Artemis Fowl (Book 8): The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer

Seemingly nothing in this world daunts the young criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl. In the fairy world, however, there is a small thing that has gotten under his skin on more than one occasion: Opal Koboi. In The Last Guardian, the evil pixie is wreaking havoc yet again. This time his arch rival has somehow reanimated dead fairy warriors who were buried in the grounds of Fowl Manor. Their spirits have possessed Artemis’s little brothers, making his siblings even more annoying than usual. The warriors don’t seem to realize that the battle they were fighting when they died—a battle against Artemis—is long over. Artemis has until sunrise to get the spirits to vacate his brothers and go back into the earth where they belong. Can he count on a certain LEPrecon fairy to join him in what could well be his last stand?

New York Times best-selling author and comic genius Eoin Colfer will leave Artemis Fowl fans gasping up to the very end of this thrilling finale to the blockbuster series.

And finally, Artemis Fowl is back!  I know I was pretty harsh on the last few books in this series, but this last book has everyone back in grand form and working like classic Fowl.  The plot is tight, the humor is thick, and the characters are back to normal and Opal is back and being her regular batcrazy self.  Artemis, on the other hand, has his depth and his layers back, making somewhat dubious decisions and yet still acting the hero.  There are also some great new characters, including Foaly's wife who joins the ranks of great Colfer female characters.  And then there is the ending.  Although I can't say much without spoilers, I will say that the ending is an amazing conclusion to the series and it will pull on all your emotions in an expertly crafted climax.  If you cared for the Artemis Fowl series at all then you should really read this book.