Artemis Fowl discussion

The little romantic deep inside of me would like to see that happen. It could be pretty cute.
The rest of me knows that it would ruin Artemis' character. He's not that kind of guy. He rarely does anything motivated by his heart unless it comes to his family.
Unless executed perfectly, something like that would ruin Artemis Fowl forever.

I guess you'll think I'm weird to say this, but I think Artemis and Juliet would make a great couple. Anyone agree?

I think Artemis and Minerva (I forgot her name) the girl that was a mastermind as well in The Time Paradox?

*spoiler* read the 6th book because intresting things happen between holly and artemisbut i personally think artemis and minerva(paradizo) should be together

Book 7 was hilarious if any haven't lead up to it yet. There were things happening in that one as well. :)

no way!!!! holly is an elf! plus she's way smaller than a human!

Audrey wrote: "no way!!!! holly is an elf! plus she's way smaller than a human!"

i see your point but then love has no boundaries

I'm not that far into the serious, and yeah I think it would be kinds interesting, but there are two many problems for it to work. Unless Eoin Colfer pulled it off perfectly....

At the last book(in my opinion), the relationship began to become a bit of a.......

Bah, hum bug :)

Jovana wrote: "At the last book(in my opinion), the relationship began to become a bit of a......." Yes....

this is wrong on soooooooooooooooooooooo many levels

I think Artemis and Holly would have made a nice couple, but I'm also glad Colfer didn't make a big deal out of it. I reckon Artemis would end up with someone like Holly (i.e. someone who makes sure he doesn't get too big for his boots). I liked that the books didn't focus on teen romance though (as many books these day do).

romance in this book is not the main purpose of the book.

I really liked how this book didn't focus at all on romance. I did, however, like what happened in book seven and eight.

no artemis wants her gold and doesn't even care about her

well I only read the first book

**spoiler** ish.
Yes, definitely. They're cute and perfect and I think that I would have loved to see that happen. (FINALLY! A romance that isn't just romance but actual friendship! Camaraderie FTW!)
I'm not gonna comment on the specie difference though, because that just makes my head hurt.
However, I'm cool either way. As cute as it might have been, the two are still undeniably perfect as best friends, and it's nice to have the main male and female characters not end up in a lusty, poorly written romance mess for once.
I dunno. I guess it's lovely to just read proof than romantic love isn't and shouldn't be the only--or the main-- kind of love out there.

The fact that they're not of the same species kind of ruins any possible shipping. I've read all the books and Eoin Colfer doesn't focus on the romance at all. Even what happens in the 6th book is never really revisited. It's kind of up to you. Whether you see them as a couple after the series or not. I personally just see them as really good friends. (Well the ending of the series actually comlicates things but I won't get into that :P )

Depending on how you see it the truth is artimas has eye (or will if you think its in he future compared to real life)on multiple female that does play a constant role its just not a first person prospective that may be troubleing

If any one read about the Atlantic complex than who cares all love should be pure even if its would kill(just not try to destroy the human race)

*Laughs* Artemis was like 12 when Holly was like ... 24. That would never work. They're not even a good couple... Minerva would've been better.

does anyone still rembember the alantis complex still!!!! a human and a fariy loved each other for along time but there are alwasy that huge shift for ages in that world

I would love Artemis and Holly together. They are like opposites attract. If we had just kept Holly's age in the Time Paradox, then all would have been fine. But nooooooo.

It felt like Eoin Colfer didn't realize that his fans wanted Artemis and Holly together, so after the fifth book (you'll find out what I mean) he went to great lengths to make sure that the desires of the fans were at least somewhat met in this regard.

Holly seems to be a young adult- her maturity suggests early twenties to me- and by the fourth book Artemis is about fifteen at most. You can argue "love knows no boundaries", but imagine if Holly were as tall as she would be if she were human. Now try putting her next to Artemis, who at this point would probably have reached five feet.

Of course I'm not saying that it's impossible. It's just not something that I'm fully on board with, and it seems that Colfer tried to appease the fans who shipped it by excluding a certain character from the final three books (amongst other events which you will learn of later).

Although I wouldn't have had him abandon the aspect of relationships altogether in this series (which is thankfully one that he never heavily delved into), I wish he had gone about this a bit differently. Sticking with the majority and not even bothering to mention the name of a certain character after the one book in which she's heavily involved (view spoiler)[Minerva (hide spoiler)] is a cheap tactic at best.

