Harrowing and bloody. Grosteque and sublime. I'd truly expect nothing less from a novel by Ava Reid.
It's not enough to just pull back the covers on our wounds, we need to watch how they slowly fester, turning ourselves into something monstrous.

The writing is academic, a dive into history, modernizing the wordplay of Shakespeare with something feminine that is soft yet hard with a twist of fantasy. Delirious with eyes-wide-open. This isn't a catch-you-as-you-fall type of read. It's more of you'll feel every hit of the stairs on the way down. And once you pick yourself back up the rage empties itself in a satisfied guttural cry.

I will be forever in awe of Ava Reid’s writing and storytelling, Lady Macbeth is just another example of this.

This story was everything I could have asked for, it was dark and haunting filled with pain and desire. Ava Reid has taken the character of Lady Macbeth and given her a story full of depth and feminine rage mixed with magic and mystery.

Roscille, our Lady Macbeth; death-touched. Poison-eyed. Witch-kissed. You witness Macbeth's cruelty and blood-lust (this book is not for the faint of heart) which is also richly intertwined with betrayal and vengeance. There is a theme of loneliness throughout the story, Roscilles journey of discovering her own identity after being forced into this marriage with Macbeth. She is just a girl trying to survive cruelty.

The atmosphere Ava Reid has created is spellbinding, you can vividly see the painting of the dreary setting and knit together with enchanting Scottish folklore. I adored the magic aspect of this story. I don’t want to spoil too much but witches, curses and dragons is all you need to know.

Apart from the cruelty shown, there is passion-filled romance blooming throughout the story (don’t worry, not with Macbeth). It's filled with lust, passion and the gentle act of kindness and forgiveness.

Overall this story was utterly breathtaking and some of Ava Reids best work yet. I am beyond excited for everyone to get a chance to read this book & I hope you all love it as much as I did.

What a stunning retelling! I really enjoyed Ava Reid's dive into MacBeth. I felt transported by the prose with her stunning use of language and description. At first, I thought the feminine rage was overwhelming but while I was reading I began to feel like it was incredibly accurate, and if I was in the same position I would have similar thoughts and feelings. I thought the story remarkable for how fresh it felt when it is a retelling of one of the most famous plays in existence. What a fabulous job by Ava Reid, I will definitely be recommending this to everyone I know.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book!

Unfortunately, I had to DNF at around 10%. Usually, I give books at least a few chapters before calling it quits, but the writing style and complexity of the language just wasn’t for me. While I loved A Study in Drowning, the prose and language in this was too convoluted for my liking. I’m sure this book will appeal to many, but it just didn’t appeal to my style of reading.

I love Ava Reid so this was a must read for me. A few things: this diverges quite a bit from the Scottish play and I felt that Lady Macbeths agency was taken and given in equal measure. It's certainly gothic and atmospheric; no woman around at all The pacing could've been better bc it felt both long and short. It's a fascinating character study, definitely fantasy and a lot of brutal violence.

I dont know why, but I was NOT expecting this to be an adult book. Check the trigger warnings cuz this book is BRUTAL. I love that Ava Reid was able to keep basically all of the same characters and themes from the original Macbeth, but also went so much deeper than the that. She got to the root of the characters and exactly how they ended up the way that they are. Seeing women survive times of insane misogyny is both terrifying and impowering.

Also, Ava Reid's ability to make me LOVE a character that we barely ever see?? unmatched.

I will be screaming about this book on every rooftop and buying every special edition possible.

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for allowing me to read and review Lady Macbeth. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There may be slight spoilers ahead!

"Roscille wonders how many of them have imagined the sword-thrust that will make them widows. She wonders how many smiled at the thought."

Ava Reid's Lady Macbeth is a reimagined tale of the classic Shakespearean story of the victimized Macbeth and his villainess wife Lady Macbeth but with a gothic fantasy spin. I've only ever read Juniper and Thorn. I have her other two books currently on my TBR. Ava Reid is known for her dark storytelling which Lady Macbeth is definitely a twisted tale. Reid's writing is unforgiving and she does not hold anything back. I appreciate authors who write stories that can make people feel uncomfortable, and Lady Macbeth might do that.

"We can never be truly apart then; if we are each other's ghosts."

Ava Reid categorized Lady Macbeth to be a monster romance and in some ways it is but as a whole I don't believe so depending on what you count as being a "monster romance". There is a love interest in Lisander, who has a well-kept secret about his lineage, and is an enemy to Macbeth's reign. Both Lisander and Roscille are drawn to each other like a moth to flame but their romance felt rushed for the amount of times they spoke.

"If she cannot have safety, if she cannot have love, at least she can have this. Vengeance."

