I tore through this book in all of two days. You can show me the page count all you want, I locked in and got it done and what a ride.
This is going to be on everyone's Fall Vibes TBR lists this fall, I can tell.

The story picks up right at the beginning (for our purposes anyway) where The Lady is being sent to Scotland to marry Macbeth. She orchestrates the rest of the events out of sheer need to survive in a harsh and unyielding world where being a woman can offer power and pain in equal measure and she isn't JUST a woman...

Pros:
-Strong and likeable female lead.
The Lady isn't just intelligent and capable, she's likable. She's naïve in a way that you expect a well-bred woman who only expects to marry well to be and you root for happy ending even if you've read the play before. In this, she comes across as less ambitious and more self-protective though she does begin to see outsider herself by the end
-Atmospheric Writing
Reid is gonna put you in the place her book are whether it be the cold forests in The Wolf and The Woodsman, the salty and crumbling ruins of A Study in Drowning, and now the isolating and dark castle in Lady Macbeth. She can spin her words fantastically to get you in the mindset of her characters and it is a wonderful thing to experience
-Romance???!!?
I did not realize from the marketing this was in this book and I was very pleased to discover that

Cons
-Pacing
You do get a bit lost due to speed. It was hard to know if one day had passed or many and given the sloooooow beginning exposition set up the middle was a bit lacking which is sad because that was where the romance was developed
-Names
I know there is a chart of who is what and why each person is called that but on an ebook that isn't easy to flip back to. My etymology heart loves the exploration of subtle changes, my reader brain can't handle the differences.

There isn't much else that I'd complain about. I wish one of the characters was there longer to allow for the relationship to build but that goes back to the idea of expanding the middle so.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book!

Ava Reid is my embodiment of “if she writes it, I’m going to read it.” I love her prose, and her weird, spooky, academic vibes. I love that the relationships are gothic and dark with a lot of trials and suffering. It’s never sunshine and rainbows for our love interests. I love the strangeness that is every single story she tells, because it’s so different from what most writers are doing right now.

I am still so thankful to receive an arc of Lady Macbeth. I had a good time with this, like I have all of Reid’s books. I think it’s important to note that I have absolutely no real exposure to MacBeth, so I had no issues with the loose reimagining that it seems diehard fans of Shakespear’s Lady MacBeth lovers do. So, because I support all women’s rights and especially their wrongs, I was cool with the villainous Roscille. She made some CHOICES, and I was kind of living for her revenge plot.

This is probably my least favorite story of Reid’s, but simply because I’m not the world’s biggest historical fiction reader. But overall still a 4 star read.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for this book. I was hesitant in the first chapter because the writing style is a little strange. But after that first chapter, I was transported to ancient Scotland among Roscilla and Hawise meeting Macbeth and his men. I became completely enthralled by Ava Reid's retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

This book is rich gloomy and slightly magical atmosphere. It's told in third person from the POV of seventeen-year-old Roscilla, who marries Macbeth, becoming Lady Macbeth. Although our main character is still technically a "teenager", this is no young adult title, and includes depictions of rape and serious physical abuse. Reid's decision to tell this story from Lady Macbeth's perspective, with a little bit of magic thrown in, brought up powerful themes of misogyny, toxic masculinity, power and madness. Although some reviewers call the novel a "feminist" retelling, Lady Macbeth is not an entirely honorable character. Throughout the book, she learns to wield misogyny to work in her favor, and she manipulates and gaslights her way to power. This aspect of her character was what was most interesting to me. Fleance also has an interesting arc.

This book makes me want to go back to English class and analyze this for its own themes, and in conjunction with Shakespeare's Macbeth. Reid's use of metaphor and allegory is absolutely wonderful.

Beautifully told reimagining of Lady Macbeth. Claustrophobic and haunting, while at the same time very accessible. I will read anything Ava Reid writes!

Everything Ava Reid writes is so beautiful and prose-like that I am drawn in. I loved this story. Roscille is a witch-cursed, bastard born daughter of a French lord. She is sent to marry Macbeth in Glammis. She finds herself alone and in a land of unfamiliar customs. She is expected to assume her role as the Lady Macbeth, a silent role with no rule over her own life. Instead, Roscille is able to manipulate the people around her to her advantage. I found Roscille’s character so interesting and clever. She could have easily just laid down and accepted her life as she was told it should be. Instead, she pursued her own interests and ultimately came out on top. The imagery in Ava Reid’s books is always top-tier but the eels, unicorns, and Lady Macbeth’s veil really stuck with me. This book felt like a mind game, where each character thought they were successfully manipulating the other characters. Despite some setbacks, I think Roscille is the only one able to successfully manipulate herself into a better situation of her own choosing. I love her for challenging the “status quo” of the time and demanding something different/better for herself.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House/ Del Rey publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

It's official after reading this book: I will read anything that Ava Reid writes!

