Ava Reid always captures my heart with her dark and lyrical tales. Lady Macbeth is no different!

Macbeth purist might think this Lady Macbeth depiction veers to far from the original source but I found the choice to make our heroine a bit quiter in her calculation really paid off! Her demure nature on page made her silent and masterful manipulation all the more impressive, subverting what readers have come to expect.

Literary retellings have always been both popular and controversial. Some readers desire an extension of the canon, while others seek a new twist or a combination of the two. I am personally easy to please. I enjoy either one, intrigued by differing interpretations and perspectives, as long as they’re well-executed. Ava Reid’s Lady Macbeth offers an intriguing take on its titular character. Fashioned as a young bride, viewed as little more than a political prize, how would she find herself in the play’s infamous web of violence? To see her perspective stem from survival rather than hunger intrigued me. Unfortunately, Reid does little to expand on the ideas she presents. Each character feels underdeveloped, with an underdeveloped setting and plot to match. The writing does little more than set up the atmosphere which, without those prior aspects, rings hollow. ~300 pages have never felt longer. It is difficult for me to criticize other aspects of the work simply because nothing is written with depth. For example, was the unchallenged xenophobia meant to serve a purpose? Judging writing that lacks dimension makes it difficult to interrogate intention and delivery alike. As a retelling, Lady Macbeth also falters. Reid fails to interact with the original text in any clear or meaningful way. The story feels like Shakespeare’s characters (and some originals) were plugged into an entirely different world, for no apparent reason. I do have to give credit where it’s due, though. Most retellings don’t dare to venture far from the source material. Lady Macbeth may have missed the mark, but not for lack of trying. 2/5 stars.

I had a love hate relationship with this book. I felt like the writing was well done but I felt like the characters fell flat. I also found that the story had a hard time keeping me engaged and wanting more. I was very excited to read this book but it ended up falling a little flat.

(This review is from my Goodreads account as it’s too long to put on my bookstagram. Because of this, I have linked both in this review)

This was pitched as a feminist Lady Macbeth retelling and I’m confused because where the heck is the feminism? Where is the famous middle-aged woman who literally gaslights and gatekeeps her way to power? And how can you set a book in Scotland and then HORRENDOUSLY represent them? I’m honestly mad for the Scots because what was this??

The book follows the 17 year old French lady, Roscille as she makes her way to Scotland to wed Macbeth. The reader is told right at the beginning of the book that Roscille is cunning, incredibly observant, and fantastic with remembering people’s names and faces. What the reader gets for the rest of the book though is a naive girl who thinks she can manipulate her way around the castle with it only coming back to spectacularly bite her in the ass, and a girl who literally cannot remember a single person that isn’t Banquo and his son Fleánce. Roscille comes off as the typical spoiled noble raised child who is upset that she has to be sent to Scotland as part of a treaty between her father the Duke of Brittany (Breizh as it is properly called in Breton and in the book) and Macbeth. Not only is she upset by this marriage treaty, which I would expect from a historically accurate child bride, but her internalized misogyny and xenophobia was WAY overdone in my opinion. I can see why Reid would want to use these themes in her novel as she has in her other books, but the way that she went about it in this book was not only exaggerated, but also incredibly rude in general. Roscille thinks all women except her are dumb and ugly. She likes to hold herself to the high standard of having perfect skin and an “intelligent” mind (which I think is just plain flattery here), and that is why other women can’t compare to her. This was especially true when it came to her handmaiden, Hawise, a girl from Normandy, who was described as top heavy and not very bright. While she hates when Hawise is constantly sexually harassed by the men in her father’s court, but then she does nothing to help the girl other than just be silently angry for her. And the fact that Hawise is part of the Norseman who settled in that part of France? Wow, like girl, you could be nicer instead using her as an experiment to “civilize” Norsemen. Speaking of her bad attitude towards outsiders, Roscille’s horrendous attitude towards the Scots was just infuriating as a reader of both casual reading and someone who loves reading anything related to the Celtic nations. She refuses to see the Scots as nothing more than brutish heathens that are bloodthirsty and barbaric. The only people she sees as worthy of her acceptance is the weird love interest in Lisander (I’ll get to this later) who is half English. Yes, the notion that the English are civilized and thus inherently more decent than the brutes that are all Scottish men. Really, for someone that comes from a land with Celtic roots, I thought she’d have a bit more sympathy towards another Celtic nation. I was so done with Roscille that I honestly started rolling my eyes whenever Roscille tried to rationalize why she was a victim of the Scots and their ways and silently celebrating when her “schemes” went to shit. Really, this character was just god awful and I couldn’t wait to get out of her POV.

