The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3)

by Eoin Colfer

Paperback, 2004

Status

Available

Local notes

PB Col

Barcode

1249

Publication

Miramax (2004), 320 pages

Description

After Artemis uses stolen fairy technology to create a powerful microcomputer and it is snatched by a dangerous American businessman, Artemis, Juliet, Mulch, and the fairies join forces to try to retrieve it.

Awards

Soaring Eagle Book Award (Nominee — 2005)
Anthony Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2004)
Indies Choice Book Award (Honor Book — Children's Literature — 2004)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2003-04-27

Physical description

320 p.; 5.22 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Artemis is pleased to have both of his parents alive and well (or at least on the mend), but he realizes that parental supervision will likely cut short his criminal extra-curricular activities. So, he plans one last big operation: He's taken some fairy technology and used it to create a
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computing device that is decades beyond anything humans currently have. His plan is to dangle this technology in front of Jon Spiro, the CEO of one of the world's largest computing and communication companies, and then extort Spiro for large amounts of cash in exchange for keeping the cube off the market. However, things start going wrong - deadly wrong - when Spiro manages to outsmart Artemis and steals the cube. Once again, Artemis and the fairy folk must work together to recover the stolen cube or risk losing everything.

Review: I've been listening to the Artemis Fowl books as a fun, light break from other reading, and thus far I've been enjoying them. However, I didn't feel like The Eternity Code lived up to the precedent set by the first two books. There was still plenty of action and adventure and cracking wise, which was good, but I didn't feel like the danger was as dangerous or the criminal mastermind plans so mastermind-y. The characters admit that it will take Spiro's people a while to crack the cube's code, so there isn't really a sense of urgency about Artemis's attempt to steal the cube back from Spiro's clutches. Similarly, there was barely a facet/twist of either Spiro's or Artemis's various schemes that I didn't see coming from a mile away. There were some nice character moments, and it's interesting to watch how Artemis has changed since a few books ago... but I want my heist stories to feel slick, and this one didn't quite make it there.

Also, a note to authors setting a book primarily in a city with which they are not personally acquainted: have a local read your story *before* it goes to press, or else face the wrath of local readers who will undoubtedly catch your errors *after* it's gone to press. Most crime lords don't have lairs on the East Side of Chicago, because the "East Side" of Chicago is Lake Michigan, and referring to "Chicago state law" is enough to make geography teachers weep. Similarly, while I generally like Nathaniel Parker's narration - he's good with the various voices and the UK accents (at least to my uncultured ear) - his attempt at a Chicago mobster accent was almost laughably bad. 3 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: The Eternity Code was still an entertaining read, despite being the weakest of the series so far... but it did at least leave me curious to see how Colfer would carry on in the next book.
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LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
I very much enjoyed this novel - I liked the diary entries interspersed with the on-going story. I listened to the book and the narrator did a great job. I'm finding that I like Artemis more and more with each installment.
LibraryThing member sdtaylor555
Ok I admit it...Mulch is my favorite character :) This installment was incredible. I loved the growth displayed in Artemis's character. Too bad. He is a great bad guy. But I can actually stand him as a person now! Wow, what a plot!
LibraryThing member theresa2011
This is my favorite of the Artemis Fowl series. In it, Artemis is a nice mix of criminal mastermind and human. He's lost some of his immorality, but he's still got his genius.
LibraryThing member Redthing
My least favorite of the series, but don't get me wrong. ALL the Artemis Fowl books are worth reading!
LibraryThing member numbert
This is a very averege book for the Artimis Fowl Seris (an avereage Artimis Fowl is still excellent) I didn't much like the villin, but I did like the Teaming up of Artimis, Mulch, and Holly with no grudges for once as well as the development of thier charectors.
LibraryThing member wiremonkey
I don't have much to say about Artemis except that it falls squarely into the category of children's escape reading. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It is a ripping good read, with a character that is not too good, if a little bit snotty. My only qualms with the series are the passages
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from Artemis's diary. He ends up sounds wooden and stilted instead of the genius boy he is. Still, for any action adventure fan, this is worth recommending.
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LibraryThing member buckeyeaholic
Fasten your seatbelt for another adventure with Artemis & his wee friends.
LibraryThing member amoll
so far it is full of things that i never thought would have happened. it keeps me reading because i never know what's going to happen next.
LibraryThing member LauraR8
This book is for the people who like action, and adventure. The third book in the Artemis Fowl Series. Artemis has made an invention to sell to someone. Then everything goes wrong. Make sure you read the next book!
LibraryThing member 99sheriff
really amazing. how Artemis can plan that all on his own, I'll never know
LibraryThing member nules
This was a cool book. I liked it at least as much as the first one, I think.
LibraryThing member heidilove
I am a serious Artemis Fowl fan. That he goes all geekified in this book only makes it better.
LibraryThing member Othemts
The third and possibly last book in this series (I've been reading a lot of series lately), shows Artemis returning to some of his greedy, calculating ways, although questioning them as he goes along. This book contains a better plot line than its predecessor, although it lacks the great character
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development of that book. Early on, my favorite character Butler is nearly killed (again) and thus is not involved in much of the action of the story and creating a liability in this book. Colfer attempts to focus the story instead on the coming of age of Butler's sister Juliet, but not as well I'm afraid. Still, all in all this is a ripping good adventure with many comic moments. Fowl and company have their minds wiped at the end perhaps ending the series, although a hidden disc contains information that may allow for another sequel.
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LibraryThing member Livana
The best Artemis Fowl so far.

At the beginning of the series, I did not like Artemis very much. A 12-year old cold-hearted boy, he is finally developing into a caring person. I can't wait to read the next chapter.

