Ava Reid’s Lady Macbeth is beautifully written—super atmospheric, dark, and full of that moody gothic vibe she does so well. I loved how it reimagines the character with a focus on power and womanhood, but I wished Roscille had a bit more fire. She kind of fades into the background when I expected her to take center stage. The pacing dragged a little in spots, and the fantasy stuff (like dragons) felt a bit thrown in. Still, it’s a really compelling, unique take that I’d totally recommend. 4 stars.

I did not finish this book. I got about 30% in and was very bored. I'm so sorry, I keep wanting to like Ava Reid but maybe I just haven't found their book for me just yet.

It pains me to say that this re-telling was just not for me. Unlike Ava Reid previously work, this didn’t feel original or fresh. I am still going to rate it 3 stars purely because she has a way with words that still makes her standout.

4⭐️

<b>If she cannot have safety, if she cannot have love, at least she can have this. Vengeance.</b>

I liked this book a lot! Seeing Roscille’s character grow and the duality of Roscille vs Lady Macbeth was really great. This was well written and entertaining.

<b>Let them call you witch, as they do any woman who professes strength.</b>

Great retelling and absolutely stunning front cover art as well! the writing style suits the vibes of this book and I enjoyed it a lot!

This take on Lady Macbeth is beautifully written and wrapped in an appropriately tense atmosphere. Watching Roscille, the titular lady, sharpen and wield her cunning thought process to manipulate the people around her to survive was satisfying. I also felt for her every time she misstepped or came close to it.

I do wish there had been more. More character development, more relationship development, and more chances to see Roscille truly become the villainess of the original story. I do agree with some other reviewers in that this probably should've been an original story, as the Macbeth retelling angle feels a bit forced.

Overall, I enjoyed it but felt it was lacking in several places. It has, however, encouraged me to read more by Ava Reid.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group & NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5
It may be because I've never seen nor read Macbeth, but this book did not connect with me. I've thoroughly enjoyed Ava's other works. I love how she writes, but this book was confusing. I did like the darker aspects and watching the characters grow.

I have admittedly never read
Macbeth, so I cannot speak to the retelling aspect of this book-only that Ava Reid's writing is as lush and elegant as ever. In some ways, I'm glad I didn't have a direct point of comparison; going in blind allowed me to be fully immersed in the horrors and dark beauty Reid crafts. Lady Macbeth is a story of survival, love, betrayal, and yearning, woven through with eerie magical elements that blur the line between reality and the supernatural. Reid's prose is spellbinding, and the novel builds toward a dark, whimsical, and deeply satisfying conclusion.

This was spooky and genre bending in a way I didn't totally expect and I liked a lot. Not my usual read but the character was engaging and I had fun!!

Love love love all of Ava Reid’s work! In this book she truely plays into a different pov and give us something new and interesting to read while still giving enough of the original inspired text for it to feel new but also familiar! An excellent read!

I don't remember much about Shakespeare's Macbeth other than the movie featured Mel Gibson and Helena Bonham-Carter so I have no idea what Lady Macbeth's role was in the original, but I really enjoyed this fantastical retelling from the perspective of a minor character.

Roscille is used as a pawn to bring an advantage to her father and shipped off to marry Macbeth. She uses her wits to attempt to earn favorable treatment and respect in an era when women are seen as property. Her machinations have an even bigger ripple effect than she expects, so she is constantly having to recalibrate her strategies. She eventually finds some unexpected allies, who give her the ability to save herself when it is needed the most. This is a powerful tale of subjugated women and means they must go to in order to save themselves.

I am a huge fan of Ava Reid, and this did not disappoint.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC.

Not the most knowledgeable in Shakespeare plays, but even I can tell that this played fast and loose with the original play. And I am all for the 'death of the author' but the choices for the plot and characters made for a dull story and flat characters. Lady Macbeth is a shadow of the powerful woman she was. It's also abnormally prejudiced against the Scottish? How many times do we need to be told that the Scots are giant and brutish compared to the waifish French girl? Its a shame, because despite this it's clear Ava Reid knows how to write good. There is some beautiful prose in here, but it hard to keep that in mind when you don't care about the plot or characters.

This was such a unique and beautifully written story, I loved the deeper perspective and darker themes. I do feel like the plot was slow at times but the authors writing kept me interested.

A mesmerizing and beautifully crafted reimagining of one of Shakespeare’s most infamous characters, with lush prose, a hauntingly atmospheric setting, delivered with a cinematic eye. It might not be for everyone, but it was for me!

I loved this cover of the book and Ava Reid really delivered like she always does! I love recommending her books and I think Shakespearean fans will love as well as fantasy lovers.

It took me a little to get into this book. The writing wasn't my favorite and it was a little slow. I did end up really liking it but it felt rather anticlimactic. The characters were all a little flat for me with no real connection.

if you're going into this expecting a lady macbeth retelling, please turn back now. the whole point of lady macbeth was that she was evil and manipulative, but she's so meek in this one. that's not lady macbeth anymore - that's an oc. the gothic vibes were great, though.

Admittedly, I remember very little from the play, and did not reread it beforehand, preferring rather to do so after.

I think that some of the criticism of this story is because of the staid and historical-fictionesque rhythms, structures, and word usages employed. It reads very differently than most books, and that's always divisive! Going in, be aware that there are some fairly hefty TW that other reviewers have delineated better than I could.

Lady Macbeth retells Shakespeare's Macbeth through Lady Macbeth's perspective. Noting how young she was and her class stature gives perspective on why and how things occurred and lends true perspective to what is good, bad or a matter of survival. It's an interesting and nuanced perspective.

3.5 rounded up. This book was super vibey. Very gothic and atmospheric. Loved that aspect. I will say that having no background in Macbeth was a little challenging, although from what I have gathered, the plot and ending were different anyway. It was hard to keep up with some of the lore, but I think that was mostly because I was listening and reading over a couple of weeks. I think if I had sat down to really read and pay close attention I may have been able to hang with the complex lore slightly more. Overall I really enjoyed it, and I wanted more from the ending. So abrupt! What happened to everyone afterwards??