Ava Reid’s writing is just as enthralling and beautiful as i remember it from Juniper and Thorn. I couldn’t get enough of how she created her own version of Lady Macbeth.

Absolutely a must read by Ava Reid!!! Roscilla comes into her power and Reid makes the journey such a treat. Humongous thank you to Del Rey for this ARC.

This is an immediate buy.

This was an absolutely transfixing read! The atmospheric writing and suspense gave the reader an immersive journey.

I went into LADY MACBETH with certain expectations of how Ava Reid would approach the character--I expected more femme fatale, less ingenue. I guess I am more familiar with the older, more hardened portrayals of Lady Macbeth. I am sincerely glad Ava Reid turned my preconceived notions of the character on their head because LADY MACBETH is just so darn good! The book, not the character...the character is still a *tad* troubled, but I love her. Reid stayed more or less true to the Bard's tale while reinventing one of history's most evergreen villains. Reid's Lady Macbeth is a young and inexperienced bride trying to establish a place for herself in her husband's court. She watches and observes the men around her and rebels little by little against the laws and labels ascribed to her by playing the men. Reid's Lady Macbeth is not Lady Macbeth at all, but Roscille, a young woman who is so often called a witch that she must cover her eyes for fear of men falling under her spell. Roscille hides behind the veil and thinks and plots. But there are more shades to Roscille, Lady Macbeth than there ever were in Bard's tale. I loved this book, I LOVED the ending of the book, I loved the portrayal of Lady Macbeth, and I love Ava Reid's writing. Very happy that she has so many novels coming out within the next couple of years.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for this review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. There were many changes from the original story that didn’t feel right.

Ava Reid’s Lady Macbeth is a strikingly atmospheric and darkly moody retelling of the classic Shakespearean tragedy. Reid's writing style is undeniably intricate and evocative, skillfully weaving a tense narrative that encapsulates themes of feminine rage and ambition. Her prose is at its finest in her fourth book

However, despite these strengths, I found my overall experience with the book to be somewhat mixed. The first three-quarters of the story struggled to fully engage me, despite the promise of a gripping narrative. While Reid’s intention to reimagine the iconic character of Lady Macbeth is clear, her portrayal fell short of the strength, cunning, and agency that I had anticipated. This reimagining, while inventive, did not fully resonate with my expectations for Lady Macbeth’s character arc.

The final 20% of the book, however, is where Reid’s vision shines through most vividly. The resolution offers the readers a satisfying conclusion and elevates the story’s emotional impact, showcasing the author’s ability to craft compelling and powerful moments.

Ultimately, Lady Macbeth is not a faithful retelling of Shakespeare’s original play, which may disappoint some reades or those seeking a traditional interpretation. While I appreciate Reid’s unique spin on the story, I find that my long-term impression of the book is somewhat diminished by the earlier shortcomings. For readers interested in a dark, atmospheric reimagining with a fresh perspective on a classic character, I would recommend it, though it may not leave a lasting impact for everyone.

My bookclub never pass up a chance to read Ava Reid. Our group started with her first novel and we’ve continued our discussions for each book. Lady Macbeth continues the tradition with her beautiful and haunting writing. I admit to not recalling much of the source material so my opinions are based on the story told here and not in comparison.

This felt like a cross between historical fiction and fantasy, the remote and brutal setting both felt real and one based in fantasy. When Roscille becomes the Lady Macbeth, she uses everything in her power - beauty, brains and the mythology surrounding her to help her navigate survival in this new life. Trying to manipulate her Lord husband and surviving any way possible I found the storytelling to be so intricately woven, it wasn’t fast paced or exciting but I flew through it every chance I had to pick it up.
Such an interesting story and i cannot wait to discuss it with the group.

