Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian, 8 (edition 2012)

Over the course of this series I have come to love Artemis - he's clever, a bit arrogant, but also ever more loyal and likeable. I'm glad that Mr. Colfer left the door open for more Artemis adventures, while still creating a satisfying end - both to the novel itself and to the series. And Mr. Parker is the perfect narrator to this series - even when I read the novels, I hear his voices in my mind. He doesn't disappoint in this last novel. I was a little overwhelmed by the scope of destruction in this book - it was that more than anything that reminded me this is science fiction. ( )

It's hard to believe, but this is the finale to a series that has been a favorite for my son and myself. Artemis Fowl, teen prodigy and the ultimate geek, faces his nemesis, Opal Koboi, the evil fairy genius. This time Opal threatens the existence of all mankind by unlocking an ancient magical weapon, the Berzerker Gate, a portal that is located on the Fowl estate. Artemis, allied with Holly Short, Butler, Foaly and Mulch Digums, must make a final stand and stop Opal.

From the beginning, I have loved this series. In the first book, Artemis Fowl, Artemis is a 12-year old genius whose main desire in life in world domination. As the series has progressed, Artemis has developed into a likeable hero, low on social skills, but big in heart. Colfer has created a wonderful supporting cast of both magical creatures and humans. The stories are filled with plenty of action and a large dose of laugh-out-loud humor. The audiobooks have all been expertly narrated by Simon Prebble. Sorry to see the series end, but loved the finale. ( )

Billed as the "Final Installment" of the Artemis Fowl series, this is not a book that an uninitiated reader can easily access. There is little explanation of the why and wherefore as the novel leaps into a long-running story headlong. If you've not read at least a bit of the series, the book would be completely unfathomable. Even knowing something of the story line, that Artemis Fowl is a teen genius like no other, with a foot in the real world and the other in a fantasy world of elves, fairies, gnomes, dwarves, that all "magical" things are just really high-tech creations beyond human knowledge, and a demented counter-genius seeks to rule the world for herself, the novel is bewildering. Nothing is impossible here, literally nothing. Every character seems capable, indeed required, to expound in an increasingly snarky tone. This was a tough read for the Hub challenge, and doesn't stand up as fresh or clever anymore, rather it's like one of the later "Star Wars" films, plenty for fangirls & fanboys, not much for a coherent or enjoyable tale. ( )

Artemis Fowl's archenemy, the evil pixie Opal Koboi with an intellect to match Artemis' own, has devised a prison escape that has the added benefit of destroying the Human population of Earth. The Artemis Fowl estate is where the final battle takes place as Artemis and companions fight to keep Opal from opening a portal that will seal the fate of humanity. The fight is complicated by the fact that Opal has reanimated Fairy warriors buried there thousands of years ago, who now take bodily form by possessing whatever bodies are handy... including Artemis' young brothers and Butler's sister Juliet.

This is a worthy end to the series, with a conclusion that shows the extent of Artemis' growth and maturation. Artemis to Holly just before his final move against Opal: "I was a broken boy, and you fixed me. Thank you." I've immensely enjoyed the whole "Artemis Fowl" series. It has style, humor, wit, guile, and greed, and has steadily grown as Artemis has grown from an amoral genius and thief to a young man who is ready to sacrifice all for those who have become dear to him. I look forward to re-reading the books in sequence some day. ( )

Opal Koboi rears her evil head with the most dramatic and violent prison break in history, putting Artemis Fowl and his friends right in the center of it. Artemis, still shaken from his experiences in the previous books, doubts his own ability to plot out a solution to Koboi's plan, which could change the face of the entire planet.

Being the last book in the series, it's natural for Colfer to want to go out with bang. He does just that in terms of consequences for his characters and the world in which they live.

I can't say I enjoyed this one as much as I did several of the others. It was fun and clever, but didn't draw me in as much as I'd hoped. The beginning was a bit clunky in terms o how it handled backstory and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the ending. It's a good read, but I don't know that it was an entirely satisfying ending to the series. But at a certain point your boy genius is going to grow up and become just a man, and that's not really what this series is about. ( )