Shakespeare’s iconic villainess finally gets her side of the story. This isn’t just a retelling of Macbeth, but more like behind-the-scenes of Macbeth. What happens at the castle while the king is off on his conquests?

I loved the story and adored Lady Macbeth as a character. She is quiet but powerful. She is female rage. This book gave background, reason, and a voice to a previously not understood or misunderstood character. Ava Reid brings new life to the story and adds depth and girl power to a bloody classic.

Ok, so here’s the thing… I went into this book not fully knowing what to expect and more than anything I’ve come out of it confused. Let’s get into what I liked and didn’t like:

Liked:
- How poetic the writing was
- The strong FMC
- The historical references

Didn’t Like:
- I don’t feel like I understood…most of the book. Again, this could be due to my own incompetence but there were entire chapters that went over my head. Not in the “I wasn’t paying attention way”, but I just didn’t understand what was trying to be conveyed. It was in part due to the way the story was written (trying to be historically relevant) and in part due to the plot.
- Toxic masculinity, and before you jump on me and say that this is what this story is grounded on, as a re-telling I still wish we could have toned it down just a teensy little bit. It took away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

Was it a bad book? No. I can definitely see how some people are going to LOVE this one. It just wasn’t for me and that’s ok!

Thank you to Del Rey and Net Galley for a gifted copy of this one.

This novel was one of my most anticipated reads for the year and I would like to thank the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an eARC to read and share my thoughts on it. As a fan of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth and hearing so many stellar reviews of Ave Reid’s writing I was so eager to see how she molded a story for our complex queen.

The story begins by introducing us to Roscille the teenage daughter of a French lord who has sent her off to be married to Macbeth, a Scottish chief, who is around twice her age. She wears a veil over her face because it has been told that her stare prevails madness in men. Her arrival in Scotland is bleak she is afraid but cunning by beginning her manipulation of Macbeth by bringing up a custom where she can request three items from her husband before he consummates the marriage. It does not take long before Macbeth entrust her with his secret and prophecy of being king. To keep Macbeth satisfied and away from her bed she helps in his plans to fulfill that prophecy which then leads to her assassinating the Scottish King.

What I enjoyed the most about this retelling is its gothic setting and how Reid flushed out more of the supernatural aspects from the original play. However, the character development throughout slid by the wayside for me. And maybe that’s because I am such of fan of the original source material. Lady Macbeth in the play had so much ambition for power. She’s more a villain in that play but has a stronghold of what she wants until she descends to a madness plagued by guilt for the wrongs she’s committed. Her character has always been complex and intriguing. Roscille’s ambition and wants to me seems unclear until the final moments of the book. Her journey didn’t really show my too much development.

Another issue I had with this story was Roscille’s view of the Scottish people. I sympathized with Roscille and her situation. She’s forced alone in this new place, married to a man older than her. But I feel less sympathetic with her constant negative view of Scottish people. Her views that the Scottish people are brutes feels a tad xenophobic. And I guess it’s hard not too when all the Scottish men in the story are unlikable and redeemable save for one.

I really wanted to love this. As I mentioned I loved the gothic and fantastical elements of this book but ultimately a book title Lady Macbeth should have a Lady Macbeth you want to root for weather she be in her villain or hero era.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Ava Reid for the opportunity to read this prior to release. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Reimagining of Lady Macbeth. Roscille, rumored to be witch-touched, is married off at 17 to Macbeth. She wears a veil to keep men from the magic of her stare, so she must use her wits and cunning to stay safe in this new land full of brutish men. But she doesn't know her husband is keeping witch secrets of his own.

Review: I think my saving grace reading this is that I don't know *too* much about the original Lady Macbeth. However, I do know enough to know that this reimagining is so far different than the original that it is hardly even related. I think it would have been better off saying this is inspired by Lady Macbeth and leaving the names out of the story as to not invite comparison.

