Spooky season is upon us, and it's the perfect time of the year to sink into some wonderful witchy listens—although to be honest, we don't need an excuse to enjoy great stories about the fascinating world of witches. Whether you're into fantastical fiction tales of magic, the more practical informational guides on how to practice witchcraft, or historical tales about the real lives of famous witches, we've rounded up some of the very best witch audiobooks—fiction and nonfiction alike—for you to lose yourself in this fall.
Fiction Audiobooks About Witchcraft
Yetide Badaki masterfully narrates this story of Sunny, a 12-year-old girl who feels out of place in her homeland of Nigeria when her family moves back there from America, where she was born and raised. She has albinism, which further sets her apart. But then she discovers that she's a free agent—someone in possession of powerful magic—and finds a kinship with three other students devoted to developing their abilities and learning about the mystical world that exists just below the surface of the visible. Word of a serial killer who targets children reaches Sunny and her new friends. Will their gifts be enough to stop a brutal murderer with mysterious powers of his own? Stay tuned—Akata Witch is the first in a series from World Fantasy Award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor.
This children's classic won the Newbery Medal in 1959 for its depiction of Puritan life in the 17th century and a strong-willed young woman who finds herself branded a witch. Kit has just left Barbados following the death of her grandfather and seeks a new home with her aunt and uncle in Connecticut. But her unusual ways and unconventional upbringing immediately earn her the colony's suspicion. When she makes friends with a Quaker woman rumored to be a witch, Kit finds herself in over her head and in grave danger when she's accused of witchcraft. Mary Beth Hurt narrates this riveting historical listen.
Set in a fantasy world called Bethel, which resembles the Puritan colonies of New England, Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching follows Immanuelle, whose mother fell from grace when she refused to become the Prophet's wife. Now grown up, Immanuelle finds herself lured into the forbidden part of the woods where witches are said to dwell. There she finds her mother's journal and unwittingly unleashes a series of plagues upon Bethel that will expose its terrible secrets. Narrated by Brianna Colette, this richly atmospheric audiobook is perfect for fans of dark fantasy.
This thrilling audiobook offers a look at the possibilities of witchcraft in a different historical era—the late 1800s. Narrated by Gabra Zackman, The Once and Future Witches follows the three Eastwood sisters. Torn apart by circumstances, James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna reconnect when they join the suffragists of New Salem. While immersed in the movement, they begin to recall old stories of witchcraft handed down from their mother's ancestors. What if they were to call upon that magic once more—to earn women the right to vote? But to tap into this power, the sisters first have to repair the bonds between them.
When Katrell discovers that she has the ability to speak to the dead, she wastes no time in putting her skill to good use—monetizing it to support herself and her unemployed mother (and unfortunately, her mom's deadbeat boyfriend). Her enterprising efforts begin to draw attention from forces beyond, but she ignores the warning to stop. While talking to spirits for money, she inadvertently raises someone from the dead, causing all sorts of trouble. To get through this alive, Katrell will have to face the darkness head on. Bad Witch Burning is wonderfully narrated by rising star Kamali Minter.
Driven by a strong heroine, The Witch Haven is a twisty historical fantasy series set in Manhattan in 1911. A hardworking seamstress, 17-year-old Frances is haunted by the mysterious death of her brother. Her life is upended when she's attacked, and her attacker winds up dead—even though she doesn't remember stabbing him. Dreading being sent to prison, she's instead whisked off to a sanitarium, which turns out to be a cover for a school for witches. Before long, Frances is lured by the promise of power and using it to find out what happened to her brother—and coveted by a powerful man. She yearns for justice and love. But is she willing to risk her newfound sisterhood? Piper Goodeve brings old New York to new life in this riveting listen.
Alex comes from a family of brujas, but she's not exactly thrilled by the idea of her power. So, she comes up with what she believes is the perfect solution: She'll cast a spell to rid herself of her magic for good. But things don't go according to plan. The spell backfires and her entire family disappears. To find and save her loved ones, Alex must venture into Los Lagos, a strange and dangerous underworld. But she'll need the help of Nova, a mysterious boy she's not sure whether to trust, and the magical gifts she rejected. Narrated by Almarie Guerra, Labyrinth Lost is a dark and gripping tale and the first in a spellbinding series.
