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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Thank you to HarperCollinsUK – Harper Fiction and C J. Cook for granting me a NetGalley arc of The Book of Witching in exchange for an honest review.
The Book of Witching is a chilling timeslip story that blends fantasy and historical events to bring to life the events of the witch trials that took on the Orkney Isles with dark, magical, occult twists. C J Cooke’s storytelling is haunting and immersive as she weaves a mysterious witchy tale between the tragic events of Alison Balfour’s trial for witchcraft in Orkney 1594, where she is accused of conspiring to murder the Earl of Orkney and a backstory for the heritage of witchery which connects the past and present through an ancient magical relic the Book of Witching that was in the protective care of Balfour family.
Her writing brings the past of the remote Orkney isles to life with splendid descriptions and well-researched details about life in these small, isolated communities between the different islands and the type of people who call the home. She brought the fear and hatred of the time in ferocious, palatable tension that left a cold feeling in my gut about how easily a little scaremongering can have distressing consequences.
She crafts a believable magic system around historical events, utilising authentic medicinal recipes and creative spell-crafting theory. I thought the idea that some dark, evil spells for curses and hexes could be only performed by the dying was an intriguing idea and plausible around the negative emotions and fears in the state of the mind of those in the embrace of death. Her writing conjures a sinister shadow that stretches from the past to the modern day with devastating deathly consequences as the powerful Book of Witching falls into the wrong hands.
I’m attaching several trigger warnings to this book as it might not be suitable for all readers as the historical components recant actual events from the 16th century of persecution of women and their families thought to be witches and subjected to torture, abuse and condemned to death by being burnt at the stake.
A dark, entrancing historical-fantasy read centred around a cursed magical item binding the present day and the past together to tell the story of the injustices done to the victims of the Scottish Witch hunts of the 16th and 17th Centuries against women whose only crime was possessing knowledge that was threatening to the power of men. The Book of Witching was my first C J Cooke novel – I have been meaning to pick up A Haunting in the Arctic and the Lighthouse Witches from my TBR for ages, so these books will be on my spooky season reading list this year to get my fix of haunting storytelling and a little touch of dark fantasy and plenty of witchy vibes! The Book of Witching is out on 10th October 2024 in the UK.
The Book of Witching is a chilling timeslip story that blends fantasy and historical events to bring to life the events of the witch trials that took on the Orkney Isles with dark, magical, occult twists. C J Cooke’s storytelling is haunting and immersive as she weaves a mysterious witchy tale between the tragic events of Alison Balfour’s trial for witchcraft in Orkney 1594, where she is accused of conspiring to murder the Earl of Orkney and a backstory for the heritage of witchery which connects the past and present through an ancient magical relic the Book of Witching that was in the protective care of Balfour family.
Her writing brings the past of the remote Orkney isles to life with splendid descriptions and well-researched details about life in these small, isolated communities between the different islands and the type of people who call the home. She brought the fear and hatred of the time in ferocious, palatable tension that left a cold feeling in my gut about how easily a little scaremongering can have distressing consequences.
She crafts a believable magic system around historical events, utilising authentic medicinal recipes and creative spell-crafting theory. I thought the idea that some dark, evil spells for curses and hexes could be only performed by the dying was an intriguing idea and plausible around the negative emotions and fears in the state of the mind of those in the embrace of death. Her writing conjures a sinister shadow that stretches from the past to the modern day with devastating deathly consequences as the powerful Book of Witching falls into the wrong hands.
I’m attaching several trigger warnings to this book as it might not be suitable for all readers as the historical components recant actual events from the 16th century of persecution of women and their families thought to be witches and subjected to torture, abuse and condemned to death by being burnt at the stake.
A dark, entrancing historical-fantasy read centred around a cursed magical item binding the present day and the past together to tell the story of the injustices done to the victims of the Scottish Witch hunts of the 16th and 17th Centuries against women whose only crime was possessing knowledge that was threatening to the power of men. The Book of Witching was my first C J Cooke novel – I have been meaning to pick up A Haunting in the Arctic and the Lighthouse Witches from my TBR for ages, so these books will be on my spooky season reading list this year to get my fix of haunting storytelling and a little touch of dark fantasy and plenty of witchy vibes! The Book of Witching is out on 10th October 2024 in the UK.
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:
Yes
Life is too short to read books you don't like...and yet here we are. Maybe it's because I just read a book about "witches" that was much more captivating than this one. Or maybe it's because this one just isn't that great. I guess we'll never know.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TBH I’m still processing this one. Devoured it in 2 days and there was so much going on that I’d recommend you take it nice & slow. Multiple POV’s, nonlinear timeline, this witchy read is perfect for Spooktober.
challenging
dark
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:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes