Greed and excess are this novel's essential themes. The anti-hero, Artemis Fowl the Second, is a child prodigy who knows few limitations. The son of wealthy parents, Artemis has enjoyed having his whims fulfilled. He is unfamiliar with not getting what he wants. Artemis represents the themes of narcissism, arrogance, and entitlement. His only acknowledged weakness is a "slight dust-mite allergy." Artemis lives by the motto "Know thine enemy" and gathers knowledge to reinforce himself.

From the novel's beginning, he is depicted as a genius who capably uses nightvision goggles and computer and digital technology to locate information on the Internet, post his advertisement, and scan the fairy manual and send it electronically to safe locations. Artemis also appropriates computer knowledge to crack Gnommish, the fairy code, which he uses to translate the fairy's book thus gaining power and control over those creatures. He has access...