Cover and prose were gorgeous but this one was difficult for me to get into. Ava Reid is incredible at crafting an eerie atmopshere, and that mood was probably my favorite part of the book. It didn't really feel like a Macbeth retelling, and I found it a little off-putting how the Scots were often described as brutish and barbarian. (This was something I noticed in the other Reid novel I've read, A Study in Drowning, with the main character and the world's equivalent of the English, which never truly got resolved there - hopefully in the sequel, but that's beside the point. Just interesting that it's shown up in both of Reid's novels I've read so far). I think I may have liked this better if it were marketed as loosely inspired by Macbeth rather than as a retelling, especially a feminist one - the woman characters were few and far between, and it was honestly a bit difficult to relate to any one of them; they felt a bit flat to me. I enjoyed it, but it certainly wasn't what I expected nor my favorite of Reid's stories to date.

This should not have been a Macbeth retelling.

If you take away the defining characteristics of Lady Macbeth and add in xenophobia and misogyny, you get this book. Truly the question I had at the end was why did this need to be Macbeth?? If you rename the characters, take away the like one obvious plot point, maybe change the setting, this could have been an original story and probably better for it (ideally also without the xenophobia and misogyny).

In this story, Lady Macbeth is a 17-year-old French woman sent off to marry Macbeth. The amount of times that Macbeth and the Scottish are referred to as brutish, barbaric, uncivilized, large, etc was truly off-putting. The fact that the love interest (not Macbeth) was half-English only added to this (and also why was he a dragon??? What did that even add to this story???).

I also take issue with this being called a "feminist" retelling, "giving voice, a past, and power that transforms the story men have written for her" (from the goodreads synopsis). This did not do that. It can be argued that this went backwards, even. We took an ambitious, powerful woman and made her into a nothing character. Roscille says she's "cleverer than her sex allows" but this is never shown to us. She sits in on a council meeting and the rest of the time is sitting in the corner. She's prettier than everyone else, but her eyes enchant men and she has to hide behind a veil. I assumed that was where Roscille's power was going to come from but then she doesn't even use her power except for the one time Macbeth tells her to kill Duncan and then to finally kill Macbeth at the end. There was so much that could have been done with that but Reid chose not to. Plot spoiler: Arguably the defining moment of the play and Lady Macbeth's character, when she convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan, plans it, and tells Macbeth to do it, is the complete opposite here. Macbeth forces her to kill Duncan, he plans it, he tells her what to do. And while this isn't the most egregious part of this story, I think it annoyed me the most. You just took away the whole point of the story??

As far as the feminism part, there were no other women in this story. Roscille has a maid, that is taken away, and then later gets a new one. There are no woman in the castle, there are no other women that Roscille interacts with. The only other women we see are the witches, chained in a dungeon (or something). I just can't see a story that doesn't have women, acknowledge women, celebrate women, as being feminist. I also do think that making Roscille younger was a disadvantage for the story - she didn't have the drive and ambition that Lady Macbeth needs to have, she was too naive about the world. And while I could see the argument that this is a different character than the actual Lady Macbeth (Gruoch, who Lady Macbeth is based on, does come into play but I won't spoil that), it didn't make sense to then retell the part of the story that is told here with this character.

Ultimately, this felt like a different story or a different retelling that was changed to be Macbeth which would explain why nothing felt researched or fleshed out. Or, in retelling the fictional characters from the play, Reid forgot that they were based on real people with real cultures (and that Scottish people exist). Either way this had potential but fell flat of the story it could have been.

One of the biggest disappointments of the year so far. I really wish Ava Reid had written her own gothic historical fantasy, even said "inspired by" Macbeth, instead of billing this as a "feminist retelling" of Macbeth. Anyone hoping for a Lady Macbeth origin story, as I was, or anything remotely related to the source material will probably be disappointed. This just recast Lady Macbeth as a 17 year old French girl and gave her a literal death stare (which I thought was just a rumor/myth until [SPOILER] she used it to kill the king??? And then there's the insta-love trope that I never enjoy combined with an extremely random dragon that threw me completely off.
If you have any appreciated for Macbeth, skip this one. It's getting three stars just because I did feel compelled (pun intended) to keep reading even though I wasn't really enjoying it.

Ava Reid's Lady Macbeth is a captivating retelling that offers a fresh interpretation of Shakespeare’s character, bringing depth and complexity to her story. Despite my limited familiarity with the original play, I found the novel's dark and gothic prose mesmerizing. Reid masterfully blends power, magic, and fate, crafting a compelling and atmospheric narrative. This beautifully written book is a must-read for fans of reimagined classics and gothic tales.

This was a highly anticipated book for me this year, and Ava Reid did not disappoint. I’ll be honest, I know nothing about the original Macbeth, so I went into this with zero context. But I don’t feel like it took away from my enjoyment of the story at all.

Once again, Ava created a world so dark, damp, gothic and creepy that it was easy to feel fully submersed it the story. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to stop. Her writing style is so poetic and darkly enchanting, and I loved it.

