A bewitching epic fantasy about a revenge killing， a mysterious scroll box that has survived centuries of fires， and the book that changed everything

"Intricately plotted and gorgeously written， The Absolute Book is a cinematic tale that is by turns dark and dreamlike， yet ultimately hopeful。" —Deborah Harkness， New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches

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 mortals。