I wish this could be downloaded to my kindle. I can['t read it on the app. I will have to buy this one. It should be good. Great topic. Great author!

Read the book--it''s a retelling based on what little we know about Queen Macbeth and I really enjoyed it.

Published by Atlantic Monthly Press on September 24, 2024

Shakespeare exercised dramatic license in the Scottish play by having Macduff kill Macbeth in his castle. As history records it, Macbeth was killed by forces loyal to Malcolm in the Battle of Lumphanan. Val McDermid’s take differs from both accounts, although she follows history more closely than Shakespeare did. Still, just like Shakespeare but without the glorious prose, she spins history into fiction.

Queen Gruoch Macbeth shared a throne with her husband for seventeen years before the Battle of Lumphanan robbed her of his love and sent her into exile. Gruoch is keeping her distance from Malcolm as she considers her future. She has “a name men would rally behind; Malcolm is shrewd enough to realize that, and to fear it.” The novel is thus, at least initially, the imagined story of Gruoch as she struggles to survive in hiding while grieving her husband’s death.

The novel’s backstory is told in flashbacks. Gruoch was with Gille Coemgáin in an arranged and childless marriage. Macbeth heard that his cousin Gille’s hands were red with the blood of his father. Macbeth came to see him so he could judge the man’s guilt before taking his revenge. When they met, Gruoch believed that Macbeth looked at her “like the woman she was meant to be.”

One of the three women who attend Grunoch, a handmaiden named Eithne who is said to be a witch, told her that Macbeth “will be the one. He will surely plant a King.” Grunoch needs no further encouragement. Suffice it to say that there will be passages worthy of inclusion in an adult romance novel.

To avoid the risk of making Gille suspicious, Grunoch and Macbeth communicate by sending bunches of flowers to each other via Angus, Macbeth’s messenger. One of Grunoch’s trusted women is an herbalist who speaks the language of flowers. Macbeth has an herbalist who also serves as translator. Their bouquets speak of patience (wild garlic) and hardship (milk-gowan), but no translation is needed for the forget-me-nots. That’s clever.

McDermid completes the backstory by imagining that Macbeth takes a grisly revenge through means that are consistent with history. In the present-time narrative, Gruoch struggles to keep her band of women safe until Eithne enters a trance and tells her to “go west — all the way west.” She must evade or slay Malcolm’s spies and fight McDuff before the story takes a twist that marks a sharp departure from history.

The happy ending has all the credibility of a fairy tale, although I credit McDermid for subplots that follow a tragic path. I mean, you can’t have a Macbeth story without tragedy, so likable but less important characters will meet their unhappy fates before the last curtain falls.

I’m not sure Macbeth needs a sequel, although writers seem to enjoy writing them. McDermid is no Shakespeare, but who is? Her prose is clear and crisp while occasionally bordering on elegance. Action and adventure (and the occasional stabbing) move the plot briskly. The story’s charm won’t be lost on fans of Macbeth even if they might cringe at its non-tragic outcome.

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Author Val McDermid revisits the story of Lady Macbeth, but hews closer to what is known about the actual Scottish king Macbeth and queen Gruoch. We learn of how she came to meet the warrior Macbeth, their marriage and their kingdom, and eventually why she and her three ladies and one of Macbeth's men are on the run from a murderous rival chieftain.

I've never read Shakespeare's play, which seems to be largely bloody entertainment versus a representation of actual events. McDermid's novella has a dual timeline, one set in the present and the pursuit of the four after the death of Macbeth, and the other set in Gruoch's past and relationship with her first husband, a cruel, self-centred man, then romance and marriage with her husband's cousin Macbeth, and their rule.

There's plenty of tension in both parts of the story, but there's also love, friendship, and political intrigue. I totally loved the relationship Gruoch had with her three ladies Aife (a healer), Eithne (a seer) and Ligach (a weaver). They support and rely heavily on each other, and it's this relationship that is central to the excellent story. McDermid immerses the reader in 11th century Scotland beautifully, with its power struggles and patriarchal society.

