The Hardy Boys

Meet Frank and Joe Hardy, the Hardy brothers. They are the sons of Fenton Hardy, a famous retired private detective in New York. Now, his sons are keen to follow his footsteps. They work together to tackle the most difficult cases, and always get the job done. They are assisted by their school-mates Chet Morton, Biff Hooper, and the like. Chet's love for food provides some comic relief in grave situations. Another peak of the series is the Boys' Aunt Gertrude, who despite her acid outward appearances, has a deep appreciation for the Hardys.

Here I'll be briefly reviewing the series, and then providing some download links.

Artemis Fowl

Twelve year old Artemis Fowl Jr. is the son of a rich Irish criminal warlord. He is also a child prodigy who is really one of the smartest persons in the world. But his life takes a turn when his father is kidnapped by the Russian Mafiya, who are jealous of his large share in Russian business. Artemis Jr. hatches a daring plan to rescue his father. He has heard stories of fairies and their Crock of Gold as a child, and browsing though the internet and the library, he found credible evidence for their existence. He decides to catch a fairy for himself.

Armed with his superhuman bodyguard, Butler, he visits Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, where there are rumours of a fairy. He finds a fairy, old with green coloured skin, in the basement of a house. He makes a deal with her and manages to get The Book of the People, the holy book of the fairies. But he decides that he wants a more important fairy for his next plan. He manages to capture another one, a female elf called Holly Short.  

Eoin Colfer, the Author

Next the story reveals that the a huge population of fairies actually live underground, in large cities that they have built for themselves. They have a much more advanced technology than humans, masterminded by a smart centaur (yes, I said centaur!) called Foaly, who is the technological brains of the fairies.

Now back to the story. Artemis decides to hold the fairy he kidnapped for ransom from fer fairy friends. Artemis demands one metric tonne of gold. But at the last moment he decides against it and returns half of the gold. As the series develops, Artemis is seen as a friend of the People (fairies), and gradually stops all his criminal activities, helping the fairies to fight against evil.

The series is excellently written in a very simple language. Good humour is another important factor in making this series fun to read. Artemis' mastermind plans and daring escapes create a feeling of awe among the reader. The author has also created a wonderful and original new world filled with wonderful new creatures. Another must read. Don't miss it.

There are eight books in the series, which was completed only in 2012. Here are the download links. Convert using docspal to a format of your choice.

1. Artemis Fowl
2. The Arctic Incident
3. The Eternity Code
4. The Opal Deception
5. The Lost Colony
6. The Time Paradox
7. The Atlantis Complex
8. The Last Guardian

The Artemis Fowl Files is a companion book to the series. I features several side stories that are set in between the main stories. Get it here (login required, create one).

The first two books were released as graphic novels (comics). Not an ideal substitute for the main books, but good graphics. Grab 'em here:

1. Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel
2. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident: The Graphic Novel

The eBooks were also released for the Nintendo DS as part of the Flips eBook series. If you have a DS or use a DS emulator, you can download the ROM here. Load it using your emulator, or flash it to your DS using a Flashcart such as SuperCard.

That's all for this post. Hope you enjoy reading the eBooks. Do let me know your comments about my blog.

The Three Investigators

'The Three Investigators' - sounds like a dull-and-boring little kids story with an unimaginative title, doesn't it? Well it isn't. It  is one of the best series ever written. It was originally conceived as competition to the ever-popular Hardy Boys series, and boy did it outshine that! Now let me tell you about it, then you can download the free ebooks.

This series follows the adventures of Jupiter Jones ("Jupe"), Peter Crenshaw ("Pete") and Robert Andrews ("Bob"). They are a team of juvenile detectives in the fictional town of Rocky Beach in California, set to prove to the world that children can be as smart as adults, if not smarter, in solving the toughest of criminal cases. Jupe is the brains of the trio, and having once been a child actor, he still possesses a acting talent, and can talk his way out of any situation. Some people call him fat, though he prefers to be referred to as 'stocky'. Pete is the athlete, and is aptly suited to any fieldwork that their cases may call for. Though he has an understandable aversion to Jupe's usually daring plans, he is ready to support the Three Investigators in every way he can. Bob is more of a studious character. Having broken his leg when he was younger, he is not much of an athlete. He is the Records and Research man of the team; he performs research in the Town Library, where he has a part-time job. He also maintains records of the Investigators' cases for future reference.

The Pendragon Adventure

14 year-old Bobby Pendragon is just an ordinary high school student who enjoys athletics. But suddenly, his life takes a strange turn that changes his life forever, and the world. His mysterious Uncle Press pays him a visit and tells him that the both of them are actually Travelers, an elite group of people who travel through space-time visiting distant and disconnected realms called "Territories". The series revolves around the amazing adventures of Bobby and his uncle, and their valiant efforts to save the world from an evil demon called Saint Dane.

DJ MacHale, the author

 This is a series of 10 books by the author, DJ MacHale, and each book is better than the last. The language is quite simple to understand, and narrated in the first person by Bobby through a series of journals. The very funny way in which Bobby perceives the strange things happening around him and his witty one-liners are not to be missed. I enjoyed the last book the most, as it answers all the questions and suspense built up in the preceding nine books.

Out of 10, I would give this series and 8.5, because the plot does tend to get long and 'dragging-on' sometimes. But overall, an excellent read. Definitely recommended for those who have finished Harry Potter and are wondering what to read next.