The Absolute Book
'An INSTANT CLASSIC, to rank [with] masterpieces of fantasy such as HIS DARK MATERIALS or JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR NORRELL’ GUARDIAN
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3.8 • 21 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
DISCOVER THE ENCHANTING EPIC THAT WILL TRANSPORT YOU TO OTHER WORLDS . . .
'AN INSTANT CLASSIC' GUARDIAN
'BEWITCHING' THE TIMES
'MIND-BLOWING' LAINI TAYLOR
'ASTOUNDING' FRANCIS SPUFFORD
'GORGEOUSLY WRITTEN' DEBORAH HARKNESS
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Taryn Cornick barely remembers the family library. Since her sister was murdered, she's forgotten so much.
Now it's all coming back. The fire. The thief. The scroll box. People are asking questions about the library. Questions that might relate to her sister's murder.
And something called The Absolute Book.
A book in which secrets are written - and which everyone believes only she can find. They insist Taryn be the hunter. But she knows the truth.
She is the hunted . . .
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The Absolute Book is a tale of sisters, ancient blood, a forgotten library, murder, revenge and a book that might just have the answer to everything.
'An instant classic . . . A work to rank alongside other modern masterpieces of fantasy such as Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series or Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Everything fantasy should be: original, magical, well read, compelling' GUARDIAN
'Astonishing. Gripping. Hugely ambitious. An extraordinary conclusion. Admire the sheer scope and grandeur' DAILY MAIL
'A marvellous argument for stories. There are Norse gods, references to Merlin, a tour through purgatory and a strange parallel world where magic is real and humans are bit players in the clash of supernatural realms. Bewitching' THE TIMES
'Contains multitudes, spanning the geographies of Canada, Britain and New Zealand; the cosmologies of fairies, demons and angels; and the genres of thriller, domestic realism and epic fantasy . . . I'm in awe of it' NEW YORK TIMES Review of Books
'Intricately plotted and gorgeously written, THE ABSOLUTE BOOK has something for everyone . . . Here is a cinematic tale that is by turns dark and dreamlike, yet ultimately hopeful' DEBORAH HARKNESS, author of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES
'Fantastical' THE TIMES
'Savour and absorb the world Knox conjures' SUNDAY TIMES
'Gorgeous. The payoffs and reveals are mind-blowing' LAINI TAYLOR, author of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE
'An angelic book, an apocalyptic book, an astounding book' FRANCIS SPUFFORD
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Strange, thrilling, and beautiful, The Absolute Book is impossible to categorise…aside from lumping it in with Books We Couldn’t Put Down. Elizabeth Knox’s genre-bending fantasy follows rising young author Taryn, who’s struggling to put the death of her beloved sister Beatrice behind her. But although the driver responsible for the tragedy is in prison, Taryn can’t tamp down her burning rage. When a detective questions her about some suspicious events, the two of them embark on a breathtaking, mind-bending adventure that spans countries, worlds, and even time itself. Knox’s epic tale is a lot, combining myth, mystery, psychological thrills, and supernatural suspense—and she manages to make every element of her sprawling new world feel utterly real. Prepare to read deep into the night.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This sprawling and engrossing epic from Knox (Mortal Fire) opens with intimate tragedy and expands until the fates of several worlds hang in the balance. When Taryn Cornick's sister, Beatrice, is killed, Taryn wants revenge, and over the 14 years that follow, she progresses from detached teen, then listless wife, to celebrated author. Her debut work of "musing nonfiction" discusses dangers to libraries, and its international acclaim wins Taryn both allies and enemies. As questions emerge about a fire in her grandparents' library which housed an ancient, mystical scroll and Taryn's involvement in a murder case, Taryn is drawn into a centuries-old conflict between demons and the sidhe. The story expands like inverse nesting dolls, beginning as a slow-burn thriller and gradually revealing itself as epic fantasy, even as it retains its core of real-world suspense. Bookish and withdrawn, Taryn is an unexpected chosen one and resists many of the standard heroic tropes. Knox bites off a bit more than she can chew, though, and several questions are left unanswered, but readers will still be impressed by the work's sweeping scope. This ambitious fantasy is a master class in blending genres.