The journey we took with Roscille /Lady Macbeth was like a dark fairytale. Combine that with witchy female rage, secrets, magical empowerment, and the lengths women will go to survive and 🤌🏻 you’ve got the masterpiece that is Lady Macbeth.

With all the gothic fantasy themes and a surprising little side of romance, this book was the perfect dive back into fantasy for me!

“Roscille considers this: in order to be seen as merciful, one must first be seen as powerful. There is no mercy that a sheep can show a wolf.”
I can’t believe this has been sitting on my NetGalley shelf untouched since January. (Thank you for sending me an arc) I regret not picking it up sooner.
“If she cannot have safety, if she cannot have love, at least she can have this. Vengeance.”
This was classic Ava Reid, dark and empowering.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why would I ever doubt that this book wouldn’t hit after A Study in Drowning?!?
Bringing a new perspective on an old, dark tale, Lady Macbeth exposes the ugly truth behind Macbeth’s narrative and places the story in the hands of a 16 year old girl. A girl who is primed and promised to a lord, who shouldn’t also be holding a deathly secret… but she is.

A story of fairytale, witchcraft, death and deception, Lady Macbeth is such a go-to gothic read for the fall! Leaning more YA, Ava Reid shows us what can really happen when you underestimate women who will stop at nothing to survive and how strong we can really be.

✨ Book releases on August 13, 2024!!!!

Special thank you to @netgalley @randomhouse and @avasreid for this early copy!

Lady Macbeth
Ava Reid
5⭐️

Pub Date: 8/6/2024

Just... wow!
This retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth is top notch for me. Obviously based on the title, the focus is on the Lady. Before diving in, I do recommend reading the original piece, the summary or watching a video of Macbeth to get a good context and to fully appreciate the beauty of this book. Although it's not necessary, I thought knowing the OG gave this book more depth. It enhanced my experience and I understood the references and the genius of this retelling better.

The plot is similar to the OG but not really. The timeline seems slightly skewed. Reid seems to have taken liberty on this. The vibe is dark, eerie, haunting. Cold and gray. Like how Lady Macbeth/Roscille perceived Scotland when she first arrived. Comparing the OG Lady Macbeth to this rendition of Roscille, they are both clever however, as the first one was portrayed as cunning, conniving and the instigator of Macbeth's deeds, the latter was more innocent, pure and only surviving. Atleast initially. There's now depth to her.

The plot does evolve from realistic to more fantasy. There's one "creature" in this retelling (I won't say what to maintain spoiler-free) that was a surprising inclusion. I wouldn't say that it's offputting but it definitely altered the whole vibe of this story. With the setting and timeline of medieval Europe, I expected different types of creatures instead.

Overall, I thought this was a beautiful retelling of Macbeth. The plot is sprinkled with the original verses (which is great) and fantasy. It's still a tragedy, with lies, plotting and betrayal. The concepts of regicide, patricide and all the -cides still exist. It's gray and dark and yet Reid was able to paint it in a different light.


Thank you @netgalley and @delreybooks for a digital and a physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Congratulations Ava Reid!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I'm so grateful to have received an eARC to review. But I put off reading it partly because I've been hearing mixed reviews from other ARC readers. So I went into it with hopeful but lowered expectations.

There was some really great things in this book and a lot of potential, but ultimately it fell flat for me. It's definitely more of a reinterpretation of MacBeth than a retelling, so that's something to know going into it. It went beyond the Shakespeare play and more into the historical story. And although there were definite beats from the play, a number of changes were made, including to the characterizations.

I can see thematically what Ava Reid was doing with the book, and those were some of the things I thought worked well. But I didn't really feel connected with the characters and felt like something was missing from the book. I did feel compelled to read it, especially in the beginning, so something kept me picking it up. But overall, I felt this book was just so-so, definitely my least favorite book from this author.

Ava Reid reimagines the story of Macbeth but through the eyes of his bewitching, mysterious wife, Lady Macbeth.

Reid’s storytelling always draws me in. Her prose is so beautiful, and I enjoyed how she wove in stories of Scotland and folklore, even though at times they were very haunting and cautionary.

I’m not too familiar with the original Shakespeare story of Macbeth, so I went into this story blind, and it was too dark for me.

2.5/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

God I wanted to love this book but sadly it fell far from my lofty expectations. Reid’s writing was still as sumptuous as ever. However, the characterisation was severely lacking for me.

An absolute great book to foll9w up the success of ASID. Ava Reid's writing lived up to all of my expectations and this book was nothing short of fantastic. I can't wait to hear it on audio soon!

Many will open this book and expect many Shakespearan references, but Ava Reid has given new life and a voice to Lady Macbeth. You are full immersed in her plight and everyday life trying to navigate her new role in a foreign land. Reid did a good job showing the young mentality and naivity through this character...one who hasn't fully lived and desires much. Readers will either love or pity her. Personally, I wanted more from the story because of its slow pacing and felt as though the ending is where the real action occurred only to abruptly end.

