While pretty good, this did not quite live up to Juniper & Thorn for me. I still am glad it exists and to have read it. It was a great retelling of Macbeth through the Lady's perspective.

I'll start with the positive. Ava Reid's prose is thematic, lush, and visceral. Unfortunately that's the end of what I liked about this book. I was devastatingly disappointed, as A Study in Drowning was not only my favorite book of last year but one of my favorite books of all time. This story would have been fantastic had it not been a Macbeth retelling, and I just couldn't let go of what this story should have been.

This book asks the question, what if Lady Macbeth, an ambitious, ruthless, power-hungry, middle-aged woman...was none of those things? And the answer is well, not very interesting. Maybe if this book had been a retelling of a different story or even a prequel to the events of Macbeth I could have forgiven it, but it was such a disservice to one of the most interesting and villainous women in literature.

Slight spoiler here, but when this book was marketed as a "monster romance," I had an image in my head that the romance would be with...you know, Macbeth, that it would be through the intensity of their love for each other that they turned monstrous. But the romance that was included was not with Macbeth and just felt kind of tacked-on and unnecessary.

So again, I just don't understand why this was a Macbeth retelling. You could have changed all of the names and maybe one or two plot points and it would have been indistinguishable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. 5 ⭐️

It is a retelling of a classic tale that manages to elevate its original inspiration while becoming something singular itself. The love story, conflicts, and interpersonal relationships all follow the pacing and style of Shakespeare’s Macbeth which I think is this story’s brilliance.

Witches, a Dragon, Scottish Fairy Pools, and some death. What more could you ask for?

Ava Reid has solidified themselves as a favorite author of mine with this book. They can write in their specific voice as an author while also crafting a tale that feels true to the story itself. Like with Juniper & Thorn, this story pays homage to the feeling and essence of the original work while being made entirely on its own by Reid’s writing.

The witches are my favorite part of the original Macbeth and stay one of my favorite pieces of this retelling. The way they are woven into the story and the overall plot of the women that men manage to demonize, weaponize, and somehow also forget elevates them even beyond their original archetype.

Roscille, our main character, manages to be both strategic and soft, brutal and intentional. In female characters, I often find that this duality is hard to do well or often not done at all.

This story reminds us that looking at the author of a tale and questioning their motives is just as important as the tale itself. It leaves us with an alternative history as important as the original work.

This book is marketed as historical fiction, gothic, re-imagining, etc. and I think that to be very accurate! It is important to note and put emphasis on the fact that this is a re-imagining and not a retelling. That being said... if you are not familiar with Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, I would highly recommend researching it briefly to get an idea of what it was. I was not familiar with the original work and found the beginning of the novel to be confusing but it made more sense once I had a summary of the play and characters (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth).

I was drawn to this book because of the description, author, and the cover. The book is beautifully written and gives off those dark, gothic, eerie vibes that I was expecting. It has lyrical/poetic prose that Ava Reid is known for but also ties in a mix of the native Scottish language and Shakespeare from the original play that it references which I thought was a nice touch. I recommend reading on a Kindle so you can easily refer to definitions if needed. This really helped me while reading since this was not a simple read in terms of the language used.

That being said.... this book is confusing. It was hard to understand and the pace was really slow and I had to read it extremely slow to try and make sense of it. It was written almost in a sequence like a play would be. Instead of chapters it was broken in to "Acts" and it did help with the pacing when it came to imagination because the book itself was slow paced and the ending seemed rushed BUT I assume if it were a play thats how it would be acted out so it worked. The character Lady Macbeth was supposed to portray, in my opinion, a women who is too cunning and clever for her own good and is feared by men but as a reader I portrayed her as a naive girl who was somewhat ignorant and assumptive. She didnt know anything of her husband and the laned he ruled before marrying him so she would just constantly assume things instead of trying to learn which always put her one step behind all the other characters when she was attempting to be clever or scheming. She also always referred to Macbeth as this brute warrior who was abusive and hated woman but he only showed kindness and respect until the very end after learning she betrayed him so it was hard for me to find any credibility or sympathy for her as a character when it was supposed to be a book based on finally giving her a voice and purpose.

I have always loved Macbeth. I knew I absolutely had to read this one and it blew me away. This is definitely already my top fave read of this year and I have read 47 books already lol

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review!