To be frank, most of the book felt rushed, unexplored, and a little under-developed. With Lady Macbeth being a highly anticipated read for me, I was slightly disappointed with the length as it restricts the reader from learning more about the witches, Lady Macbeth, Lisander's curse, and the building of their romantic relationship. I was captivated by Reid's lyrical and compelling way with words. I think the story is too short for what it is and I could have read a hundred or so more pages.

Release date: August 6th.
I may add more to my review later.

Dark and lyrical, this book joins the CIRCEs in a feminist retelling sphere that takes ownership over bad deeds in literature. I liked Reid's interpretation of both the Shakespeare source text, as well as other historical documents about the time period and versions of this story. The dragon myth interwoven felt as necessary as breath, and despite having studied the text in college and master's program classrooms, I still wondered where Reid would take us with the lady's tale. Lovely, bloody, and recommended.

Ava Reid is one of my go-to authors. Her writing transports me to a new world each time I pick up one of her books.

The story follows Lady Roscille as she navigates her new role as Lady of Glammis. Her life has always been dictated by the men in her life. First her father and now her new husband, Macbeth. She knows that she must use all the tools available to her in order to survive a world ruled by men.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. The writing was difficult to adjust to, but the preface indicated this style was a choice. Once I became more comfortable with it, I began to see Reid’s signature style shine through.

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ava Reid’s writing is so lyrical and enchanting. There’s a magic to it that fits really well with the themes surrounding Lady Macbeth.
I thought that this story was very well told, especially viewing the perspective of Roscille. It helped me to see the story of Macbeth in a different light and all of the characters in it.
This is a great cozy read, and would match perfectly for a dark and gloomy day. Dark castles, witchy themes and mystical Scotland. You cannot go wrong.
I will definitely be recommending this to my library and cannot wait to read more from this author!

I am...so disappointed with this read. After A Study in Drowning, I expected an absolute slam dunk from Ava, but from the beginning the pacing and depth of the plot/characters just felt off. Lady Macbeth as a character felt so far removed from the strong female characters Reid usually captures in her work. The personal motivation felt blurry at best; the quickness with which Roscille began scheming with Fleance felt...rushed? It feels like the text itself felt disconnected and I was often wondering how we got HERE. I also found myself referring back to Macbeth itself, and was so thrown off by the departure from the story. I guess I assumed this would be almost a character study instead of a complete reimagining. A full review will be posted to Goodreads/Storygraph at the time of release. Thank you for the advanced copy.

This one missed the mark for me, I think. I love the idea of it. Lady M is always painted as a villain and Macbeth as her poor victim, so I thought I'd really like this. And there's potential to have some nice.gothic horror too. But it fell flat for me. There is so much potential, but there's no depth. The events unfold and yet all we get is Roscille dreading consummating the marriage and alternating between thinking herself clever and thinking herself stupid. I mean she had zero reaction to finding out the witches are all former Lady Macbeth. She's supposedly madly in love with Lisander but her feelings are not explored. She thinks of Hawises drowned body often, but never misses her handmaid/supposed friend nor tries to find out what actually happened to her. There's so much to explore with this character, but that never happens. It feels like Reid had a different story to tell so I'm not sure why she shoehorned in the Macbeth retelling.

“Fair is foul and foul is fair.”

Anybody who’s taken a high school English class is probably somewhat familiar with the story of Macbeth. He is a man who wants to be king, but his own hubris and fatal flaw gets in the way. But what about his wife, Lady Macbeth? We are taught to see her only as a piece in the manipulation and ruination of our titular character. But doesn’t it make sense to know that she’s more? Isn’t everyone more than what’s at their surface? Ava Reid must agree, because she’s giving us that part of the story here.
In their new novel Lady Macbeth, Reid explores the story of the notorious Lady Macbeth and what made her into who she became. Reid gives us an atmospheric Shakespeare retelling that manages to keep the same vibes as that of the original, while also having a feeling completely its own. We are given a Lady Macbeth who is very much similar to Shakespeare’s character, but for completely different reasons. Roscille is unearthly. She is only a child. The Lady is a weapon. She is just a girl. Roscilla is a force to be reckoned with, and yet she is barely old enough to be.
Reid’s development of well known characters is a major strong suit. Along with the absolutely beautiful prose, this novel is a triumph. Roscilla’s desperation, her feelings of being monsterous, her love of monsters. These sentiments are all so palpable and find their way under your skin and lodge themselves between your heart and ribs. Roscille’s journey is painful and you will feel that pain; the pain of a girl turned into a blade in the hands of a barbarian.
Lovers of Shakespeare and classic retellings need to get their hands on this. Even romance fans will find something for themselves in this story. On sale August 6, 2024, be sure to check out Lady Macbeth! Thank you to Netgalley for this arc!

