Artemis Fowl Books in Order

How to Read the Artemis Fowl Books in Order

The best and most rewarding way to experience Eoin Colfer’s fantasy-sci-fi universe is in publication order. The overarching plot of the main series moves forward chronologically, showing the growth of Artemis Fowl II from a selfish teenage mastermind into a compassionate hero. Reading the main novels out of order will spoil major plot points, character deaths, and key relationship shifts.

The Main Artemis Fowl Series in Publication Order

If you want to stick strictly to the main novels, follow this sequence:

1. Artemis Fowl (2001) – Artemis kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police (LEP) to ransom her for gold, triggering a high-tech magical standoff.
2. The Arctic Incident (2002) – Artemis must forge an alliance with his fairy enemies to rescue his father from the Russian Mafiya.
3. The Eternity Code (2003) – After a technology heist goes dangerously wrong, Artemis must retrieve his stolen C Cube supercomputer before it exposes the fairy world.
4. The Opal Deception (2005) – The brilliant and vengeful pixie Opal Koboi escapes her coma to seek revenge on Artemis and the LEP.
5. The Lost Colony (2006) – Artemis battles a new demonic threat and a child prodigy who has also figured out the existence of magic.
6. The Time Paradox (2008) – To cure his mother of a magical disease, Artemis travels back in time to steal a young lemur from his own past self.
7. Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex (2010) – Artemis develops a psychological fairy illness called the Atlantis Complex just as a new threat emerges.
8. The Last Guardian (2012) – The epic finale where Artemis and his allies make a final stand against an ancient warlord's spirits.

Chronological Order (Including Short Stories)

If you want to include all the short stories and side adventures in their exact timeline placement, read the books in this chronological sequence:

• Artemis Fowl (Book 1)
• "The Seventh Dwarf" (Short Story, 2004) – Set between Books 1 and 2. Artemis travels to New York to steal a tiara from dwarf Mulch Diggums. Found in The Artemis Fowl Files.
• The Arctic Incident (Book 2)
• The Eternity Code (Book 3)
• The Opal Deception (Book 4)
• The Lost Colony (Book 5)
• The Time Paradox (Book 6)
• Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex (Book 7)
• The Last Guardian (Book 8)
• "Luna Minor" (Short Story, 2019) – Set nearly a decade after Book 8. Artemis is on a space mission on the moon, serving as a bridge to the spin-off series.
• The Fowl Twins Series (Spin-off focusing on Myles and Beckett Fowl)

Note: The short story "Artemis Begins" (2010) is a humorous, semi-autobiographical piece about how the author's childhood brother inspired the character, rather than a fictional in-universe story, so it can be read at any time as a fun bonus.

The Fowl Twins Spin-Off Series

Set five years after the events of The Last Guardian, this spin-off series shifts the focus to Artemis’s younger twin brothers: Myles (the brilliant suit-wearing mastermind) and Beckett (the wild, nature-loving adventurer). You should read these after finishing the main series:

1. The Fowl Twins (2019)
2. The Fowl Twins: Deny All Charges (2020)
3. The Fowl Twins: Get What They Deserve (2021)

Companion Collections and Graphic Novels

For fans who want to dive deeper, Colfer has released official companion collections and graphic novels:

• The Artemis Fowl Files (2004) – A companion book featuring "The Seventh Dwarf" short story, puzzles, Gnommish guides, and character interviews.
• Artemis Fowl's Guide to the World of Fairies (2020) – An in-universe guide detailing fairy lore, technology, and the Lower Elements.
• The Graphic Novels (2007–2014) – Visual adaptations of the first four main novels: Artemis Fowl (2007), The Arctic Incident (2009), The Eternity Code (2013), and The Opal Deception (2014).