A Story Well Told

The Last Guardian:  Artemis Fowl #8 by Eion Colfer

Young Adult Fantasy

I can't imagine a better ending to a series than this! 

It's always sad to say goodbye to a friend and Artemis (and Holly, Foaly, and Butler) started to feel like my friends in the very first book.  Not the kind of friend where you go eat out, but the kind of friend you need when you've committed a crime and you need help covering up the evidence. Those kinds of friends.  Watching Artemis transition from the first book to the last was a true literary treasure, an experience worthy of all the hours I've spent reading about the book and talking about the book.  It's one I always recommended to my students and I hope they recommend and on and on. 
In this last installment, Artemis is paired against Opal, evil genius versus evil genius.  All the old characters are back, including Mulch Diggums.  The stakes here are high:  Opal has devised a way to kill off all of humanity and reign as the supreme fairy goddess.  Naturally, Artemis's pride won't allow him to concede defeat.  Then, there is the matter of his twin brothers, who he has grown quite fond of.  (Dear Mr. Colfer, please make a separate series about these two.  They are hilarious!)  In order to save the world, though, Artemis has to lose himself. Or, like always, does he have something up his sleeve?

I can't say enough how much I have loved this series and how much I loved this book.  I cried and cried at the end and think that is the perfect way to say goodbye.  Tears and laughter and a knowledge of time well spent and story well told.  Thank you, Mr. Colfer, for these stories. It was a pleasure and honor to tag along on such a wild and imaginative ride.