4 stars

2024: Harried mom Clementine gets the worst kind of phone call - her daughter Erin, who was recently vacationing in the Orkney Islands in Scotland, is fighting for her life in hospital after a terrible accident that's left her boyfriend dead and her other friend missing. Clem can't understand what's happened, especially because once she wakes up, Erin keeps insisting she's someone else and doesn't seem to recognise anyone.

1594: Alison Balfour: healer, devoted mother, loving wife, and soon-to-be accused-as-witch. Her only crime? Being in the wrong place at the wrong time approached by would-be killers. Even though she refuses to help with their murder plot, she is arrested regardless and accused of witchcraft in order to protect the legion of men who actually plotted against the Earl of Orkney.

And the throughline here is the Book of Witching, a powerful spell-book with a mind of its own and tied to a caretaker from a witching group that's existed over the millennia.

The plot moves back and forth between these two timelines as it gradually becomes evident how these two sets of families are linked. Overall it was a pretty good read but a very slow burn. If you like witchy vibes, dark historical atmosphere, and a mystery with a magical slant then grab this book!

Thanks to NetGalley, author C.J. Cooke, and Berkeley Publishing Group for granting me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

I loved this book. I could not put it down. I found the mystery to be the perfect amount of eerie and realistic. I really liked the characters. My only note would be that I wished the book was longer. I feel like if it was an extra 100 pages, the characters/backstory could have been fleshed out more. 4.75 stars

A fascinating tale of witchcraft and trials of witchcraft in Scotland, coupled with a modern day mystery that needs to be solved. When Clementine gets the call that her daughter, Erin is in the burn unit at the hospital, she is confused. Erin was supposed to be hiking the Orkney Islands with her best friend and boyfriend. As Clementine prays for Erin to wake up at the hospital, she is not expecting her daughter to wake up as someone else entirely.

Allison Balfour is a wise woman and healer in Orkney at the end of the 16th century. At some point, she runs afoul of the evil and much disliked Earl of Orkney who has her tried for witchcraft. What follows is a horrible account of the torture and brutality she faced while on trial.

Told in alternate timelines, we hear from Clementine as she rushes to find answers to what happened to her daughter and from Allison to witness the trials and tribulations she is facing from being accused as a witch. Absolutely fascinating and propulsive.

A solid historical fiction/witchy read! I really enjoyed the duel timeline and POV. Highly recommend.

A powerful, well-researched story that draws you in from the start. A compelling and rewarding read from cover to cover.

This one was told in multiple POVs which I always enjoyed to gain the perspective of each of the characters. I actually liked Allison’s POV which was coming from the past more than Clem’s from the present day. The journey finding out what happened to Erin and her friends kept me in the story wondering how her present day events connected with the past of Allison. There were times that I felt the story was a bit confusing and going in different directions. However… I did enjoy the story, the atmosphere, and the narration. The ending kind of left me wanting a tad bit more and with questions, but the authors note was a great added touch to the story. I loved the narrations and the narrators accent as it placed me more into the story too and added a good feel to the past of Allison.

Read this one if you’re looking for
* Witchy vibes
* Historical fiction
* Atmospheric feels
* Cultish stories
* Magic

I was very intrigued to read this, but it turned out to be so-so. I absolutely loved it from the beginning, and I was invested immediately but as the story progressed I started to lose attention. The pacing was quite slow for me, and this stopped me from fully immersing myself. I did enjoy it, though!

I don't read a lot of paranormal fiction or historical fiction but decided to grab this for the Spooky Season and I really enjoyed it!

With a past/present timeline and a spooky Scottish island setting, The Book of Witching was the perfect October read. The historical psrt of the book took place in the 1500s, as King James, the son of Mary Queen of Scots, reigns over the United Kingdom.

Steeped in history, filled with witchy magic and feminist vibes, The Book of Witching is a title I highly recommend.

Full review linked below!

CJ always does such amazing work with her books. The vibes in this book were great as usual and made me want to move back to Scotland. She does a wonderful job mixing the two timelines and it keeps you on your toes until the very end.

This was an entertaining book for sure, but a little difficult to review. There were things about it that I really liked, but things about it that I didn't.

Starting with the good: Duel timelines! I love duel timelines and in this book I was equally invested in both! Sometimes a past and present timeline can draw the reader more into one than the other, but I liked both! My favorite part of the entire book was finding out how the past and present storylines were going to come together. The old tales of witchcraft were compelling, and I just couldn't wait to find out how the ancient witchcraft had found it's way into present day. This aspect was really well done! The present day timeline unfolded really well, weaving everything together.

The not so good: I was trucking along, really enjoying this book until about the 50-60% mark. Then it really slowed down. It started to feel redundant and the plot all but stopped moving. I finally found myself skimming to get to the end, which I did like, but the experience to get there wasn't fun.