After his father is rescued from the Russian mafia, but before he returns to Fowl
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Manor, Artemis wants to plan one last job. He meets with Jon Spiro, a very powerful (and dangerous) man. Artemis offers to keep his new super invention, the C Cube, a device that will render every computer technology obsolete, secret... for a fee - of course. Needless to say, Mr. Spiro is not happy with this. He doesn't want to be bothered by a 13-year old.
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LibraryThing member hjjugovic
I think this is my favorite so far in the Artemis Fowl series. Perhaps its because Artemis has grown so much, perhaps because I enjoy the new role the fairies place him in, but either way, this book gets at the heart of what makes the series so good, for both kids and adults.

PLOT SPOILERS Artemis
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senior has woken up a new man and ask Artemis junior to go straight with him, but Artemis has to pull one last job. He constructs a supercomputer of cobbled together fairy tech and takes it to Chicago to make a deal with the infamous Jon Spiro. He offers to keep it OFF the market for a year in exchange for a ton of gold, but Spiro gets the drop on him, steals the cube, and has his thug (Blunt) shoot Butler, who reveals his first name as Domovoi before dying. Fast-thinking Artemis freezes Butler and gets Holly to heal him. Holly is trying to find out who "pinged" the fairy tech, and when Artemis reveals it was his stolen cube, the two team up with Mulch and Butler's little sister (Juliet) to retrieve it. Artemis runs the op successfully and makes up his mind to go straight at the conclusion. Unfortunately, that resolution is lost when the fairies mind wipe Artemis of all his fairy knowledge and experiences. Without that influence, Artemis determines to pursue his criminal career again, behind his father's back. But there is hope - Artemis planted a memory clue on a disk which he gives to Mulch. Artemis arranges for Mulch's arrests to be thrown out. He asks Mulch to return with the disk in two years.
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LibraryThing member 6M2008
Great book so far (I haven't finished it). Artemis Fowl Is an excellent main character who is witty, intelligent and much more. He is accompanied by his bodyguard Butler, who is a master of all types of combat. Artemis Has many encounters with the LEP (fairy police force) Captain Holly short. An
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excellent read.
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LibraryThing member euang
The genius returns!: When I first saw this book I thought it would be too hard for my eight-year-old brother, but he read right through it. So did I and so did my parents. It was a great read for all of the family and it was suprer-exciting. The plot had lots of fun twists but not enough to make it
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confusing. A two thums up read.
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LibraryThing member preck1378
Another smash hit in the Artemis Fowl series. I'm hooked on these. It's amazing what gems await in Young Fiction. Enjoying Harry Potter really opened my eyes. These are light and entertaining yet have a good moral message at the center.
LibraryThing member RoDor
Thirteen-yr-old Artemis Fowl' father comes back after being held prisoner for two years. He is changed and vows to turn his back on a life of crime. Artemis decides to go on a last mission before following his father. He meets with Jon Spiro and asks for gold in return for keeping his C Cube away
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from the public for one year. Artemis designed the C Cube using fairy technology and is fifty years advance than current communication technology. Spiro tricks Artemis and takes the cube. In the struggle, Spiro's bodyguard, Arno Blunt, shot and killed Artemis' protector and friend, Domovoi Butler. Quick-thinking Artemis froze Butler's body in the fish freezer in a matter of minutes, hoping cryogenics will be able to bring his friend back to life. He sent a coded message to the underground fairy world and Captain Holly Short. Holly makes Butler alive again. Now Artemis, Holly and Juliet, Butler's sister will have to work together to get the cube back or the life of every creature on the planet and underground is at risk. Artemis agrees to give up his fairy memories in a mind sweep in return for the fairies' help. Is he really letting go of those memories? Colfer's narration is so hilariously funny you want to read the book over and over again. Very entertaining!!!
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LibraryThing member Jenson_AKA_DL
Another wonderfully rendered audiobook with a top notch voice actor, Nathaniel Parker certainly does a very admirable job bringing us the continuing adventures of Artemis Fowl.

In this third volume of the series we find Artemis questioning his "gold is power" theory both because of the influence of
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his fairy friends and the new disposition of his returned father. However, Artemis is determined to make one last venture before he gives up his criminal ways. To do this he has called a meeting with American cyber criminal, John Spiro. But when things go fatally awry Artemis has to make an emergency call to the LEP to both save Butler's life and possibly the very secrets of the fairy underground itself.

As always, this story is filled with action, great characters and lots of twists and turns. The ending seemed a bit melancholy to me and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in "The Opal Deception".
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LibraryThing member jacobabear
Artemis Fowl is back in this interesting story, except this time he's about to hang up his maniacal schemes and go for a fresh start with his father. On one last scheme before his fresh start though, Artemis finds himself playing into a trap, when John Spiro tricks Artemis into giving up a piece of
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fairy technology - the C Cube. To get it back, Artemis has to exchange his memory of the fairy people for their help to save his friend Butler from death, and show John Spiro that he messed around with the wrong 13-year-old boy...
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LibraryThing member theboylatham
5/10.
The further adventures of Artemis Fowl. This time a mainly human based adventure as someone steals the fairy-technology based computer that Fowl has been developing.
LibraryThing member wmswarriors
One of the best books I've read so far ! And I'm only on chapter 6!
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
I really enjoyed this third installment of Artemis Fowl. More then a few times I found myself cackling and shaking my head at the quirky characters, the sharp, smart comebacks and the awesome generalizations made on what could otherwise be some scary characters.

This was definitely a worth-while
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addition to the series and the nice little cliff-hanger at the end has me ready to jump into the next book.
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Pages

320

Rating

½ (2049 ratings; 3.9)
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