Visions of the Damned by Jacqueline Marten

Published by

Sarah Ann

on

July 27, 2010

Visions of the Damned was the very first book by Jacqueline Marten. It came out in 1979.

The main character in this book (who is female) is named Michael. She undergoes hypnosis and discovers she lived a previous life in the 11th century as Edina. Some of her lovers from present day also had “previous lives” back then. Everyone in this book has a past/future doppelganger, so it’s pretty easy to guess who is who.

The prose of Visions of the Damned is very beautiful. It’s incredibly easy to envision the “Ladies” Michael talks about, which are women from Edina’s time who provide Michael with useful premonitions.

One big thing I didn’t like about Visions of the Damned is that there are zero breaks in Edina’s story from the 11th century—meaning, the book doesn’t jump back to present day during that part. This makes the past-life regression into Edina’s life feel extremely long, drawn out, and tiring. I think the story would have been more engaging if it jumped between past and present.

The most magical part of this book comes at the very end when Michael realizes who her true love is. Overall, it was a satisfying read.

I’ve also reviewed Forevermore by Jacqueline Marten for this website, which was amazing. Also, if you like Visions of the Damned, I’d suggest checking out Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine, which has a similar plot.

Other books by Jacqueline Marten include:

What did you think about Visions of the Damned?

Last Updated on February 12, 2026 by Sarah Ann

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