C.J. Cooke's The Book of Witching is a story that mixes present day mystery, with a historical fiction event. The book opens in the present day at Fynhallow, Isle of Gunn, Orkney, where a park ranger finds a teenage girl covered in blood with a burned body, still alive, lying on the ground. When Clementine gets a horrifying phone call informing her that Erin is hospitalized and in a medically induced coma in Orkney, she rushes to find out what’s going on. She discovers that Erin is unconscious, with several fingers amputated and suffering from serious burn marks. Erin's boyfriend Arlo, who was on the trip with her, is found dead with his body burned and hands bound.

Her best friend Senna is missing. The police start an investigation and, based on text messages, suspect Erin might be responsible for Arlo's death and possibly harmed Senna, who has not contacted her parents. What's even more bizarre, is that Erin claims her name is Nyx. What happened to her on the Orkney Islands? What was the black book with ugly pages that Clem saw in the restroom, which disappeared before her eyes? Who was the woman burning at the stake that appeared and vanished? The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft and murder four centuries ago. Clem begins to wonder if Erin’s strange behavior is a symptom of a broken mind, or the effects of an ancient curse?

500 years ago, Alison Balfour was living an easy life with her family as a healer. She has turned her back on the Triskelle, the oldest clan in Scotland, lifestyle, but that doesn't stop her mother from initiating her youngest daughter, and son into the lifestyle. It has been 2 years since the King started putting scores of women to death because he believes woman are open to the calling of Satan. Months after the initiation, Alison is confronted by John Stewart, Master of Oakney who wants a certain potion to get rid of Earl Patrick. After she refuses, she is arrested and charged with treason, and a litany of other charges.

Even though she is clearly innocent of the charges, she is nonetheless facing certain death by fire because the Triskele are no longer regarded as a noble warrior clan of magic and spell witches. The persecution of Alison led to her torture and eventual execution during a contentious period of political turmoil, which provided the backdrop for the North Berwick witch trials. Alison’s story is one about resilience as she endures unspeakable pain and torture to keep her children safe. There’s this powerful overall emphasis on family, with the bond between parent and child serving as a central theme for both timelines, and both women feel more relatable and sympathetic because of it.

I have to admit, by jumping back and forth, and keeping the connection between the two women in her pocket until the very ending, made for an appealing mystery. I don't normally get this in depth, but I think the author humanized the situation much more when you simply have one woman who genuinely thought she was doing the thing over and over again, only to have those in power wield that against her because they could. How many women were wrongly accused of witchcraft and murdered because of power hunter priests, and politicians? More than 200? Were they ever exonerated for their alleged crimes?

This was such an intriguing, fast paced read that I couldn’t put down! The dual timeline between the late 1500s and 2024, with shorter chapters, kept me hooked and waiting to see what happened next. How Alison’s and Clem’s lives were connected, and what had truly happened to Erin, was at the forefront of my mind. It was harrowing to read at parts, but the perfect October book!
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I’ll definitely be checking out her backlist now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkly Publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Book of Witching. All opinions are my own.

I believe this is the first C.J. Cooke book I've ever read, but I don't think it will be the last. My background is in horror, historical fiction and thriller. Recently I have been reading more and more fantasy, cozy fantasy, cozy horror, etc. I am also leaning into folk horror and books heavily in the folklore genre. I say all this to relate to you my reasons for picking up The Book of Witching as an arc. It certainly didn't disappoint in those newer topics I am interested in.

This has a dual timeline, one in the historical area of the 1500s, and current modern day. The historical timeline was fascinating, but brutal as well. Women were treated horribly and accused of witchcraft right and left. There was no compassion or empathy, and the government/church would go to no ends to get a confession, even if there really wasn't a confession to be had. The modern-day timeline was equally entertaining with good characters and storytelling revolving around cults, past folklore, magic, and broken families. At one point I was so invested in the story, I had to stop reading and do some research to see if the Triskele people were real.

I really liked this story and will definitely be picking up some more stories from C.J. Cooke. The Book of Witching is now available at all major retailers. Happy Reading!