4.5 Stars

I was first introduced to Ava Reid's work with 'A study in Drowning,' and loved it. I continued to enjoy her writing in 'Lady Macbeth,' and I plan to continue picking up her books in the future!
I can honestly say that I do not remember a single thing about Shakespeare's Macbeth from when I read it in school, so you do not have to know the original story to enjoy this one! That being said, I cannot offer any sentiments on how close it is to the original tragedy.

I would have liked to see more of a certain male character and gotten to know him more, but this seems to be a common feeling I get with standalones. I liked the female main character and I also loved her loyalty to and protectiveness over her handmaiden. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys her writing or is a fan of Shakespeare!

To start this off, you do not need to go into this book having read Macbeth or do a reread of Macbeth to understand what is going on. It had been quite a few years since I read Macbeth but I adore Ava Reid’s style and knew I would love this as well.
Ava’s words always crafts such a gorgeous immersive world. Rosecille, is the beautiful bastard daughter whose gaze enchants men. She is forced to see the world through a veil to protect men’s minds and is sent off as all daughters are to marry at her father’s behest.

“You are whatever creature I have made you.”

Rosecille is bold in her exploration of the world, she does her best to protect herself and mark out a place in a world ruled by men. I was left with a sense of peace and fresh air after the last page of this novel. I am so used to being crushed by Ava Reid that this feeling of relief is unexpected!

“There is no freedom for me when I am absent of you.”

And the love found within this novel is so touching, and builds so beautiful. Proof that a monster is not always what you expect it to be. And that sometimes the true monsters are found in unexpected places.

Overall, the writing is lyrical and the world build was well paced. The characters had such depth and their history was fleshed out so well. I loved this book and find it to be a book of healing more than anything.

10/10, excellent book. I felt like I was transported to Medieval Scotland. This retelling is truly unique. I loved the world building and the characters. I was new to this author but I have already requested her other novels from the library. I can’t wait to read more from her!

4 stars

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

This book was haunting and powerful. I don’t know much about Macbeth so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one and I also don’t know how this fits in with the original story. This is a very slow paced book so I found myself getting a little lost sometimes but the writing is eerie and beautiful and kept pulling me back in. Roscille’s story was devastating but felt so universal. She was put in a position that unfortunately women even know can relate to. I loved watching her take her power back and get her revenge. This was a delightful blend of historical and gothic fantasy that I think will haunt me for a while

Thank you netgalley for the ARC copy of this E-book for my honest review!
I do not know the original story of Shakespeare that this was a retelling of but I did not understand a lot of the Irish wording! It’s very thought provoking when it come to woman empowerment but I found that the story was very slow and at sometimes very boring! Eeek sorry! I saw that there was some very good reviews so this book is probably for you Shakespeare girlies and this just wasn’t for me but I gave it 3 stars!

While this was one of the most unique writing styles I have read in a while, I had VERY high hopes for this book (a classic retold) and it just left me wanting so much more.

There were pieces of the story that felt so far from Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, which in itself is not an issue, it simply left me unable to connect with the story, the angle, and quite literally any of the characters. While this was not Lady Macbeth, it was a story of a too-young maybe-witch, forced to wed a less than wonderful, yet not really terrible, guy. The predictability of the ending left made the last 100 or so pages almost painful, especially with the very little you learn about the characters, the context and even the why in across those pages. Obviously she would fall for the prince, obviously the angry prisoner who knows your secret is going to spill it, some of it just felt far too obvious while the rest of the story left me scratching my head.

I didn't understand the extra witches in the basement, how the concept of a dragon made its way into the story, or even how readers were supposed to believe or connect with the love story that blossomed across one and a half interactions.

Just didn't do it for me, but still looking forward to reading more from the author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC of this book!

When I tell you I was so excited for this book, I really mean it. I was refreshing NetGalley to see when ARCs would become available, because there is no way I wanted to wait until August for this Lady Macbeth reimagining. This book feels the most similar to Juniper and Thorn and I highly recommend if you love Ava's writing already. It has great nods to Shakespeare without being too on the nose, and the fantasy elements have been upped a bit. Did I mention there is a dragon and it's kind of a monster romance? Pick it up and enjoy this book you'll probably devour in one sitting. Something wicked this way comes for Macbeth and her name is Roscille/Rosele/Rosalie/Roscilla.

This book was beautiful, it was my first time reading anything by Ava Reid and it will not by my last.

