The Absolute Book, by Elizabeth Knox

Taryn and her sister Bea always loved books and libraries as children and then as adults. After Bea is violently killed, Taryn goes into a dissociative state for several years that is only partly alleviated by triggering a dark revenge. Several years and a divorce later, after writing a book on the history of libraries, Taryn’s public profile attracts dangerous attention. How will she discern who is friend or foe, in this world or another? Psychological crime drama meets fantasy in this unusual novel, but an initially intriguing read becomes a slog after the halfway point. Exposition and description, heavy with obscure symbolism, take over the convoluted story. Its digressions and diversions into the worlds of demons and angels, Sidhe and Norse mythology become more rambling and less interesting with every page - and there are 653 of them. No doubt there is some deep allegory intended of love and sacrifice and redemption and faith, but it gets lost in the myriad of words and bewildering actions. In the end it was apparently all about unconditional love and saving the world, as outlined in a bizarre epilogue.