I'm of divided minds when it comes to Lady Macbeth.

First, of course, I struggled to put the book down for any meaningful length of time, and even when I did, I was either thinking about it individually or talking about it with friends. Predictions and theories were rampant. Ava Reid's skills are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the art of writing, and her ability to evoke emotion from their reader, for better or worse. I have too many highlights in the text to count (kidding—it's over 120), found much of it memorable, and look forward to going back and seeing all the points that gripped me in some fashion. There were multiple occasions I had to set the novel aside in order to make a note of a dialogue line, or enthuse to others about Reid's prose.

I deeply enjoyed the atmosphere and setting, the sensation of being nearly haunted in the castle, and the inclusion of witchcraft and fantasy into this in the spaces they didn't exist in the play. The frequent reminder of the ocean, and how it seemed to be a constant companion to Roscille, regardless of if she wanted it or not was an excellent way to amplify her own changes. The fact she, too, acclimated to the sound of it beneath the castle as she settled more into her situation, only to recall its existence when events began to take a turn and she gave more of herself over to the idea of Lady Macbeth.

While it is easy to align the major points of the novel to Macbeth, that's where the similarities end for me. This feels less like a reimagining and more like a use of names and specific plot pieces to create a new story. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think Lady Macbeth would have benefited from being labelled as inspired by/derived from, rather than as a retelling/reimagining of the story when so little of it pertains to the source material, especially where the titular characters of both the novel and the play are concerned. Lady Macbeth as a novel feels almost wholly divorced from the play, and while new interpretations of past stories are always a welcome breath of fresh air, I do think that there are some fairly egregious story points that went unchallenged where they perhaps should have been.

The most prominent ones for me that were impossible to ignore in reading were how single-dimension the gender perceptions were, the rancid sexual violence commentary, and Roscille's view of Scots/Scotland's barbaric traditions and behaviours.

While I was absolutely invested in Roscille's life and the plight of an arranged marriage to a man she didn't know in a foreign land, it felt like she never really came into her own. It felt persistently thematic that the very few women in the story all cowered beneath Macbeth or yielded to him instantly. If Roscille wasn't viewing him as a brutish Scot – even in the moments he was showing her genuine care/kindness – she was being protected by the notably stronger and (frequently mentioned as) better looking Lisander. None of the women in this novel seemed to know where their spine was, and in comparison to the Lady Macbeth of the play, that was a significant disappointment. Somehow, Lady Macbeth written in 1606 had more visible agency than Roscille in this novel; I had higher expectations for Roscille due to her character in the source material of the play.

Roscille's unchecked view of Scots/Scotland felt rather extreme in how frequently it was touched upon. I'm all for unreliable narrators, but there was never once an effort made to show that she was unreliable; we were instead expected to side with her and view her as the more correct take in the world. Maybe it's just me, but it came off as almost excessive over the course of the story.

I think the worst part of this may have been how sex and sexual violence/assault was viewed. Roscille's obsession with seeing sex as nothing but a violent, bloody affair to be postponed as long as possible, only to be completely fine with it when she believes she has her partner in a thrall. There is never a point where Roscille's behaviour on the latter is identified as sexual assault, given that she was under the impression she was, in fact, forcing her partner into a sexual encounter. Not to mention Roscille threatening to lie about a guard sexually assaulting her in order to get her way. It was deeply disconcerting to see all of this treated passively and without a second thought by Roscille on why these behaviours might be bad, actually.

Lady Macbeth had all the potential in the world to be an excellently crafted reinterpretation, given Reid's ability as a writer, however it definitely fell flat for me. If you're anticipating a retelling, I'd approach this with the understanding that the novel is an entirely separate interpretation of the story, which may be a hit or a miss for you, depending on your familiarity with the play or how loosely you like your reimaginings told!

Thank you to Random House/Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC, as well as the opportunity to read and share my thoughts on Lady Macbeth. This review will be posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on day of publication.

When Ava Reid announced that she was writing a retelling of Macbeth, I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. Let me just state this did not disappoint me AT ALL!!!!

