“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.

While I've not read anything from Ava Reid, I've only been told promising things about her works and when I saw this book was available to request I knew I had to give it a go and I'm glad I did. Overall, I've given 'Lady Macbeth' 4 stars out of 5.

This dark and compelling book tells the story of a seventeen year old, newly married Roscille (Lady Macbeth) trying to find her footing in a new situation and grappling with power, vulnerability, ambition and revenge. The story is told in three acts staying true to Shakespeare, each one better than the last.

Lady Macbeth is far from perfect - ambitious, but she's also vulnerable, emotional and deals with inner turmoil. She was easily the best character in the book which is great for the author given that she is the titular character. I'll be giving other works by Ava Reid a try if the writing is anything like it was in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.

Lady Macbeth was utterly riveting, and transforms her from the evil villainess the great Bard created into a living, breathing woman who had no one to fight for her except herself. Ava Reid's book is one for the ages, as it reveals, what I believe, is a version of this woman that rings true. I loved every eloquent word and was lost in this book until the very last page. Finally, finally, Lady Macbeth's real voice is heard - but it does not go easy for her. But "screw your courage to the sticking point' and I promise you will love this book as much as I did. Absolutely fabulous!

I was so excited to be approved to read the arc of Lady Macbeth. I hadn’t read anything by Ava Reid yet, although A Study in Drowning has been on my tbr for a while and I’ll definitely be picking it up now! The cover immediately drew me in with the neon pink, a love a good typography moment signaling the mix of old and new, tradition with a twist. And that’s exactly what Lady Macbeth is all about.

Right away, I was hooked by the haunting, lyrical writing. You’re dropped straight into foggy, dreary, lonely Scotland. The only girl, on the cusp of womanhood, in a castle surrounded by rough men. Further removed from personhood by being a prize that was won, bought, claimed, separated from humanity by a veil she must wear, lest she drive mortal men to madness.

A drop of kindness from one man turns into betrayal. A rough and formidable husband that takes what he wants, but her years of silent observation reveal that he can be wielded like an arrow, pointed in a direction and fired off with a few choice words, a promise of honor, a prophecy. Another man, this one truly kind, has a secret of his own.

There were so many lines I adored. “In the theater behind her eyelids” read as a little tribute to the Bard himself. Another favorite was this:

“Then the beast is more humane than any mortal man,” she says bitterly. “To resist such an urge — to flee rather than to feast.”

My only real criticism is that the book is short, very short, and as a spin off on that comment, is definitely priced far too high for such a short book. The hardcover will be $28.99 but the book is around 300 pages and I read it in a few hours. I don’t necessarily think it needs to be longer, as it felt like every word was carefully chosen and placed.

All in all, I adored this book. It was lyrical and atmospheric. It drew me in instantly when I’d put it down and thought maybe I didn’t feel like reading it right then. It was a fascinating reimagining of a girl coming into her power and realizing the world might have been wrong about her all along.

Ava Reid has a talent for writing prose that really immerses you into the character and the plot. Lady Macbeth is one of her best works and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

A sinister, gothic twist on one of the most villainous ladies in literature. Fans of Ava Reid should be flocking to this with no hesitation. Excellent writing.

Thank you Random House Ballantine for the digital ARC!

If there is one thing Ava Reid does right it is setting a moody, eerie mood. If there's another thing they do well... it's create polarizing stories. The meat and potatoes, of the book, however.... I'm not exactly articulate enough or educated enough to write about. But I don't think this did for Macbeth what the author was wanting it to do. A bit disappointing, but I don't dislike it at all. I still enjoyed it for what it was, on page. But it's leaps and bounds away from the OG bad bitch Lady Macbeth. Most of us can probably agree that the cover art is literally STUNNING! It's kind of like when you see a gorgeous, gorgeous girl in public and accidentally stare in a really open way because you know you are witnessing the golden ratio with your literal eyeballs and it's mind boggling.

I was lucky enough to be given an ARC of this book, and I am awaiting the day of publication to buy it! Ava Reid has carved herself to be one of my favorite authors and this book has truly solidified for me her stunning work in storytelling. This amazing retelling of Lady Macbeth, giving her a voice and will and mind behind the infamous Shakespeare story of Macbeth has made me want Reid to write more retellings such as this. The writing and prose were incredible, very descriptive and flowed off the tongue in a continuous storytelling fashion. Roscille is now one of my favorite FMC I've ever read. She has strength in her mind and in her words, but I loved how Reid showed the reader what silent female rage can look like. I was in awe at how the FMC portrayed cleverness and showed her own individual strength given the environment and time that she was in. Not to mention how the inclusion of witches and dragons just made this all the more better. There are some books that I read and after I'm finished I feel smarter— this was one of those. It is insane how Reid can put together such a complex and layered story, with such lovely prose. While the minimal romance that was included in here was AMAZING, i found that the main importance of the story wasn't around that, which i appreciated. This story is focused on Roscille and the voice behind Lady Macbeth, which conveyed such a beautiful and powerful message.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an eARC copy of Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid.

Macbeth has always been one of my favorite plays, so I was intrigued to see that there was a novel based on Lady Macbeth's point of view. The story started off well, a young girl being taken to her new home and having to learn a new culture, new people. But then, mid-way through it became more of a messy fanfiction of Lady Macbeth and at this point, I just wanted to finish it as the book itself wasn't that long. The only character who is really formed is Lady Macbeth, everyone else just seems flat...despite being well rounded in the play. It honestly could have been a lot better.

I love Ava Reid and I love even more some historical fiction. Shakespeare retelling you say? I am IN!

Ava’s writing style kept true to the time period but had a haunting and gothic essence which I enjoyed. I re-read Macbeth, which you don’t need to do, prior to this retelling and I feel it helped me have a refreshed understanding of the characters.

The original Macbeth was enjoyable, but the reimagining and focus on Lady Macbeth and her own influence and strategy is what captivated me. The entire story was masterful—intellectual writing with added layers of essence and intrigue. There’s desire and romance mixed with power and vengeance—it feels glorious. Lady Macbeth found her own path to power instead of just being born into it. I still feel like I’m entranced by a spell after reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Macbeth is my favorite Shakespearean work and I was so excited to see something that focuses on Lady Macbeth. I really enjoyed this take on the story. Lady Macbeth is a great character and Ava does her character justice.

This is Lady Macbeth's story - a seventeen-year-old girl who is scrambling for footing in her new husband's home, a creature desperately trying to build power to protect herself. Reid's writing is lush and visceral, tense and atmospheric. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and I may go back and read it again immediately.

The prose and dialect in this novel is unlike any I have read previously. I found the nature of the narrative to be poignant and graphic, while keeping with historical accuracy. This book felt truly intentional, meaning the author chose each word and metaphor with reasoning. As someone who was not too familiar with the story of Macbeth, I still found myself entranced with this book, each character new and exciting. The one piece that is keeping my rating from being higher, is that the FMC and other MC’s felt one dimensional. Even though there was some character development, the themes felt repetitive and nothing was truly delved deeper, in my opinion. I loved the gothic vibe and atmosphere that was developed throughout this narrative, but wish we could have seen more deeper development within the characters.