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challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Torture, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicide, Blood, Murder
Minor: Self harm, Sexual content, Religious bigotry
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicide, Medical content
Minor: Self harm, Sexual assault
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This historical fiction novel had a touch of magic or horror, depending on how you look at it. The best part of the book was the story of the first woman burned as a witch (not a spoiler) in Orkney in the late 1500s.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Torture, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book! It kept me hooked the entire time. I loved the research the author put into the story and made notes in the Author's Note about her process and what the book was based on. The story in this book is written with a dual-timeline with multiple points of view. You follow the story of Clem, who's daughter is badly injured in some kind of mysterious accident, and Alison who is living in 1594 and is accused of witchcraft. This book does such a great job weaving in the stories of each character. It provides really interesting imagery for omens and metaphors, as well as historical details which are fascinating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture
Minor: Death of parent
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This read started off strong, but I struggled toward the end.
Told mainly through the POV of Clem in the present day and Alison in the 1500s, it’s a story about Erin, Senna, and Arlo who travel away from home with a mysterious book that is supposedly cursed. One of the group dies, one is badly injured, and the last disappears. We simultaneously follow Alison’s story as she is accused of witchcraft. The book in question surviving time, linking the two situations together.
I know that’s vague, but I didn’t want to give too much away.
Usually I have a preference when it comes to reading two different timelines. This time, I didn’t favor one over the other. What I did wish is to have seen from Erin, Senna, and Arlo’s POV.
Honestly, if you’re more of a historical person or favor supernatural fiction, this would be for you! It was very “yeah, sure” for me.
Told mainly through the POV of Clem in the present day and Alison in the 1500s, it’s a story about Erin, Senna, and Arlo who travel away from home with a mysterious book that is supposedly cursed. One of the group dies, one is badly injured, and the last disappears. We simultaneously follow Alison’s story as she is accused of witchcraft. The book in question surviving time, linking the two situations together.
I know that’s vague, but I didn’t want to give too much away.
Usually I have a preference when it comes to reading two different timelines. This time, I didn’t favor one over the other. What I did wish is to have seen from Erin, Senna, and Arlo’s POV.
Honestly, if you’re more of a historical person or favor supernatural fiction, this would be for you! It was very “yeah, sure” for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abortion
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was quite an underwhelming read having enjoyed lots of ‘witch’ books this year, I’d still recommend it but was a bit confusing at times.
The plot is dual timeline with one set in the modern day where 19-year old Erin is found on an island in the Orkneys burned, her boyfriend dead and friend missing. Erin’s mother Clem learns of this in Edinburgh and we follow her trying to work out what happened, she’s separated from the father and we do get some exploration of their relationship, there’s also backstory from Erin regarding what happened before in the lead-up to being on Orkney via her diary and other people too. When Erin awakes she doesn’t recognise Clem and claims to be someone else. The other timeframe is set four centuries prior following a women, the daughter of a powerful clan family who holds ‘the book of witching’ but she doesn’t want her family to be part of them, who’s approached to create a potion to kill the local Earl (I think??) but refuses. When he’s found dead/assassination attempt (maybe? I’ve kinda forgotten this book), it is her who’s accused of witchcraft and we follow the trail and what’s done to her via torture and her family too.
It’s enjoyable for the most part, fast paced and I was intrigued to find out what went on. Cooke also addressed some of the discourse on ‘othering’, pointing out and accusing the ‘odd’ or powerful women, and her reframing by those in power at the time. I also liked some of the links between the storylines. I would say it was a bit forgettable to be honest, I listened audibly and it was fine - I also wasn’t in the best headspace which may have impacted by reading experience. The notes at the end were decent learning about the real woman, folklore and book that inspired the story, how she declared she was a healer and Christian and the importance of this being written down but I think after reading better books dealing with a similar topic it fell a little flat.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Injury/Injury detail