A Time of Witches

Madeline Martin trades her usual WWII settings for the 1645 East Anglian witch trials, and the result is an atmospheric, gothic story with a touch of magic. The book alternates between Lilith, a present-day woman from Savannah whose grief over her mother's death is tangled up with strange happenings and nightmares of burning at the stake, and Sybil, an educated, independent widow accused of witchcraft in 1645 Suffolk. As Lilith digs into her family's past at a crumbling English manor, the two stories draw closer together in ways that kept me turning pages.

Sybil's chapters were my favorite. Martin grounds them in real history, even naming actual victims of the trials, and it makes the fear and injustice feel very real. It's hard not to feel angry at how quickly a woman could be condemned simply for being too smart, too wealthy, or too independent. Lilith's storyline adds mystery and magical elements. While I was a bit more invested in the past than the present, the connection between the two women, along with the themes of sisterhood and finding your voice, ties it all together nicely.

If you enjoyed Weyward or like historical fiction about strong women with a hint of magic, I'd definitely recommend this one.