The vibes were perfection, sign me up for anything that is spooky, gothic, and has witches involved!! Ava Reid is such a phenomenal writer, her prose felt like poetry to me!

Roscille was beautifully fleshed out, it broke my heart to read the hardships that she went through but when she encountered a victory; I could not help but cheer her on!

"Lady Macbeth" is a masterfully written tale, lush, horrific, and filled with phenomenal characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballentine/Del Rey for providing me with this
ARC!

If you’re in the mood for a retelling, I would highly recommend this one.

Beautifully written, but not quite what it says on the tin, so to speak.

Lady Macbeth was my most anticipated read of 2024 after devouring the rest of Ava Reid’s catalogue; the premise of the book and her penchant for gorgeous, gothic stories seemed like a match made in heaven, and I spent actual hours yelling excitedly to friends after being approved for the ARC of this book. Genuinely, I can’t remember being more excited to read something in recent memory!

The good: Reid’s prose never, ever fails to disappoint. She knows how to write, and that’s just as true here as it is in her other books! There are so many lines that I highlighted while reading, just so I can look back on them later and admire how pretty they are. Some of them sincerely took my breath away. The atmosphere was also really, really captivating; there was a gloominess to the setting of Lady Macbeth that reminded me a lot of A Study in Drowning in the very best way. I loved the oppressive, salt-heavy, grey presence of the ocean and almost felt like it was an entire character all on its own. I was also really gripped by the story itself—it was just similar enough to Macbeth that I felt like I knew what was going on, but different enough that I *had* to see if I was right or wrong about my assumptions. The very definition of a page-turner; I had a lot of trouble putting it down, and I thought of it often, even when I wasn’t reading.

The bad: Lady Macbeth could’ve been pitched as a completely original story, or one only vaguely inspired by the play itself, and it probably would’ve been better for it. I felt really frustrated at points by how toothless Roscille often felt when weighed against her Shakespearean counterpart. Initially, I liked her way, way more than I do Mrs. M, but by the end… not so much. I don’t think this would’ve been the case if I hadn’t gone into the book with a specific set of expectations in my head, though! So, YMMV there, probably. She is still an interesting character, with a lot of moving parts that drew me in. She just didn’t manage to fill the shoes that I expected to see her step into.

The ugly: The attitude toward the Scots and Scotland, sexual assault, and womanhood vs. men was… not it. The book has a lot to say about how barbaric Scotland is in comparison to the obviously-more-civilized France, and every take Roscille has about it is never examined by the narrative itself. If anything, the book seems very, very invested in her being “right” about the conclusions she draws about the world and people around her, even when, from the perspective of a reader, it seems like she might be negatively biased or flat-our incorrect. On a similar note, it sketched me out a little bit to see a woman so paranoid about sexual violence, who seems to be unable to think about sex or sexuality without envisioning blood on her thighs and sheets, (from her perspective, at least) coerce someone into sleeping with her without any real second thoughts. There were points where the writing surrounding those two subjects specifically made me feel uncomfortable in a way that blindsided me, after seeing how well Reid handled similar topics in her other books.

The TL;DR: You’ll probably like this if you’re a fan of Reid’s other books, and you have an interest in dark, atmospheric, fairytale-esque stories, which are two points that probably go hand-in-hand! Don’t expect it to follow even the loosest structure of the original play, though, or you might be disappointed, especially if you’re a bit of a purist, or are especially attached to the original character of Lady Macbeth.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this funky little book! This review will be posted to Goodreads and Storygraph once it’s formally been released.

This was my first ARC & I loved it. Immediate 5 ⭐️

Ava Reid does gothic fantasy like no other. Her writing style is such a refreshing take on the classic gothic genre. Her storytelling reads so lyrical . Her talent for creating suspenseful and spooky atmospheres is unmatched. I was completely transfixed the entire time. I finished this in under 24 hours!

This is a gothic fantasy reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, written from the POV of his wife, Lady Macbeth. A story filled with mystery, witchcraft, dragons, folklore and many twists & turns. I cant recommend this enough!

