The Absolute Book

The Absolute Book follows Taryn Cornick, a writer haunted by her sister's murder who becomes entangled in events connecting multiple worlds and realities. Her story intersects with ancient demons, hidden libraries, and powerful artifacts that bridge the mortal realm with lands of fairy and the underworld. A sprawling cast of characters includes police detectives, librarians, demons, and fairy folk who pursue an object of immense power through portals between worlds. The narrative moves between present-day New Zealand, Britain, and otherworldly realms as alliances form and secrets emerge. The scale expands from a personal story of grief and revenge into an epic involving the fate of multiple worlds and the nature of stories themselves. At its core, the novel explores humanity's relationship with knowledge, power, and the stories we tell to make sense of existence.

Readers report complex feelings about this literary fantasy novel. Many describe struggling through the first third before becoming engrossed in the story. Readers praised: - The detailed world-building and mythological elements - Integration of libraries, books, and storytelling themes - Quality of prose and philosophical depth - The blending of multiple fantasy traditions Common criticisms: - Slow, confusing start that loses many readers - Too many plot threads that don't fully connect - Unclear character motivations - Ending leaves questions unanswered Average ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 3.9/5 (240+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "Like being dropped into the deep end of a pool" - Goodreads reviewer "Beautiful writing but needed better editing" - Amazon reviewer "Worth pushing through the difficult beginning" - LibraryThing reviewer The book appears to resonate most with readers who enjoy dense, literary approaches to fantasy and are willing to work through initial confusion.

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🔮 Author Elizabeth Knox wrote The Absolute Book while recovering from a serious auto-immune illness that left her temporarily unable to walk. 📚 The novel blends multiple genres, including fantasy, thriller, and literary fiction, drawing inspiration from both Celtic mythology and contemporary crime fiction. 🌳 The "Sidhe" featured in the book are based on Irish folklore's fairy folk, but Knox reimagined them as interdimensional beings with complex political structures. 📖 The book's original manuscript was nearly twice as long as the final published version, with Knox spending several years editing it down to its current form. 🏆 The Absolute Book won the Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction at the 2020 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, despite being marketed primarily as adult fiction.