If you are looking for a witchy listen, you’ll want to grab A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin. Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, a witch in the present must undo an event in the past to save herself.
by Madeline Martin
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Length: 8 hours and 45 minutes
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.3x
Two women, bound by blood and betrayal, must break silence across centuries—or be silenced forever, in the dazzling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin.
Lilith Legare’s life is unraveling. Since her mother’s death, strange things have been happening - plants turn toward her touch, animals linger in her path, and the birthmark on her arm has started tingling. Worse still is her recurring nightmare of being burned alive at the stake.
Her search for answers brings her from Savannah to England, to the decaying Brackenmere Manor where the past blurs with the present. There, Lilith discovers a legacy she never asked for and along with it, the threat of peril. History must be rewritten, or she too will die.
In 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham stands accused as a witch. An educated, wealthy widow, she is branded a threat by men who fear her independence. As arrests begin and suspicion abounds, Sybil must protect her younger sister, even as betrayal takes root within her household.
Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil are bound by blood and by danger. To save themselves, and each other, they must confront the silence that has stolen women’s power for generations—and dare to claim their voices before it’s too late.
Our story begins in Savannah, Georgia. Lilith Legare’s mother has passed, and as she mourns, strange things occur. Plants and animals curl towards her, her birthmark burns, and her dreams turn to nightmares of being burned alive at the stake.
Lilith feels a powerful pull to find answers. Those answers take her to Brackenmere Manor in England. The story slowly builds, but the atmospheric tale will soon pull you in.
In 1645, Suffolk, Sybil Brantham senses a growing danger. Soon she will be accused of being a witch and will be burned at the stake. Bond by blood, Lilith must rewrite the past to save them both.
Martin delivered a clever tale, and I found myself swept up as both timelines converged. Magic is new to Lilith, and Sybil hides it for fear of discovery. I loved the atmospheric details as Lilith uncovered its secrets. I shivered as Sybil and others met true evil during the witch trials. Sybil’s was my favorite timeline. The story was well-researched and the execution believable.
A Time of Witches was cleverly written, but Saskia Maarleveld’s narration brought it to life in vivid color as she gave voice to these characters and set the tone. I highly recommend grabbing your earbuds for this one.
If you loved Weyward and other witchy tales, you’ll want to add A Time of Witches to your fall reading list. I know this will rank among my favorites for 2026.
About Madeline Martin
Madeline Martin is a USA TODAY Bestselling author of Scottish set historical romance. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her two daughters (AKA OldestMinion and YoungestMinion) and Mr. Awesome. All shenanigans are detailed regularly on Twitter. Her hobbies include rock climbing, running, doing crazy races (like Mud Runs and Color Runs) and just about anything exciting she can do without getting nauseous. She's also a history fan (really more of a full on history dork) and loves to blog about random curiosities from her research.
After living in Europe for over a decade, Madeline enjoys traveling overseas whenever she can. Her favorite place to visit thus far: Scotland.
Writing has been a passion of hers since she was a child and now she finally gets to see her lifelong dream come true.
About Saskia Maarleveld
SASKIA MAARLEVELD is an AudioFile magazine Earphones Award–winning narrator living in New York City. Working full-time in the voice-over world, Saskia has recorded over 160 audiobooks. She switches seamlessly between accents and can often be heard speaking in British, Australian, New Zealand, and various European accents, in addition to her own American accent.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Katherine
I’m really looking forward to this one. I’ve loved previous books by this author and I’ve also had really good luck with the narrator so I think I’ll have to go with the audio of it. Great review!
Bree @ BibliophileBree Bree @ BibliophileBree
I’ve heard good things about this one!
Mary Kirkland
I like this type of story, it sounds like it would be good.
Sophia Rose
Sounds like a great historical spooky read.
Rachel at Waves of Fiction
I haven’t read many stories with witches. Sounds like a unique fantasy!
Jessica @ a GREAT read
Ooh nice! I keep seeing this one pop up in places and it was getting my curious! Sounds like an intriguing read but there’s always something about dual timelines that makes me hesitate. But sounds like this one was execute well! Great review!