Artemis Fowl, the first book in a series of young adult science fiction fantasy novels by Eoin Colfer, has been a popular saga for young people since its publication in 2001. Following the eponymous 12-year-old genius and criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl is also being released as a feature film later in 2019. However, if you don’t want to wait for the movie and have just finished the popular series, you might be looking for more books like Artemis Fowl to occupy your time.
Luckily for you, there are a number of books and series in the same genre that are very much worth reading. So, if you’re on the hunt for your next great fantasy saga, here are nine suggestions to help get you started.
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9 Books Like Artemis Fowl
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
As one of the most popular Young Adult fantasy series to have been published in recent years, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a good option if you’re on the hunt for books like Artemis Fowl.
The first instalment of a trilogy, The Hunger Games follows protagonist Katniss Everdeen, a young woman living in a post-apocalyptic version of the USA, now called Panem. The country is divided into 12 separate districts and, in order to keep the population compliant and in order, the totalitarian government organises an annual event known as the “Hunger Games.”
This televised event pitches two “tributes” from each district in a battle royale. Tributes are children between the ages of 11-18 and are selected in the form of a lottery. Turned into an incredibly popular motion picture series starring Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games is an excellent option if you’re searching for a series like Artemis Fowl.
If you’ve already read this title, check out our list on more books like the Hunger Games & Divergent!
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
If you’re on the hunt for another great book series like Artemis Fowl, then The Maze Runner series by James Dashner might be a great choice for you.
Following the Young Adult Dystopia genre, The Maze Runner is the first instalment of three books (and two prequels) originally published in 2009. The series follows Thomas, a young man who one day wakes up in a place called “the Glade” with no recollection of his previous life.
It is later revealed that Thomas and company are living in a bizarre world where they are surrounded by an ever-changing and dangerous maze. With the eventual goal of escaping their current situation, this series explores themes such as leadership, the ability to think on one’s feet, and coming of age.
Already read this book? Check out our list of more books like The Maze Runner!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
It may come as no surprise that on a list of books like Artemis Fowl that the first book in the Harry Potter series would make an appearance.
It is likely, even if you haven’t read this series, that you know what Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is about. As one of the most successful book series of all time, the first instalment introduces the reader to Harry, an 11-year-old orphan living in the cupboard under his aunt and uncle’s stairs.
Though he has been mistreated and alone his entire life, he soon discovers that he is a wizard and proceeds to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here, he meets his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and learns more about himself and his parents, who were murdered by the dark wizard, Lord Voldemort when Harry was only one year old.
Though when Voldemort tried to kill the baby Harry, his spell backfired and he lost all of his powers, causing his demise. Harry learns that he is revered in the wizarding world as the one who put a stop to the horrors and atrocities committed by Lord Voldemort.
The first of seven novels in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is an excellent addition to any reading list, especially if you’re looking for a book series similar to Artemis Fowl.
Already read this book? Check out our list of more books like Harry Potter for adults and younger readers!
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
As one of the most famous and widely read fantasy series of all time, if you want to find a book like Artemis Fowl and want to read a fantasy classic, then you cannot go wrong with JRR Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings.
This epic novel, originally published as three separate novels in 1954 and 1955, serves as a sequel to Tolkien’s The Hobbit. One of the biggest influences of modern fantasy literature, the book follows a number of characters in the fictional universe of Middle Earth.
It follows themes of reluctant heroism in the face of insurmountable evil, power, with strong mythological elements. Because of its sheer size, it is impossible to summarise everything that this fantasy epic is about within the confines of an article about books like Artemis Fowl, however, it is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in the fantasy genre.
Already read this series? Check out our list of more books like Lord of the Rings!
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
If you want to start a new series that is similar to Artemis Fowl and you’re interested in fantasy classics, then CS Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is an excellent choice for you.
While it is actually the second instalment of Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is easily the most famous and most widely read of the entire series.
The novel follows the Pevensie children who have been evacuated from London during the Blitz of WWII and are currently living a large, pastoral home of a professor in rural England. While exploring the house, the youngest of the Pevensie children, Lucy, discovers a wardrobe that acts as a portal into the fantastic world called Narnia.
