The Book of Witching

By: C. J. Cooke

Narrated by: Paula Masterton

A mother must fight for her daughter’s life in this fierce and haunting tale of witchcraft and revenge from the author of A Haunting in the Arctic.

Clem gets a call that is every mother’s worst nightmare. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Erin is unconscious in the hospital after a hiking trip with her friends on the remote Orkney Islands that met a horrifying end, leaving her boyfriend dead and her best friend missing. When Erin wakes, she doesn’t recognize her mother. And she doesn’t answer to her name, but insists she is someone named Nyx.

Clem travels the site of her daughter’s accident, determined to find out what happened to her. The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the Orkneys: 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?

©2024 C. J. Cooke (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Chilling and beautifully written, The Book of Witching gripped me from the very first sentence: I read it in one sitting. A haunting recreation of a real Scottish witch trial, this is CJ Cooke's finest novel yet." - Emilia Hart, New York Times bestselling author of Weyward

“A good pick for readers interested in witch trials throughout history, as Cooke melds elements of horror, historical fiction, family drama, and a police procedural into this witchy novel." - Library Journal

Oranges?

Overall I thought that this was a great story, told well. The narrator was outstanding. The only thing that stood out as incongruent was the mention of oranges, pretty sure they weren’t available in Orkney in 1594 in Dec.

Missing parts

I read and listen at the same time and there are quite a few missing pieces in the audio. As I’m reading along, I find more and more full sentences missing. Skip this audio if you want the actual, full story. What a waste of a great book, Audible.

Engaging

This was a very good and interestingly presented book about witch trails in Scotland. I loved the modern story told side by side with the historical, it kept the story moving in an interesting way.

Interesting premise, missing something

Interesting premise, compelling idea, but felt like it was missing something. A little more about the titular book maybe. Something that ties it all together better. The soul slipping idea is fascinating but then left hanging and not resolved.

Flawlessly read.

In loving memory to all those who died witches.

The Book of Witching by C J Cooke

This is my first approach to Cooke’s writing and I found it fascinating, especially for the extensive research conducted.

I must say The Book of Witching was no surprise to me. I expected everything that took place in the story. By no means I am stating that the books is not fascinating neither an amazing novel. What I am trying to state humbly is that women were burned, tortured and killed in the most inhumane manners throughout history.

So much was done in the name of God! So much was done by man who wanted power, who were bewitched not by women but by power itself. This book is one more proof of my statement.

I want to thank @cjcooke_author for gifting us with her talent and impeccable wiring! It has been a tremendous experience for me being a Christian to read this book. However, we may not deny neither look the other way as this is a such important part of women’s history.

Do yourself a favor and go for The Book of Witching!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Favorite Quote:
🖤“The sun has barely risen today, as though it cannot bring itself to bear witness to what I am about to do”🥀

🖤“What is there to fear, really, when death is the only certainty?”🥀

Engaging listen

I always enjoy stories that go back and forth between past and present. I enjoyed the dynamic between to two time frames- I really enjoyed the historical fiction of Scotland in the 16th century. I would not have minded a little bit of a different route w the present story- maybe something more that pulls the main characters back to the past - or searching for the past- but I enjoyed it how it was written anyway

Not scary

The Book of Witching ⭐️⭐️⭐️.73 : chose to listen to this one since its witching season 🧙🏻‍♀️🧟‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️ Scottish witches so such a fun narration 🎧💗🎧 not scary 🫣 it’s more on the side of a witch hunt and what might happen it you really did find a condemned witch….. the author did do her research 💕💕⭐️

Another Good Book From Cooke

Another good read from CJ Cooke. I loved the Lighthouse Witches and this was another good one.

This book is epic

I loved this book! The story had me from page one. My only critique is that the editors could have done the author and reader more justice by properly editing some of the odd pauses, the readers breathing that was not part of the story and the repeated praise where clearly she had started rereading. Like come on guys the reader and the author were spot on. Don’t shoot their work down by not cleaning up the performance and making them shine! Please write more books like this!