The Book of Witching is perfect for spooky season. Blending historical fiction with present day, we are taken back to the late 1500s where women were condemned for being witches. The thread of witching takes us to present day 2024 where terrible things happen.

This is my first book by the author and I really enjoyed it. The character development was phenomenal, I especially loved the relationship arc between Clem and her ex husband.

I don’t typically pick up books about witches, but when I first heard about this one, it really caught my attention. It sounded different from anything I usually read, and I thought it would be fun to experience it with my friends. We started reading it together, excited to share our thoughts as we went along, but unfortunately, life got in the way, and we couldn’t finish it as a group. Even so, I pressed on and knew I had to talk about my experience with it.

From the start, this book took me way out of my comfort zone. The story weaves together past and present in such a unique way that I struggled at times to fully grasp how everything connected. There were moments where I felt lost, unsure of how to piece together the different timelines and histories. But what really stood out to me was how deeply emotional the story became. Despite my confusion, I found myself so attached to the characters and their struggles that it felt like my heart was breaking right along with them. The pain and tragedy that unfolded on the pages stayed with me long after I put the book down. It’s not often that a story affects me this much, but this one had a way of pulling me in, even when I didn’t fully understand all the details.

And I have to mention the setting—Scotland’s islands. I’ve always been fascinated by them, and this book only fueled that interest. The descriptions were beautiful and atmospheric, making me feel like I was right there, surrounded by the rugged landscapes and misty shores. No matter what, those islands are still high on my bucket list. There’s something magical about them, and this story brought that magic to life for me in a way that made me love them even more.

Though I had a hard time connecting some of the narrative threads, the emotional impact and the vivid setting left a deep impression on me. It’s one of those stories that stays with you, even if it pushes you out of your comfort zone.

An amazing fantasy tale of revenge that blends horror and folklore! Thrilling and kind-bending old and new fans of Cooke alike will devour this!

Present day: A boy is dead, one girl is badly injured and another is missing. Was it a camping trip gone wrong, or does their trip to the Orkney Islands hold dark secrets?
Orkney 1594: A wife and mother is accused of witchcraft. She may be guilty of witchcraft, but not the kind they’re accusing her of. Why is she being targeted and what will be her fate?

I’m never sure going into books with multiple timelines, but this one was done so well. I was never confused as to which time I was in or whose perspective I was reading. CJ is an incredible story teller and knows how to weave the story just perfectly so you’re hooked from beginning to end. This was another book I stayed up well past my bed time to finish.

I was definitely drawn more to the 1594 timeline. I felt pulled in to Alyson’s story. Her wrongful imprisonment and how that unfolded for her. The lack of justice and the corruption of the court had my heart aching and hoping that some miracle would save her.

Clem and Erin’s story was interesting too, but I just didn’t have the same pull towards it. I did appreciated the emotions and the reality of their story and situations.

I understood the connection between the storylines, but something didn’t quite click for me, and I’m not sure what it was. It was all explained clearly, but something in my brain just wasn’t processing it like I wanted.

That said, The Book of Witching is a spellbinding read that will keep you up long into the night and is the perfect read for this time of year. If you’re a fan of her other books I highly recommend picking this one up too!

I received an eARC from NetGalley and Berkeley Pub. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one ties together two interesting timelines. The trial of Alison in 1594, who was accused of being a witch, and present day Clem whose daughter has a terrible accident with a fire on a trip with her boyfriend and best friend to the Orkney Islands. The daughter, Erin, is insisting her name is Nyx. There magic, a cult and a mysterious book tying these women together.

I was intrigued trying to figure out how these timelines were connected. It was based off an actual witch trial that occurred in 1594. I was so mad, frustrated and almost claustrophobic reading about how Alison was treated. The injustice of it all during that time was heartbreaking. A thought provoking read that was well paced and kept my attention. Perfect for October 🖤

2.5 ⭐️

I very much enjoyed that this book was based on true historical events and a woman who had indeed been tried for witchcraft. I think if the story would have just stuck with the historical timeline it could have been much more successful. However the modern day plot line did not make a whole lot of narrative sense to me. It didn’t really add anything meaningful to the story as a whole and the way the two timelines were meant to fit together felt forced, messy and left a lot of plot holes. This book succeeded, like most witch trial based books do, with filling me with the proper amount of rage towards those executing said trials. Outside of that this was a bit of a miss for me.