The other thing that I couldn’t wrap my head around with Roscille’s characterization is that she is portrayed as a pawn in her husband’s grab for power instead of it being the other way around. Like, excuse me?? Where is the kickass woman from the play who literally starts belittling her husband for not taking a chance at the crown when he could? Where is her f-ing agency in making decisions??? This just boggled my mind and I couldn’t understand how this could possibly be considered feminist when you are literally taking away a POWERFUL female character’s agency and ability to make decisions on her own. Is this a spoof or something, because if it is, round of applause for making me so irrationally pissed off while reading this.

Speaking of irrationally pissed off, did we seriously need a love story between Lady Macbeth and Lisander/Malcom?? I found this romance to be completely uncalled for and could’ve been entirely scrapped in my opinion. It was really cringeworthy when Reid started portraying the love as better suited for Roscille because the man’s half English and not inclined to be brutish as his full Scottish brethren because of those BLESSED English genes.

Another thing that really confused me with this book is why is there a dragonshifter in this? Like, we all know that the dragon is the symbol of Wales while England is the lion and Scotland is the unicorn. It’s even freaking mentioned in the book!! The fact that the dragon is somehow important to this Scottish heavy plot just really confused me . . . Also just the huge importance on animals in general in this book just made me scratch my head multiple times at because why the HEAVY emphasis on ermines and their “cunning” when the main character literally can’t see and plot past her present needs?

The last thing that really ground my gears and confused me a lot was how on earth did Roscille get her powers? Like it’s even speculated in the book, but still . . . Why do her eyes have the ability to ensorcel men and only men? I was really interested in the idea that Roscille is a fourth witch, but this just fell incredibly flat for me.

The SOLE thing that kept me going with this dumpster fire of a book, is the use of Breton folklore. I was honestly more interested in that than the entire drama going on in Glammis Castle and wish there was more of it in general. . . Or just scrap this plot and write a book about Breton folklore!

In general, I’m going to try and wrap up this review because I feel like I’m just bitching and moaning at this point. My last few bits are, if you want a great scholarly review, bri has posted hers on her Patreon where she wonderfully breaks down this book and the play Macbeth as a rising Shakespeare scholar. But also, please go and read the reviews by Scottish readers and their problems with this book. The last thing that I will bitch and moan about is that Reid literally pulled a Braveheart by having the warriors in the last battle scene go out in blue war face paint . . . This was a historical YIKES for me.

Despite all of this though, I would like to thank Del Rey Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I really really REALLY wanted to like this.

Publication date: August 13

Overall: 1/5 ⭐️

I had high hopes going into this but sadly they were quickly dashed almost from the moment I started reading. The writing itself was hard for me to get through as it reads like it was straight out of the Shakespearean era, then we have Lady Macbeth who is a waifish young woman who is like the prettiest girl who ever lived and even the fact that her gaze could make a man go crazy doesn't stop MacBeth from wanting to marry her.

Nothing about this story worked for me, the writing, I didn't care about the characters or what was happening in the story. I found myself bored and skimming through the middle. The end was mildly more interesting, but it didn't make up for the rest of the book.

I love Ava Reid, and I really wanted to love this book to, but it fell a little flat for me.

The story overall is very interesting with queer undertones and witchy vibes. But there's only so much I can take about abused women before my eyes start to hurt. There is a lot of SA and physical abuse in this book that just hurts. But, again, this is a retelling of Lady Macbeth, so I expected it.

Overall, the story is good and I do recommend it, but I think her other works are just stronger.

