Life after Harry Potter

So you finished Book 7. Whether you liked it or hated it, the Harry Potter series is over. Yes, I know J.K. Rowling is planning an encyclopedia, but does that really count? Besides, even if she does write an encyclopedia, it won't be out until next year. What will you read now? I've got a suggestion for you, and it even might interest those you who disdainfully shunned the Harry Potter series.

In 2002 I heard an interview on NPR from a very funny Irish author named Eoin Colfer. (His first name is pronounced like "Owen.") His stories and conversation were so entertaining, I decided to check one of his books out from the library. Thus I discovered the entertaining Artemis Fowl books, a series that has some similarities (and many differences) from the Harry Potter books. How are they similar? The Artemis Fowl series is sort of a fantasy, with magic and fairies and goblins and the like. But don't mistake this for a Potter knock-off -- these books are much more modern, sarcastic, and quasi-realistic.

Artemis Fowl II, the title character of the series, is a 12-year-old genius and criminal mastermind who has taken over the family criminal empire after the disappearance of his father. (That should dispel any suspicions that the series has the same plot as Harry Potter.) Smart enough to crack any code but young enough to believe, Artemis pursues evidence of a hidden fairy people who have coexisted with humans for millennia. Artemis is aided in his quest by his lifelong bodyguard and chef, Butler. Artemis does indeed find the fairy people, but gets more than he bargained for when he discovers that they employ vastly superior technology as well as magic to keep their existence a secret.

The characters in the Artemis Fowl series are vivid and memorable, and Artemis himself evolves through the books as he gets older and learns a few life lessons during his intrigues with the fairy people. Currently there are five books in the series, plus a companion book called The Artemis Fowl Files that has some short stories and "interviews" with the characters. These books aren't going to be the international sensation Harry Potter was, but in a way, that makes them better. You get to discover these books without all the hype.

However, I recommend you start soon, because a movie version of the first novel is already in production, slated for release sometime next year. The sixth and last book is also coming out in 2008. And a graphic novel of the first book is being released this October. So pick up a copy from your local bookstore or your public library and discover the slick, devious, and humorous world of Artemis Fowl. They're fun, quick, and entertaining -- just what you want to read during the summer.