Because those novels are not concern in romance, I think that the adventures have made me satisfying :)

During the first few books, there was certainly nothing more than friendship, and barely even that. The fifth one showed the two much closer thanks to the defeat of Opal Koboi. Holly and Artemis act like they have known each other for years with friendly signs of hugging in the fourth as well as fifth. But while the adventure is going on, Artemis and Holly finally lay complete trust in one another and they seem like they've rid the doubt they had over one another.

The turning point in the friendship, or even the breaking point, is when they travel back in time and return 3 years later (sorry, spoilers) and they swap eyes, that's a point where the relationship changes. They are getting closer, and if they hadn't swapped eyes, this wouldn't of happened for a long time: Holly hugs him and even pecks him on the cheek when she says goodbye. A lot of people that read the book in know said it arose a little suspicion in them; they reckon there was something going on too. This is increased a huge notch in the 6th book...before the 'infamous happening'. These are the things that happened before 'it' happened:

When awaiting his mother's diagnosis, Holly held Artemis' hand.

They have to hold hands while undressed...what is Colfer up to?

"They find holding hands awkward" why is that? You just held hands minutes previously, what's wrong? Besides, if you're close friends, then I doubt this would be awkward. Besides, Holly is a professional adult and Artemis is old enough to understand.

Holly is troubled by adolescence, is it because she was thinking back to when she was younger, or does this run deeper.

Holly calls Artemis Arty. Because she is younger? I think not.

'it' happens.

Holly forgives Artemis because of a trip back down memory lane? She wouldn't forgive him that quickly...is she thinking back to how he was when he was 12 and realizing it could be worse.

When Artemis does his rescue, Holly doesn't punch him. That's new.

When Mulch teases the two about 'it', they don't complain.

Holly rescues Artemis after she heard an explosion without hesitation.

This is what makes me think there's something going on. In the Seventh book, you obviously have the Orion thing and how Holly cares about plays a massive factor. Holly's feelings are forced to be revealed as Artemis needs serious therapy. Plus, you're seeing Artemis' thoughts, but not Holly's. She might be feeling at bit more than friendship at moments when Orion is being particularly annoying. But I think that this unusual behavior from Holly and Artemis (Is Orion his subconscious? If so...) masks the fact that Colfer is proving that INTER SPECIES LOVE AND AGE DIFFERENCE DOESN'T MATTER. I could see where this was going. Then came the last book. The feels are still fresh. Everything kicks of. The book includes MAJOR CHARACTER death and ROMANCE which shines through in situations like a jet crashing for Artemis. He is totally falling for Holly. She's already realized she's fallen for him. Do I need to say any more?

All in all, Colfer really didn't consider romance until book 4, after that book, it started creeping up on Artemis and Holly, especially during book 7 and 8 and 6 is just way of the scale when it gets to 'Hartemis'. we're seeing a well paced romance develop here. If there had been a ninth book (please?) then this really could have started. If a 109 year old virgin vampire can form a relationship with a know-one-knows-how-old virgin girl, then a originally evil 18 year old genius with OCD can have one with a 90 year old (About 24 (ish) in human years) fairy elf with technology way ahead of humans and a punch to rival Rocky could work out. Besides, they have a smaller age gap than Sparkly Vampire and Kirsten Stewart.

Even though this romance was not originally intended, one phrase to wrap my opinion up:
Still a better love story than Twilight.

Now for #ArtemisFowlNinthBookWithRomancePoll

Rosie wrote: "then a originally evil 18 year old genius with OCD can have one with a 90 year old (About 24 (ish) in human years) fairy elf with technology way ahead of humans and a punch to rival Rocky could work out."
Besides, there have been worse than six year age gaps:
Think Logan Lerman or Alexandra Daddario or even Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. 11 years...Jeezus!

Just to clear up...Holly states that she lost her father when she was around 50, I think she is 90+ years old.

HowSuspicious wrote: "Just to clear up...Holly states that she lost her father when she was around 50, I think she is 90+ years old."
Sorry, I meant 90 in human years
In fairy years she is early twenties.
It mentions in book 6

but 20 is still older than Artemis who is like aged 12-15 for the span of six books

He's 15 at the start of book 5, but when he goes to Limbo and returns, time on Earth has progressed 3 years, so he's technically eighteen. And pretty much by the time the series ends he's about 19, maybe 20, but he's only lived 16 years of his life. And anyhow, he'll catch up Holly quickly enough, considering she ages a lot slower than Artemis does.

