I usually am a fan of this genre of books and of the timeline jumps/dual povs. However, this fell flat for me. I struggled to connect with the characters, and the story was underwhelming.

I enjoyed the overall ~vibes~ of the book and would be willing to give this author another chance.

Thanks: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There are some books you that make you sit for a minute after reading. The Book of Witching is one of them.

Any book that includes sections on the witch trials will always leave me reeling. It’s so harrowing when you read the real accounts, but even when it’s fictional I still struggle. I think it’s particularly challenging if you know how pervasive it was in Scotland during that time period.

Knowing how horrifying an ordeal this was to so many women is incredibly tragic. Huge sections of the book are local to me and my family are from the islands, even though this one is fictional, there is something so familiar about it. You definitely don’t need that connection for this to be impactful as the authors note explains some of the historical significance, but this had a lil kick to it.

Beyond the elements of the trial, the descriptions of the islands were incredibly immersive and atmospheric. I found the parallels between the new fear mongering tactics and the ones used in the past was very powerful. This is a genuinely dark, compelling thriller and I would definitely recommend you read it!

C.J. Cooke delivers a fierce and chilling tale of witchcraft, revenge, and maternal love in this gripping book. When Clem’s daughter, Erin, is found unconscious after a hiking tragedy on the remote Orkney Islands, Clem’s nightmare deepens as Erin wakes up unable to recognise her mother and insists she is someone named Nyx. Determined to uncover the truth, Clem travels to the site of the accident, where she unearths dark secrets buried in the history of the Orkneys—particularly the tale of a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft four centuries ago.

Cooke masterfully weaves folklore, historical fiction, and horror through alternating timelines, striking the perfect balance to keep readers engaged without confusion. The haunting atmosphere, combined with the tension of a mother’s fight to save her daughter, creates a story that is equal parts suspenseful, unsettling, and emotionally resonant. A spellbinding and evocative read that lingers long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

This novel has many dark, gothic themes and weaves in folklore, many witchy vibes and family tragedy across two separate timelines. I liked how one timeline was set in the past and one in the present. I felt I enjoyed the timeline in the present the most, though both were interesting. I enjoyed the way the narratives intertwined.

I did struggle to stay motivated while reading this book, but am glad I finished it.

Overall, I rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4.

This is one of my favourite book of 2024. It's dark, powerful, atmospheric and the mystery in both timelines kept me immersed until the very end. CJ Cooke's writing just keeps getting better

The Book of Witching is an unforgettable dive into history, folklore, and the supernatural, blending the eerie beauty of Orcadian myths with the dark reality of 16th-century Scottish witch trials. Told from the perspectives of two women—one living in 1594 and the other in 2024—it masterfully weaves their lives together across centuries, creating a story brimming with intrigue and suspense.

From the very first page, I was completely immersed. Each time the perspective shifted, I found myself equally captivated, drawn deeper into the mystery of how these women’s lives were intertwined. The author’s skill in gradually unveiling the connections kept me on edge and turning pages late into the night.

The atmosphere is hauntingly vivid, steeped in folklore and the raw tension of historical witch hunts. It’s a perfect blend of chilling suspense and emotional depth, making it an ideal read for spooky season. And don’t skip the author’s note—it offers fascinating insight into the real-life events and folklore that inspired the story, adding another layer of meaning to the narrative.

This was my first book by Rachel Cooke, and it absolutely set a new bar for my autumn reads. Atmospheric, compelling, and deeply haunting—I’ll definitely be diving into her backlist after this one!

A captivating blend of mystery and folklore set across two timelines, modern day Glasgow and 1500's Orkney. CJ Cooke's books are always meticulously researched and rich in historical detail and this is no exception.

Centred around the Orkney witch trials, it tells the story of Alison Balfour, on trial for witchcraft and conspiracy to murder the local tyrannical Earl, and Clem, whose daughter has been found horrifically burnt while on a sightseeing trip with friends in Orkney.

The author skilfully weaves the stories of these two mothers together - both trying to protect their daughter and trying to get to the truth of what's happening.

it's a bit grim sometimes - the torture scenes from the 1500s are every bit as awful as you might expect - but CJ Cooke is unflinching in bringing to light the horrendous things which women have been subjected to throughout history and doesn't gloss over the realities of just how bad the witch trials were.

