Several years have passed since. Colfer has made a departure from the saga of the teenage criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl, who has eight books, including a graphic novel to his credit, with Airman; and the brother has long stopped being difficult.

While the Artemis series is written in a half-serious tone—alternating dark moments with humorous ones—a style favoured by a number of popular children’s authors including J K Rowling and Roald Dahl, Airman has all the trappings of a good old-fashioned romp. The book, published by Puffin and called Colfer's strongest work yet by The Guardian, is packed with derring-dos.

Set in the late 19th century, before the Wright brothers' famous flight, its hero, young Conor Broekhart, dreams of flying. In fact, he was born in the air when his mother went into labour before time while on a hot-air balloon. The young hero possesses both scientific and sword-fighting genius. He lives in the island of Great Saltee: two small isles off the coast of Ireland for which Colfer has imagined an entire counter-history.

The Saltees is ruled by the noble King Nicholas (all the heroes here are noble). The villain is identifiable by his sinister countenance, and is called Bonvilain. A twist in the tale comes when Broekhart is out-manoeuvred by Bonvilain and confined to an Alcatraz-like prison. His only hope of escape is going up—flying out.

The final encounter between Broekhart and Bonvilain reminds of good triumphing over evil that those fed on mythologies are well versed with. There is more to the traditional, forever loved, ending of the story when the heroine, Princess Isabella, and Broekhart kiss for the first time as he sails to Glasgow to study.