Semi-spoilers??
I found Roscille to be weak and kind of whimpy. She complains about how brutal and abusive her husband is throughout the book, but I must have missed something while reading, because he never actually touches her...? Roscille is single-handedly the cause of all the problems in the book because she wants to find a way to avoid her "marital duty". Every death is on her hands. It wasn't until about 75% into the book that she actually steps up and starts to be cunning.

I understand this is a fantasy reimagining but it was like the author just threw in all of the fantasy themes that she could think of. Witches, fairies, dragons, prophecies? It's supposed to be a feminist take on the original but there are only three females in the entire book that speak (not counting the laundry witches) and none of them seemed very impactful. Also, I don't know if the country as a whole pissed her off or just some individual men, but Ava Reid does NOT paint Scottish men in a very good light. Although, I did keep imagining Macbeth as Stoic from How to Train Your Dragon, so that was fun.

I have previously enjoyed Ava Reid's style of writing but the way she wrote this book seemed different from her other books. I found the story to jump all over the place and leave things out to the point where I frequently had to go back in the book to see if I missed something. Overall, I will continue to read Ava Reid's work but this book was just not for me. Nor would I recommend it to anyone that has a vague understanding of the original story.

When I saw that Ava Reid was writing a Macbeth retelling, I knew I had to read it. Advertised as a feminist retelling, I wish our leading lady wasn’t so unlikeable. I have read books where the protagonist is unlikeable, but you still root for them anyway, but it was hard for me to root Lady Macbeth on as the story went.

Also, if you are a Shakespeare purist, this work will hit some buttons. It’s been ages since I read The Tragedy of Macbeth, but I feel like there were some differences.

LADY MACBETH is an interesting book in a variety of ways. I thought this book would be a strict retelling from the POV of the famous villainess, the one who famously wishes she could be a ridiculously bloodthirsty entity rather than a woman and who called her husband weak because he wasn't down with murder. But that wasn't what was given here. This is not a bad thing, but if you wanted the lady boss that is known as Lady Macbeth from the play or are a die hard Shakespearean purist, I would skip this book because you won't like it.

This book is a retelling of sorts, one that is not faithful to the original storyline of Macbeth, but it doesn't make itself any less interesting. Retellings do not have to be 100% verbatim of the original source material, and this one takes it in stride. Instead, we get a gothic magical realism element throughout and beautiful prose that makes this book a powerful story in its own right about a woman who is forced to become who we know as Lady Macbeth. I would think of it as inspired by Shakespeare rather than a retelling. The details are rich, the story interesting, the magic and gothic elements well written.

The big thing though is the actual character of Lady Macbeth herself, Roscille in this story. I was expecting her to be this powerful, strong, absolutely take no prisoners character. I was expecting her to be manipulative and power hungry. And in a sense, we got that, but on a scale that is much smaller. Roscille is more PLAYING at being this way. It is as if her agency is stripped away. I know that the author was making a point about gender roles, and she makes it, ensuring that Roscille must play the game assigned to her and make her own identity in spite of that, but as a character, it made her a bit boring, especially when she is naturally compared to the powerhouse that is the OG Lady Macbeth. I wanted a villainess, not a caricature of one.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel and its story. Once I treated it like its own work, rather than a retelling, that is when I began to enjoy it more. If you want a faithful retelling, this won't be for you. But if you love character growth, gothic atmospheres, magical realism, and gender power dynamics, this one will be for you.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Hi, hello, hi, huge fan of Ava Reid over here. Juniper & Thorn and A Study in Drowning are some top tier gothic fantasies and solidified me as a forever fan. I mean, this girl can write her ass off. Hands down some of the most beautiful one liners I’ve ever read. Absolute poetry. Lady Macbeth is no different. Admittedly, this is probably my least favorite read of hers. But it’s still a good one!

I read a lot of Shakespeare growing up as a drama geek and lover of English courses. With that said, it has been a very, very long time since I’ve touched thw source material of Macbeth. I have a vague recollection of what happens but it’s been about 15 years now so I’m more fuzzy than not. I’m actually happy about that and certain I enjoyed this book even more because of it. Had Macbeth been fresh in my mind, I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed this for what it was.

