Taryn Cornick believes that the past is behind her - her sister's death by violence, and her own ill-concieved revenge. She has chosen to live a life more professional than personal. She has written a book about the things that threaten libraries - insects, damp, light, fire, carelessness and uncaring. The book is a success, but not all of the attention it brings her is good. There are questions about a fire in the library at Princes Gate, her grandparents' house, and about an ancient scroll box known as the Firestarter. A ...
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Taryn Cornick believes that the past is behind her - her sister's death by violence, and her own ill-concieved revenge. She has chosen to live a life more professional than personal. She has written a book about the things that threaten libraries - insects, damp, light, fire, carelessness and uncaring. The book is a success, but not all of the attention it brings her is good. There are questions about a fire in the library at Princes Gate, her grandparents' house, and about an ancient scroll box known as the Firestarter. A policeman, Jacob Berger, has questions about a cold case. There are threatening phone calls. And a shadowy young man named Shift appears, bringing his shadows with him. Taryn, Jacob, Shift - three people are driven towards a reckoning felt in more than one world. The Absolute Book is an epic fantasy, intimate in tone. A book where hidden treasures are recovered; where wicked things people think they've shaken from their trails find their scent again. A book about beautiful societies founded on theft and treachery, and one in which dead sisters are a living force. It is a book of journeys and returns, set in London, Norfolk, and the Wye Valley; in Auckland, New Zealand; in the Island of Apples and Summer Road of the Sidhe; at Hell's Gate; in the Tacit with its tombs; and in the hospitals and train stations of Purgatory. Cover: Catherine Nelson, Lost (2014). `The master is present. To read Knox on such a huge canvas - to be immersed in her worlds, wrapped in her intelligence and craft so completely - is an experience not be missed. Lessing, Le Guin, Knox - books where the best hearts meet the best minds meet the best imaginations are few and far between. The Absolute Book is a triumph of fantasy grounded in the reality and challenges of the moment we live in.' -Pip Adam
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Seller's Description:
Fair. This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear. It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket. This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear. It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket.
I love a good fantasy story and so I was excited to get the ARC of The Absolute Book although I was a little apprehensive as at 650 pages it is a beast. I was therefore really disappointed to have it be my first DNF for NetGalley at 36%.
The story starts out well, there's a dead sister and a hitman and a family history in a library. Then I'm afraid it all got very confusing for me! The author seemed to be in a bad habit of describing a lot of things in detail but then skipping over something very important that made you feel like you were constantly playing catch up! One example of this is our main character is making food for everyone one night as they lay out their plans and then all of a sudden she is possessed by a demon again in a car going somewhere with no explanation. There's also theatrical snow in a server farm in a desert somewhere which I did not understand the relevance of. It was disjointed, confusing and I didn't understand what was going on most of the time. I didn't really feel anything for any of the characters and felt like I was just skipping through to finish it rather than enjoying it. If the book had been 300 pages or so I would have ploughed through but only having made it a third of the way at page 200 I realised I wasn't interested where it was going. Judging by other reviews it seems to be a bit like marmite - you either give it 5 stars or abandon it halfway through and I'm afraid I am in the latter camp with this book.
Overall, The Absolute Book is a bit of a mess - confusing and disjointed and not recommended. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for a (very) honest review.