A fascinating and atmospheric horror story that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Fantasy, Folklore and Feminism served up in dual timelines both of which were executed to perfection. Based on true events the dedication the author has put into the historical research comes through in every word as she tells the story of the execution of seventy-two women at the North Berwick Witch Trials in 16th century Scotland.

The blend of mystery and horror coupled with rich historical detail makes this a compelling read. My first CJ Cooke, it will most definitely not be my last, and I will be gifting this to all my female friends and family. Thank you so much to NetGalley not only for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book but for introducing me to this wonderful author.

I loved this book, its so well written I can't wait to read more from this author.
The pacing was brilliant, there were no fillers or pauses in action, and the details were all captured nicely. What a great read

Separated by 400 years, this story is told mainly through the eyes of Clem in Glasgow in 2024 and Alison in Orkney in 1594

Clem gets the call every parent dreads, there's been an accident.... luckily Clems daughter Erin survived the fire but what happened to her, and her friends. It was only meant to be a trip to Orkney to look into her heritage and she's now severely injured with a lot of questions to answer... well when she is able to that is...

Back in 1594 with Alison, she hears the words every Healer dreads, that she is being accused of Witchcraft and is to stand trail. With not just her own life at stake, what can she do to try and save herself but also her family and fellow healers...

The answers to all questions may lie in where these two tales cross over and I throughly enjoyed seeing it all play out.

Having read and enjoyed Haunting in the Arctic by the same author, and being from Glasgow, I knew this was one I wanted to dive into.

Out now and if you love a witchy tale intertwined with history, this one's for you. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the review copy, all opinions my own

It took me a little while to get into this book. After about 25% I really started to get into it. I found most of the time I wasn't all that interested in the past chapters and was much more interested in what was happening in the present day. I don't know if I preferred the storyline or the characters more in the present day but found the past chapters lacking something.

I did enjoy this book, just not as much as I have enjoyed others from C J Cooke.

This book was a 3.75 for me, the reason I didn't round up to a 4 star is that I have rated two other books by C J Cooke a 4 star and I preferred them both to this book.

It was good, gripping at times. You can tell the author did a lot of research as I found the story informative and detailed. Good thr spooky season. Enjoyable

This was a fantastic read! Split timelines are hard to pull off, but I felt so drawn in to this incredible story that it worked brilliantly.
Setting up the lore by using real witchcraft history created a level of depth that made the characters relatable and real.
So glad I read it.

𝟰 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 *ੈ✩‧₊˚

Firstly, thankyou so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me with an e-ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book I have read by this author now, I read and enjoyed The Lighthouse Witches, but I read and LOVED The Book of Witching! There is something about Cooke's writing that feels so "real", I don't know how she does it, but I found myself totally hooked on this story and was tearing through the chapters.

This book takes us on a fast paced journey that seamlessly switches between the present day at Fynhallow, where a park ranger stumbles upon a young girl who has been very badly burned but is still alive, and then we get an alternate timeline in 1594 where we follow the POV of Alison Balfour who is accused of witchcraft at a time where convictions are punishable by death.

This was the perfect blend of mystery and thriller/horror with a dash of historical fiction and witchcraft, the pacing of the intertwining storylines kept me hooked from the first page, and I loved unravelling the story that connected our past and present POV's. You can really tell that the author put a lot of research in to this book, and I just love when a piece of fiction that highlights true events is created. Balfour's story was heartbreaking and Cooke did a wonderful job in highlighting the ordeal she went through.

Recommend to anyone that loves a witchy book and doesn't mind a bit of historical fiction! Cooke is now firmly on my radar and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

I'm a huge fan of C.J Cooke's work, and The Book Of Witching is no different, I devoured this book in a day and a half and was so immersed in the storyline.

Set in the remote Orkney Islands Clem is facing every mothers worst nightmare when she receives a call that her daughter is in hospital in a critical condition after her holiday with her friends goes wrong and a fire takes place leaving her boyfriend dead and her best friend missing. When Erin comes around from her coma, she doesn't recognise her mother and insists her name is Nyx. Can Clem get to the bottom of what happened to Erin and save her daughter from unravelling further.

When Alison is asked to create a charm for Earl's illegitimate brother, she refuses, but this doesn't stop her being condemned as a witch and put on trial.

