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This review is particularly of Nathaniel Parker’s narration, and not so much of the Artemis Fowl book itself, as there are already so many reviews on that.
If you want an auditory treat, get this audiobook – Nat Parker is a genius when it comes to bringing these characters to life. He does wonderful accents – there are multiple Irish accents for Artemis, Butler, Juliet and Angeline, but many others for the fairy people which are just amazing. In addition, his own, natural speaking /reading voice is so smooth , resonant and perfectly paced that is is a treat in itself. Unlike other audiobooks which I have listened to, you can’t hear him breathing – with some readers you hear every big breath they take and it gets irritating. He reads it perfectly and the great fun is in the rapid dialogue exchanges where he must manage different voices with different accents as well as the narrator’s voice.
The story itself, well, there are some boring and technical parts which I tried to read, and Artemis’s character is not terribly likeable, but the way Parker voices him makes you feel some affection for the character.
If you like the books, this is a worthwhile addition because of the way the characters are brought to life – and if you didn’t like the books, it’s a great listen just for Parker’s enormous vocal talent.
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