If a dark reimagining of a literary character is something that sounds up your alley, definitely pick this one up! It’s an immediately engrossing read and I love Reid’s FMCs. I did a mix of reading and listening to the audio and Imani Jade Powers did an incredible job.

Sigh.

What a complete an utter disappointment this is.

I’m actually astounded — and a little impressed, actually — at how poorly Reid’s interpretation of the Lady Macbeth is. Lady Macbeth is one of the most fascinating characters in English literature. There are a multitude of readings and debates surrounding her character. Yet, Reid somehow manages to strip Lady Macbeth of almost all of her complexity. Many of her fascinating character traits are given to the men around her and even then it’s pathetic.

Additionally, Reid attempts to add complexity to the story and the Lady Macbeth mythology by shoddily attempting to do a thing where it’s like “we as women are an amalgamation…we are all in some ways Lady Macbeth.” (Especially with the First Wife).

I think this book would have worked better if it had stepped away from calling itself a retelling and instead had been a novel in its own right, with Reid citing influences from the Shakespeare classic. I still don’t think the book would’ve been great, but it would’ve been better.

This is more of a 1.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

I will say there were some decent moments of good writing, particularly with the commentary of the treatment of women. However, this could have been done so much better. Additionally, I can’t really say I cared for much of any of the characters or felt any of them had any distinct personality, it entirely lent on the play to do the heavy lifting.

Just really disappointing.

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid is a complicated book for me to review. Macbeth is a play I deeply love, and I loved the idea of a retelling that focused on Lady Macbeth, a fantastic character. I will start this review by focusing on Lady Macbeth as a book; I'll talk about it as a retelling (or a reimagining, as it is by no means a retelling).
Ava Reid is a beautiful, intelligent writer. I have read and enjoyed all of her books, and this is no exception. She plays with language and creates a compelling and engaging story. However, I wish one of two things—either that she had simply written this as historical fiction and not connected it with Macbeth or that she had created it as a prequel to Macbeth and not as a reimagining. So, on to what I thought of it in connection to Macbeth. This book is not for you if you loved Lady Macbeth as a strong, ambitious woman. Lady Roscille (Lady Macbeth) is a scared, seventeen-year-old girl who tries to be clever and keeps messing things up. She is not ambitious and is simply trying to survive. At the very, very end of the book, she finds her power, but most of the book does not represent Lady Macbeth as Shakespeare portrays her. As I said above, if this had been a prequel and taken place before the events of Macbeth and showed how Lady M had become ambitious and powerful, it would have been exciting. Alas, that is not the case. The book takes place at the same time as the play. However, the plot of the play seems to be disregarded. There were so many changes from the play for apparently no reason. From odd minor changes (why were the names of Duncan's sons changed?) to major plot points being changed. Many of Lady Macbeth's great scenes from the play were given to Lord Macbeth instead, again with no objective justification. Macduff, an essential character in the play, is almost nonexistent in the book. So, as a Macbeth reimagining, it failed for me, which is a shame because I think Reid could have done a fantastic job if she had either made it a prequel or stayed more aligned with the source material. If you are not attached to the play Macbeth, I think you will love this book; however, if you do love Macbeth, read with caution.

Ava Reid reimagines Macbeth with a compelling twist of fantasy and powerful feminist themes. In this retelling, Roscille's father arranges her marriage to Macbeth. Rocille is a foreign noblewoman rumored to be a witch who is forced to wear a veil to prevent her from bewitching the men around her. Intrigued by her magical abilities, Macbeth takes a particular interest in her. Despite being forced to appear docile and quiet, Roscille must navigate the treacherous game of power struggles to secure her position and assert her power to survive.

Ava Reid is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. If I were to recommend one book I read this year, it would be Lady Macbeth. Everyone should read this book. Think you know the Scottish play? Think again.

