"Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian" A Twist of Fate

 Eoin Colfer’s “Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian” A Twist of Fate  Reviewed by Erich Rathkamp

   Fairies, sprites, and elves; shots of pure energy spinning through the air; an insane pixie with a death wish on the loose; a secret underground haven sitting undetected right under the noses of the humans; all of this chaos is thrust upon a teenage genius in Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian.

    Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian is a fantasy novel released in 2012 that centers around the characters Artemis Fowl, the human genius, an elf named Holly Short, and a centaur named Foaly whose intelligence rivals that of Artemis himself.  The story takes place in the Lower Elements, an underground utopia where all manner of fairies and the like reside unnoticed by humans.  Later, the story progresses to the manor of Artemis Fowl.  The story revolves around a pixie known as Opal Koboi, who has broken out of prison and attempts to use an ancient magical artifact known as The Gate that, when opened, will unleash Armageddon upon all of humankind.  Artemis, one of the only humans to know of the fairies’ existence, is called upon to help stop Opal in her quest.

    I found this book to be quite enjoyable.  The novel takes the concept of fairies, elves, and other magical creatures, and completely challenges previous thoughts one might have had about them.  While many books can take too long in explaining new facts, Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian was not guilty of the same.  For example, instead of living as peaceful forest creatures, the fairies instead manage most of their world with incredibly advanced technology.  Opal Koboi, the antagonist of the story, hatches a plot to destroy every object that contains parts manufactured by her company, Koboi Labs.  Using the raw energy created by the massive destruction, she will use her magical ability to operate an ancient artifact that unleashes Armageddon upon the world: “Opal Koboi is not the savior she pretends to be… She would undo ten thousand years of peace” (Colfer 213).  This maniacal pixie will do absolutely anything to destroy the world.

The style of Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian is, overall, very good.  The story makes you marvel at the many detailed scenes depicted as well as the interesting array of characters.  One of the more descriptive scenes depicted by Colfer is displayed through the quote,"The fort had been worn down to a nub by the elements, and strange black ivy had thrown tendrils along the walls as though trying to reclaim the stone for the earth” (Colfer 78-79).  The book follows the main characters in the third person and makes the story easy to understand, even among all the advanced concepts and technology.  Even though some of the beings in this book aren’t human, Colfer still conveys their emotions very well and keeps the reader on their toes with the many exciting events that happen throughout the story.

One problem with this book is the lack of explanation of topics mentioned in the previous books of the series.  Many important events, concepts, and characters are referenced in the book without a clear explanation of what they meant to the overall storyline.  This makes the book more difficult to read if you have yet to read the previous novels in the series.  However, this book is not meant to be read without reading the other books, as it is the last book in a series.  Having read the previous books in the series, the events of this book are not at all difficult to understand.

Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian is a very enjoyable read because of the intricate storyline and developed characters.  Even though this magical underworld is full of mythical creatures, the storyline never strays into the realm of complete impossibility.  The story, with a certain level of imagination, stays believable, and I believe that this brings a certain feeling to the book that makes it an enjoyable read for any age.

Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl. New York: Disney Hyperion Books, 2012. Print.