Lady MacBeth is a story of position, of knowing and understanding your own as well as being aware of the positions of other people’s.
It is tragic but light
Bold yet Brave
Roscille is an honorable female MC, she is thoughtful and clever and I admire her so much. This book will stay with me, it’s a brilliant retelling of a classic story. Full of lessons and small smiles.

One of my biggest takeaways is how approachable the book is. If you are not a fan of or looking to get in to gothic/classic literature I think this is a great starting point. It makes me excited for the people who will unlock so many literary doors and worlds.

I cant recommend this book enough-10/10

Had to DNF this book at 26% It is now obvious that Ava Reid’s writing is not for me.

Also, this book made like no sense to me. I took a Shakespeare class in college and this was harder to understand than actual Shakespearean work.

Appreciate the chance to be able to review though. Thank you.

I am so excited to read Lady Macbeth early, as I am a big fan of all of Reid's other work. I'm happy to say it did not disappoint.

The vibes in this one are truly immaculate. Reid is strongest in description and metaphor and, while some may not enjoy the flowery nature of the prose, it gives her works an almost antique character that absolutely appeals to my taste. Interesting stylistic choices harken back to the story's origins, and dialogue is sometimes expounded with colons in the same manner as the script of a play. The cold, decrepit nature of the setting's Scottish castle is felt through every moment, and I adored the author's inclusion of medieval practices about witches and medicine, all having a basis in historical precedent to lend authenticity to its setting. As always, I enjoy Reid’s take on diversity among European groups, which are so often represented as a monolith.

Roscille's story is one of female anger. The manipulations she uses in the story are defense mechanisms to ensure her survival rather than a greedy bid for power. The original Lady Macbeth was a one-dimensional villain, while Reid has represented her as a woman of her time period - one where women were treated as property.

Fans of Ava Reid's other works will certainly love Lady Macbeth. I also think it will appeal to readers of Circe, which similarly reclaimed the story of an ill-treated famous literary woman.

Rating: 4⭐️’s
Spice: 🌶️🌶️. Little spice, there wasn’t really any super descriptive scenes however there are super mature themes and I would recommend checking for trigger warnings
Tropes: historical fiction, fantasy, retelling(Macbeth), gothic, feminine rage

I first wanted to say thank you to NetGalley for sending the book 🫶🏻. I went into Lady Macbeth completely blind, I read Macbeth in high school and honestly had very little recollection of what happened. I found Lady Macbeth to be really engaging and Ava’a writing made it so easy to picture the dark vibes of the story, I was easily able to picture everything that was happening and the atmosphere which I really appreciated !
I really enjoyed reading from the pov of Lady Macbeth and being In her mind during everything sehe goes through in this book

I loved this!

Ava Reid’s writing style just speaks to me and she does her gothic/horror/feminist niche sooo well. I’m not a fantasy girl in the slightest but Ava Reid is always going to do it for me. Very atmospheric and beautiful. I loved the reimagining of the original story, as someone who’s read Macbeth once 7 years ago, but even if you’re a Shakespeare lover there’s enjoyment(???) to be had in reading this story. I found some of the political/historical stuff hard to keep straight but thats just me and I don’t feel like that heavily impacted my reading experience. Ava Reid you are brilliant.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6147750251

I had the pleasure of receiving & reading this spectacular, distressing arc. The novel Lady Macbeth is a remaking of Shakespeare’s play. Although i had not read the play, (so i cannot compare & contrast) Ava’s writing was wonderful. I can say, she never disappoints.

The story was captivating from beginning to end. Roscille, at 17 years of age, was sent to marry the king of scotland to secure an important treaty. However, it has been said that every man who looks into Roscille’s eyes will drive them into madness. As in most marriages, it is tradition for the husband and wife to share a bed. Roscille does not wish to share a bed with Mister Macbeth though, for he is much older than her who has had previous wife’s. While living with Macbeth, she meets an important person who gives a little hope & happiness to her life.

Roscille is a forceful character who is striving to survive in this pitiless world, as she describes. I can honestly say, I loved the story so much.

Ava Reid has managed to write the quintessential gothic romance book that will surely divide the audiences but had me eating out of her hands. This book was written for me. The aesthetic, the setting, the dark and gloomy fantasy vibes were exactly what I was looking for and I was so, so thrilled when I could an e-arc.