If you haven’t already picked up her book from last year, A Study in Drowning you absolutely need to. It is one of my top reads from 2023. Ava Reid is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for sending me this ARC!

I can’t even describe how excited I was to read this book, and I was not disappointed. Ava Reid’s writing is unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I am so glad I randomly decided to pick up A Study In Drowning last September, because she is now an auto-buy author for me.

This is the story of Macbeth, told through the lens of Roscille, or Lady Macbeth, a girl so beautiful, she can control men if she makes eye contact with them. I love how Ava writes her main female characters. They are often young (17), and almost don’t have their own identity because their lives have been shaped and influenced by the men around them. During this story, we were able to see Roscille’s view of the world and herself change, and realize the power she has inside of herself and through the women that came before her. It’s heartbreaking to read the story of a girl so young fight, claw, and scheme her way out of the disgusting world she was born into, but it’s also unbelievably inspiring.

I have not read Macbeth since high school, so I wasn’t sure what to expect out of this story, but I loved everything about it from the imagery, the Scottish folklore, and once again, the dynamic characters Ava writes. The best word I can use to describe this book is haunting. This is a dark book with VERY adult themes, so I would not suggest it to anyone under 18. But there is something about an author's ability to make you feel disgust, hope, fear, and emotions so strong, it’s difficult to start reading a new book. This was unlike any story I’ve ever read, and I think it changed me as a reader the same way ASID did. After ASID, I became interested in folklore stories, and now I want to go pick up some of Shakespeare's work, and I think that is the sign of a well-written story.

I think I could write about this book forever. The feminine rage. The unease. The medieval Scottish setting. So much time and love was poured into this book, and it was very obvious. I am so thankful for the opportunity to read this story and I will continue to praise Ava’s writing and encourage other people to read her work!!

If Lady Macbeth's power lies in her ability to bewitch men and drive them to madness, Ava Reid's lies in the ability to bewitch her reader, drawing them in with each word until it is too late to turn back.

Reid's Lady Macbeth is an achingly raw retelling of the story of Shakespeare's character, a character study that brings new life and depth to an old tragedy. Reid's mastery of words, her complete control of the English language, make it impossible not to sympathize for the titular character, even as the story hurtles towards its inevitable conclusion.

Parts of this book may be triggering for some readers, but nothing is too graphic or over-the-top. The horror comes not from witchcraft, but from the existential dread of being a woman with no control over your own fate. Lady Roscilla is painfully aware of her position in this world: her duties, her status, and her utter lack of power and bodily autonomy. This horror will be intimately familiar to some of her readers, just as it was for me.

Lady Macbeth is a beautifully written study on being a woman in a world that man doesn't want you to take an active part in. Each page is filled with an intoxicating, filled with phrases that some author's spend their entire lives working towards. That Reid is able to fill an entire book with them is a testament to how brilliant of an author she is.

This book is as close to perfect as a book can get - I cannot recommend it enough.

*This review will be posted to good reads in August of 2024, after the book has gone on sale

I loved this book! I received the ARC on Thursday and have already finished it on Sunday. It kept me up at night reading one more chapter, and then one more again. This retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth offers a welcome perspective into Lady Macbeth's character where her voice, motivations, and circumstances are elucidated. There is graphic violence and SA, but it is purposefully included and not gratuitous.

Throughout the book, various spellings of Roscille's name are used to reflect the convention of the time. Further, the various spellings highlight the theme of identity, which is shifting and hard to pin down. She is Roscille, Roscilla, Rosalie, Lady Macbeth. She is finding out who she is and wants to be. Also, the use of multiple spellings and names shows that names, identities, and even human beings are disposable and unimportant in the world Roscille inhabits. Her given name hardly matters because it is temporary--she will become Lady Macbeth anyway.

Macbeth's castle is on the seaside in Scotland. When Roscille is first brought there, she comments on the ever-present sound of the waves, which she worries could drive a person mad. She repeatedly returns to this idea. There are frequent images of water. Roscille sees herself reflected, not in mirrors, but in buckets of water and the lake's surface. This lends itself to the idea that her image and identity are not static, but rippling and changing. Roscille is forced to wear a veil over her face in the presence of men because it is believed that her beauty must be due to witchcraft and that men will go mad if they look into her eyes. The veil further obscures her identity in obscuring her face. Her identity changes when seen through her own eyes, those of men, and those of other women.