Her writing truly transports me. I felt like I was surrounded by the dark and gloomy land of Glammis, the damp and crumbling caste, the moody and treacherous story of Macbeth.

I'm always here for a feminist retelling, and this book was stuffed to the brim with beautiful prose, hard hitting quotes and magical imagery. I find her writing incredibly atmospheric.

Original rating a 4.5 but i shall round up to a 5 because i can. Also Thank you to netgalley for an E-Arc!

Where do i even start???

Per usual ava reid kept me captivated from start to finish with her writing. The setting put me on edge and I could see and feel everything so clearly. As someone who has refused to read Shakespeare out of spite I didnt feel left behind by not knowing the original story of Macbeth, after a few sentences i mostly understood and after chapters I got what was going on. Since i didnt have that prior knowledge of macbeth when he first appeared I was concerned but intrigued then loathed him. Ava reid can write magnificent spirals into madness, you wont fully realize until you pause and go “oh no”. While the cast of characters is small the setting didnt feel small. Each character had something to them and even side characters had depth to them.

Something I will always appreciate about ava reid is theres no implied or “you can guess what they were doing” when it comes to the subject of misyogny and how women have been abused in the past (and sadly ‘modern’ times) Its a very serious topic that too many retellings of shakespearian tales and other historical stories like to gloss over and ignore. The arc of Fleance was rough to read as i’ve seen that progression of a decent guy get influenced by the men around him and become a pos. It feels validating to know that someone else knows this and sees it happen and it gets written.

Also the fact the only good guy was technically not even a full guy was so real. My friend who read this with me said that it feels like an allegory for not falling into the cycle or trying not to fall into the cycle and stereotypes of men and toxic masculinity, but maybe thats just us!

Overall i loved it! I cant wait to get a physical copy eventually to go with my other Ava Reid books!

This may well be the best book I’ll read all year. It was rich in visual imagery, the language was stunning and watching the evolution of Roscille to becoming Lady Macbeth and then reclaiming herself was deeply satisfying. Like Ava Reid’s other books, this gets dark quickly, and I’d highly recommend checking trigger warnings, but then I’m not sure there’s a light way to look at this character’s life. Please also know going into this that there are fantastical elements to this story, and it’s not attempting to be straight historical fiction.

I think for me one of the best pieces about the way Reid handled those fantastical elements is that in the original play, the witches held the only mentioned magic, while the approach Reid has taken with the story minimized any power they have in light of the other things going on around them, focusing on their imprisonment despite their power and even going so far as to reduce them to laundry women .

Truly this book has my heart in so many ways. It could have been written just for me. The narrative gives agency and strength back to someone experiencing disenfranchisement in a way that had me wanting to cheer “good for her,” through the climax.

Although it’s been years since I read the source material, I do think it’s useful to go into this book having that background. The other thing I’ll say about this book that Reid also comments on in the introduction, is that because the characters themselves switch between three languages, you’ll often have the same person/place referred to by three different names, and so it takes a chapter or two to really immerse yourself into the world. When, however, our protagonist feels that her name converges to one, Lady Macbeth, it makes for an excellent plot device.

A huge thanks to Netgalley for this advance copy. It’s one I’ll be buying for myself for sure and revisiting often.

I wish I didn't have to give a star rating because I got about 20% of the way through this one and realized it just wasn't for me. Macbeth is my very favorite work of Shakespeare and I think that's why I was a bit disappointed. You want an extension of the story you love and if it doesn't meet your expectations, that's hard! I hope others enjoy it, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Ava Reid’s, Lady Macbeth, is the perfect combination of political intrigue, magic, girl power, and devious agendas. From the eerily dark tone and lyrical prose to the suspense waiting at the end of every page, Reid has authored a mesmerizing gothic retelling (WITH DRAGONS) that I am LIVING for. *starts slow clap*

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid - ebook ARC

Lady Macbeth is a Shakespeare villain, but Ava Reid retells this story and gives us more. This book felt like a prequel to Macbeth, but in this version we see her real story, not the one that men wrote of her. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 as Ava is an auto buy author for me. That being said, she did deliver on many things, but overall, this book feel so flat for me.

I adore her prose and her melancholy vibe she effortlessly weaves into her stories is elite. That was about all I liked about this book. I was so tempted to DNF this book, but because it’s Ava, I kept going. It felt so clunky and the descriptive were so repetitive. I wanted more from the FMC, I wanted her to have some moments of wit ands strength and maybe even some reprieve from the morose.

I can recognize that this is a great work of art, it’s just not my kind of art. Ave IS my kind of writer, this story just wasn’t for me.