I want to start off by explaining that I admire Shakespeare and believe Macbeth has its merits. Therefore, this "feminist retelling" of Macbeth, which should really be "an inspired adaptation," that takes many liberties does not bother me. However, I can see that readers who are true fans of Shakespeare and Macbeth, who have studied and analyzed the play, will find this story extremely polarizing, and even to a point of disrespect and unneeded in the canon world. I also found myself wondering at certain points why Ava chose to revert certain plot points from the original play as they didn't necessarily add or take anything from the narration. I appreciate the background of the three witches, however, the lore of the dragon character was slightly strange—and deemed indifferent amongst the people.

While the core plot points remain, this world of Lady Macbeth is both visceral and unique. She takes the lore and mythology of the land and time period and has created a culmination of true gothic romance, so much so, that I found myself in that crumbling castle, chilled to the bone.

This might be Ava's best-crafted book with the most sophisticated writing and I cannot wait for what comes next because this was exquisite in its prose and character complexity. The romance was well-paced with little sprinkles throughout the book, but I wished we got to delve into it deeper since it is a huge motivation for Lady Macbeth.

My one qualm with this book is that it was way too short, especially because there was so much to discover in the play. A lot of the war action sequences happen off page and though I do not expect Lady to be fighting, I wanted that same adrenaline to occur around her. I was hoping for more to the plot, some more fight scenes, a little bit more action and intensity from Lady Macbeth. Many times I wanted her to be both the dagger and the hand holding it and felt slightly deflated after the climax, thinking, "that's it?"

The other qualm is the characterization of Lady Macbeth. I am not bothered with how she was portrayed here, as I did enjoy her inner monologues and felt empathetic towards her circumstances. However, I'm not sure what makes this a "feminist" retelling when the original Lady Macbeth, a well-known villainess, could have been called a feminist anyway. It' a little confusing and I would be really interested in an interview with Ava Reid to explain her choices for this book.

Still, it was an immersive reading experience for me and I could not stop myself from flipping. I was left thinking a lot about certain passages and am removed enough from the original Macbeth play to not find the many changes upsetting. However, I can also acknowledge that those who are stringent about retellings, especially of Macbeth, will perhaps not take to this. If this story is read and advertised as a gothic political romance instead of a retelling, I truly think people will enjoy it more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publishers for this arc. This opinion was my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited when this book was announced and even more so when the cover was revealed - so simple yet striking and really sets the tone for the book so perfectly.

All of that said... my favorite thing about Macbeth (the play) is that Lady Macbeth has almost heartless ambition and sees her husband as a tool to get what she feels she is owed. Her implied death via paranoia and guilt has always felt very For The Male Ego to me, something done by Shakespeare to assure men in power that he wasn't encouraging women to behave that way. So maybe it was my own fault for having expectations, but I was hoping to see a triumphant Lady even if it brings her even closer to villain status.

So... I did not love that throughout this book Roscille was almost helpless - I was yearning for her to own her power and strengths. I wanted her to feel empowered, for her guilt and moral calamity to be performative as a shield, for her to really manipulate and puppeteer with every tool in her arsenal, etc. Waiting for this to come about made it so much more difficult to endure the violence against her - I didn't love that Macbeth was given a much more powerful presence and control over her than he actually has ever had. To give our Lady less and Macbeth more felt uncomfortable... even with the claims that Roscille could be harboring power, we hardly ever see it.

Something I did love was the way Ava Reid gave more life and depth to the witches. Who they are, what they really do... I wanted so much more of them! Their dynamic with Macbeth is literally a tale as old as time - Men will believe anything if it's in service of their ego. Their dynamic with Roscille was exactly what I wanted - a mirror, a motivation to change the tide in her favor.

I don't really know what to say about Lisander... I enjoyed him as a character, maybe would have adored him in an entirely different book, but I need to sit on that entire secondary plot for a bit. It felt unnecessary. I understand the attempt to highlight the idea of real monsters, and giving Roscille another mirror in which to see herself, but it just did not actually do anything for the tale unraveling around Macbeth and Roscille or the impact of their relationship on each other and the world. Macbeth's reaction to everything regarding Lisander was very anticlimactic also, which felt incredibly out of character for the Macbeth that was being built here.

Overall I enjoyed reading this, and I love seeing female authors do their own spin on or retelling of Shakespeare - we need more of it. I will probably be re-reading down the line and I look forward to having a copy on my shelf. But I truly do miss my ruthless Lady Macbeth... I would have loved to have seen Roscille live up to her infamy.