I'm a little bit torn about this one. I've read Ava Reid before and really enjoyed her work, but this one didn't hook me the way I expected it to.

Part of me is a little wary of books tagged as feminist retellings of classic stories as I kind of feel like they've all let me down so far. And while I really loved the mood of this novel, Roscille's character fell really flat for me.

For the first half of the book I was constantly wondering if her supposed power over men was even real, or if it was a product of men blaming their selfishness and impulsivity on women. But it was real and severely under used. A lot of Roscille's inner monologue felt like it was all about how cunning and smart she was, but how she was raised to hide it for fear of retaliation. But really, there's only one scheme in this book that felt wholehearted on her part. Everything else felt like a cowardly reaction to the behavior of the men around her.

As a lot of the other reviews mentioned, it really felt like Roscille's agency was stripped from her. That she was more of a reactionary figure than someone trying to create advantageous situations for herself.

DNF - 10%
I can tell right off the bat that this book is not for me and, also because of the opinions of some trusted friends, I don't think it is worth me continuing.

I'm a huge fan of Ava Reid, so there is some bias here. However, I think Lady Macbeth is her best and most mature novel to date.

Atmospheric, complex, and at times hard to swallow, Ava Reid once again blends folk horror with body horror in a dark origin story of one of Shakespeare's most notorious women. Lady Macbeth reads like a ghost story, reminiscent of Hamlet's own haunting decades later. The novel forces us to face what many women experience (and continue to experience) daily, and the choices made when desperation and survival are all that drive you.

With enough of a unique spin on who and what Lady Macbeth was to make this retelling fresh and relevant, Ava Reid once again makes monsters out of women...and I can't bring myself to be mad about it.

Everything Ava Reid writes is a masterpiece. Jaw dropped. Couldn't put it down. Need the finished copy in my hands immediately!!!

“You will haunt me too,” she says at last. “We can never be truly apart then; if we are each other’s ghost.”
I am not overly familiar with Macbeth and therefore I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story. From the little I did know, I had gathered that Lady Macbeth was manipulative and maybe even evil, but I love the voice that Ava Reid gave her in this story.
Roscille is incredibly clever and cunning. She has to be in order to survive in a man’s world, being sold and used for other’s gain and agendas. The manipulation she uses on others isn’t for evil means, but to survive and avoid some of her biggest fears, some of which still end up coming true.
I think people were expecting her to be a villainess in this story, but this paints a much more realistic picture, in my opinion, of what her motives would’ve been for what happened in Macbeth. In her shoes I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same or at least tried, all in the name of surviving.
There were times where I completely forgot this was a fantasy book and therefore would feel jarring when it came up. The dragon for instance came out of left field even though we knew and it was hinted that something was going on there.
Additionally, the romance could’ve really benefited from a few more interactions throughout the story. There was definitely tension and beautiful moments there but I was left wanting more when it came to how we got there in the end.
The dark and atmospheric prose mixed with this haunting yet hopeful story gripped me from start to finish. I definitely fell in love with Ava Reid’s writing and while it isn’t perfect, I had a great time reading this!

I love how dark this one was! It's definitely a bit of a departure for the author, but I'm a big fan of unlikable women, so this one really spoke to me. I'll admit there were times Roscille made me want to tear my hair out, but overall I really enjoyed the book. I'm not sure this book is a slam dunk for the author's previous readership, but in my opinion, it can more than stand on its own.

Well, the writing is beautiful. And I may have enjoyed this had it not been a MacBeth retelling. But this iteration of the classic play completely removes Lady Macbeth’s agency, strips her of her power over MacBeth and leaves a shivering mess of a woman. There are moments of brilliance that are overshadowed by the nonsensical character and plot changes.

A dark, tragic, and haunting reimagining of Shakespeare’s most famous villainess.

“Lady Macbeth” follows Roscille after she is wed to a Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed. To survive his hostility and dangerous court, she relies on her wiles and hidden witchcraft.