From the moment I read the beginning sentences of this novel, its haunting voice, and atmosphere shrouded in shadows immediately pulled me into the immersive world that Ava Reid created, I think that one of Reid's greatest strengths is creating this sort of all-encompassing feeling while reading her works, where once you're reading her writing, nothing else exists except you and this story,

Though at first, I found the book difficult to get into, mostly attributing to being thrown into the deep end of the world, with new terminology, and world-building that I wasn't yet familiar with. But after I hit the 20% mark, I became much more invested in the story and went on to finish the rest of the book within a day.

Overall, I loved the blend of Scottish folklore, and magical twists and fantasy elements, which gave this story its own life. My only criticism is that Lady Macbeth (also known as Roscille) was more passive than I anticipated, and the plot didn't feel like it was being driven by her very much at all. If I could separate this novel from Macbeth itself, all in all, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and will continue to read anything that Ava Reid releases.

This book kind of sneaks up on you, and I think that’s why it may land differently for different readers, but I really enjoyed it. Those who know the source material will in particular be expecting a particular kind of story because Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s more action-packed stories.

But this is a quiet book in many ways. The style and time period feel like something from another world, a big contrast to Reid’s last book, A Study in Drowning. The remote Scottish castle, the brutality of politics, and the complete lack of feminine safe spaces really stand out. As always, Reid is masterful in creating an atmosphere that feels completely unique and yet grounded in a specific time and place.

Lady Macbeth herself is also not exactly like the Lady Macbeth of the play, a change I think may bother some, but which didn’t bother me. She feels fully realized and to me, fully aware of her own power, though she’s not wielding it openly.

This is an eerie, mystical book about power, gender, and conformity that will set you on edge and that means it’s done its job.

Thank you to Del Rey for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid is a haunting and lyrical reimagining of Shakespeare's classic character. Reid masterfully delves into the psyche of Lady Macbeth, exploring her ambitions, fears, and the dark forces that drive her. The novel is rich in atmosphere, with Reid's prose painting vivid scenes that feel both timeless and contemporary. This retelling brings a fresh perspective to a well-known story, making it a compelling read for fans of historical fiction and psychological thrillers alike.

A new take on Macbeth... but the story is about Lady Macbeth and her journey as witch, bride, and villain. Ever since she was born she has been called witch, daughter of hagseeds... and the bastard child. Known for her unearthly beauty, said to entice and capture men, and for her mysterious gifts.... now she has been sold off to marriage in a strange land to a Scottish brute who is known for being a warrior and relentless both in the field and when it comes to the marriage bed. The Lady knows that his court is hostile and that to survive she must use all her cleverness... but every move will cost her and she must keep her witchcraft hidden if she wants to survive. But she can only endure so much before she snaps... and with a husband who is as brutish as he is ambitious, a court who is out for her, and the only solace she finds is in a rival prince who is somehow more monstrous yet kinder than her own husband.... the Lady must find a way to free herself before it is too late and she finds herself on the end of her husband's obsession with witches and prophecy... and find herself his newest victim. I have always enjoyed the Macbeth story and this was such a unique twist and take and I absolutely adored it. I loved that Ava Reid gave a voice to Lady Macbeth, I loved that she made her so much more. This was a really delightful read and the ending just felt perfect. I gritted my teeth while reading this book and felt the anger and vengeance that Lady Macbeth had been stewing in, I loved her endurance and strength. This is just a gorgeous take on a classic and one I would absolutely recommend for fans of the original or of anyone who enjoys female rage stories because rage she did and righteously so.

Release Date: August 13,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

“Death-touched. Poison-eyed. Witch-kissed.“

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
Rating: ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ .5

This was my first dive into Ava Reid books, and even though the first part of the book didn’t pull me in right away, I was intrigued. The writing was well done to fit with the nature of the story. Unfortunately, I do believe that I’ve found that I’m just not into historical fantasy. However, for lovers of retellings with fantasy elements added in, I think this will be a good read! There are some questionable bits about this book that I’m not sure will sit well with some, but I’ve also not read the original story of Macbeth.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I didn’t really enjoy this story as much as I thought I would. I don’t really know the original story of Lady Macbeth so I was excited to see how I’d like this retelling especially with it being a feminist character driven book. The storyline was a bit odd at times and hard to follow. The writing was still very beautiful and it being my first Ava Reid, I will be reading their other book. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the arc.