There are two storylines. In 1594, Alison is being tried as a witch in Orkney. In 2024, Clem is trying to solve the mystery of how her daughter Erin ended up with severe burns and her daughter’s boyfriend Arlo ended up dead after a visit to Orkney. Of course the two stories are tied together, although some links are quite tenuous ,.There were a few totally unnecessary storylines, Clem’s relationship with her ex, Clem’s heart condition, which detracted overall. A fairly entertaining book but not more than that.

I absolutely loved this book! First time picking this author up and definitely won't be the last. I was all here for the witchy vibes and the duel timelines that eventually meet and make sense at the end. This is written to suck you in and keep you there till the very end and it really did! I loved reading about the past and the witch trial and then the future and how it all links together. Such a wild, fun ride. Definitely recommending this one to all my witchy loving friends.

thank you to berkley and netgalley for the eGalley.

this was the perfect witchy read that was parts historical fiction, horror, and mystery. i found the past timelines so interesting and was the highlight of the book for me, which was inspired by a real witch trial. it will make you feel all the emotions, mostly anger and sadness for what alison had to endure while on trial.

The full review is available on my page (link attached).

Last winter, I enjoyed reading The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke, so I was excited to read more from her. This week she released her newest novel, The Book of Witching. Divided between two timelines, it deals with a mysterious group known as the Triskele on the Orkney Islands of Scotland. In 1594, Alison Balfour is the first person to be accused of witchcraft, going on trial for allegedly assisting in a murder attempt on the Earl. In 2024, a teenager named Erin barely survives a fire, but her boyfriend has died and her friend has gone missing. Her mother Clem is trying to work out what happened, but when Erin wakes up and says her name is Nyx, things only get more confusing and alarming. A mysterious black-paged book brings even more questions…

Tropes & Narrative Devices
- Dual timeline
- First-person POV (Alison)
- Third-person narration (Clem; Edward; Erin; etc.)

What I Liked:
- Historical inspiration. The portion of this book that’s set in 1594 was inspired by the real events in which a woman named Alison was accused of witchcraft and burned the stake, the first woman in the Orkney Islands to face such a fate. Here, we get a fictionalized version of how this came to be, what Alison’s (horrific) situation was like, and the family around her. I liked how immersive this historical setting was and how close-knit her family is, even if her story is devastating to read.
- Horror themes. From a tragic accident and a mysterious fire ceremony, to witchcraft and magic, to an evil book of the world’s terrors, The Book of Witching is the perfect read if you like things dark and eerie. I enjoyed the more folkloric horror here combined with the very real evils of ordinary people.
- Interconnected timelines. At first it’s unclear how much the 1594 storyline could connect with the 2024 one, but as the novel progresses, interesting connections start to emerge. It’s never as solid as I’d expect, and yet I enjoyed the tidbits that come to light at the end to bring it full circle.
- Orkney Islands setting. I don’t believe I’ve read any books set here, but I really enjoyed getting to know this setting. Though it’s part of Scotland, it has strong ties to Scandinavia and there is at least one mention of Vikings in the past timeline.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Only the amount of suffering Alison and her family endure in 1594! It’s not for the faint of heart.

Final Thoughts
The Book of Witching is utterly engrossing. It’s horrifying more due to real people than the magic and rituals, highlighting a horrible time in history when women were accused of being witches. The pacing and storytelling are excellent in both timelines, as is the buildup of family for both Alison and Clem. I loved this book and will be reading much more from C. J. Cooke.

I've recently started enjoying books on this topic. I've decided to add new genres to my reading experience. This book was very good.

Very well written and informative. The Author's Note at the end was worth reading also. I tend to recommend that when I review a book. This is no exception.