Overall I did like the book, but it did not make it onto my list of favorites. But if you want something witchy for spooky season, I think this one would fit the bill nicely.

Books about witches—especially those with a historical twist and a dash of the supernatural—are some of my favorites, and The Book of Witching had me spellbound.

The historical timeline, inspired by a real-life figure, adds a captivating layer of intrigue, and the mystery kept me hooked right up to the thrilling end. That said, while the conclusion was exciting, a few threads felt unresolved, leaving me wishing for just a touch more closure. Still, it’s a fantastic read that I highly recommend!

Another great book by Cooke. I love books about witches and with this authors writing, this one was pretty much perfect.

Short synopsis: 1594: Alison is fighting for her freedom after being accused as a witch. 2024: Clem gets the call that her daughter has faced a serious burn injury.

My thoughts: This was such a fun genre mix-up of mystery, historical fiction, and thriller. This was my first read by this author and I can’t wait to dive into more! I love how the story was modernized with a present day timeline, tying in historical witch hunts. The author tells of some of her research in the authors note at the end, which was fascinating.

I kept thinking as I read this of the lengths a mother will go to to protect her children. Each mother presented in this story was such a great example of strength and perseverance. There are some triggers in this including torture and murder, so if you’re sensitive be sure to check those out.

Read if you love:
- Strong female characters
- Dual timelines
- Witches and cults
- Historical fiction
- Multiple POV

First things first, I read this while in the longest reading slump of my life, so it took some time to come up with a fair review. This was a well written, dark, yet emotional story of past and present lives surrounding witchcraft and a mother's love for her children. Having read this weeks ago, I still have the images in my mind, so I can honestly say that this book left its mark. The most disturbing of all is thinking back on the reality of what these condemned women went through leading up to their horrifying executions. The prose was meticulously written from beginning to end, and I look forward to reading this author's future work. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for this ARC.

The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke is my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it! It is a dual timeline of past and present. The past timeline follows Allison through her experience during the Scottish Witch Trials. The present day timeline follows Erin through her experience with a cult. Both are engaging and interesting.

The only issue I had was one of a plot twist, thus I cannot say too much. I just want to point out that it was underdeveloped and could have been far more engaging then what it ended up being. There were parts of the present timeline that left me bored and less engaged. I was way more interested in the witch trials than in Erin's story. I think this could have been changed had the certain plot twist been more than it was.

Read this if you enjoy...
🧙🏻witch trials
🧙🏻dual timelines
🧙🏻cult stories
🧙🏻multive POV

I finally got to finish The Book of Witching and it was such a great time! It’s a dual-timeline witchy read where the dual timeline actually serves A POINT! I’m not very nice about books that do that for no added benefit 🤣 but there’s a fun kind of crossover/linkage here and for me, it worked extremely well. CJ Cooke is an auto-buy author for me, I love the vibes she brings to the function and her female characters are never disappointing. Definitely snag this one while it's still pseudo-spooky season!!

This book had all the makings for a perfect historical, witchy read. But it fell short. I was left wanting, at times bored even. I would say I enjoyed it overall, but it simply didn’t live up to my expectations (which might have been too high). Furthermore, the twist at the end enraged me. I would recommend it if you keep your expectations low or are new to this sort of sub-genre.

This is a hauntingly atmospheric read that pulls you into a world of eerie landscapes, ancient curses, and family secrets. CJ Cooke masterfully weaves together dual timelines, blending the supernatural with a gripping psychological mystery. From the windswept Orkney Islands to Clem's desperate search for the truth, this book had me hooked from the first page. What I loved -The eerie, remote Orkney setting-it almost feels like a character itself! -Erin's mysterious shift into Nyx adds layers of suspense and intrigue. -The blend of witch trial history with modern psychological elements kept me second-guessing everything. Things to Note - -The pacing can feel a little slow in parts, but the payoff is worth it. -If you love ambiguous endings, this one will hit just right. Perfect For people who enjoy - •Dual-timeline narratives • Atmospheric thrillers with folklore elements • Stories that explore mother-daughter dynamics and trauma

Wow this is a weird but good book!!!!!!!!! The folklore in this story seems very real but fantasy at the same time. This is a perfect example of Gothic fantasy and a very enjoyable at times creepy read.

4.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

The Book of Witching is a thrilling tale of Clem and Allison, two women separated by 400+ years but connected by a mysterious book filled with black pages.
After Clem's daughter was found badly burned while traveling on a semi-remote Scottish Island, she rushes to find out what happened while fearing her daughter is involved with the death and disappearance of the two people traveling with her.
Allison is a wife and mother accused of witchcraft, put on trial, and sentenced to burn, despite being innocent of the charges against her.

The book flew by without me noticing I was getting close to finishing. I can't wait to read more from Cooke.