Epeolatry Book Review: The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke

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Title: The Book of Witching
Author: C.J.Cooke
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Horror
Release Date: October 8, 2024

Synopsis:  Four hundred years separate them.

One book binds them.

Glasgow 2024: Clem waits by her daughter’s hospital bed. Erin was found on an idyllic beach in Fynhallow Bay, Orkney with catastrophic burns and only one memory: her name is Nyx.

But how did she get these burns? And how did her boyfriend end up burned alive?

Orkney 1594: accused of witchcraft, Alison Balfour awaits trial. The punishment? To be burned alive.

Separated by four hundred years but bound by the Book of Witching, two women stand imperilled. Can they unlock a centuries-old mystery? And will Fynhallow Bay give up its secrets before someone else dies?

In recent years, there’s been a huge rise for witch-reads in literature. Blame covid. Blame Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches. Whatever. I’ve enjoyed reading so many witchy books, but something’s been nagging me—have we all forgotten how witches came to be? I’m venturing into historical literature here, which surprised me as I’m not a great fan of the genre. No, give me dark fantasy, give me magic. If only there was a book that combined both of them and did it well. My prayers were answered with C. J. Cooke’s The Book of the Witching.

Set in Glasgow 2024 and Orkney 1594, The Book of the Witching shows us the importance of the past witch trials. Clem receives a phone call which every parent dreads. Her daughter is in a coma, unconscious, burnt badly, while her daughter’s boyfriend is dead. Clem journeys to Orkney to discover what happened. In the past, Alison was condemned as a witch and for murder. She stood trial and faced being burnt at the stake. Both women are linked by a book, a source of powerful magic, one not to be messed around with or there will be consequences. 

Don’t assume that because Cooke dives into the past witch trials that this book is mainly historical. It is horror under the sub-genre of dark fantasy. The historical lays the foundation, and Cooke shows us the true horrors of the witch trials from physical torture, which include tricks of the mind, death, and emotional abuse. I winced multiple times, uncomfortable with what Alison is put through. The fact that she is innocent heightens this discomfort. Clem’s timeline was interesting. She is a compelling single mother, fiercely protective, and strong-willed, unable to rest until she finds answers. Cooke takes us into cults, folklore, almost venturing into folk horror, while keeping the reader’s feet firmly in the modern world.

Overall, Cooke’s writing style flows naturally. It is so easy to read. I couldn’t put it down. I love the fact that this book was inspired by a real witch trial; it adds more authenticity and in turn increases the horror side of things. The ending struck me with awe. We aren’t given answers in regard to the book of witching—it remains a mystery, and I liked that. Magic after all doesn’t have to answer every question. The book therefore becomes a thing of folklore, a myth, a curse, a darkness we whisper about and pass down through the generations.    

/5

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.

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