THE LAST GUARDIAN

In his eighth, greatest and (billed as) final exploit, Artemis Fowl finally puts paid to archnemesis Opal Koboi while also saving humanity from extinction, but at a steep price.

The malign pixie Koboi has escaped prison, sown widespread destruction on both the surface and in the high-tech underground fairy realm, and acquired massive magical mojo. Now she is set to unlock two nested spells on the Fowl estate. One binds the spirits of a band of ancient fairy warriors to her while allowing them to possess any living or once-living bodies available, and the other unleashes Armageddon on the entire human race. Enter Artemis, with his usual sidekicks and allies, from tough fairy cop Holly Short to dangerously flatulent dwarf Mulch Diggums. Punctuating his breakneck narrative with silly turns, sudden extreme violence and memorable turns of phrase—“…like the man with the exploding head, it was a one-time trick”—Colfer pits his resourceful crew against an army of killer bunnies and decomposed corpses (most of the estate’s other residents being off for Christmas). All this is on the way to a smashing set of climactic twists and turns, just deserts and life-changing sacrifices.

A fitting end to a brilliantly conceived and developed series.