To be honest, I’m not a fan of Shakespeare. I struggled with his works in high school & haven’t attempted to read them since. I have only ever read a simplified version of Macbeth with my ESOL students. So I suppose I have a very different background to many reading or wanting to read this book. That being said, I did enjoy it quite a bit.
It started off slow & a bit confusing for me but it picked up midway through & I was intrigued by the liberties Reid took with the source material. I don’t want to give away spoilers but there’s a rather large magical twist that I definitely wasn’t expecting.
Overall, I think I would probably liked it better if I had a better grasp on the original but then again, I might have hated it.

Listen, as a Lady Macbeth retelling, this one kind of missed the mark for me. Reid took one of the most iconic bad bitches in herstory and made her a kind of lame teenager. Which was an interesting choice for a feminist retelling of that character, and kind of unforgiveable.

That being said, if you look at the book at just inspired by Macbeth (I know, really nit-picky semantics), I really loved what Reid did with the story, especially in the ways she turned it even more fantastical. I also think that Reid just really excels at writing women who've been made to submit learning to own their power. As I mentioned before, THE Lady Macbeth was possibly not the right choice for that particular storyline (and this will probably not sit right with Shakespeare purists), but I really enjoyed meeting the completely re-imagined Lady Macbeth of this novel, and watching her come into her own.

I absolutely love Reid's writing style in general; her words are so lyrical, and I've never read a book of hers that hasn't pulled me in completely and held its grip on me through the end. This one is no exception. This was overall a phenomenal read, and I recommend it. It would be a 5 star for me if it didn't give the OG Lady Macbeth such a dirty edit. I suspect this will one of those books that generates very polarizing opinions, so I think it would be a particularly fun group or book club read.

Thanks to the team at Penguin/Ballantine/Del Rey for the eARC of this book!

This was the first I've read by Reid and I wasn't mad about it, but did have pretty high hopes seeing all the positive praise of A Study in Drowning and I'm not sure this hit the mark for me completely.

Lady Macbeth is the tale of Macbeth (shocking, I know) from the point of view of Lady Macbeth. Off the top of my head, I'm not sure if LM is given an age in the original, but in Reid's tale, she is 17 years old. She has grown up being told that she is "witch-touched". As such, she always wears a veil to prevent people (men) from looking her in the eye and being ensnared by her powers. A bit of a twist from what Will wrote! There are a lot of things like this that Reid has taken liberty with to weave in a more fantastical element to this tale. Overall, I think she does this successfully! The key elements of the source material are here, some in a new way, and we ultimately end up in a similar place at the end (with a twist).

Here's where it feel a bit flat for me. With such an iconic character, there are a lot of existing ideas on who Lady Macbeth is and what she is like. For those who know Macbeth, this character is conniving and vindictive. She does everything she can to forward Macbeth's goals and fulfil the prophecy. She could be described as blood thirsty. Part of me wondered when reading this book, where are her teeth?

Without getting too spoiler-y, there are moments where these elements of LM come through in Reid's book but it's less about her own motivations and more about being the perfect wife that she is expected to be. Most of the motivation for her seemingly comes from how other people have trained (for lack of a better word) her to be. She makes many references to what her father would think or what she thinks Macbeth will expect of her and yes, most of this thought process is ultimately for her to serve her own purposes, but what she is trying to achieve for herself is really more of an afterthought brought on by her fear of Macbeth than her really trying to meet her own ends.

It really left me with the thought that if an author is going to put their spin on a character who has been in the public lexicon for decades, they really have to go all in on what they're setting out to do. I'm not sure this book did that successfully, at least for me.

In the end, I would recommend this if you are a looking for an interesting retelling that is beautifully written. May advise steering clear if you're after a Lady Macbeth power showdown.

Who is ready to sink there teeth into this beauty? Of course if you are a fan of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth then why wouldn’t you give this a try. As for those who aren’t a big Shakespeare lover, this one will still knock your socks off for the fantasy twist. Lady Macbeth is a young girl here, married to Macbeth against her will and forced into his weird world. She also must keep herself veiled at all times as she had rumored witch powers.. Ava Reid uses that element as inspiration to capture an engaging plot.

My type of retelling!

I loved Lady Macbeth! I had some trepidation going into this, as Macbeth is one of my top works by Shakespeare. However, Ava Reid absolutely smashed it! Her writing style paired so well with the story of Lady Macbeth and delivered such a beautifully haunting gothic tale that had me turning to the next page well into the night.

If you love retellings, Shakespeare, and Macbeth....... and even if you don't, you won't want to miss this one!

This book felt like an insult to me. With bad writing, plenty of repetition and an underdeveloped story, I have never felt so wronged by a book until now.

This book was INCREDIBLE. A haunting, gothic reimagining of the play by Shakespeare that takes the character of Lady Macbeth and turns it on its head. This retelling takes Lady Macbeth, a villain in the play, and explores her past, circumstances, and the people she is victim to. Was she really the villain we have believed her to be? Who was really in control? It is a powerful story and thought-provoking story of a woman who takes control of her circumstances.

Ava Reid's writing is beautiful and very compelling to read. I have loved their writing since reading Juniper and Thorn and this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with this arc!