Another pervasive image in the book is blood. This calls to mind Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth's panic about a spot of blood on her hands, even after they have physically been washed clean. Roscille is constantly confronted with blood in Alba. She is forced to consider her own fault and guilt as it relates to her behavior and Macbeth's manipulation of her.

Is Roscille a product of her circumstances or is she guilty as a result of what she does at Macbeth's bidding? She grapples with this question repeatedly. She lives in a world where men are in control, and they value vengeance and power above even safety and love. The men in the book create systems and titles in order to promote themselves and their interests. However, they flounder when this world is disrupted. Roscille often compares men and animals. At first, animals are portrayed as beasts. Over time, it becomes clear that the oppressive, violent, and arbitrary systems men put in place make them the real beasts.

Roscille cannot help but begin to value vengeance and power in the absence of safety and love, as well. She needs other women to work together with her, as well as men who are allies, because she cannot succeed alone.

There are central questions to consider. What is power, especially as it relates to the mind and the body? What does it mean to be a man, woman, human, witch, monster? Which is a worse fate: death or madness?

This dark, twisty Macbeth retelling is written in Reid’s signature lyrical writing style and it suits this story perfectly.

I really love how lady Macbeth is given an identity and backstory in this and making her one of the ‘witches’ was cleverly done! The dragon prince was unexpected but a delightful addition to the story and I thought their romance was added well but didn’t over power the message of the story.

Also this just cements how much I hate Macbeth - first in the play and even more so in this. #fuckthepatriarchy

This is everything a gothic novel should be, bleak, haunting and filled with rich enchanting prose only Ava Reid could write. I will think of Roscille, Rosele, Rosalie, Roscilla and her story for while.

Yet again, Ava Reid does an amazing job of breaking your heart with a dark tale of how women suffer at the hands of cruel men while giving the fulfilling resolution you crave.

There were some awkward formatting parts with dialogue and flashbacks but this may be due to this being an ARC and reading on kindle. I could not put this book down and I’m very much looking to revisiting this is August when it is officially out!

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the advanced reader copy so I could sink my teeth in early - patience is just too hard

4.5/5 on StoryGraph

For me, Ava Reid is an immediate read. I love their writing, their whimsical and inviting tone that paints beautiful pictures and evokes the reader to see metaphors and absorb them into their blood and bones. You can feel Lady Macbeth's fears and anxieties. Feel her vacillating between empathy and vengeance and what it means to be a woman adjacent to power, riding the fine balance between staying clever enough to survive and dumb enough not to invoke the anger of the men surrounding her. The pacing of this book was stellar, there was a reason to turn every page, and Lady Macbeth, Roscille's, thoughts and inner monologues were powerful and impactful in a way that creates story, tension, and captivating imagery. I loved everything about this book, and cannot wait have it in physical form. It was everything I could have wanted in a Lady Macbeth retelling, and everything I have come to expect from Ava Reid as an author and story teller.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing/Ballantine/Del Rey for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From page one, the scene is set. You can feel the heavy, empty, dark & dreary setting settle into your bones.
Every sentence demands attention. Every paragraph transports you deeper into understanding something that your instincts tell you to avoid. Suddenly, you are inside her mind. A new bride. Lady Roscille. Or was she Lady Macbeth?
She is drowning in a world that has always been at the whims of men; the cruelty, the heartlessness, their desire for power and nothing more. She has a plan. She isn't so innocent. Lady Macbeth. Or was she a witch?
Magic, monsters, witches, cruelty, wit, justice, fury, and vengeance. Female Rage.
As this tale progresses and evolves, so does the heavy feeling of foggy gloom. Subtly, the veil is lifted.

This book is absolutely beautiful and quotable. So many passages jumped off the metaphorical page and gave me real chills. This is a story that deserves more than one read, a story that will be revisited. Thank you, Ava Reid, for writing absolutely insane bangers and sharing them with us!!!