I love Ava Reid. She has a way with words that goes straight to my heart. This reimagining of Shakespeare checks all the boxes. I loved this fresh perspective and the twists and turns the plot took. Truly an excellent read.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

I have read each of Ava Reid's books at this point and she is honestly one of my favorite authors. I can’t say that Lady Macbeth if my favorite of her books, but it was still an enjoyable read.

This is a shorter book and I thought I’d be disappointed with the page count but once I got to the end I realized it was perfect.

I think if someone is already a fan of Ava Reid, this is a no brainer to read. She has a lovely writing style that I think shines in this book.

The author was also able to realistically write our Lady in a sympathetic light and I was absolutely rooting for her in the end.

Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, Del Rey, and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Lady Macbeth on August 6, 2024.

This is such a unique, inspired take on a classic story. Lady Macbeth is a delicious character study, and the way it tackles women's treatment in the medieval ages is absolutely spectacular. The suspense and mood felt viscerally real, and I never quite knew who to trust and who to love/hate.

Ava Reid's writing will always be phenomenal -- she has a way with words that few authors do. But I couldn't help feeling like the writing overtook the story at times. Very little seemed to happen throughout the book, and while I like a good character study, the story didn't drive forward as much as I usually like. I think it would have helped if certain elements in the second half (cough Lisander cough) had been introduced in the first to create more tension earlier on. Then the events of the second half would feel more earned.

All in all, I enjoyed this one, and it was a super quick read! Just make sure you're in the mood for something a bit darker.

The cover is unfortunately the best part of this book. Whoever the artist is, honey they ain’t paying you enough.

I'm just a little perplexed. This was a highly anticipated read me and it left me disappointed. The book was very atmospheric but that's where the positives end for me. I read Macbeth in college and was fortunate enough to see a stage production in Edinburgh a handful of years ago. So I was going in with some previous knowledge of the Shakespeare play.

Reid diverts from the source material quite a bit. Which wouldn't be an issue however, Roscille is vastly different from the OC. Shakespearian Lady Macbeth is very gaslight gatekeep girlboss. She was the one pulling Macbeth strings the whole time. This version tried to be cunning but failed miserably. She had zero motivation or intent in anything. I don't know why Reid made Roscille French and 17 in this. And I'm not sure if this was Reid's intent, but Roscille's pov was very xenophobic. It heavily dips into the stereotype that "scots are barbaric" and have "savage customs." Even some 4/5 star reviews have noted the offensive stereotypes. Much of this book made me feel icky. Between the xenophobia and extreme violence portrayed against women, I just felt gloomy reading this.

I also forgot this was fantasy till the 60% mark. There's a scene in a dungeon that had me confused and then I remembered this is technically fantasy. There's randomly a dragon in here too. I'm familiar with the symbolism of dragons in British iconography but it felt thrown in at the last moment. Roscille is called a witch continuously but never showed signs of actually being one. But then when it came time to kill Duncane, she conveniently had powers. Huh! 🤔 There's technically a dusting of romance but it was so hastily thrown together. I couldn't care any less.

2 stars just for the sake of the cover art 👎

Ava Reid can do no wrong. I loved everything about this story. Reid's writing is just amazing and eloquent. Reid voice is so distinctive, I have yet to find a writer like her. They way she writes female characters will leave you feeling raw and rage in the most excellent way. Her prose is beautiful and haunting. The way she write atmosphere is perfection and you will get lost in her world. When you finish an Ava Reid's book you will most likely be left with a haunting feeling and having to sit and catch your breath. This was an amazing retelling. There is everything in this book, , desire, vengeance, pain and tension. I couldn't put it down.

Ava Reid is a master of atmosphere. Reading this story transported me to the barren hills of 11th century Scotland, I felt a phantom chill creeping up my spine, imagined I could smell the rough sea, see the hopelessly grey skies, everything was so wonderfully described. The rare pops of cheer or brightness or color become all the more wonderous in this story amidst this backdrop. The writing and phrasing is so beautiful it's nearly poetry (honestly you should see all the highlights I've made). The little ways that Shakespeare's MacBeth is woven into the story is delightfully done, and I dare say I caught a few nods to other Shakespeare plays, as well as some mythology and folklore of the time. Going through this journey through the eyes of our Lady Macbeth was gripping, and her character growth was fascinating. The little tidbits of foreshadowing are just enticing enough without giving anything away that I wante to race through the pages to see if my hunches were correct. This is my very first ARC, courtesy of Random House and I am delighted to have been entrusted with a copy of this story in exchange for my honest review. I may have hit the jackpot of ARCs on this one, Ava Reid has certainly cemented herself in my mind as an author to keep an eye on, I hope she has a long and illustrious career of bringing of beautifully written stories to the masses for us to lose ourselves in.

A gripping, well-written tale of a timeless character. I liked Reid's take on Lady Macbeth. There were a few pacing issues, I think, but other than that, I can recommend the book.