I thoroughly enjoyed this small dip into this time period, as well as a fresh look at Queen Gruoch/Lady Macbeth. She and Macbeth managed to unite a fractious Scotland, and though the politics are important in this story, it is the woman, whose love and determination changed a country, that captivated me.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I dont know how to put my thoughts into words with this one. All I can say is for the individual who reads this to READ THE BOOK PERIODT. This book was quite surprising I have no idea how to process anything I read to make a full-fledged review.

Sadly ,I've had to do a soft dnf for now and come back to the book in the future. I think the writing was very good. Based on what I've read so far I would still recommend this to people I know would love this type of story.

I love Shakespeare's play, but this book was just as good. A great novella, perfect for a long evening.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Like many I was only familiar with the Shakespeare Play. In this historical novel the author writes the story from the women's point of view, esp Lady MacBeth's. It is very well written. Enjoy

I really enjoyed this retelling of the Macbeth story, firmly placing the events within the historical context of the time and focusing on Gruoch, the eponymous Queen. I liked the way perspective shifted within the narrative between the present day events as Gruoch runs for her life following Macbeth's defeat and into the past, detailing how Macbeth and Gruoch first met. I thought the writing was compelling and although this is a short novella, it never felt rushed and the story was fully realised. Overall, a great read that I would definitely recommend to any fans of the Shakespearean tale as a very interesting alternative.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid is a historical novella that provides more historically accurate information about Queen Grouch and her closest female companions.

This retelling of Shakespeare’s classic centers on the power of the female. This narrative alternates timelines: Queen Grouch unhappily married to Gille Coemgáin and her passion for Coemgáin’s cousin, Macbeth, and her life after being married to Macbeth. Grouch, who is of royal blood in her own right, married Gille Coemgáin, proclaiming himself as King of Scotland. Meeting Macbeth, she falls in love and conspires to become pregnant with his child. However, the love triangle lacks development. These parts of the book are only memories Grouch has while in her present life, on the run with her lifelong female confidantes: Ligach, good with animals and skilled with a spindle; Aife, the baker; and Eithne, a seer and knowledge of herbs. During this timeline, Grouch becomes a strong-willed, determined survivor after the death of Macbeth. While the story follows these four women and Angus, Macbeth’s longstanding man, the reader doesn’t know these women, which is the plot’s heart. This reader would have enjoyed more about the women and what made them who they are in the present plotline. Another question raised is how Grouch’s memories connect to her present. Having more female backstories would improve the plot and characters.

This book is for fans of medieval history with a touch of mystery and the bond of female friendship.

Thank you, Grove Atlantic, for providing me with an advanced DRC book for review via NetGalley. Please note this is my unbiased review, and all my opinions are mine.

Publication Date: September 24, 2024
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'Queen Macbeth' is a retelling of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' with a focus upon the lady with blood-stained hands. In her introduction McDermid speaks about how little is known of the actual historical background of the tale and that this gives her the liberty to add and invent. I fully support that! I did very much enjoy the focus on Lady Macbeth, here known as Gruoch and how, especially through the flashbacks, McDermid creates a life for her that is not merely depended on Macbeth. She infuses Gruoch's tale with female friendship and magic, making her a more independent figure than we sometimes get to see her as. The story "proper" takes place when Gruoch and her three friends are in hiding after the events of the play, but this is interspersed with frequent flashbacks that show us her life before, her meeting with Macbeth, and what happens after his death. I thought the prose was lovely and painted a good picture of 11th century Scotland. As a novella, 'Queen Macbeth' is short and therefore it might not be as worked out as readers might want. It is a brief look at a figure that McDermid was clearly interested by, but it is not an in-depth novelisation of the play. As long as you go into it with that awareness, you'll have a grand time!

3.25 Stars

I definitely recommend revisiting Shakespeare’s Macbeth before reading this novella or at least have a good understanding of it. McDermid’s retelling is short but does not lack substance. I love when we get a more fleshed out character (particularly the women) in a retelling of a classic. Added bonus here for the more historically accurate story as well.

This book felt like a middle-of-the-road read for me. While it had some interesting aspects, it fell short in fully exploring the characters and the plot surrounding Lady Macbeth. That said, it was a quick and easy read, and I did enjoy the heartfelt bond between Macbeth and her companions.

