Such a dark, graphic, haunting book! You are drawn in for the first page. Im truly amazed at the talent, C.J. Cooke has.

"Better I seek the help of the witch queen than wait for that monk to burn me."

I have spent the last twenty-four hours wondering how I would find words coherent enough to review this book - to find any mix of words potent enough to describe how this novel made me feel.

Going in, I had no idea that this story was based on truth. I requested an ARC for this book solely on the basis of - If C.J. Cooke writes it, I will read it. I had never heard of Helena Scheuberin, and only knew of Father Heinrich Kramer due to hearing of Malleus Malifecarum in passing, and that fact saddens me. Helena's story ripped my heart from my chest and stomped on it several times over, whilst also stoking a long simmering fire of feminine rage.

C.J. Cooke never fails in writing characters that make my skin crawl from either uncomfort or anger, and her protrayal of Father Kramer has done just that. I found myself visibly shaking with anger and having to put my Kindle down and take a step away, simply because I wanted to slap him silly. I wanted to reach into the pages of this book and wring the man's neck.

On the opposite side of the coin, never has there been a Cooke book that has not left me in floods of tears by the end. Am I an emotional person anyway? Yes. Was I crying when Helena found Leo's body? Oh boy, you bet. Did I absolutely wail through the final five chapters of this book? Absolutely I did.

It took me nearly three weeks to finish this book simply due to the fact that I did not want it to end and for me to have no more new C.J. Cooke to read. Once again, I have been absolutely blown away and Cooke has cemented herself into my auto-buy author slot. As an author myself, she is everything I long to be when it comes to story telling.

If I could possibly rate higher than five stars, it would be for this book. It deserves ten.

"Many would be cowed by such as she has endured, and yet she remains as bold as a dragon. No, he thinks, not a dragon. A woman. Just a woman."

I have really enjoyed this authors books, unfortunately I don’t feel like this one was quite as good as her others.

It took me a little while to get into and then l did find that I could enjoy it more.

I liked Helena, who was the man character and her plight bi do find it interesting reading books from this era.

The story played out and I skim read towards the end.

When I read and book that is based on actual historical facts, I feel closer to the people involved in a story. When a book is about strong women facing what seems to us know, the impossible, I am in awe, I am emotionally invested and I cannot help but feel humbled. This is one such book....

1485. Ravenburg. Dawn with its cold light brings with it the cruel death of witches. One is a child just six years old, the other, her mother are to die in the flames... now the holy inquisition, led by Witch finder Brother Kramer has come to Innsbruck. To the home of Helena.
Helena was married at 15 to a man she had never met, there was no love and no children followed in her union with Sebastian. He is a cruel man, forcing Helena to try for a child with his servant. But from this diabolical act, affection grows between Helena and Leopold.
Bishop Georg Gosler who, under threat of excommunicated and his better judgement, must accompany Brother Kramer to Innsbruck to assist in his evil investigations, to root out witches for "where there are women, there are witches" tells you everything you need to know about the path this man intends to take. Will his path take him to Helena ?
The accusations against the women in this story are pitiful and heartbreaking. They not suffer cruelly but were made to pay for their own trial and imprisonment! Neighbour turns on neighbour and a city is torn apart.. its though Georg's testimony we hear the human suffering.

I loved and loathed characters in this book as I'm sure you will too, but a special mention must go to the beautiful spirit of Ulrich.. Carolyn writes in such an all consuming way that you are there on every page alongside the women, feeling their suffering, humiliation and pain..

Thank you C J Cooke, netgalley and Harper Collins for this early reader copy, as always, I am grateful for the books I am given.

Suse

C J Cooke is an auto buy author for me so I was thrilled to get to read this one early, and went in fairly blind other than the assumption I’d be in for another gripping ride, based on the blurb and each of her previous offerings.

First let me say I absolutely wasn’t wrong, this was gripping from start to finish and I devoured it.

That said, was I a little disappointed that at the half way mark The Last Witch was feeling like another straight up witch trial historical fiction, and not the creepy, supernatural thriller I was expecting, maybe a little.

Did I wish that there had been more of that in the rest of the book - yes.

However, historical fiction about witch trials is so alarmingly gruesome and traumatic that it doesn’t NEED big dollops of fictional or fantasy horror. In fact too much supernatural witchery might have cheapened the story and the experience of all these women.

