Yes. My most anticipated read of the year. This like all of Ava Reid's books was so moody and atmospheric. I loved how cold it felt. I don't love Shakespeare, but Reid made me love Lady Macbeth. I didn't need a completely factual retelling, if I did, I would have stayed with Shakespeare .
Love a man going through it, so Lisander is the dreamiest.

“madness, of all things, is the most unforgivable in a woman.”

lady macbeth is another gorgeously dark, gothic retelling by ava reid. our leading lady roscille, who’s gaze is said to turn men mad, is sent to wed macbeth, a bloodthirsty warrior who has secrets of his own hidden beneath the castle.

as always, reid creates a lush atmosphere that wraps around you as you read. the fantasy elements of this retelling were woven in perfectly. every single element enhanced the already delectable atmosphere, and just made it even more haunting.

what i really want to focus this review on is roscille. i think it’s well within a readers right to dislike the main character, but what i don’t understand is calling her weak. roscille, i believe, keeps the integrity of her original character. she’s cunning and smart, constantly staying one step ahead of macbeth. with every character of reid’s, she shows her strength without wielding a weapon. you do not have to pick up a sword to prove your strength, and i think lady macbeth is a beautiful display of that. she can be brave and she can take her power back without the desire for bloodshed (which is not to say she may spill some blood indirectly…). and at her core? she’s a lonely, isolated, 17-year old girl, but still she stands tall before adversity.

all in all: this is not macbeth. this is not shakespeare. this is a book that can stand on its own, that has paved its own path, without the text that inspired it.

I found the book a really entertaining and enjoyable read. It did not fully live up to my expectations, but it would’ve been tough to begin with because my love for Lady Macbeth as a character is unmatched. Regardless, I really really liked the romance plot and the fantasy elements Ava Reid added to her retelling. The only thing that brought it down in ratings for me is that at times it felt a bit repetitive and it had quite a slow start. After the 40% mark it was *chefs kiss* I finished the second half of the book in less than a day.

I really wish I enjoyed this more than I did. A Study In Drowning remains one of the best books I’ve read all year and after reading the summary for this book I was stoked to read it.

first, the writing is actually stunning. I really enjoy Ava Reid’s prose and despite giving this book a lower rating at least it wasn’t poorly written.

but my major gripe with this book is that it’s advertised as a feminist reimagining of Macbeth and that’s just…not…what it is. the sly, conniving, and coercive Lady Macbeth you remember reading about in high school English class is completely absent from this book! instead we’re stuck with this lost, sniveling teen who spends most of the book bemoaning her life instead of doing anything productive at all to change it. also Macbeth was not Macbeth at all like who is this man lmfao. and the whole side plot with Lisander was just. I feel like anywhere well else I would have eaten that nonsense up but not here.

so much potential with this book but alas, it just didn’t work for me.

thanks so much for NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Went into this expecting it to follow the plot of Macbeth a little more closely, and I think those expectations stopped me from getting into the story at the start. But Ava Reid is so great at painting a picture through her pages that I was still ultimately sucked into dark, dreary Glammis alongside Roscille. I'm no expert on 11th century Scotland, so can't confirm if the details were quite accurate, but I did appreciate that it felt like I was getting a little history lesson as I read (aside from some obvious witchy embellishments). This didn't give me a deeper insight to the Lady Macbeth I know so much as it provided an alternate turn of events. One I definitely enjoyed reading, but have conflicting feelings about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It's been such a brutally hot summer that I've been craving a chilling, gothic story to escape into. Lady Macbeth allowed me to do just that.

The eerie moors of Scotland come alive in Ava Reid's retelling of Shakespeare's most famous villainess. It's been almost ten years since I originally read Macbeth and I remembered so little about it, but that did not hinder my understanding or enjoyment of the plot at all.

I'm such a sucker for feminist retellings, and this is no different. Reid gives Lady Macbeth a voice she's never been given before. Even though the story and its characters are dark and brutal, you can't help but root for Roscille.

There were a few times where the pacing felt a little off (and maybe this has been fixed post-ARC), but overall I felt it did not take away from the story.

I recommend this to anyone who's in the mood for haunting historical fiction with a splash of fantasy.

4 stars / 8 out of 10

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ava Reid's previous works have been hit or miss for me. I've enjoyed some of them and DNFed others. This one was meh for me. I love a good retelling, but this one I couldn't get into as much as I wanted. I felt like I had to force myself to read at times. This wasn't for me.

“He crushed her in his fist, squeezing out all the witchcraft that was valuable to him, and then left her, a husk.”

Ava Reid never fails to deliver strong, beautiful, smart female leads; in Lady Macbeth, that’s exactly what readers will get. 17-year-old Roscille is branded a witch due to her eyes being able to control any men who dare to look into them. When she is married into a loveless, forceful marriage to Lord Macbeth she learns of his infatuation with witches. Like in the Play by William Shakespeare, Roscille starts to play puppet master. Unlike Shakespeare’s version, Ava’s Lady Macbeth doesn’t break down or lose her sanity. Instead, Roscille turns her hurt and anger into vengeance against Macbeth and the men who stand by him.

See my blog or bookstagram for a full review. Thank you so much @delreybooks for my finished arc and Netgalley for my EARC,

Shakespeare decidedly did not write this, but oh my gods, this was an incredible story of female power in a patriarchal society.

First off, there is a persona dramatis (list of characters) WITH all of the different spellings in the multitude of languages featured in this book - trust me this was a necessary thing because the spellings for each of the languages differed wildly. Secondly, this is a slow paced book, yes there is action, but the world building and character development for Lady Macbeth was the primary focus. It took me a little while to get into the book, but the growing emotional tidal wave that she goes through is very well done.

