The Fowl twins by Eoin Colfer

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Harper Collins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008324827.
(Age: 9-13+) Recommended. Eleven year old fraternal twins Myles and Beckett Fowl are complete opposites. The twins live on the Irish Dalkey Island with their family, under the ever-watchful eye of NANNI (The Nano Artificial Neural Network Intelligence), a complex security system devised by Artemis and to a degree, young Myles. Myles is debonair, controlled and focused purely on the scientific and technological aspects of life. He is responsible for helping to create much of the family's idyllic island fortress and thinks deeply before acting. His brother Beckett on the other hand is impulsive, untidy and full of energy and he jumps into situations without any thought of the possible consequences. The brothers though, are inseparable, and complement each other in surviving their many dangerous escapades.
The story begins with an unexpected visit from The Baddie: Lord Teddy Bleedham-Drye, The Duke of Sicily. The first chapter is wholly devoted to explaining this character whose life work has been dedicated to finding the elixir of youth. Hence the visit to Dalkey Island where a miniature troll with possible live-forever venom is sighted leading to complicated and wildly exciting adventures for the twins. Beckett finds the troll and names it Whistle Blower and when the twins are whisked away (aka kidnapped) by Sister Jeronima, the nunterrogator, the real trouble begins. Governments are funding Sr Jeromina to torture and cross-examine the twins for their own nefarious reasons and they find themselves in all sorts of trouble. Throw in a fairy, Lazuli, invisible to most but not to Myles and the excitement and confusion reigns.
Fans of all ages will enjoy this next book from Eoin Colfer. Fowl twins is a humorous and action packed spin off from the Artemis Fowl series and an enjoyable fast-paced read. As the novel mentions past characters and aspects from the Artemis Fowl series it is not necessary to have pre-read Artemis Fowl. Themes: Humour, Adventure, Twins, Family, Villains, Fantasy, Technology.
Kathryn Beilby