Merry Gentry
urban fantasy
Series · fantasy
Artemis Fowl
The Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer has 8 known books (9 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Artemis Fowl (2001). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian.
- Books
- 8 known books (8 novels + 1 collection)
- Published
- 9
- First published
- 2001
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: Artemis Fowl (2001) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl opens the series in 2001, introducing twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II, who works out that fairies are real and kidnaps one for ransom to rebuild his family's fortune. At 288 pages, it launches a heist-thriller take on fantasy that pits technologically advanced fae against a genuinely amoral young protagonist.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Artemis Fowl - Book 2:
Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident
Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident is the second book in the series, published in 2002 at 320 pages, continuing Artemis's uneasy alliance with the LEPrecon fairy commandos as Eoin Colfer's caper-movie plotting and technology-versus-magic worldbuilding keep escalating.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident - Book 3:
Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code
Released in 2003, Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code holds the third spot in Artemis Fowl. It follows Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident and comes before The Artemis Fowl Files in publication order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code - Book 4:
The Artemis Fowl Files
The Artemis Fowl Files sits between Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code and Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception in the Artemis Fowl series. It runs 197 pages.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Artemis Fowl Files - Book 5:
Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception
Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception is the fourth book in the Artemis Fowl series, published in 2005. It follows The Artemis Fowl Files and comes before Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony in publication order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception - Book 6:
Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony
Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony is the fifth book in the series, published in 2006 at 385 pages, continuing the escalating fairy-world politics and time-travel-adjacent plot threads that run through the series' second half.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony - Book 7:
Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox
Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox is the sixth book in the series, published in 2008 at 391 pages, leaning into the time-travel schemes that set Eoin Colfer's series apart from its more earnest, Harry Potter-era fantasy peers.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox - Book 8:
Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex
The seventh Artemis Fowl book, Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex, runs 376 pages and arrived in July 2010, continuing Artemis's slow, believable development of a conscience without losing the ruthless intellect that opened the series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex - Book 9:
Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian
Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian closes out the series in 2012 as its eighth and final book, running 336 pages and concluding the escalating fairy-world plot threads -- especially around Artemis's father -- that built continuously across all eight novels.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian
About the Artemis Fowl series
Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl II is a genius, a millionaire, and a criminal mastermind from a long line of Irish crime-family aristocrats, and he's just worked out that fairies are real. Rather than wonder at them, he kidnaps one for ransom, gold being exactly the kind of leverage he needs to rebuild his family's fortune. What follows is less a fairy tale than a heist thriller wearing fairy-tale clothing: fully modern, technologically advanced fae (LEPrecon commandos with hi-tech gadgets, a foul-mouthed dwarf, a centaur who runs fairy IT security) collide with Artemis's ruthless intellect across eight books, and the fun is watching a genuinely amoral protagonist slowly, believably develop a conscience without ever losing his edge.
Eoin Colfer's series was one of the defining early-2000s middle-grade hits for readers who wanted their fantasy fast, funny, and irreverent rather than earnest — think caper-movie plotting, technology-versus-magic worldbuilding, and a sarcastic, off-kilter humor that set it apart from its Harry-Potter-era peers. It's a strong pick for kids who like clever antiheroes, fairies reimagined as a hyper-advanced hidden civilization rather than tiny winged sprites, and plots built around cons, hacks, and time-travel schemes as much as spellcasting.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Artemis Fowl series?
Eight novels, from Artemis Fowl (2001) to Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian (2012), plus the companion volume The Artemis Fowl Files.
What order should I read Artemis Fowl in?
Publication order, starting with Artemis Fowl. The plot and characters are continuous across all eight books, so read them in sequence.
Is Artemis Fowl finished?
Yes. The main series concluded with Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian in 2012. Eoin Colfer later wrote a separate spinoff trilogy, The Fowl Twins, about Artemis's younger brothers.
Is the Artemis Fowl movie based on all the books?
No. The 2020 Disney film draws loosely on elements from the first two books but changes major plot points and is not considered a faithful adaptation by most fans of the series.
Do I need to read The Artemis Fowl Files?
No. It's a bonus companion volume with a short story and behind-the-scenes material, not required to follow the main plot.
If you like the Artemis Fowl series
Reading order last verified .