The Fowl Twins (Fowl Twins #1)

Colfer's clever spin-off of the Artemis Fowl series focuses on Artemis Fowl's twin younger brothers--hyperintelligent Myles and near-feral Beckett, both 11. With their older sibling on Mars, the fraternal twins are dragged into a madcap adventure when they're kidnapped by Lord Teddy Bleedham-Drye, a 150-year-old duke seeking the secret to immortality, which he believes rests in the venom of a diminutive troll that the twins are protecting. Sister Jeromina, a nun and agent of the secret organization ACRONYM, also has them in her sights. Meanwhile, Lower Elements Police Specialist Lazuli Heitz, a pixel (pixie-elf hybrid), seeks to rescue the imperiled troll--and the twins by extension. A globetrotting caper transpires as the myriad factions attempt to outwit, outsmart, escape, and double-cross one another. Colfer's trademark tongue-in-cheek narrative voice is on full display, his characters existing in a preposterous balance between sincerity and absurdity, mad science, and technology. Though a working familiarity with the previous books is handy, this series opener is accessible and entertaining: the fast-paced plot, filled with unexpected betrayals, death-defying feats, and secret train cars, will appeal to Fowl readers established and new. Agent: Sophie Hicks, Sophie Hicks Agency. Ages 10-14. (Nov.)

Gr 4-8-Based on the same Eurocentric adventure platform, The Fowl Twins transcends the original "Artemis Fowl" series. Welcome to a new level of zany ridiculousness with the warm-hearted interplay between Miles and Beckett, Artemis's now 11-year-old twin brothers, as they fight together with a fairy creature against an elderly Duke and an evil nun, two of the most hilarious supervillains of all time. As his characters chase each other across Western Europe, Colfer mocks predictable tropes with ingeniously unexpected turns made possible by wacky technological or magical marvels and astounding physical feats. The wry narrator's choice of metaphor and unique turns-of-phrase are as delightful as the action on the page. Masterful pacing includes complicated action sequences broken into different perspectives, with time sped up or slowed down to maximize both the reader's excitement and their ability to revel in Miles's cleverness, or to guess at Beckett's hidden talents. Kids familiar with European landmarks will be especially pleased at glimpses of Amsterdam, Verona, and the Irish Coast; Spanish-speakers will appreciate the nefarious nun's frequent exclamations. A handful of beloved characters from the original series make brief cameos. VERDICT Funnier and more appealing than its popular progenitor, this title is destined to become a favorite.--Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC