Opal

Grade 5-7–Artemis Fowl has returned to his fiendish ways in the fourth book (Miramax, 2005) in Eoin Colfer's series about the 14-year-old criminal mastermind. Although his mind was cleared of any memories of the fairy world in the third book, it's not long before Artemis encounters many of his old cohorts. His archenemy, Opal Koboi, is no longer an imprisoned coma patient; she escaped by cloning herself and now has plans for the destruction of the Lower Elements and for world domination. Artemis needs the help of all his allies in this world and in the fairy world to stop the powerful and dangerous Opal. Nathanial Parker's superior talent for narration is wonderfully showcased in this rollicking tale of identity theft, intrigue, and adventure. He uses many different British accents and dialects to make both the human and the supernatural characters come alive, and his pacing is faultless throughout the dialogue and the narrative. Fans of the series will be delighted to join Artemis and his associates for another fantastic tale of the underworld, complete with gaseous dwarves and extraordinary technology. A great choice for fantasy lovers in school and public libraries.

Once again the author has brought us another heroine who's not only strong but fierce. Sloan is a vampire and friend of Opal's brother in law, he helped her sister and the vampire council and was rewarded with a mate who turned out to be Opal. Their first meeting was Sloan saving Opal from another vamp and in the process claiming her.

Purple Dark Opal is the second release by the working trio Kuzu, a band whose deep roots in disparate musical traditions delivers a sound that’s not only new, but totally organic. Saxophonist Dave Rempis is best known for his work in the improvised music scene in Chicago, often exploring areas at the farthest edge of the jazz tradition. Guitarist Tashi Dorji, a native of Bhutan, came up through the active noise scene in his home base of Asheville, NC.