Combining historical research with magical fantasy, A Discovery of Witches begins a trilogy of listens packed with paranormal romance and witchy familial drama alike. Though she's descended from a long line of witches, Diana Bishop would rather forget her lineage and live a normal life. But when her academic pursuits lead her to an alchemical document tied to her background, Diana has no choice but to find her place in the world of witchcraft. Jennifer Ikeda voices Diana, capturing all her complications and brilliance.
As fans of the adored 1998 film adaptation know, Practical Magic is a totally enchanting tale of love, magic, and sisterhood with just the right amount of tension and suspense. After being orphaned, Sally and Gillian Owens are sent off to Massachusetts, where they are raised by their quirky aunts in their creepy old home. The girls quickly notice that it's not just their aunts who seem to wield mysterious abilities—they too begin to develop powers, ones they're determined to hide away. But over time in the series, it becomes clear that the sisters have no choice but to fully embrace their identities and tap into their generational magic. Christina Moore skillfully performs Alice Hoffman's captivating story of witchcraft and belonging.
Looking for a sweet and spooky rom-com series sure to cast a spell? Jessica Clare's Go Hex Yourself is the perfect fit. While scouring the help wanted ads in her local paper, Reggie spots what she thinks is a dream job—working for her favorite card game, Spellcraft: The Magicking. In actuality, she's been hired to act as a very real (and very kooky) witch's familiar. But Reggie's got bigger problems than adjusting to her unusual job duties—namely, her new boss's nephew, Ben Magnus, an arrogant warlock who also happens to be infuriatingly handsome. After they're forced to work closely together, however, there seems to be an undeniable magic in the air. The romantic sparks fly with the dual narration of Holly Linneman and Andrew Eiden.
The enchantress that Odysseus encounters in Homer's epic The Odyssey, Circe is, to many, a tertiary character in a male-led tale. But Madeline Miller gives the goddess a voice of her own in this brilliant feat of storytelling. Feeling threatened by the sheer magnitude of Circe's powerful witchcraft, Zeus himself banishes her to a deserted island. But it's on Aeaea that she hones her abilities, drawing the wrath of god and men alike. Miller's work alone is exceptional, but it soars further with the performance of Perdita Weeks, who imbues Circe's voice with deep empathy, evoking the story's conflicts and chaos without losing sight of the witch at its center.
Anne Rice, the legendary author of the sweeping Vampire Chronicles series, is no stranger to the mystic and mysterious. In The Witching Hour, she turns her signature gift for envisioning the supernatural toward crafting the great history of a witchcraft dynasty. Four centuries of witches, beset by incest and murder, are all haunted by the Lasher—a seductive but menacing figure looming over the Mayfair women. From modern San Francisco to France circa Louis XIV's rule, Rice slowly unfolds the dark, alluring saga of an unforgettable magical family, brought vividly to life in audio by the accomplished Kate Reading.
Tea comes from a family of witches, but when she accidentally raises her brother from the dead, she realizes that she is very different from her relatives—she's a bone witch. Ostracized from everyone in her community thanks to her gift for necromancy, Tea seeks companionship as well as guidance from an older bone witch, who whisks her and her reanimated brother away. As she trains and comes to better understand her magic, Tea must also steel herself for impending, inescapable darkness. Emily Woo Zeller and Will Damron both lend their talents to the entire Bone Witch trilogy, crafting a dynamic dual narration that elevates this dark fantasy saga to exciting new heights.
Nonfiction Audiobooks About Witchcraft
If you're interested in learning more about real-life witchcraft and its traditions, Wicca Book of Spells covers everything from shellwork to herbs. An experienced practitioner, Ophelia Morgan shows you how to harness the power of candles and crystals to focus on your power, how to pick the best items to aid in your practice, and much more. Leigh Ann Yaga's narration will guide you through everything you need to know about Wicca to get started today.
This enchanting audiobook is a go-to resource for everything related to green witchery. By digging into The Green Witch series, you'll learn how to identify and use plants and herbs, how to mix potions and oils, and how to use other natural objects, such as stones, gems, and twigs in magical rituals. Gabra Zackman’s narration lends to Arin Murphy-Hiscock’s kind and gentle teaching style as she instructs listeners how to pay attention to the magic of the natural world, and harness it for healing and wisdom.