I am quite the Shakespeare fanatic and “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is one of my favorite plays precisely because of how cunning and ruthless Lady Macbeth’s character is. I gravitated toward this novel because I was curious about Reid’s take on the character and though this is not the play retold from her point-of-view, I enjoyed it for what it is! Reid’s reimagining gives Lady Macbeth her own name, a past, and occult power that cleverly expands on Shakespeare’s original work. In Reid’s rendition, she captures a woman living in a patriarchal society who has her voice violently taken away by the men around her. Roscille’s fear surrounding abuse at the hand of men is what fuels her scheming and manipulation—what ultimately turns her into Lady Macbeth. She doesn’t want a crown, she wants to survive. She uses her beauty as a weapon in retaliation against those holding her womanhood against her. She finds power in her rage, which she acts on only after it has festered. I think that is the key difference between Roscille and Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth—in a world that does not favor women, she is less ambitious and more reactive in a sense. This new portrayal took some getting used to, but once I did, I appreciated how it widened my perspective.

I was entranced by Reid’s atmospheric and lyrical writing. The intention and power behind each and every word adds depth to Roscille’s character, showing the extent of her wiles and smarts. The bits of proverbial wisdom Reid sprinkles throughout allow her to emulate the bard himself in her own way. What I love most is how Reid uses various names for each character to reflect the different languages being spoken at the time.

➾ NOTE: After careful reflection and reading reviews written by my peers, it has been pointed out that this book can be interpreted as xenophobic. Intentional or not, most, if not all, of the Scottish characters—an ethnic group that Roscille does not belong to—are underdeveloped and described as brutish, violent, and evil. This characterization is unfair and in no way pays homage to the source material.

Beautiful writing, I just don’t think I was able to connect all that well. Took me a little long to get through. Confusing at points and dragged on at times- not sure if I needed a Macbeth refresher beforehand but felt like I should’ve brushed up. Nothing against the writer- I’ll definitely be picking up another- this Macbeth retelling just wasn’t for me. Thank you to Netgalley and Ava Reid and her team for allowing me this early viewing.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Del Rey, author Ava Reid, and NetGalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: August 13, 2024

2.5 STARS

Lady MacBeth was a major miss for me—both in plot direction and writing mechanics/execution.

The mood is stark. I wasn’t engaged emotionally. The world building is minimal and scene-setting lacking in imagery. I could not picture much as I was reading.

The magic in this world could have been interesting but only comes into play when servicing the broader themes.

Pacing feels glacial. Not much happens over the first half of the book. What events do occur are belabored by our protagonist Roscille’s musings and insecurities, unfortunately, with lots of repetition. All this filler dulled the impact of significant plot beats. The flowery prose even further hindered my engagement.

Add to this the impersonal narrative style. (I don’t mind 3rd person.) The greatest problem was the lack of dimension and nuance given the main characters. We get a young bride with little agency forced by her father into marrying a much older husband with blood on his hands and machinations on his mind. I don’t feel like either of the Macbeths get much of a character arc.

In school, I found myself enthralled by Shakespeare’s Macbeth and its characters. The subtext of the Scottish play creates a litany of questions in the reader/watcher’s head as to who MacBeth and his lady wife truly are inside and what brought them together in their shared bloody quest for power. This book kills any sociological mystery by ramming blunt answers down your throat.

What’s more, I don’t think the provided answers ring true for who the characters end up becoming. This ingenue who feels powerless does not match up with the antiheroine baddie in the original Shakespeare play. Reid liberally changed the story so that the greatest evil could be shifted onto male characters—namely Macbeth—and provided Lady Macbeth a sympathetic backstory. I’m all for retellings, but this is a rewrite.

Reid does competently write on a sentence-to-sentence level. You may like this book if (a) you’re a huge fan of the recent trend of feminist retellings in Greek mythology, or (b) you can consume Lady Macbeth independently of the original play or are completely unfamiliar with the source material.