The Fowl Twins (novel)

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The Fowl Twins
The Fowl Twins UK cover.jpg
Irish and UK cover
Author Eoin Colfer
Cover artistGoni Montez
Country Ireland
LanguageEnglish
Series The Fowl Twins
Genre Crime
Publisher Viking Press/Disney Hyperion
Publication date
5 November 2019
Media typePrint
Pages368
ISBN 978-1-368052-56-6
Preceded by The Last Guardian  
Followed by Deny All Charges  

The Fowl Twins is the first novel in Eoin Colfer's The Fowl Twins series, a spin-off and continuation of the Artemis Fowl series and second cycle of The Fowl Adventures , [1] following Myles and Beckett Fowl, the younger twin brothers of criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II. [2] The Fowl Twins was released 5 November 2019 by Viking Press and Disney Hyperion, promoting the then-upcoming Artemis Fowl film adaptation for Disney+. The novel was well-received by critics, with reviews comparing its quality and success to that of the original series. [3]

Contents

Plot synopsis

Criminal genius runs in the family. Myles and Beckett Fowl are twins but the two boys are wildly different. Beckett is blonde, messy and sulks whenever he has to wear clothes. Myles is impeccably neat, has an IQ of 170, and 3D prints a fresh suit every day - just like his older brother, Artemis Fowl. A week after their eleventh birthday the twins are left in the care of house security system, NANNI, for a single night. In that time, they befriend a troll on the run from a nefarious nobleman and an interrogating nun both of whom need the magical creature for their own gain . . . Prepare for an epic adventure in which The Fowl Twins and their new troll friend escape, get shot at, kidnapped, buried, arrested, threatened, killed (temporarily) . . . and discover that the strongest bond in the world is not the one forged by covalent electrons in adjacent atoms, but the one that exists between a pair of twins. [4]

Background

Colfer stated writing Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian that he had had "enough" with the series, opting to take a "breather" from it in favor of other projects, stating with regards the writing of The Fowl Twins that "[i]t would probably be a lot easier if I was on Artemis 15 by now. I just find I get bored, and if I get bored, the work suffers", having decided to return to the Fowl series after having "had too many stories running around in [his] head to ignore", referencing that while it is "not very Irish to be proud of something, but I started to feel a pride in the [Fowl] world. I'm kind of a curmudgeon, really, but I went back into it more positively." [5] Colfer cited Carysfort College as the inspiration for Spanish antagonistic spy-nun Sister Jeronima. [6]

Reception

Critical reception for The Fowl Twins was positive, meeting with praise from most reviewers. Kirkus Reviews praised the book, writing that: "Like its bestselling progenitors, [The Fowl Twins] is a nonstop spinoff afroth with high tech, spectacular magic, and silly business." [7] The Times praised the novel as "another wildly imaginative adventure" from Colfer, in particular the "widly different natures" of the titular Fowl twins and how they "drive the story", [8] while The Chicago Tribune acknowledged the novel as the "best children's book of 2019". [9] The Tampa Bay Times complimented the novel's character dynamics as "a little magical mayhem" for those who feel "[the] real world is getting on your nerves". [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artemis Fowl II</span> Fictional character

Dr. Artemis Fowl II is the eponymous character of the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. Colfer has said that he based Artemis on his younger brother Donal, who as a child was "a mischievous mastermind who could get out of any trouble he got into." A childhood picture of his brother in his first communion suit caused Colfer to think of how much Colfer's brother resembled "a little James Bond villain" and "how funny...a twelve-year-old James Bond villain" would be, inspiring Colfer's creation of Artemis.

<i>Artemis Fowl</i> Science fantasy book series by Eoin Colfer

The Fowl Adventures is a series of eleven fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer revolving around various members of the Fowl family. The first cycle, Artemis Fowl, follows elf Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance (LEPRecon) officer Holly Short as she faces the forces of criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II; later on in the cycle they become friends and Artemis Fowl II saves the world a few times. The second cycle, The Fowl Twins, received positive critical reception and generated huge sales. It has also originated graphic novel adaptations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eoin Colfer</span> Irish author of childrens books

Eoin Colfer is an Irish author of children's books. He worked as a primary school teacher before he became a full-time writer. He is best known for being the author of the Artemis Fowl series. In September 2008, Colfer was commissioned to write the sixth installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, titled And Another Thing ..., which was published in October 2009. In October 2016, in a contract with Marvel Comics, he released Iron Man: The Gauntlet. He served as Laureate na nÓg between 2014 and 2016.

