Don't know anything about Artemis Fowl, and Pitch Black is definitely more Aliensish I guess? It's the start for the series, and has a different feel than Chronicles. Chronicles opens the universe itself up considerably if that makes sense.

And yessssssssssssssss you should!

Would it help if I told you Karl Urban has eyeliner in Chronicles? (Karl tends to be a fairly common love in my LJ friends lol)