"All hail the Queen who shows the dark threads beneath the world to which the mortal gaze is blind."


Roscille, a gorgeous foreign daughter, is being sent to the castle of a Scottish lord to be his wife. Macbeth has taken a great risk in securing the alliance with her lord, as she has been witch-kissed, cursed. It's said that if any man were to meet her eyes, they'd be overcome with their desire for her and eventually lose their lives. As she becomes Lady Macbeth, she learns the secrets and the way around the castle. But there's darker things at work, and trying to keep her life might just end up with her losing it.

I will say, the beginning of this book was a little slow for me, but that very well could be that I haven't read Macbeth itself before. I did read the summary of it to somewhat understand the storyline progression, and it picked up the pace. Roscille is just a girl trying her best honestly, and she deserves to be happy. Being foreign, accused as a witch, and stuck in a castle with literally only men sounds awful already, but especially during this era.
I did enjoy the book overall, I liked the darker and more fantastical take on this story, but now it makes me want to go read Macbeth itself to see the differences. You don't NEED to have read it to read this, but I feel like it makes it more fun to follow along.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review! Happy pub day Ava!

3.5 ⭐️
I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Ava Reid thus far but this story, although beautifully written, was not my favorite. I love how poetic and heart-wrenching her writing is and I obsessed over the many metaphors and symbolism throughout this story. there are so many quotes in this book that completely blew my mind!

I also adored the dark, lush atmosphere. I felt immersed in the story setting and could visualize the gloom of Scotland so vividly.

to me, the pacing of the book dragged in places and I got lost in the metaphorical writing which got especially confusing near the end of the book.

everything felt a bit hazy when reading this story, as if I was looking through a foggy window only catching glimpses of the depth of these characters, their motives, intentions, and personalities without truly connecting with them. I do love character-driven stories so this could be more of a “me” issue.

I was so fascinated by Roscille’s and desperately needed things to turn out well for her. I really wanted to know more about her but never felt like I got the full picture of who she was.

overall, I loved the poetic writing and the haunting setting but I wanted more from this story.

thank you Netgalley and Del Rey Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the free audiobook and ebook in exchange for my honest review!!

3.5 - I unfortunately read this book at completely the wrong time (literally during the 2 days of my bar exam) which I think did not give it the best shot at me enjoying it fully. But what I will say is I really loved the audiobook and am so glad I decided to listen to it on audio!! The audiobook helped so much in understanding how to say the characters names and really get in character to understand the setting and the folklore behind Lady Macbeth. I felt like I was living in the book with Lady Macbeth because of the excellent narration and the narrator kept me engaged.

Although we all know the story of Macbeth (or at least I was one of the people that grew up reading Macbeth in school), Lady Macbeth takes a twist on the classic play. Roscille is given as a gift to Macbeth to be his bride. Roscille is desperate to survive despite all of the expectations on her: to bear a child and be a docile wife. Macbeth slowly turns to Roscille to strategize the victories he wishes to have against other leaders and kingdoms, and you can tell that Roscille is deceptive and cunning as she plans how to take vengeance and refuse to give into the role she has been forced to take.

I thought this book was a clever twist on Macbeth. While I didn't fully connect with Roscille and I found it interesting that she was so unlike Lady Macbeth in the classic. The changes to Lady Macbeth's character and personality I think were meant to take more of a feminist approach and exploration of sexism in the book, but sometimes it really jarred me as to how different Rosecille was from the character she was named after.

Overall, I thought this was an interesting book and I expect that I would have enjoyed it more if I read it at a better time! Definitely a fun spin on the classic and a really different way to explore and define the character of Lady Macbeth.

Ava Reid’s Lady Macbeth takes a fresh approach to Shakespeare's infamous villainess, reimagining her as Roscille, a 17-year-old French girl cursed by a witch and married off to Macbeth. While this premise holds promise, the execution falls short in ways that may feel all too familiar to readers of Reid's previous work, Juniper & Thorne.

One of the major drawbacks of Lady Macbeth is its thematic and narrative similarity to Juniper & Thorne. Roscille, much like Marlinchen, is a protagonist with little to no agency, repeatedly coming across as a passive character subjected to the whims and abuses of those around her. This lack of control over her life becomes tiresome, especially when the plot introduces yet another dark-haired love interest who, like Sevas, is thrust into an unwanted role and must hide his connection to Roscille while she endures further mistreatment from other male characters.