The Salem Witch Trials looms large in American history and the collective imagination, and in this listen, Stacy Schiff, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Cleopatra, takes a deep dive into one of our country's strangest and most unsettling chapters. Part mystery, part thriller, part social commentary, The Witches captures everyday life in Salem in the brutal winter of 1692, bringing critical context to this period of extreme paranoia, marked by the hangings of 19 innocent women and men. Narrated by Eliza Foss, this audiobook is an important contribution to our understanding of not only witchcraft but also the psychological toll of deprivation and fear.
In this engaging blend of memoir and investigative reporting, Alex Mar chronicles her five-year journey devoted to understanding present-day witchcraft. Reaching back to the infamous history of Salem and covering modern paganism in urban and suburban life, Witches in America dives deep into the diversity and nuance of practicing witches and their various rituals and belief systems. Professional voice actor Amanda Dolan brings this story to life with her engrossing narration.
In The Witch of Lime Street, David Jaher tells the story of one of the most famous real-life witches to capture the public's eye. In 1924, a woman named Margery rose to fame for her psychic abilities, and her talent for drawing some famous followers, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But it was only when she agreed to enter into a challenge to scientifically confirm her abilities that she ran up against a formidable adversary and her biggest doubter: Harry Houdini. This is a riveting account of the height of the American spiritualism age, brought to life by award-winning narrator Simon Vance.
Seeking an intuitive and encouraging approach to tapping into your own gifts and exploring your potential as a practicing witch? Witchery offers a meditative guide that will take you on a personal journey to find the magic within. Author Juliet Diaz offers her own dreamy and wonderfully accessible narration to help you connect with yourself, your power, and nature in order to find a practice that best suits you.
In this thought-provoking, incisive listen, acclaimed French feminist Mona Chollet makes a case for witchcraft as a form of women's rebellion and fight for autonomy. Documenting the history and persecution of women accused of witchcraft and sorcery across the world, In Defense of Witches reveals the strikingly common traits among those scapegoated, arrested, executed, and vilified. Yet Chollet does not merely offer historical analysis of misogyny and female oppression. Instead, she extends this thread to modern society, glimpsing those who act as heirs to the women tried and burned so many years ago.
The tagline of Lisa Lister's Witch—"unleashed, untamed, unapologetic"—acts as a teaser for what to expect in her overview of witchcraft's history and modern reawakening. Lister herself is a third-generation hereditary witch, an identity which lends a deeply personal edge to this guide to manifesting or rediscovering one's own power. From working with the elements to utilizing herbs and crystals in spiritual exercises to honing your intuition through methodologies including oracle cards and dowsing rods, Lister reinvents ancient practices for today's era.
It's common knowledge that our cultural fascination with witchcraft is far from a recent development, with stories of witches dating back centuries. But how did the mythos surrounding witches develop, and why have these perhaps outdated understandings persisted? In this series from The Great Courses, Professor Jennifer McNabb explores our perception of witchcraft, from 15th century witch hunts to the satanic panic of the 1980s. Unearthing the manufactured hysteria that demonized countless women and the religious, cultural, economic, and social factors that informed such targeted persecution, this series is required listening for anyone interested in the roots of our fascination with witchcraft.
Professional psychic and occult teacher Mat Auryn offers a practical companion to 2020's Psychic Witch with his brand new guidebook, Mastering Magick. Containing more than 60 spells focusing on magick that connects the seen and unseen world, this listen will help you get in touch with the elements, the moon, the planets, and the seasons to tune your abilities. Newcomers to the practice will also appreciate Auryn's actionable advice on the mechanics of effective spellcraft.
This listen documents a growing subculture of BIPOC witches, led primarily by Afro-Caribbean immigrants and Indigenous Americans who have set out to reclaim their ancestry and develop a practice that is inextricably entwined with social justice work and community activism. Balancing memoir and ritual guide, Lorraine Monteagut encourages listeners to decolonize their spiritual practices and shed consumerism-developed understandings of what it means to be a witch. Disavowing witchcraft as a trend, the author empowers listeners to tap into their roots and come to the movement openly and authentically.
Known as the "Pope of Voodoo," Marie Laveau looms large in the history of American spiritualism and folklore. She was a free woman of color who practiced magic in New Orleans in the mid-1800s, and her legacy is remembered today—her grave remains one of the most visited in the city, and she even appears as a character in Marvel Comics. In this in-depth and riveting work of biography, Denise Alvarado captures her life, times, and work. Narrator Adenrele Ojo makes Laveau’s riveting story come alive, painting a picture of a unique and spirited woman whose impact is still felt.