I think I'm glad they didn't get together. I don't like the bits of romance colfer did. I think it's not his forte.

It would have been nice to see Holly and Artemis together.
In the last book, there was some kind of a special bond forming between them, and even though they are two very good friends, them being a couple would have been cute.

@Miho I agree. There is definitely SOMETHING. Whatever that is depends on how you interpret it.

Thank you! It could be friendship, or it could be...?

@Miho exactly. I think that may be the kind of relationship feel Colfer was going for

I appreciate the fact that Colfer left the ending to me. I love Artemis and Holly. I can imagine a great ending between the two of them as they are great friends. But he left the speculating to me as a reader and as sad as I was that he didn't confirm any of my questions about their relationship I'm so happy I was left to my own imagination as to what happened between them. It's much better that way.

I haven't read all the books, but I don!t think Holly and Artemis would work out. Plus, as someone else said earlier, it would really ruin Artemis's character.

Satsuma wrote: "I haven't read all the books, but I don!t think Holly and Artemis would work out. Plus, as someone else said earlier, it would really ruin Artemis's character."
How many books did you read? It's true that the Artemis we meet in the first book couldn't be further from this discussion, but by the 6th book he's really changed. Almost the opposite to who he was in the first book.

What they feel for each other is definitely not just a friendship.

First of all no matter how emotionally agitated she may have been, she wouldn't have kissed him, if the only thing she felt for him was pure friendship. Hug maybe?

Now, the kiss itself was important and all and everyone's talking about it, but for me what followed afterwards was much more important to make their feeling clear for each other. This is what happens:
After Holly wakes up from the second dart and she realizes that she has kissed him, comes this:
'Artemis's head pounded and Holly's mismatched eyes seemed to hypnotize him... But though Artemis felt hypnotized, even slightly dazed, he knew he was not mesmerized, there was no fairy magic here.
Artemis looked into those elfin eyes and he knew that this younger, somehow more vulnerable Holly felt the same way, at this particular tangle of time and space, as he did.
After all we have been through. Or maybe because of it.'
After reading this how can anyone say that Artemis is not in love with her? seriously how obvious can it get??

Later by the Tara terminal 'Holly says: "I don't know what's happening to me, we're not even the same species. And when we go back, we will be ourselves again... The time stream has turned me into what you would call a teenager again."
Then she goes on: "What if I'm stuck like this? That wouldn't be so bad, would it?"
The question hung in the air between them. A question heavy with insecurity and hope.'
After reading this it was clear. What Holly felt for Artemis was not a mere friendship and she felt really insecure about it. Forget about difference between their species, she didn't even know what Artemis's reaction would be, hence the question, she was testing the waters. She's basically asking, what are you gonna do if I'm stuck feeling like this?
Artemis is being tormented over deceiving Holly, thinking to himself: 'If you answer this question, it will be the worst thing you have ever done.'
He doesn't want to move forward before she learns the truth, so he cracks and tells her everything. She's devastated. And as she walks away from him without even a glance behind, Artemis's last thoughts are: "Extraordinary, thought Artemis. What have I lost?"

Its a nice idea but it just wouldn't make sense....

The question really isn't "Do they like each other" or "can a human and an elf 'get it on'.", but "how long would they have".

Holly ages about 3 times slower than humans. By the time Fowl is in his eighties, she would barely be in her thirties. You also have the problem of children i.e. they can never have any. Ever. And if you think Artemis Fowl has not considered that about 37 times during Book 6, you have not been paying attention.

Minerva WAS a potential romanic interest, but she was dropped without a word after her book and never seen again...so we can safely forget about her. Personally, I think Holly and Artemis make a level of sense as a couple, but it would never be stable nor completely consummated. Artemis will likely never marry nor have children. Nor will Holly. They would circle each other over the years, confess in his old age, and only after he is gone would Holly move on.

She might even name her son Artemis. Or her daughter, just for the rib.

Wow I personally see the closeness of the two as a sign of their character growth. The first book I read was the fourth one, then I read the first to see Artemis kidnap her and hold her for gold was unsettling. I do love them as a couple, but they both still have a lot of growing to do.

