Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian book cover

Rating 4.0/10

Bland at best with zero character development and a brilliant premise which quickly falls apart.

So, Artemis Fowl’s last stand?

When I read the first Artemis Fowl book, I was maybe twelve years old. At the time, rushing through it, I didn’t understand much, only that this was a new kind of hero, one that did not always think about others and do what he did to benefit anyone other than himself.

Over time, this kind of protagonist would become very popular in fantasy and science fiction – The Anti-Hero; a hero for today’s world, who thinks first of himself.

Artemis Fowl is no longer such a character. Over the years, his interaction with those he loves teaches him how to care and how to think about the greater good before personal gain. The growth of Artemis as a character is one of my favorite coming-of-age changes.

That is why I waited feverishly for Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian, which Colfer said was to be the finale of the epic series.

The basic premise of the final Artemis Fowl book is as follows:

Artemis Fowl’s arch-enemy Opal Koboi has masterminded a way to simultaneously secure her release from prison and bring the human and fairy worlds to their knees. Unless Artemis can stop her, the evil pixie’s next move will destroy all human life on earth.

The plot gets personal when Opal Koboi releases ancient warrior fairies who were buried under the Fowl Estate for thousands of years, and they possess the bodies of Artemis’ younger brothers, Myles and Beckett. The dream team – Artemis with his intellect, Butler’s bravery, Holly’s skills and Foaly with his gadgetry might not be enough to stop Opal this time.

I’ll say this much. Eoin Colfer is one of my big ten favourite authors of all time! But I found myself feverishly following the novel to the end and wondering if he hired someone else to write it for him or if he got lazy and stole a terribly one dimensional ending from some fanfic site and banged it into the last few pages. This episode of Artemis Fowl’s saga is bland at best with zero character development and a brilliant premise which quickly falls apart. It feels as if Colfer is trying to make you dislike Artemis on purpose.

It is by far, a disappointment. But it is Artemis Fowl and it is the last book, so you better read it, if you loved the series as much as I did!