SPOILER ALERT!!!!
I loved this book. The Last Guardian had all of the trademark things we all love about Artemis Fowl- the amazing characters who were all so steady, strong, and constant, the ridiculous, yet amazing and action-packed plots, and that signature Eoin Colfer humour that I've never, ever read anywhere else. (Because where else are you going to find the Attack of the Crickets, a megalomaniac pixie, or a drawf riding a troll?)

Now: to the topic everyone is talking about; the ending. I thought it was fitting. I know that a lot of people are begging for an epilogue or more books, but I think the way The Last Guardian ends, looping back to the very first book (and yes, I did take out my battered old copy of the first AF book and reread after reading TLG) was perfect on its own. Although of course I want to know what happens next, I thought the ending was great BECAUSE it was an open ending, and thus, avoided the colossal cheesy disaster that was the Harry Potter epilogue.

I started crying when Artemis decides to sacrifice himself. I didn't cry just because of that decision, rather, it was more because of the character development he's been through, so much of it, that the boy who was the very definition of truly cold and uncaring would kill himself in order to save his family and, of course, his dear friends. I started crying even harder when he was saying goodbye to Holly. That scene wherein Holly drugs Artemis, but Artemis had already drugged himself before to counter the drugging he knew Holly would give him, and the drugs her, was one of the sweetest scenes ever. Only Eoin Colfer would be able to write a scene wherein friends drug eachother into something where I wanted to scream "CONFESS YOUR EVERLASTING LOVE FOR EACHOTHER, DAMMIT!" But the point at which I really lost it was when they had laid out the clone, and Holly was calling for Artemis to come back. That part...well, any A/H shipper will know how I felt.

I've been an Artemis/Holly shipper for a long time, yet to be honest, I wasn't disappointed with this ending. Realistically, I suppose I always knew that it wasn't going to happen, not in the books, anyways- the age gap and species thing just made it something Colfer would probably never write. And Colfer did give us oh-so-many quotes that could be interpreted as A/H. (Do you hear my plea, fanfiction writers?) In any case, we'll always have TTP, which I still stubbornly consider Colfer's secret message to us shippers that Artemis and Holly are destined to live happily ever after together in their next life.

What I also have loved about Artemis Fowl has managed to create such an original and realistic fairy world. I've always been particularly impressed with the way he snuck in these biases and stereotypes that faires have of us. All those comments about how Mud Men are extremely violent, how we're destroying the environment...there's definitely truth in there, and the way he wrote the last chapter- how oil dropped to third after solar and wind power, and the snarky comment "...growing foodstuffs they would actually eat rather than mechanically suck all the goodness out of, freeze all the additives into, and ship off to other continents." Well, I've never been much of a tree hugger, but the Artemis Fowl series has gotten me to start thinking about peace, the environment, and the way society functions.

Complaints
Why was Mulch not involved at the very end, where Holly, Butler, and even Foaly (who is usually sitting in the Ops Booth) take the clone to the place Artemis Fowl died? I think Mulch is just as much a friend to Artemis, and would certainly be there for his resurrection.
Continuity issues- what was the point of Artemis getting the Atlantis Complex? It's certainly all done with in this book, and the last book would have been mostly the same without it. And once again: Minerva? Where are you?
The middle of the book, while good, was nowhere nearly as exciting or awesome as the Eternity Code. In fact, that "twist" where Artemis brings in Nopal was predictable. This is the first time I have ever seen a Colfer plot twist coming. Although the Artemis dying part totally made up for it. Even J. K. Rowling didn't actually convince me. But I actually believed Artemis was gone for good here.

Some of my Favourite Moments
Practically every scene with the twins. They are adorable, and hilarious. Especially when Beckett punches Opal in the stomach. "Oh yeah. I'm pretty fast. Faster than your stupid fairy bonds. Butler says I'm a natch-u-ral."
We finally find out more about Caballine! Loved her badassery. And that story of how she and Foaly met was the cutest thing ever. Who knew Eoin Colfer could write romance?
Mulch riding a troll to save the day.
The drawf named Kolin Ozkopy.

EDIT: 2/18/2012
The cover and first chapter's out! I like the cover a lot, actually, I think it suits the finality of the last book, although it seems just a tad depressing. A castle with a blue dome around it...time stop, perhaps?
Just read the sneak peak and loved it! Feeling a bit disappointed (and cheated, actually) because they just skipped all of Artemis' "recovery" and time in the clinic, because that period has so much potential to be interesting and emotional.
Still, it was hilarious and certainly a very interesting start.

7/27/2011
Oh god, I can't wait for this book to come out! Not that I want the series to end, I mean, I wish it would go on forever, but dragging a series on and on can really destroy it, so at least this will be ending on a high note. It seems all my favourite childhood series are ending/have ended now, which makes me feel like crying- we lost HP a years ago, Alex Rider's (sort of) done, Maximum Ride's done next year, and now Artemis Fowl is finishing...*sigh*
I, of course, am shamelessly hoping for it to end with an Artemis/Holly romance. Obviously there's all the age and species issues, but that just makes it all the more interesting. If Colfer doesn't give us a romantic ending (in which case I will lose it, because after all, he did tease us with the Time Paradox), I desperately hope that it's a happy one, with many promises of future adventures with fairies to come. I don't want to speculate too much though, because I'm certain Eoin Colfer will supply us with a spectacular ending!