The Absolute Book: The instant classic and spellbinding fantasy from the bestselling author

Name: The Absolute Book: The instant classic and spellbinding fantasy from the bestselling author
Rating: 3 (4 reviews)

Elizabeth Knox

Mar 2021 · Penguin UK

4 reviews

Ebook

640

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Eligible

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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
_______

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 . . .
_______

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

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 _______ Taryn Cornick barely remembers the family library. Since...

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Ratings and reviews

4 reviews

Agnieszka Tucker

March 23, 2023

Absolutely no idea what it is about and I'm 70% into the book. Absolute Nonsense would be a correct title. Yet I am still reading and hoping for a revelation.

Caroline Price

March 18, 2021

The Absolute Book is a wonderful mixture of gothic, fantasy and murder mystery. To quote the blurb, it's a 'tale of sisters, ancient blood, a forgotten library, murder, revenge and a book that might just have the answer to everything.' That was so well put that I couldn't have put it better myself, hence the quote! This is a magical book, it had me from page one and I was reading well after my usual bedtime. It's totally absorbing and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely loved it and recommend it unreservedly. Elizabeth Knox has created a real tour de force.

3 people found this review helpful

Shane Ellis

April 25, 2021

Plot is OK. Characters and dialogue are wooden and uninteresting. Nowhere near Jonathan Strange etc.

About the author

Elizabeth Knox is the author of thirteen novels, three novellas, and a collection of essays. The Vintner's Luck won the Deutz Medal for Fiction and was longlisted for The Women's Prize. Elizabeth is an Arts Foundation Laureate, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002 and was recently appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours. She lives in Wellington with her husband and son. The Absolute Book is already a bestseller in her native New Zealand.

Elizabeth Knox is the author of thirteen novels, three novellas, and a collection of essays. The Vintner's Luck won the Deutz Medal for Fiction and was longlisted for The Women's Prize. Elizabeth is an Arts Foundation Laureate, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002 and was...

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