*Thank you to Val McDermid, ​​Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

I usually love books that are based on retellings of classic tales, but this one fell quite flat for me. I’ll start with what I love about this book. The cover was beautiful with the red and gold eye catching. The flashback scenes were okay and definitely better than the present story.
Now what I didn’t like about this book. Even though this book is a novella, it felt like it didn’t have much of a plot. We know the characters are on the run, but other than that we don’t know anything else. The characters felt almost as if the author didn’t understand them with them being very similar to each other. The problem with retellings is you must understand the characters you are reimaging, and this author clearly didn’t. This author thinks she’s better than Shakespeare and let me tell you, she is definitely not. I would call this fan fiction but I’m under the impression that the author isn’t a Shakespeare fan.
Normally if I don’t like a book I still urge you to read the book to make your own opinions but with this book I recommend skipping it.

In this brilliant historical fiction retelling starring one of the greatest Shakespearan villains, Val McDermid brings Lady Macbeth and the incredibly patriarchal Scottish society from a millennia ago to life in this fascinating reimagining of the iconic tragedy. As a queen, not just a noblewoman, this fascinatingly passionate and tragic tale gives this powerful woman a life before and after the events of Shakespeare’s play and her marriage to King Macbeth. Joined by three loyal companions as she deals with the power politics and their aftermath in this period of Scottish history, this retelling is short but incredibly powerful and exciting. McDermid does not waste a single word or page in this novel, and she invokes powerful emotions and actions in every moment. Giving this incredible woman the chance to tell her own story and exert her agency and power, Lady Macbeth is far more than a mere murderess in this incredible novel. With an incredible timeline and some fascinatingly high stakes and some twists in the narrative, McDermid’s novel is complex, immersive, powerful, and fascinating. A brilliant retelling of a classic play, this Lady Macbeth is powerful, complex, and cunning, and fans of other mythology and classic literature retellings will love this novel.

Queen Macbeth is a story about the fight for safety and the ability to love who we will as women, for the right to find and build a home of our own choosing and live out our days in peace. At its core is an extremely feminist retelling of a story that is very well known that adds more background to the female players that in Macbeth skirt the background and while having some of the most well-known scenes are the least known for who they are.

I enjoyed the prose and simpler yet confident writing style that was at the forefront of this novel, with the prose being striking yet easy to read and follow for the plot. The main group of four women all felt fully fleshed out, as did Macbeth and Angus, with other men being the easy to spot villains in the novel yet still feeling like reflections of real men. The time jumps well initially surprising were extremely well executed and easy to follow throughout the novel, with the style on the page of the font changing, but no true additional markers to signify the change.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys:
- Historical Retellings
- History from women's point of view
- Darker novels that lean gothic
- Novel about women's relationships and friendships

I received an advance review copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts and opinions are wholly my own and unbiased.

This was just really boring to me. I had read Macbeth in high school and assumed I’d be okay enough to read this without a refresher. I was wrong, and was still more confused even after rereading a summary. This seemed to be post- the fictional events from Shakespeare’s play or the real events we were supposed to told but with no context as to what really happened. There were somehow assumptions we’d know even though the author promised that Shakespeare’s story was wrong and we’d get closer to the truth through this. I really just found myself wanting to finish it to get any answers and was still kind of disappointed once I found them.

Excellent book, love it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

Lady Macbeth's tale is in the most capable hands in this incredible reimagining of her story. The intrigue builds as we explore what life was like after Macbeth's death.

I usually love Shakespeare retellings. Shakespeare's writing is so poignant and beautiful so deep and emotional! So when I saw this story of Queen Macbeth after King Macbeth's death I was really looking forward to it!

I had a hard time reading this. For it being a short novella I thought it'd be a fast read. It took me almost a whole month and a half to read. The writing stagnant and confusing. It did more telling than showing and so it read like a text book of a story in history. I guess that's what it was but I had no feelings about any of the characters, I didn't care when horrible things happened or when they died. I didn't care when good things happened. I just didn't care! For a character driven novella I knew nothing about them and even got confused on who was who when they had dialog they all sounded like the same person!

Overall I really just did not gel with this book! But I would recommend for people who enjoy history and Scotland the description of the land and everyday lives of the people were beautiful!

this is an excellent unpredictable read! A real page turner, filled with tragic and haunting pages, a very entertaining book! A must read!