The story also suffers from a significant amount of repetition, which makes the first 60% of the book feel like a slog. Reid often repeats the same details and thoughts, whether it's Roscille fixing her veil, obsessing over Macbeth's size or Lisander's eyes, walking over the same gross puddle on her way to the dungeons, or mulling over the same thoughts again and again. This repetition not only hinders the narrative pace but also diminishes the emotional impact of the story.

While the concept of reimagining Lady Macbeth’s backstory had potential, Lady Macbeth ultimately struggles to rise above its repetitiveness and reliance on familiar tropes. Fans of Reid's work may still find something to appreciate, but for those who found Juniper & Thorne underwhelming, this novel may feel like more of the same.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I’m here to tell you that if you never read Shakespeare’s Macbeth, you’ll be just fine understanding and enjoying this book. I honestly think it might be better that way because there are no biases towards the original work.

Lady Macbeth follows a young bride sent by her father to a foreign lord. She is rumored to bewitch men with her eyes and is forced to wear a veil to prevent her from ensorcelling them. The story is told only from the point of view of Lady Macbeth, and I really enjoyed her as a character that is strong and stubborn, but also naive and struggling to learn her place in life.

As always with Ava Reid, she never shies from away from the gory or horrific. This one is definitely milder than her other works such as Juniper & Thorn, so I wouldn’t let the gore be a turn off unless it’s a hard no for you.

Nope. This wasn’t good.

One of my favorite characters in Shakespeare is Lady Macbeth. She’s tenacious, action-oriented, and goes after what she wants regardless of the consequences. She’s one powerful lady, seen as her husband’s “partner in greatness.” I mean, sure, she’s going to plot the murder of some characters to get what she wants for her family, but I didn’t say she was saintly.

Ava Reid took this dynamic, complex character and turned her into a wet rag of a human. In her retelling, she’s a seventeen year-old foreign bride of Macbeth, stumbling around the castle with none of the ambition that Shakespeare imbued his character with. She has very little agency of her own. Even though we follow her character around, this book is really more about the men in her life.

Furthermore, this strayed incredibly far from the plot of Shakespeare’s play. I’m not even taking about the dragon that makes a few appearances. (What a wild sentence.) Reid’s characterization of Macbeth and Banquo is just so wildly off. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a good dude, a loyal soldier, a man who loves his wife and sees her as an equal. His bromance with Banquo is my favorite friendship—you know, until he wants Banquo dead. Reid doesn’t give us Macbeth’s struggle over the idea of killing the king, his descent into evil. Instead, Reid skips to Act 3-5 Macbeth from the get-go. I don’t understand this choice, nor the choice to barely make Macduff a character. This was a mess and I’m mad that I spent hours reading this.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The book is available today, August 13.

Ava Reid once again dazzles me with her writing. I have never read Macbeth before and wasn’t really familiar with the story but I did some quick research and it’s so interesting to see it in Roscille’’s point of view. It was a bit difficult to get into but I did like the overall pacing. I still prefer a study in drowning but this doesn’t mean the book is bad! i’m so excited to see what else she gives to us🤍

There is just something so beautiful about Ava Reid’s prose. Their books are a must read for me be it their twisty YA books or haunting adult books. I’ve been eagerly looking forward to Reid’s newest adult book, Lady Macbeth because if anyone can offer more depth and nuance to the character I wanted it to be Reid.

Lady Macbeth is filled with the beautiful prose of Reid’s other books. At times I can practically feel the damp cold air of the castle this book is set in. I admit to being very familiar with the source material however I feel like it might be best to go into this book forgetting everything you know (or think you know about Macbeth). There are some fun references for the discerning reader but this book feels very separate from the Shakespeare story. I admit that my expectations and hopes for this book were wrapped up in a different direction however I really appreciate what Reid did with the character even if it wasn’t what I was hoping for.

Fans of Reid’s should definitely check this book out and anyone wanting another take on one of literatures most intriguing women.

Thank you so much to DelRey books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read in early copy in exchange for an honest review.