I’ve read many historical fiction novels about witch trials and enjoyed how C J Cooke took this well explored period and came out with a psychological, powerful and emotional story of female empowerment, with (eventually) some good atmospheric supernatural witchery.

If this book doesn't spark a sense of anger then I don't know what you read!
Wow, The Last Witch is an incredible story taking the historical account of Helena in 1480s. Helena was accused of witchcraft by a monk Kramer (who went on to write 'the witch's handbook' Malleus Maleficarum). A text which became key in the future witch trials across Europe and in Salem. C.j Cooke did an incredible job with the historical facts and adding to the gaps and filling out a beautiful story about hope, fear and anger.

I couldn't put the book down!

A deeply compelling historical horror novel following a woman accused of being a witch who must use her voice to fight for her life and the truth. This novel is based on the incredible true story of a woman who challenged a man who went on to become one of the most notorious and cruel witch finders.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐔𝐊, 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐂. 𝐉. 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 ✨

Thanks @netgalley for the advanced copy of The Last Witch in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis:
Innsbruck, 1485. Helena is accused of being a witch after the brutal death of her best friend means that she verbally lashes out at the priest who convicted her and then the murder of her footman lover also points the finger of blame.

Locked up with six other women, Helena undergoes unimaginable torture until they're forced to take desperate action that will put them in even more danger.

🔮

I'm a massive lover of CJ Cooke's previous novels but this one didn't feel quite the same for me. I think I'm used to there being a dual timeline and that would've worked really well here! However, the straight timeline and the fast resolved ending meant it fell a little bit flat.

BUT I did love the strength and resilience of the women, the way they helped each other and stuck together.

If you're going to read this, be warned that it is very graphic with the torture and witch trials. It's not an easy read by any stretch but it stays true to the history that the book is based on and shows how awful the women were treated by the original witch finder himself.

The Last Witch will be released on 9th October, will you be picking it up?

I won't even be able to do this review justice. This book is based on a true story of the witch trails in Innsbruck.
It is such a dark, haunting, horrifying, and graphic novel. Such a powerful atmospheric read! Helena's story was so tough, as well as the other women imprisoned with her, she was so brave and courageous. I was so glad she stood up to Father Kramer, what a horrible man!! And Bishop Georg did everything he could! It made me rage with fury, of how religion and men controlled women. But the power of women coming together! And her Handmaid Sophie stuck by her. I loved the magical elements and guided spirits throughout, featuring Hecate! I think Helena is one of my favourite heroines!

"When will you believe the voices of women? We are every bit as capable as men, as human as men, and yet the law holds that our bodies belong to our Husbands, they may beat us, take our money, that we do not own anything. This man claims that our very nature makes us all witches"

"She will make sure that women reclaim the word that has been used against them, using it as a label of power. Witch"

I loved the authors note and all the history and research that went into this, I even went onto Google to find more about Innsbruck, Helena, and about Kramer, who wrote the malleus maleficarum

TW *Graphic scenes of torture abuse and violence

Thank you so much, @harperfiction for this ARC

@what.rachisreading

Thank you to C.J Cooke, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

This was such an atmospheric read—intense, evocative, and deeply haunting. Set in 1485 Innsbruck, we meet Helena, a young woman whose comfortable life falls apart when she’s accused of both murder and witchcraft. What follows is a chilling descent into a prison filled with fear, fellow accused women, and one cursed totem that changes everything.

The pacing has a steady dread that builds beautifully, and the writing is fluid yet full of edge. Cooke blends historical fiction with supernatural elements in a way that feels grounded but still spine-tingling. Helena’s vulnerability, courage, and quiet rage left a strong impression on me.

If you like stories that combine folklore, danger, and the fight to reclaim power in the face of injustice, this one has all the right threads. It’s elegantly eerie—and so readable.

Based on a true story, this is an excellent account of witch trials, accusations and the hysteria that happened. This is a very graphic and chilling book with a touch of magic and is recommended.

I was hooked from page one. Based on a true story of Helena Sceuberin in 1485 it follows her life and the lives of six other women who were charged with witchcraft. It is pretty graphic in places and hard to read but it's really about the strength of women who speak up. It contains some magic and is a book that will stay with you.

I‘m a huge CJ Cooke fan and her new book did not disappoint. It‘s a perfect mix of historical fiction and "witch lit" - meticulously researched as always and a pleasure to read.

Beautifully written! Very cool representation of a historical event. The visuals in the book are magnificent. Love the magic in the book as well. Overall just very well done. Spectacular!!!