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid is loosely based on the play, Macbeth, but focuses more on the character of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is often thought of as the villain in the play but is she truly the monster everyone thinks she is?

Macbeth is, without a doubt, my favorite Shakespeare play. I am very familiar with the source material. That mixed with the fact that I have read and loved all of Ava Reid’s previous novels, made this book very highly anticipated for me. And I think it completely delivered. This book was exactly what I wanted and also so much more.

I don’t think you have to be familiar with Macbeth to read this but I do think it helps a lot. While there are a lot of liberties taken with the story in this retelling, there are a lot of plot points that line up with the original play and I think seeing that difference really added to my overall enjoyment of this book.

Lady Macbeth, Roscille, is a fascinating character to follow. I won’t say she is necessarily a “good” character but I think her actions make sense. Seeing the story mostly through her eyes was very interesting to read. The writing style in this book is gripping. I read this book in a single sitting because I could not put it down. I think the writing is beautiful but not overly flowery so it’s very easy to read and be absorbed in.

There is a very strong theme of female rage in this book that I loved. I loved seeing Roscille really come into her own during this story.

I don’t want to spoil any of the fun stuff but you can expect a few fantasy elements in this story, much like the original play. One of my favorite parts of the play is the magic and prophecies and witches and all those components are very much present in this story as well.

I think if you enjoyed Ava Reid’s previous books, you will enjoy this one. While I do think I enjoyed A Study in Drowning slightly more, I still loved this story. I can’t wait for more people to read it and love it as well.

The first chapter had me worried as it felt clunky and I wasn't immediately sure the tone of the book. But getting past that chapter, the book was an exciting glimpse into the evolution of female rage. This origin story for Lady Macbeth is rich with detail and atmosphere. The witches were wonderfully woven into the book, as were historical vibes for this era in unruly Scotland.

I think I would have liked this book to be about 50 pages longer to show Lady Macbeth coming into her power. But I think that's a good thing for a book, to leave the reader wanting more!

Honest review for NETGALLEY Although I fought with English mannerisms, this book is so good! It kept me all the time wandering about this lady and all of the plot! And she twisted the original tale and her ideas so easy and so good! I liked a lot this book❤️

This books is going to turn your world upside down and alter your view on life. It was so moving. Ava Reid is one extremely talented author and i love how they would draw you into this book until you feel like you know these characters inside and out.

It took me a while to understand the writing style of this, but once I did I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. I was really interested to see another take of Lady Macbeth’s story and this didn’t disappoint.
The style was very hard to get into for me, it was descriptive language used vaguely that made me feel like I was reading a classic novel that I am too dumb for. But again, once I understood what I was reading I really got into it.
I wish it was longer since it felt a bit rushed once it started picking up and I wanted there to be more of it.

Thank you to NetGalley the ARC copy of Lady Macbeth!

After reading almost everything that Ava Reid writes, I can confirm that this one was breathtaking. This dark retelling perfectly encapsulates the ethereal, magnetic, lush prose of Reid and the gothic storyline as it unfolds fascinatingly. I loved, I consumed this story. 5 stars all the way.

Full disclosure, I've never read Macbeth before. Never seen the play performed. Never watched any of the movies. That being said, I don't think you need to in order to read this book.

Lady Macbeth is a rich, gothic tale about what women will do to survive. The words place you in the cold Scottish countryside and bites you. Reading this felt like I was being told a story princess bride style laying in bed and listening to my grandpa. It is wonderful.

I do wish there had been more time in certain scenes. I wanted to know more! It felt like as a reader I was being rushed through this book by the plot.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Lady Macbeth as an ARC! I adore Ava Reid and was so excited to get my hands on this title. I'll admit, I am not totally familiar with Macbeth, but this did not have an impact on my enjoyment of this retelling. Ava Reid has such a way with words and painted a vivid, atmospheric storyline throughout the entire plot. If you are a fan of Ava Reid, this book will not disappoint you!

Some trigger/content warnings to be aware of include mentions of brief, non-graphic SA off page.