The last college play I ever performed in was “Macbeth,” and the story has always held a special place in my heart because of that. This book was breathtakingly beautiful and hauntingly horrific. It paid homage to the original tale while wholeheartedly maintaining its own identity. Reid gave Lady Macbeth new depth and dimension. I’m endlessly awed and inspired by Ava’s masterful storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Ava Reid for an ARC of this book.

This book has a way of sucking you in from page one. The introduction to Lady Roscille was beautifully written, and as a woman I could really sympathize with her worries and the predicament she found herself in. Ava Reid is the type of author who can take something and truly make it her own, and that is what she's done with Lady Macbeth. The female rage this book captivated had me both cheering and crying. I found myself barely holding it together when I got to the end. I will be recommending this beautiful story to my friends and anyone who will listen.

Ava Reid can do no wrong. I wasn't familiar with the story of Lady Macbeth, so I went into this book cold. I love how Reid writes female protagonists in general, so I knew this book would be no different.

I loved the settings, visceral imagery and overall aesthetic vibe of Reid's writing. I'll definitely be purchasing this book in hardcover when it officially publishes. Also looking forward to hearing it in Audiobook form.

Ava Reid did it again! I whole heartedly adored this book!

I loved Roscilla's characterization. She was young and lost. Although at times her hopelessness could be exhausting and her powers confusing. But I felt that came with being married of at 17.

The dark and twisted setting was very well thought out. It felt as though I was there. I loved the idea of hearing the ocean vs. not hearing the ocean as she accepts her fate.

And my favorite part was undoubtedly THE WITCHES!!! They were so unexpected. This new take on Macbeth's manipulation of their power was very unique. And that twist! I just loved it!

Overall, an incredible read! Thank you NetGalley!!!

I love this Shakespeare play so I couldn’t help but love this book!!

Ava Reid in this brand new novel offers us a reinterpretation of one of the most famous and brutal Shakespeare’s character, Lady Macbeth, and of the even more famous tragedy!

Set among the isolated and misty Scottish lands unfolds the novel, the journey of Lady Macbeth before she took on her brutal role, a story of resilience, which tells the lives of the women of the time, the ambitions, the power, the secrets and all this wrapped in a rich and vivid prose that lets the reader dive into the Scottish countryside, in the fog, between the battles and in the castles of the eleventh century!
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I really loved Ava Reid’s prose, always impeccable and the character of Lady Macbeth! This story has very well managed to be original without straying too far from Shakespeare’s tragedy and remaining true to the vibes and style of the tragedy.
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Thanks to Netgalley, Del Rey Books and Ava Reid for providing me with this ARC! Lady Macbeth comes out everywhere on August 6th! Don’t miss it!!

Going into this book, I knew nothing about the story of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, so keep that in mind for my review.

Overall, I enjoyed this. The complex names were confusing to the story initially but I was able to overcome that. I would have rated this slightly higher if a couple of the plot points weren't glossed over in the way they were - it felt like when Macbeth left and came back each time, that Lady Macbeth made her plans and executed them hastily without thinking it through. I also would have preferred that she had more internal development, which would have added some length to the story.

Ava Reid mixes her signature lush writing style with a dash of feminine rage to create one of my favorite gothic novels. Lady Macbeth was wonderfully written and endlessly quotable. I think it was about time we got a new imagining of this ruthless but misunderstood character from classic literature. Watching Roscille navigate the tenuous political marriage she was forced into and the political machinations of her new husband was captivating. Knowing the original story of Macbeth, I was surprised that this book gripped me as it did, but hearing the story from a new perspective really kept the pages turning. The romance and fantasy elements added for the book made this tale more original while still fitting the vibe of the overall original story. If you love historical fiction, retellings, and feminine rage this book is for you!

This book was one of my most highly anticipated reads for the year and while I enjoyed the atmospheric vibes the author conveyed, I think I perhaps wasn't the right reader for it. While I understood the need to show the crushing patriarchy in the story, the about face of MacBeth in going from respecting and listening to his young bride to forcing himself on her and treating her as a prisoner seemed too abrupt.

I did enjoy Lisander's surprise reveal and the way the book ended, but in the end it wasn't one of my favorite of Reid's.

Thank you for the advance copy and I think the right audience will thoroughly enjoy this one!

Thank you to Del Rey and Net Galley for ARC.

As a fanfic writer, I want you to take this in the best possible way: This book is like a prominent Ao3 writer was hired by A24 to write a Lady Macbeth retelling. It’s dark and haunting and clever and romantic and has incredible pacing. In an age where I find most books to be 200 pages too long, Lady Macbeth wastes no time and pulls no punches.

A warning, the first chapter is very long stuffed to bursting with heavy info dumping. YOU NEED TO PUSH THROUGH IT! It is worth it.

Next, in my opinion, metaphors are overused a lot to supplement a Shakespearean vibe. This gets shaken off at about the 35% mark and the writing really finds itself.

Overall would recommend and look forward to securing a physical copy!!!