Narnia is currently being ruled over by the evil White Witch, who keeps the land in a state of perpetual winter. The novel and subsequent series follow the Pevensie children as they navigate this strange land and attempt to return the lion Aslan to his rightful throne.
Though this novel is undoubtedly a classic, it is also known to contain strong Christian themes and was written to be an allegory of Christ’s crucifixion.
Already read this book? Check out our list of more books like The Chronicles of Narnia!
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
If you’re looking for an engaging and highly acclaimed fantasy series like Artemis Fowl, the first instalment of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is an excellent choice for you.
Published as Northern Lights outside of North America, The Golden Compass is set in a parallel universe to our own. The world is dominated by an international theocracy that actively suppresses heretical acts. The novel follows the main protagonist, twelve-year-old Lyra Belacqua as she journeys to the Arctic from her native England in order to find her missing friend and free her imprisoned uncle.
While the previous novel listed in this article, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is quite blatantly pro-Christian, Pullman’s trilogy has been criticized for its anti-religious themes. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that The Golden Compass, or Northern Lights as it was originally called, isn’t a fantastic addition to any reading list.
Already read this book? Check out our list of more books like The Golden Compass!
A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin
If you’ve enjoyed Artemis Fowl as an adult and are looking for an epic high fantasy series to take your reading to the next level, then A Game of Thrones, the first instalment of George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series is a fantastic choice for you.
You would have to have been living under a rock for the past decade to never have heard of this novel, which is the basis for the highly successful HBO series. The novel, set in the fictitious country of Westeros, follows a political drama as characters vie for power in circumstances reminiscent of those that began the Wars of the Roses in fifteenth century England.
The first of what is set to be seven novels, five of which have been published, A Game of Thrones is not for young readers due to its length (it is well over 1,000 pages) and its mature and adult themes. However, if you are fond of the fantasy genre and complex political systems, then A Game of Thrones is a fantastic choice if you’re an adult looking for books like Artemis Fowl.
Already read this series? Check out our list of more books like Game of Thrones!
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The first book on this list that is not part of a series, if you’re looking for fantasy novels that are similar to Artemis Fowl, then Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere is a wonderful choice for you.
This novel follows protagonist Richard Mayhew, a normal person living in London, as he is thrust into a bizarre alternate universe that exists below the British capital.
After Richard rescues an injured girl called Door, he is transported into her world that is set in the underground of London, known as London Below. Door is attempting to escape assassins and Richard is trying to find a way to return to London Above, the novel follows the two of them as they encounter a host of wild characters and interesting situations.
A fantastic introduction into the writing of Neil Gaiman — who is one of the most prolific modern fantasy writers — and certainly one of his more underrated books, Neverwhere is an interesting fore into the world of soft fantasy and is a great option if you’re looking for books similar to Artemis Fowl.
If you’re looking for more fantasy novels for adults, have a look at our list of books like The Name of the Wind!
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Though the last entry into this list was a singular novel rather than a series, the next addition to this list of books like Artemis Fowl brings us back into the realm of serialised Young Adult fantasy fiction.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Originally published in 2005, this novel and the series, in general, is based on events from Greek Mythology happening in the present day.
The Lightning Thief follows protagonist Percy Jackson, a seemingly normal 12-year-old boy with ADHD and Dyslexia who finds out on a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art that he is actually a Greek demigod, son of a god and a mortal woman.
Assuming the responsibility that comes with his newfound powers, The Lightning Thief and the subsequent novels in the series follows Percy as he struggles with growing up as a normal teen who just happens to be a demigod.
Already read this series? Check out our list of more books like Percy Jackson!
Finding the perfect series or book like Artemis Fowl can be a difficult task, especially if you have fallen in love with the story and characters in the acclaimed series. However, this list of series and novels should be a great starting point to exploring more books like that one!
Are you looking for books like Artemis Fowl? Have you found any? Let us know in the comments!
I read an amazing series called the cirque du freak series which was quite like Artemis fowl