Many thanks to the publisher and @netgalley for my earc to review! 5⭐️

Ava Reid writes some of the grittiest historical fantasy I've ever read. In Lady Macbeth, 17-year-old Roscille is brought to Scotland to marry Macbeth. This retelling engages with the Shakespeare play. So many of the beats are there, from the three witches' prophecies to Lady Macbeth's bloody hands (or are they?) - but in a sideways manner that focuses on women's place in medieval society. It was a rough read in the sense that you feel Roscille's helplessness despite her urge to use her wits to survive.

Reid's prose is beautiful but stark. Sexual violence is a part of life for Roscille, so it forms a large part of the novel. Reid doesn't focus on the mechanics or the specific acts, but rather the impact on women's health, both mental and physical. Tread cautiously, but know that Roscille does get a happier (if more ambiguous) ending than in Shakespeare's Macbeth.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher,and Ava Reid

Ava Reid is such an amazing author. Her writing is so descriptive and really pulls you into the story. You can picture everything perfectly. This was a great Lady Macbeth retelling!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF @42% for me. I tried, I really did, but if I’ve almost reached the halfway point of a book and can’t bring myself to care or even be interested in any of the characters, and I’m not invested in the plot, I have to call it quits.

I have 0 attachment to the original Macbeth and this book didn’t change that for me, I just didn’t care. I found myself not comprehending words I’d read simply because my brain would drift off (that RARELY happens to me) and then I’d have to go back to understand how we got somewhere. That being said, Roscille’s narration does tend to go off on tangents that I didn’t understand the importance of.

I don’t have much else to say about this other than it’s just not for me. I can certainly see people really enjoying this, but I just really needed more from the characters, including Roscille, who sometimes seems very capable and attentive but then just doesn’t use her skills or information to her advantage? Doesn’t plan ahead or think of the consequences?

I don’t know, I'm done rambling now.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC for in exchange for an honest review.

I will say this was not my first Ava Reid book, but this was the first miss for me. I really enjoy Ava Reid and I enjoyed this for the most part, but ultimately it was a 3/3.5 if I'm being generous book for me. This was one of my most anticipated reads and one I was most excited for, so for it to not met my expectation breaks my heart a little.

For me the story was a quick read which was nice and the pacing for the most part was good. That was until we reached the ending. I will say, it was extremely rushed and felt entirely too easy. It wasn't satisfying, the book was building and building and then blah...nothing, no pay off, but a nice neat bow. And I felt cheated. What happened? This book is only 320 pages, I would have been fine with it being another 50-100 to get a better or more fleshed out ending.

It's a strong 3.75 for me. I liked the story overall—it had satisfying elements, and I enjoyed reading it.
Roscilla, as a character, is quite complex, and being only 17 years old, there’s a lot of grace I could give her actions. There were moments when I wanted to scream into my Kindle, and others where I cringed because of her evident childishness and prejudice toward foreign people and women in particular. I didn’t find her very likable, but I appreciated her character for being this way. Even when I disagreed with her choices, I accepted them as her own.
However, I had some issues with the execution. The pacing wasn’t my favorite. The beginning of the book dragged so much that I almost DNFed it. Then, it picked up a bit, only to slow down again. Around 80%, there were entire days that passed within sentences. The narrative jumped from 0 to 100 in a single paragraph, leaving me confused about where we were in time. I would have enjoyed lingering with the story a bit longer to experience some descriptions of Macbeth's madness, rather than having it presented as a mere fact. While we know the story, it's presumptuous to assume everyone knows it in detail. I view this type of work as a prelude—something that could inspire readers to explore the original material.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with the book after pushing past the initial urge to DNF. It won’t be my favorite Ava Reid novel, but it’s definitely memorable.

Lady Macbeth is by far the best thing that Ava Reid has ever written, she just gets better and better and better. I absolutely LOVED A Study in Drowning and I just ate this up like thanksgiving dinner. Absolutely captivaing writing. literally the only thing that could have made this better would have been if it were written in first person POV (which is just more of a personal preference of mine). I really enjoyed this, I felt lost at times but honestly I was just going with the vibes. Also, I try not to judge books by their covers - BUT - I have not seen a single back cover for this book. They're all stunning.