This is the story of one woman whose life was cut short because of a "holy man." He decided that Alison was a witch and would not stop until he got a confession out of her. No matter how or who he had to torture. Alison was a healer. A good woman. She had two children living and a husband she adored. She didn't want to have to leave them. She only wanted to live her life and take care of her family. This part of the story is told from Alison in 1594. In about a year.

It's also the story of a young lady who is found burned. Erin is Clem's daughter and the mother to Freya. Erin was on an excursion with her two friends. Arlo is her boyfriend and Senna is her best friend. Arlo was found burned to death and Senna is missing. Erin is in a medical coma. This part of the story is told by Clem. All of the things a mother goes through. The pain of seeing her daughter in such pain. Being accused of things possibly. Clem would move the heavens for her child.

You get to know both of the story's and how they tie together. What happened when women were being accused of witchcraft. Of having the devil in them or working with the devil. Of a mother's love for her child. You feel the pain of each in this book.

This author did a brilliant job of describing the scenery. The fire. The courtroom. The pain of loss. This story will have you turning the pages until the very end. I didn't want to put it down.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Berkley, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars. (It was also my BOTM choice)

Who isn’t fascinated with witch hunts and witch trials? I am both intrigued and repulsed by these. Historically speaking, we know that the so called “witches” were mostly the non-conformists, the ones that society deemed “different” and couldn’t understand, or like Alison in the past timeline of this book, the ones that wouldn’t bend to the will of authority hence became the perfect fall “guy”. It was disconcerting to read Alison’s story — she was unjustly imprisoned and maltreated just so she’d confess to being a witch. I admired her conviction to stay silent, but alas, she eventually succumbed once the officials tortured her youngest child! That sure was so painful to read!!!! Good thing there was an unexpected twist that distracted me so I wasn’t able to dwell too much on it! Clem’s story in the present timeline on the other hand, was also suspenseful to read. However, I thought it should have been fleshed out more, especially regarding her daughter’s lineage. I also wanted more connection between the 2 timelines. Nevertheless, I appreciated the motherhood aspect of both stories. Alison and Clem were unsung heroes for me —- they did their best for their children even if it meant sacrificing their own lives.

Haunting, engaging, & thought-provoking!

THE BOOK OF WITCHES by C. J. Cooke is a compelling, easy to follow and understand, and perfectly paced Gothic novel that was absolutely unputdownable. It’s a storyline that always fascinates me. I love magical realism and witchy books. Once I started reading it I was hooked and fully invested in the dual storylines.

I absolutely love it when an author includes an author’s note. It always makes me feel that much more connected to the story knowing how much research went into it. I love a little bit of background and knowing that this was based on a real person fascinated and intrigued me.

The horror and heart-breaking events that take place in this tale is unbelievable and made me angry.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book.

~BOOK REVIEW~
Title: The Book of Witching
Author: C. J. Cooke
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thoughts:
This is my first time reading a story by C. J. Cooke and it will not be the last! I absolutely loved the blending of historical elements and witch’s lore with an incredible story that was full of twists and turns! It’s important to note that this story is based on actual true events in Orkney, Scotland during the late 1500’s. Allison Balfour was considered a “natural healer” and was asked by Patrick Stewart (an Earl at the time) how best to cast a spell on his brothers and their friends who were plotting to kill him. She was accused of witchcraft and eventually tortured and executed.

This story revolves around Clem and her teenage daughter Erin in present day Orkney. Erin goes on a hiking trip with her baby daughter, Freya and Arlo, her boyfriend. All of a sudden Clem gets a phone call that there’s been an accident. When she gets to the hospital, she finds Erin in an induced coma with burns on her body and her fingers amputated. Her boyfriend Arlo was found dead (bound and burned).
When Erin wakes up she doesn’t recognize her family and insists on being called “Nyx”. But more importantly how in the historical timeline are Allison and Erin connected?

I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll just say - horror, mystery and chaos ensue shortly thereafter!

Thank you so much to @netgalley , @berkleypublishing and @cjcooke for the opportunity to read this early!

I just finished The Book of Witching by C.J Cooke and here are my thoughts.