<i>Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code</i> Third book in the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code is the third book of Irish children's fiction author Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series. It is preceded by Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident and followed by Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception. The storyline follows Artemis Fowl and his companions as they struggle to recover the "C Cube", a supercomputer Artemis had constructed from fairy technology, when Jon Spiro manages to steal it. Critical response was generally favourable.

Artemis is the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, the Moon, and chastity.

<i>Artemis Fowl</i> (novel) First book in the Artemis Fowl series, 2001

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Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident, known in America as Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, is a young adult and fantasy novel written by Irish author Eoin Colfer, published in 2002. It is the second book in the Artemis Fowl series, preceded by Artemis Fowl and followed by Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code. It follows the adventures of the twelve-year-old criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl II, as he thwarts a goblin rebellion and rescues his father, Artemis Fowl I. The third-person narration switches back and forth constantly, allowing the reader to understand more of what is going on. A New York Times bestseller, the novel was well received by critics, and reviews compared its quality and success to those of its predecessor.

<i>Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception</i> Book by Eoin Colfer

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Artemis Fowl is a series of novels by Eoin Colfer.

<i>Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox</i> Book by Eoin Colfer

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<i>Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian</i> Novel by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian, known in America as Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian is the eighth novel in Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series. Colfer had previously alluded to the novel being the final entry when he stated that the previous book, The Atlantis Complex, was the penultimate in the series. The Last Guardian was released 10 July 2012 by Viking Press and Disney Hyperion. The novel received generally positive reviews, winning the award for the 2012 Senior Irish Children's Book of the Year.

<i>Artemis Fowl</i> (film) 2020 film by Kenneth Branagh

Artemis Fowl is a 2020 science fantasy film based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Irish author Eoin Colfer. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, from a screenplay co-written by Conor McPherson and Hamish McColl, the film stars Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Colin Farrell, and Judi Dench. It details the adventures of Artemis Fowl II, a twelve-year-old Irish prodigy who teams up with his faithful bodyguard/butler , as well as a dwarf and a fairy, to rescue his father, Artemis Fowl I, who has been kidnapped by another fairy looking to reclaim an item the Fowl family has stolen.

<i>The Fowl Twins Deny All Charges</i> Book by Eoin Colfer

The Fowl Twins Deny All Charges is the second novel in Eoin Colfer's The Fowl Twins series, a spin-off and continuation of the Artemis Fowl series and second cycle of The Fowl Adventures, following Myles and Beckett Fowl, the younger twin brothers of criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II, as they live out their house arrest under the supervision of pixie-elf hybrid Lazuli Heitz. Deny All Charges was released 20 October 2020 by Viking Press and Disney Hyperion. The novel was well received by critics, with reviews comparing its quality and success to that of the original series.

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<i>The Fowl Twins Get What They Deserve</i> Book by Eoin Colfer

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References

  1. Cain, Sian; Lea, Richard (7 January 2020). "Guardian children's books podcast: Eoin Colfer on returning to Artemis Fowl". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  2. Empire, Kitty (24 September 2019). "Fiction for older children reviews: flying puns and dangerous games". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  3. Paynter, Michael (11 April 2018). "Eoin Colfer signs Artemis Fowl spin-off series deal". The Irish Times . Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  4. Wall, Matt (3 August 2020). "Eoin Colfer reads The Fowl Twins for Twins Day 2019". Artemis Fowl Confidential. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  5. Mesure, Susie (8 November 2019). "Eoin Colfer on The Fowl Twins and his Artemis Fowl success: 'It's not very Irish to be proud of something'". iNews. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  6. Corbett, Sue (22 October 2019). "Q & A with Eoin Colfer". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  7. "Review: The Fowl Twins". Kirkus Reviews. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  8. O'Connell, Alex (16 November 2019). "The Fowl Twins review by Eoin Colfer". The Times . Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  9. Gallo, Meredith; Pasturel, Ciera (2 December 2019). "The best books of 2019". The Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  10. Bancroft, Colette (2 November 2019). "Chaos is all in the family in Eoin Colfer's new novel". The Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved 2 November 2019.