The Fowl Twins Deny All Charges

Lore & Background

Colfer stated after writing Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian that he had had 'enough' with the series, opting to take a 'breather' from it in favor of other projects. He decided to return to the Fowl series after having 'had too many stories running around in [his] head to ignore', referencing that while it is 'not very Irish to be proud of something, but I started to feel a pride in the [Fowl] world.' Colfer received an initial order of two books for The Fowl Twins spin-off series from Disney Hyperion, writing both The Fowl Twins and Deny All Charges simultaneously.

The novel continues the adventures of Myles and Beckett Fowl, the younger twin brothers of Artemis Fowl II, under house arrest supervised by pixie-elf hybrid Lazuli Heitz. The story involves high-tech displays, family dynamics, dolphin-back rides, slime, and a climactic exhibition of prejudice.

Reader's Guide

The Fowl Twins Deny All Charges was positively received by critics. Kirkus Reviews praised the book for 'dazzling displays of high tech, heartwarming peeks at the family dynamics of the closely knit if decidedly eccentric Fowl clan, dolphin-back rides, huge blobs of slime (some of it explosive), and a climactic exhibition of prejudice gone off the rails.' The Irish Times praised the novel as an 'offer [of a] page-turning adventure with a side of ridiculous fun' and numbered it among the 'best children’s books of the year.' Laughing Place praised how 'Colfer has proven that you can capture lightning in a bottle twice with this supremely hilarious and joyful read.' Better Reading complimented the novel's 'multi-faceted' characters and 'action sequences [that] are jam-packed [with a] dialled-up [form of] craziness [at] maximum levels.' The novel's significance lies in its continuation of the Fowl universe after Colfer's stated fatigue with the original series, demonstrating a successful return to the world.

Did You Know?

• The novel was released on 21 April 2020 by Viking Press and Disney Hyperion (primary US release).
• Colfer wrote both The Fowl Twins and Deny All Charges simultaneously.
• The story features Myles and Beckett Fowl under house arrest supervised by pixie-elf hybrid Lazuli Heitz.
• The Irish Times numbered the novel among the 'best children’s books of the year.'

The Fowl World Expands

The Fowl Twins Deny All Charges occupies a distinctive position within Eoin Colfer's expansive fantasy universe. Serving as the second installment of The Fowl Twins series, it functions simultaneously as a spin-off and a direct continuation of the beloved Artemis Fowl saga. The narrative shifts its spotlight away from the infamous criminal genius Artemis Fowl II and onto his younger twin brothers, Myles and Beckett, who find themselves navigating the peculiar constraints of house arrest. Their overseer, Lazuli Heitz, is a pixie-elf hybrid whose presence adds a layer of inter-species tension to the domestic setting. As the second cycle of The Fowl Adventures, the novel deepens the mythology Colfer built across the original books while introducing fresh dynamics among the Fowl siblings. Released on 20 October 2020 through Viking Press and Disney Hyperion, the book was met with critical enthusiasm, with reviewers drawing favorable parallels between its quality and that of the original Artemis Fowl series, signaling that the expanded Fowl universe had genuine staying power.

Colfer's Reluctant Return

After completing Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian, Eoin Colfer declared he had reached a point of creative saturation with the franchise. He described needing a breather and expressed a candid fear that by the time he reached a hypothetical fifteenth Artemis entry, his boredom would inevitably compromise the quality of the writing. Yet the Fowl world refused to let him go entirely. Colfer admitted that too many stories had been swirling in his mind to simply ignore them, and he acknowledged a growing sense of pride in the universe he had built, even while noting that such open pride felt uncharacteristically un-Irish. He described himself as something of a curmudgeon who nonetheless returned to the material with a more positive disposition. The commercial framework for this return was straightforward: Disney Hyperion placed an initial order for two books in the new Fowl Twins spin-off, and Colfer wrote both The Fowl Twins and Deny All Charges concurrently, crafting the twin-brother narrative as a paired endeavor rather than a single standalone project.

Critical Acclaim and Praise

The critical response to Deny All Charges was overwhelmingly favorable, with reviewers from multiple outlets singling out the novel's blend of spectacle, humor, and emotional depth. Kirkus Reviews highlighted Colfer's ability to weave together dazzling high-tech set pieces, tender glimpses into the eccentric Fowl family dynamic, thrilling dolphin-back rides, and bursts of explosive slime, all culminating in a climactic confrontation with prejudice that proved intense enough to leave readers genuinely unsettled. The Irish Times lauded the book as a page-turning adventure laced with absurd, ridiculous fun, going so far as to include it among the best children's books of the year. Laughing Place celebrated the novel as proof that Colfer could capture lightning in a bottle a second time, praising his linguistic gift and his talent for crafting characters so endearing that readers find themselves chuckling from the very first page to the last. Better Reading commended the novel's multi-faceted cast and its action sequences, which they described as packed with a dialed-up form of craziness operating at maximum intensity, framing the reading experience as a kind of literary challenge.

Publication and Series Context

The Fowl Twins Deny All Charges hit shelves on 20 October 2020, published by Viking Press and Disney Hyperion, ensuring a wide international readership for the sequel. As the second volume in The Fowl Twins series, it carries the weight of following its predecessor while also serving as the second cycle of the broader The Fowl Adventures umbrella, a designation that positions the twin-brother stories as a meaningful extension of the original Artemis Fowl canon rather than a mere afterthought. The fact that Colfer was commissioned for a two-book commitment from the outset suggests the publisher's confidence in the spin-off concept, and the critical reception—consistently comparing the novel's quality and success to that of the original series—validated that confidence. The book's official presence on dedicated websites for both the US and UK markets further underscores its status as a significant publishing event within the children's fantasy space, cementing the Fowl Twins as a recognized and celebrated branch of Colfer's literary legacy.