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Title: Airman
ISBN: 1423107500
Author:
Eoin Colfer
Publicate Date: 2008-01-02
Publish: 2008-01-02
List Price: $17.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $5.00
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $4.25
Amazon Merchant Price: $12.23
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1: Not as good as Artemis Fowl
I've read all of Colfer's books except the Legend series, and liked this book the least. It was harder to get into than the others. Artemis Fowl, Supernaturalist, etc were better.
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2: A modern rework of The Count of Monte Cristo, for the young adult
There are few authors writing for young people today who have as much ability as Eoin Colfer. He could easily write best-selling long form fiction for adults, but luckily for us, he concentrates his special abilities into weaving fanciful tales that are appropriate for school libraries. Nearly all of his tales are set in or involve Ireland, and he brings the magic of the Emerald Isle to every line of his prose. Airman is a suspenseful tale that is a fitting homage to The Count of Monte Cristo. Airman tells the story of Conor Broekhart, a young man born in a hot air balloon, destined for greatness in all things. One inexplicable twist of fate puts Conor on a path of survival, and ultimately, revenge in this frenetically paced, edge-of-your-seat page turner, set against the backdrop of a fictional empire built on the real Saltee Islands off the coast of Ireland. Intrigue, politics, love, betrayal, high-adventure, flight... This book really has it all. Young and old, male and female alike will love this book. Fans of the Artemis Fowl series will appreciate the smart dialogue and careful pacing, as well as the dynamic characters. For me, Eoin Colfer is among the two or three finest writers alive that writes for young people. This book is rare gem.
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3: Will there be a follow-up to AIRMAN? We can only hope so.
"No, Little Saltee is not a place for mirth. No Maypoles nor circus antics. Especially not for Conor Finn...."
In the 1800s, Little Saltee, an island off the coast of Ireland, had become widely known to those who were imprisoned there as "Hell." At the age of 14, Conor Broekhart has seen his beloved tutor killed, discovered a conspiracy against the king (who had been like a father to him), and been thrown into the Little Saltee prison and branded a traitor. This has been through the power-hungry efforts of the conniving Marshall Hugo Bonvilain. Surely nothing could be worse than these things --- but the horrors of Little Saltee and the madmen who rule that dark world make these nightmares far more threatening.
Upon his arrival he meets Biltoe, a guard personally assigned to Conor who will do anything to make the boy's life even more miserable. After numerous beatings Conor is initiated into the "Little Saltee Kiss," a process consisting of being thrown into a pool of flesh-eating mites and then being branded for life.
"The mites went to work...scraping his skin with their infinitesimal teeth. To Conor this seemed like macabre torture: but to his person, these mites were a boon. Plant spores, agitated by the mites, disinfected his wounds, which the mites cleaned by eating all traces of infection. They chipped off blood and scab, diving deep into gashes, chewing back to the bare wound."
Conor's only hope for survival is to flee. He has always dreamed of flying, and under Victor's careful teaching, he has learned much about the process. But how can a flying machine be made in this terrible place? His every move is monitored and every day brings new ways of torment from the brutal guards. As the years pass he fights hard for survival and a place of respect among his fellow prisoners, all the while carefully ploting his miraculous escape.
With the intervention of a wise but blind ex-prisoner, Conor comes to realize he cannot just "fly-away." He must let his father know that he is still alive, see Isabella (the king's daughter and Conor's dear childhood friend) and save the little kingdom from the twisted plotting of the evil Bonvilain. He knows that his mission has become much more complicated and that he truly risks losing everything if he does not succeed. Though only 17, he has lived and seen much more than most men twice his age.
Eoin Colfer --- the bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series --- brings in elements of THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK, THE THREE MUSKETEERS and other favorite classic tales. Suspense, adventure, mystery, intrigue and even a little romance make this a refreshing, totally satisfying read. The question now is, what happens to Conor? Will there be a follow-up to AIRMAN? We can only hope so.
--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts
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4: Grand, high adventure from an author who gets better with each new book
No, Little Saltee is not a place for mirth. No Maypoles nor circus antics. Especially not for Conor Finn...."
In the 1800s, Little Saltee, an island off the coast of Ireland, had become widely known to those who were imprisoned there as "Hell." At the age of 14, Conor Broekhart has seen his beloved tutor killed, discovered a conspiracy against the king (who had been like a father to him), and been thrown into the Little Saltee prison and branded a traitor. This has been through the power-hungry efforts of the conniving Marshall Hugo Bonvilain. Surely nothing could be worse than these things --- but the horrors of Little Saltee and the madmen who rule that dark world make these nightmares far more threatening.
Upon his arrival he meets Biltoe, a guard personally assigned to Conor who will do anything to make the boy's life even more miserable. After numerous beatings Conor is initiated into the "Little Saltee Kiss," a process consisting of being thrown into a pool of flesh-eating mites and then being branded for life.
Conor's only hope for survival is to flee. He has always dreamed of flying, and under Victor's careful teaching, he has learned much about the process. But how can a flying machine be made in this terrible place? His every move is monitored and every day brings new ways of torment from the brutal guards. As the years pass he fights hard for survival and a place of respect among his fellow prisoners, all the while carefully ploting his miraculous escape.
With the intervention of a wise but blind ex-prisoner, Conor comes to realize he cannot just "fly-away." He must let his father know that he is still alive, see Isabella (the king's daughter and Conor's dear childhood friend) and save the little kingdom from the twisted plotting of the evil Bonvilain. He knows that his mission has become much more complicated and that he truly risks losing everything if he does not succeed. Though only 17, he has lived and seen much more than most men twice his age.
Eoin Colfer --- the bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series --- brings in elements of THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK, THE THREE MUSKETEERS and other favorite classic tales. Suspense, adventure, mystery, intrigue and even a little romance make this a refreshing, totally satisfying read. The question now is, what happens to Conor? Will there be a follow-up to AIRMAN? We can only hope so.
--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts
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5: The Airman
I loved The Airman, I think it has the perfect blend of Comedy, Drama, Suspense, and everything else in between.
This is the story of how Connor goes from being Sir Connor Broekhart who saved the King's daughter and who dreams of flying, to Connor Finn, rebel, who helped in the murder of King Nick.
After he had a witnessed the murder of the king and the king's friend (Connor's teacher) by the Marshall. Connor is captured and taken to one of the toughest prisons in the world, at age fourteen.
So, the book is about how Connor survives and changes to escape the prison, in order to help his family and his beloved Queen Isabella from the Marshall, by the only way possible... to fly. Flying had always been Connor's dream and destiny and now it was Connor's ticket back.
This is a good young adult book and one of my favorite qualities about it is that it is a good read for boys as well as girls. And a smart read for anyone with big dreams and wild imaginations.
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