My only issues were that she is only 17 during this book, and at times it felt incongruous with the slow simmering rage, I remember 17 being much more rollercoaster like (lots of ups and downs), this felt like the rage of a 30 something. The other thing that bugged me was the occasional bogged down sections in description of things that were repeated, emphasis on her eyes, and the veil she wore.

Still a well written feminist take on the story of Macbeth, with a very different outcome.

Ava Reid’s Lady Macbeth is a captivating read that left me thoroughly impressed - I’m her newest fan! Reid’s writing is both rich and evocative, crafting a dark, moody atmosphere that’s ideal for a rainy fall day. Considering I can’t remember the original Macbeth plot well, this book feels complete and compelling on its own. The story is immersive, pulling you into its eerie world with skillful prose. My only minor complaint was the use of different languages and dialects, which could be a bit confusing at times. Despite this, Reid’s innovative take and atmospheric storytelling make Lady Macbeth a captivating and memorable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Have to soft dnf this beautiful writing but I don’t think the book is for me. It was a little hard for me to get into the story will try again later.

This REALLY makes me want to reread The Tragedy of Macbeth. Based on the reviews, though, doing so beforehand would have made me enjoy this book less...so I'm glad I waited.

If I ignore that this is a retelling, it's an excellent, dreary, gothic novel that makes the reader feel trapped, a sense of dread and foreboding throughout as our titular Lady tries to survive her new life and subvert war. I found the prose gorgeous, and our Lady is cunning though fallible.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine | Del Rey for this ARC Copy! 4.5 Stars

I have been looking forward to this book since the moment that I saw it was being written and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed at all.

This may not be the book for everyone and that is okay but I absolutely loved it. It is dark, gothic, atmospheric, gritty, and bloody and I loved every minute of it. The characters are hard to love and I think that was intentional, you don't have to love a character to root for them but it just made the female rage that much more impactful in my opinion.

There’s always something so distinct about Ava Reid’s writing. It’s dark, intelligent, haunting, beautiful and so much more. I was not familiar with Macbeth going into this novel but the Shakespearean influences were strong a I felt like it was a very well done adaptation. Some things went over my head but that’s my fault not the book’s.

I loved how no character was inherently good. They all had flaws and made questionable decisions but I still rooted for Roscille the whole time. Definitely a very thought provoking book that will stick with me for a long time.

Another masterpiece by Ava Reid. I loved this take on Macbeth. I believe this one will live on for years to come♥️

This was my second Ava Reid book and I loved the prose once again. The story was less strong but it was still a nice read. Glad I knew the trigger warnings earlier

I was definitely falling asleep in the back of my 11th grade English Lit class when we covered Shakespeare, so I went in blind for this one and still had a good time. After reading and enjoying several of Reid's other books, I'll pretty much give anything she writes a go.

This gothic fantasy feminist Macbeth reimagining was filled with scheming, feminine rage, and a bit of romance. I think it's eloquently written and shows Reid's depth and range as an author that she can dabble in so many topics and tropes. Definitely recommended this one.

Thank you so much for the ARC.

DNF @ 25%

I am a fan of Lady MacBeth and in college took multiple classes on Shakespeare and even wrote a paper about her. This is a very loose telling and I feel like her character didn't align with how I pictured her or enjoyed of her in the play. I feel like those who aren't invested in her character may enjoy the book because they don't already have a bias. I also have tried multiple books by Ava Reid and no matter what I read her writing just isn't for me which may have played a part.

In this Macbeth retelling by Ava Reid Rosiclle is married off at 17 to a Scottish Duke. It is said that her eyes induce madness and that she is witch touched, so she is shrouded by a veil. She is a product of her father, defined by him, and now promised to be defined by another.

Lady Macbeth is a hard one for me to rate. I felt like this story moved so slowly, and found myself putting off reading it. That would make you think low rating, right? Well, not necessarily. Reid is a master at writing women who find their way while being pushed down by the men around them. Even during the slower parts that I struggled through you are able to feel Roscille’s build up. The plot did not pick up until about the 70% mark and once it did it took off. I really enjoyed the last 30%.

Reid’s prose is beautiful as usual, and I enjoyed many passages and descriptors she chose to use throughout.

Overall, I think I need to go with 3.5 stars.

Ava Reid's thought provoking feminist take on Macbeth is atmospheric, dark and evocative.
This is not really a retelling, more of a story based on Shakespeare's Macbeth and I really enjoyed it, especially the magical elements.
Not structured as a play, though it reads as one, Lady Macbeth has Ava's distinctive lush prose and gruesome elements present in her previous books.

Reid’s meticulous attention to historical authenticity is evident in her adept use of period-appropriate language, reflecting the fluidity and evolution of speech during the era she portrays. This dedication to linguistic authenticity immerses readers in the texture and tone of the historical setting, making the cold, damp castle and its harsh environment palpable. Her evocative descriptions of the biting winds and the oppressive gloom draw readers into a visceral experience of the era’s physical and emotional landscape.

This unconventional retelling not only explores a woman’s journey of self-discovery in a world where bloodthirsty men vie for control, but also depicts the struggle of a lonely young woman trying to navigate a treacherous path. The story is enriched with romantic elements and steeped in Scottish folklore, blending mythical creatures and curses with a captivating fantasy narrative.

For those intrigued by tales of strategic mind games, devious plots, and supernatural elements set against a dark, gothic backdrop, this modern reinterpretation offers a fresh perspective on a compelling yet often underappreciated fictional character.

eternal gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for the arc