The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox (Review)

Title: The Absolute Book
Author: Elizabeth Knox
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Mystery
Publisher: Viking (Penguin Randome House)
Date published: February 9, 2021

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Taryn Cornick believes that the past–her sister’s violent death, and her own ill-conceived revenge–is behind her, and she can get on with her life. She has written a successful book about the things that threaten libraries: insects, damp, light, fire, carelessness and uncaring . . . but not all of the attention it brings her is good.

A policeman, Jacob Berger, questions her about a cold case. Then there are questions about a fire in the library at her grandparents’ house and an ancient scroll box known as the Firestarter, as well as threatening phone calls and a mysterious illness. Finally a shadowy young man named Shift appears, forcing Taryn and Jacob toward a reckoning felt in more than one world.

The Absolute Book is epic, action-packed fantasy in which hidden treasures are recovered, wicked things resurface, birds can talk, and dead sisters are a living force. It is a book of journeys and returns, from contemporary England to Auckland, New Zealand; from a magical fairyland to Purgatory. Above all, it is a declaration of love for stories and the ways in which they shape our worlds and create gods out of morals.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I’ve been contemplating what to say for my review for The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox for a few weeks now… It’s been really tough putting a finger on what exactly I want to say, just because this book crossed over quite a few genres and is also not a short book by any means. A lot happens in The Absolute Book, and I found that at least personally I needed to set aside time to read it and really imbibe and take in what happens as well as understanding the characters, the story, and the setting.

I got the sense that Elizabeth Knox pulled from a lot of different mythologies and stories to put The Absolute Book together, a story that is all her own–something quite unique. While reading The Absolute Book, I was caught between appreciating that the story has been bound into one book as well as wishing it had kind of been split up into a series of books. That being said, I couldn’t actually find any spots in the book where I think creating a break (such as ending one book and starting another) would feel natural or organic, so I think that the author and the publisher made the right choice by keeping the story together, bound into one book.

For me personally, The Absolute Book is a book where the story took more of a front seat than the characters or their development. I never did quite get a grasp on the characters’ personalities–they never really fleshed out in my mind–and I don’t know if that was something the author intended or if it was just the specific way that I personally experienced The Absolute Book. But in either case, I was completely engrossed by the story and found the characters to just be something like chess pieces being moved around in order for the story to progress.

I found Elizabeth Knox’s writing to be quite complex and found that I really had to pay attention to most parts of the book in order to avoid missing something important that I would need down the line to piece together certain events as well as how characters reacted to particular things. Due to my busy work schedule, I listened to parts of this book on audiobook and found out this is definitely not an audiobook you can play in the background and still get the gist of what was happening. If I tuned out for even just a few minutes, I would have to go back because I was completely lost in regard to what was going on in the story.

Again I found the combination of the pieces that Elizabeth Knox used to put The Absolute Book story together to be unique. There were fae that I believe had roots in Gaelic tradition (don’t quote me on this one), Norse mythological elements, there were demons, and a number of other things that I for one would not know how to combine in an organic way. Elizabeth Knox will definitely be an author that I will be keeping an eye on, as I am curious whether she will write anything similar, or actually even tied to The Absolute Book, or if she will write something entirely different.

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Born in Wellington, NZ, Elizabeth Knox is the middle child of three sisters. The Knox family shifted a number of times during Elizabeth’s childhood. They lived in Pomare, Wadestown, Waikanae and Paremata. The sisters were close, and always playing

imaginary games. By the time Elizabeth was eleven the games had become one game, an on-going saga set in another world, a game she shared with her sisters and several friends. One day, when Elizabeth was sixteen, her father interrupted a discussion the girls were having about the possible results of a secret treaty, by saying, “I hope you’re writing some of this down.” The idea hadn’t occurred to Elizabeth before, and she thought it a very good one. She, her sisters and friend began writing letters between their characters, and stories about them. Elizabeth enjoyed writing and decided that this – writing fiction – was what she wanted to do with her life.