Equally fascinating and horrifying, I loved the dual timeline of The Book Of Witching. There were parts I genuinely found creepy, and C.J. builds the suspense of this book perfectly. The strength of the female characters and the way they intertwined was completely captivating. I would say this is my favourite of hers yet. The bond between Mother and Daughter is really tested, and I love that this was explored in depth.

Filled with Scottish folklore, witches, and feminism this is a great piece of historical fiction that will have you hooked from the first page until the very last.

I highly enjoyed this book! The different timelines and trying to figure out their interconnection. I must say though that I sadly guessed the one plottwist quite early on but since we still had the other timeline and also the way it is webbed into the current world situation made it actually really interesting. The culty vibe with the historical background of the late middle ages is something I've missed reading, as I've read many of those settings as a teenager. It was a throwback and I have quite a few people I would love to recommend this book directly to. As some of them aren't fluent in english I hope it gets a german translation somewhen.

4.25/5 highly recommend!

A haunting story with dual timelines, following the witch trials of Allison and in modern times, Clem whose daughter has ended up in hospital after suffering horrific burns.

An interesting weave of the two timelines, this is an enjoyable read, though I felt slightly rushed at the end.

The Lighthouse Witches was an excellent read, and I don't think this will disappoint either.

Really enjoyed this dual timeline story although I feel some of the characters lacked depth and didn’t really come alive for me. Was a bit annoyed about the Clem/Quinn line going over their relationship (they have been divorced for many years) as it was not central to the plot.
In did feel the ending was a bit rushed so left me feeling a bit dissatisfied with how things were wrapped up, however overall a well written debut and I will read more from this author in future.

I really liked the sound of this book but did struggle to get into it at times. With the way CJ Cooke writes I felt at times i needed to take my time to read the words rather than skim through. An interesting story and a fab read for autumn/winter time.

https://lynns-books.com/2024/11/07/the-book-of-witching-by-cj-cooke/
4 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review: A Book that will Bewitch

I’m loving CJ Cooke’s work and the Book of Witching is no exception. A captivating novel told in two timelines with mystery, witching and history combined.

As with the other books I’ve read by this author she manages to capture atmosphere aplenty. Here we have two completely different timelines, one harking back to the late 1500s where a woman is taken into custody and tried for being a witch, the other set in the modern era where a woman has been informed that her daughter has been badly burned and is currently in hospital, one of her friends is dead and the other missing.

This is a pacy read and utterly compelling. I practically inhaled this in two sittings. I loved the mystery elements to the modern day setting. Clem’s daughter was travelling the remote islands of Scotland when the terrible tragedy occurred. Initially there’s a sense of horror about the shocking events but when Erin wakes in hospital and seems completely detached, refusing to answer to her name and coming across as less than sympathetic to what has happened to her friends, well, unsurprisingly the police start to take a closer look at her. Of course her mother Erin and her ex husband are determined to prove her innocence and travel to Orkney to try and uncover some of the mystery – in the process being a bit embroiled with an unusual group of people that initially come across as quite scary.

Meanwhile, flashing back to the events unfolding in the historical storyline, Alison Balfour has been taken into custody and is about to stand trial as a witch. A trial that is little more than a farce with Alison and her family being tortured until she confesses – after which she will be burned at the stake. This was a period of unrest, the local inhabitants are being pressed hard and are struggling to live, emotions are running high. Alison comes from a line of healers, known as hedge witches, people approach her for cures and other types of remedies and yet times are changing and these women that so many have relied on previously will start to be shunned, people afraid to name them friend for fear of the backlash.

I thought both stories were equally intriguing. I confess I’m a sucker for dual timelines where we jump back and forth and throw in the awful persecution of innocent women that took place during those heinous witch hunts and an equally puzzling mystery on the flip story and I was definitely hooked.

The writing is great, clearly, once again, Cooke has carried out her research and in fact Alison, although with a slightly altered name, is based on a real character who suffered this terrible fate.

It does take a little while, in fact the link between the two stories doesn’t become apparent until quite late in the tale but I didn’t have any issues with that.

In conclusion a deeply atmospheric read with a perfect combination of history and mystery, both stories clearly demonstrating the love that both these mothers share for their child and the determination to remain true. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.