I can't say that this isn't a reimagining of Macbeth, but it's not what I was hoping for.

I've always had a certain fondness for Lady Macbeth as a character. She is the driving force behind Macbeth's ambition, she's cunning and manipulative, and she has so much agency in that story. With this being a version centering her, I was hoping to see all of that amped up to 11. But that's not the route the author chose to take, and unfortunately, I ended up being disappointed. I came here hoping to support women's rights but, more importantly for this particular play, women's wrongs. But instead of all the enjoyment of seeing Lady M gaslighting gatekeeping girlbossing her way to the top, I got Roscille.

Roscille (aka Lady Macbeth) is seventeen, and incredibly naïve. She thinks much of her own intelligence and cunning, but every plot she hatches throughout the story inevitably fails one way or another, because she didn't account for something. All of the agency that Lady M is supposed to have is stripped away, and rather than being the driving force in the story, Roscille is dragged along by the whims of the men around her. Where the original play has her verbally abusing Macbeth and bullying him into action, here she is submissive and timid around him. He is the one in control, and she just goes where he pushes her. I do think the last 20% of this was interesting, and the writing is beautiful as always, but this could've been a really good story if it hadn't been a Macbeth retelling. I don't think it's particularly feminist, either.

The other issue I have is the portrayal of Scots, and particularly Scottish men. In one of the first chapters, we learn that Roscille has been unjustly feared by men her entire life. They call her a witch because she has strange eyes, when there's no evidence to support this. But instead of her then acknowledging that people have prejudices and that they are usually unfounded, she states with confidence that Scots are brutes, that the men all rape women, and more along those lines. I can acknowledge that, based on the time period and the prejudices running rampant, this could have been her opinion, but it could also have been challenged within the narrative by the author, which doesn't happen. From their first meeting, she's deathly afraid of Macbeth, to the point that she tries to arrange his downfall before he has even shown himself to be anything, brute or not. And the story supports her conclusions, in the end, but she couldn't have known that initially. To be clear, it's not just Macbeth who is portrayed this way. All the Scottish men surrounding her are bad, except for one—Lisander, the half Scottish/half British son of Duncane. This painting of Brits as better than Scots felt problematic to me, especially because there is still a lot of prejudice against Scottish men.

Also, the author seems to be promising dragonfucking in this book, so just to spare people the disappointment: it's not in dragon form.

This was my first Ava Reid book and I was not disappointed!! The writing was not only phenomenal but she also clung to the old Scottish way of talking so that the story itself was very rich and authentic.
I was immediately hooked by this book and I enjoyed my time reading it.
My only "complaint" would be that I'm not always a fan of an open ending but I feel that this one was still done well

Knife sharp - a blade edged in blood and heat and something immutable that we all know but do not speak of.

I love a book that gives nuance, meaning, and agency to historical vilified woman characters-- real and fictional. I have revised my review after finishing Lady Macbeth. Once I was a few chapters in, I did not want to put the book down. Lady Macbeth is a vibrant and interestingly imperfect character and I enjoyed the book so much.

DNF 15%. I really wanted to love this one, but it was hard to fully get into this for me. I know it's a Macbeth retelling, but even this early on, I think I would have enjoyed this more if it was its own story. The writing style is really nice, but it was hard for me to really just enjoy the characters because of the way they were portrayed here.

I love retellings, but I think the changes that Ava made here were ones that didn't fit with how I enjoy the characters and therefore I'm DNFing here.

I definitely look forward to seeing what Ava writes next though.

Thank you to Del Rey for my arc!

I had an idea of what to expect when i picked this up being that Juniper and Thorn is one of my favorite books But the way Reid really took one of my favorite plays and showed me it through a woman's eyes. absolutely blew me away. I find myself going back and rereading quotes, this story will haunt me for a long time.

As usual, Ava Reid never misses.

The writing is incredible, as always.

This is a great gothic retelling with fun feminist twists that really make you question everything you know about this story. I love how she examines a woman’s role. This was exactly the story I wanted and ate up.