Lissy wrote: "Its a nice idea but it just wouldn't make sense...."

I have to agree with Lissy. I wasn’t expecting them to fall in love & to be honest, I wouldn’t want them to. I think the book was perfect the way it was, as far as the relationship between Artemis & Holly.

I first read the books in around 2003, then stopped at The Arctic Incident, then continued in 2009, and finished reading all the books in 2013.

I ship Artemis and Holly since 2009, and now I still do, although I no longer imagine them as having a possible future together as a family unit (getting married, having children, et cetera). In fact, it's this bitter impossibility that keeps me shipping them.

This year, in preparation before watching that Disney adaptation, I'm rereading the books and my sentiment remains.

I'd like to imagine them as having feelings for each other, from some time during The Eternity Code onwards.

In addition, Artemis will, even more so than Holly will, keep these feelings for the rest of his life. As Holly is Artemis' first love, as opposed to Minerva Paradizo, despite what other readers claim, or so I read. But I don't think he will act upon these feelings, so he will probably end up as a bachelor or will marry a human.

As for Holly, her loyalty to the People will prevent and stop her from acting on her feelings too, even more so after what she found out in The Atlantis Complex. Not to mention that, to my observation, the affection on her part leans more heavily towards friendship (and a small portion romantic).

In Holly's case, her career is her dedication to the memories of her loved ones, and marriage to, or relationship with Artemis will jeopardize not just this but the People's future.

Frankly speaking, these two characters planted the seeds of my fondness for unrequited love tropes. I really love how Artemis continues to grow, regardless of the unrequited feelings and in spite of them. As he becomes a more and more caring individual, I enjoy reading how he regards Holly affectionately and how he also strives to make positive changes for the world.


I hope Holly will grow more as a character too, and I hope I can read more about her in the future.

I seriously think that Artemis and Holly do not know it but They are secretly falling in love and the part where Holly kissed Artemis, I automatically knew that that was going to happen right after I read the 2nd book and I have just finished book #6 and DO NOT SPOIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Artemis Fowl is secretly in love with Holly from the start. I know it. I dislike it but her character grows on me. Holly is a healer. She is the MVF (Most Valuable Fairy) in the universe.

I wholeheartedly agree with Erick and Dean, except I enjoyed Holly's character from the start! Even if the author hadn't intended these two from the beginning, they set the story and their relationship up in such a way for it to blossom organically throughout the series; I only wish they stayed physically the way they were in book 6 instead of reverting upon return. Given what happens before, it would make sense that something would go wonky, ya know timey wimey stuff 'n all.

Though grievances aside, it is easy to tell they are good foil for one another, and truly begin to care for one another. Gosh, I teared up a little - when he rushed to help her with his bare hands after Mulch id the thing in book 6; knowing her fears, Arty didn't hesitate. She also understands where he's coming from after the cats out of the bag, and subtly shows this after a while. I think this could be pivotal allowing them to move beyond it, and while some may complain about the initial interaction, they do grow with - as well as due to one another.

Now relationships are hard, even without the difference in race on top of one starting out as a self absorbed genius with the other an underappreciated prodigy in her field; they go far together! Beyond the understanding that they build, break, and reform with each other; the author does delicately handle the difference in race. It can be difficult for a couple like that to truly understand/open up to one another, and even more difficult to express this in literature, but Eoin delivers. They're trying and in my opinion making great progress as there is continuity in what they learn about each other from book to book showing how much they do care.

Honestly when dealing with the Fae, it shouldn't be a stretch of the imagination for these two. Look at the differences between Aragon and Arwen in LoTR, the concept isn't new, making this rendition a touching modernization and in comparison a much more reasonable pairing - all things given. Also Holly and her Arty, have good chemistry and a willingness to learn from and to be accepting of each other, which makes it easy to get super invested in their growth romantically; even if it is presented in an adventure novel.

In the end, yes, I would love to see them come to a mutual realization of their love and for them to embrace it together with a glowing support network of the friends they've made through the years. What has been teased throughout the series has tugged many of our heartstrings and I know I would love to see more with a resolution! I've loved the series thus far and I'll always ship these two.

**Edit to fix the book number**

I think that they love each other but they don't know it.