff that keeps happening tends to bleed into the next thing. Kind of like actual life... only with vampires and trolls and magical food. This book is definitely not one that should be read — like I did this time around — peace-meal as it just keeps dragging you along from one thing to the next. There aren’t really any good stopping points along the way and so it’s just better read through all at once like binging a show on Netflix.

In Other News

Currently Reading: The Day of the Dead by Karen Chance and Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish by John Hargrove with Howard Chua-Eoan

Currently Watching: Project Runway

Currently Playing: Pokemon Legends: Arceus (Finishing my Pokedex slowly but surely)

Artemis Fowl Series Overview

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

A Mostly Spoiler Free Overview of the Series

 

I find the Artemis Fowl series a bit hard to categorize. I remember enjoying the first four books as a teenager but never got around to reading the rest of the series until now. I honestly can't say that the series is amazing, though it is, at least original. Sci-fi-is fairies aren't a dime a dozen, after all. It was fun getting to know the characters and their world, for the most part. It is also quite clear that 30-something is not the intended age range for the Artemis Fowl series. I was rolling my eyes at some of the jokes and honestly felt talked down to at times. If I were to recommend an age-range for these, it would probably be the Junior High set.

The main batch of characters -- Artemis, Holly, Mulch, Butler, Foaly, and Opal -- were all fleshed out quite well. I enjoyed all of them at certain points, though, if you've read my reviews, you will know that I have a disdain for Butler's apparent body-guarding "skills." Artemis' character progression was believable and gradual enough to work for me. The less said about his alter ego in The Atlantis Complex, the better. Holly, Foaly, and Mulch were pretty steady throughout the series, which I expect considering they're in at least their 80s. Fairy aging might be different than human aging, but a well-adjusted adult is still not going to change that much over the course of a few years. Butler, as I've said before, is a crap bodyguard, but he's essential to the series. Artemis did need someone to do the physical stuff after all. And finally, Opal Koboi. Hooo boy does Opal need some serious, actual therapy. That said, I did enjoy having an uncomplicated, almost completely insane villain.

The secondary characters were alright, though honestly the rest of them were relegated to the background pretty quickly. I definitely did not enjoy most of the interim antagonists, can't even recall their names off the top of my head. I'm not really sure why we had to have them in the first place, but they exist. I did like Commander Julius Root, for the short time we had him. He was very stereotypical of a hard on the outside but a cinnamon roll in the middle police captain that seems to make their way into these things. I guess I would have liked him to stick around, but I feel like he would have been just a background character, like Kelp, there at the end so it's probably a good thing he was taken out early. Myles and Beckett Fowl were cute and largely served to soften Artemis some. Artemis Fowl Sr. and Angeline Fowl were just kind of there as very background guides for Artemis' continued growth through the series and, of course, motivation in those first three books. Lastly, Juliet Butler had some semi-complex character growth. She figured out what she actually wanted to do with her life (masked wrestling) and then promptly discards it to bodyguard the Fowl twins? I'm confused, but hey, if that's apparently what she wants, more power to her.

I did also enjoy the fairy upgrade we got. By that, I mean that the fairies are a borderline sci-fi alien species as opposed to the stereotypical stuck in medieval ways kind of species. I also liked the diversity of them. We've got elves, sprites, trolls, dwarfs, goblins, and centaurs, each with their own characteristics. It's not often we get more than just elves and dwarfs. Speaking of dwarfs, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about getting a new ability for them every book. They seem to be ever-evolving where the rest of the fairies are just kind of mini-humans with a tiny bit of magic. Not even sure what most of fairy society uses magic for. Holly always seems to be using it for healing and shielding, but most of fairy society is underground just going about their business so they don't need magic, really. Much shrugging. I'm still wondering how tall centaurs get, given that the other fairy species (aside from Trolls) seem to top out at around three feet.

Finally, I want to talk a bit about Colfer's environmental message. It's really obvious that Colfer is pro-environmentalism. I second that view, for what it's worth. However, I do think Colfer slams the reader over the head with it at least once a book. I get it, I do, get the kids onboard with the pro-environment message as soon as you can. Not sure how much in-depth detail really needed to be added, though. I know my brain kind of glazed over when Artemis' glider was described in The Last Guardian, for example. I'm also pretty sure I ranted about the Extinctionists in The Time Paradox, too. They were definitely "on stage" for a lot longer than I thought was needed. But yeah, Colfer definitely has a strong pro-environment message that's ridiculously hard to miss. To be clear, I'm not knocking the inclusion of the message, I'm just not feeling HOW it was included. That said, it's also clear that Colfer is hopeful for us. His path for humanity in The Last Guardian shows that.

Yeah, overall, I think Artemis Fowl is pretty good. Worth a read, at least. In my personal opinion, one could definitely skip over a few books. They pertinent plot points are summed up in the following books, so you don't have to kill any brain cells actually slogging through them. I would personally skip The Eternity Code, The Time Paradox, and The Atlantis Complex on reread... assuming I ever get the urge to reread this series.