Clem's literal worst nightmare comes true when her daughter, away for the weekend with her friends, ends up in the burn unit in hospital, she is unconscious. The only people who can answer the question of what happened are either dead or missing.

Clem realizes she doesn’t know her daughter like she thought she did. She is into some dark stuff and the more Clem digs, the more she learns about the reason why her daughter was in the Orkneys…. The site holds a tragic event long ago, a woman executed for witchcraft. So why was Erin drawn to the site and why, upon waking, is she only answering to the name Nyx?


I was hooked right from the word witchcraft. The book straddles two timelines. We get the book from the current day and Clem’s POV and centuries ago from Alison, a mother of 2 and a healer… A woman who was accused, falsely accused, of witchcraft.

I didn’t need so much of the jumping back in time. I think the book was trying to go for a balance but I would have really been hooked by more on the current day and that dang book! While I understand the story of Alison is loosely based on a real witch trial and it added some serious weight to the story, it didn’t excite me the same way the Clem and Erin storyline did.

The writing was eerie as all heck and I can almost feel the atmosphere running over my skin. There was so much going on but it held it all together with serious gravitas and kept the creepy vibes going the whole way through. That is an incredible feat in itself. The characters were great, they all felt realistic and I really enjoyed the book from start to finish.

Such a great horror book. It’s not in your face horror but that under your skin spooky vibes that I simply adore.

4.5 stars ( I need the audiobook of this one)

Out now! (oct 8th)

Thank you to @berkleypublishing and @netgalley for my gifted copy.

The dual-timeline haters are duly warned: this novel uses that technique in an absolutely inescapable way. It's not a gimmick to improve pacing...it's integral to the story, and deployed in a way you invest in right away, or really dislike instantly. It does not change for the entire book so be advised of that if you do not like it on contact.

The initial horror set-up, a mother hearing that her daughter who was off on an adventure holiday is now in the hospital, scared me enough. "It can't get worse than this," thought innocent little me. Your kid's in a burn unit far away. You have to get there, worried out of your mind. Your beloved only child is, when you can finally speak to her, someone else...or so she says. "It can <B>not</B> get worse than </I>this</I>," I shuddered.

Had I but known....

I don't go in for supernatural stories, witches and devils and suchlike silliness. If something supernatural like that existed, I'd've seen it for myself in these past *cough*ty-*mumble* years. Ain't happened. Weird shit, yes; devils and gods and miracles, nope. None of that kind of horror is here, either. It's all the slimy rottenness of Humanity. It's all the horrible stench of misogyny. It's all greed and control at their ugliest and most personal.

Just in somehow linked points in past and present.

That's as far as suspension of disbelief will take me, so I'm glad that's as far as we went. There's nothing but a truly unnervingly described...talisman? power focus?...wisely left ambiguous. If one wants a supernatural explanation for these weirdly entwined events so distant from each other in time, there's a way to see that; there's also nothing that requires it to have that explanation, and the horror in the story told is of human origin.

That made it just right for me to read this #Deathtober, and is why I gave it four stars. I found Clem's anguish and confusion horrifying because they're totally relatable. Her child, a new mother herself, is wounded terribly in body and quite possibly irretrievably in psyche. That could not possibly be worse, except evil Author Cooke made it scarier by introducing elements that are outside normal parameters.

Parents of teens strongly cautioned.

This is my first book by Cooke although I’ve had my eye on her titles for a few years now. I’m seriously kicking myself for waiting so long!

Cooke weaves together two time periods told from largely two narrators. I say this because we do get a few additional perspectives along the way, but the bulk of the story is told through Clem and Alison’s eyes. I loved that both of these narrators had similarities that tied them together, such as both being mothers and finding themselves in situations that seem to have bleak outlooks. Cooke made both storylines compelling in their own rights, while also luring the reader into wanting to know how they were connected.

Speaking of that connection…I loved it! Such a fun use of witchcraft, cult-like behavior, and lore to bring the story together. There were so many moments of tension and rage for what was happening to our characters that I never wanted to put the book down.

If you’re looking for a witchy tale with historical fiction nods mixing with horror and mystery, this is the perfect pick!