I was so pleased when Harper Fiction offered my an e-ARC of CJ Cooke’s new book The Last Witch. Out in October, it spans the fictionalised events of a witch trial that actually took place in Innsbruck, Austria. I love anything vaguely witchy/paranormal in a novel, and this one had lots of the above to offer! Out in October.

I love CJ Cooke’s previous novels and The Lighthouse Witches is one of my favourite ever books so I jumped at the chance to read her latest. Cooke does an amazing job of transporting the reader to 15th century Austria to bear witness to the horrific witch trials. I was so invested in the lives of the women I couldn’t put it down. I loved Georg so much too, from his love of roses to his compassion for the accused women, he was a delight.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

I was so enthused for The Last Witch by C.J. Cooke when I first was the teasers on the authors instagram page. A retelling of the life of a historical figure, with a feminist slant, that also focused on the treatment of 'witches'? Absolutely!
Set in 1485 Innsbruck, The Last Witch tells a truly horrific tale of the real-life Helena Scheuberin, who is "guilty" of nothing more than being outspoken in a time when women were not allowed to do so. And when she confronts one merciless witchfinder-priest, the infamous, Heinrich Kramer, responsible for the dangerous book Malleus Maleficarum, (aka Hammer of Witches), Helena's fate is sealed and she finds herself one of seven women imprisoned and likely to be sentenced to death. Helena is certainly innocent of witchcraft and it is likely that the other women are similarly innocent but with the fear of witchcraft spreading rapidly across Europe and Kramer is inciting fear and hatred in the citizens of Innsbruck, their fates seem sealed.
The narrative is both fascinating and frightening to read as the author details how quickly, friends and family turn against the women. How soon, the town is literally crying out for their deaths. As for the women themselves, the details of the torture they endured is truly shocking and also important to read for us today, to gain an understanding of what happened and the importance of using our voices and speaking out. Throughout the novel, Cooke novel explores female agency amid oppression and how Helena fears for other women and tries to protect the women within the prison cell with her. We also see how some of the women become so beaten down that they submit to the oppression but yet, cannot escape.
A powerful, thought-provoking and worth-while read. I loved it.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

This is a new author to me and not my usual fare but I was intrigued by the write up and so glad I got the opportunity to read this

No spoilers - I don't like them myself and so don't do it and I like to make my own mind up

I really enjoyed this
Loved the writing style and found the reading flowed easily

Highly recommend

C.J. Cooke has truly outdone herself with The Last Witch. This is a powerful, atmospheric masterpiece that hooked me from the first page

The story of Helena, a brave woman standing up against brutal religious control, is both heartbreaking and empowering. Cooke gives voice to real women persecuted during the witch trials, blending historical detail with vivid, emotional storytelling.

The writing is fantastic!! It’s immersive, graphic at times, and filled with moments that gave me goosebumps

I devoured this book in two sittings and struggled to put it down!

Overall this is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and powerful women’s stories

Thank you to C.J. Cooke, Harperfiction and NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me this e-ARC via NetGalley! That has not influenced this review and all opinions are my own.

This was my first book from C.J. Cooke and now I can understand why everyone is obsessed with her and her novels! I absolutely love books that reference witchcraft, so I was really excited to read this one.

I want to start by saying that not only was this book incredibly gripping and entertaining, it was educational and so easy to digest.

I’m not ashamed to say that I didn’t realise Helena Scheuberin was a real person until I read the authors note at the end, and after reading this, I spent some time researching Helena and her life. The fact that the majority of this book is factual really just adds to my amazement! I could really tell that it was important to the author that Helena’s story was portrayed in the most accurate way possible. Upon learning about the truth behind the story, I was completely horrified at Helena’s story, but in a way that made me feel like I wanted to learn more about her and the trials at the time. For an author to influence me to do further research after a book is really a credit to C.J.’s writing!

The book explores not only witchcraft and religion, but also feminism, female empowerment, misogyny, and the strength women have when we come together. It was both cathartic but also shocking to read about the treatment of those accused of witchcraft, and how hope can still prevail with love and friendship.

The book itself just feels like a work of art, and I finished it quickly because I was so intrigued and enthralled by Helen’s story.
It’s thought-provoking, and leaves the reader desperate for more knowledge about this trial and witchcraft in general, and I’m so incredibly thankful that I was able to read this. I know it’s going to be a book I think about for a long time!

Rating: 5/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)