Full disclosure, I know nothing of the original Shakespearean play Macbeth. So my views have NOTHING to do with comparing the two.

Ava Reid wrote a dark feminist retelling of the villainous Lady Macbeth. And though a lot of it was difficult to read, I was enthralled with what would happen next. Reid’s writing is stellar and imaginative and I overall liked it!! And there’s a dragon - which I wasn’t expecting. 😂

What a strange, beautifully written, unnecessary retelling of Lady Macbeth's story this is. As a fan of the play, I was thrilled to see Reid write a woman who wasn't a passive waif like many of her typical heroines - and don't misunderstand me, for I've adored several of those passive waifs. Unfortunately, Lady Macbeth (or Roscille, as she is known in this book) is eerily beautiful, very intelligent, and... also quite passive. Alas. This story might have had legs had it been marketed as literally any other thing but a Macbeth retelling; there is nothing of "screw your courage to the sticking place" here. It's an interesting experiment, for sure - Reid is capable of writing a beautiful story - but the disappointment rendered the whole thing the opposite of compelling to me.

I have loved everything that Ava has written so far and I was stoked to see her next book was a retelling of Lady Macbeth, one of my favorite characters from Shakespeare. However, I didn't read the book because I expected a perfect retelling. I wanted the dark flair that Ava's previous books demonstrate.... but this book was not that. There was so much gender essentialism that was repeated endlessly, like someone just diving into the world of gender studies. Because they are men, they act this way.... and because we are women, this is what happens to us. Obviously, a lot of misogyny and sexism were present in this world but it felt like she needed to remind us every couple of paragraphs. Lady Macbeth just seems like a naive teenager and doesn't seem to have a ton of growth by the end of this book. She is not the woman who would pluck her nipple off the boneless gums of her babe and then dashed their brains out. That's the Lady Macbeth I thought I was going to read about. The one that reminds me of so many characters in Ava's past books that I fell in love with. The Lady Macbeth in this books feels hollow and one-dimensional.

Macbeth's character lacked so much depth and it's hard to imagine him as the same person in Shakespeare's story. I hated the insta-love situation with Lady Macbeth and her lover.... It did not make any sense to me!!! I also was confused throughout the entire book of whether or not she's a witch??? This Lady Macbeth is not the heroine I'm used to in Ava's stories at all. I just felt a whole lot of nothing toward the main characters and confused the entire way about the motivations behind their actions. The best parts of this books is when Ava steps away from the confines of the source material and just writes like herself. I wonder what this book could've been if it weren't a Lady Macbeth retelling but the story of a woman trying to make a better situation for herself than the one she was placed in. I miss Ava's writing so much and hope to see the writing I fell in love with in Juniper and the Wolfsman come back. The writing in this one is just all over the place and it still felt like a lot more improvements could've been made on the structure. Everything about the plot was confusing and anti-climactic. If another author had written this I wouldn't have finished the book.

Oh the cover art is pretty sick so I added a star for that!

"Lady Macbeth" by Ava Reid fails to capture the essence and power of Shakespeare's iconic character. Instead, it's a confusing and disappointing reimagining that struggles to find its purpose and make an impact.

The novel follows Roscille, a French teenager who marries Lord Macbeth in a Scottish castle. However, the portrayal of Scotland and its people is filled with xenophobia and sexism, painting all Scottish men as brutish savages and reducing women to nonexistent or powerless roles.

Roscille lacks the assertiveness and intelligence of Lady Macbeth, instead appearing as a weak and timid character. Her attempts at scheming feel contrived, and her character development is inconsistent and lacking.

The inclusion of a dragon and the focus on Roscille's beauty further detract from the story's coherence. Seriously, WHY was there a dragon!? The writing style is lackluster and has some major pacing issues.

Overall, Lady Macbeth feels disconnected from its source material and fails to offer a compelling alternative narrative. It raises more questions than answers, leaving readers wondering about its purpose and significance. I'd recommend steering clear of this book and wouldn't recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an early ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Was really hard to get into this book and I struggled to finish it. It was dull and drawn out. It wasn't a very good spin or reimagining of Shakespeare's work in my opinion

This book was amazing! It was a tad slow to start, but once it got going, it was going! I empathized with Lady M, and appreciated that this story seemed historically accurate in the way that women were treated at that time. The narration had a similar feel and cadence to Shakespeare, and I love how the characters and plot were reimagined for this book! I was rooting for Lady M the whole time. I wish that Lady M's powers were fleshed out more during the entire book so that the moments where she used them weren't so surprising and the ending made more sense and felt more gratifying instead of feeling like, "Oh! Ok, I guess that kind of makes sense." Especially since most of the book I thought her powers were just made up man fancy because she was so beautiful and her features were rare.

A slow build, but worth it! I have been a fan of Ava Reid before this book, and will continue to seek her out!

I have truly mixed feelings about this book. Lady Macbeth is described as a feminist retelling of the classic Shakespeare play Macbeth, which is supposed to give the infamous Lady Macbeth more of a purpose in the tragic tale. I so wanted to like this book, I enjoyed A Study in Drowning and the premise of this novel sounded so fascinating. Lady Macbeth is meant to be this powerful bewitching figure, and instead, she just feels like a confused seventeen-year-old who may or may not have magical abilities. Some parts of this story had such beautiful writing and descriptions that I felt like I was out on the Scottish highlands. Unfortunately, the overall plot and characters all felt a bit off and forced. All the characters felt very one-dimensional, including Lady Macbeth herself, and the plot felt very stretched out and forced to encompass more chapters than necessary. I think this would have been better as a novella or a short story. Every chapter felt like a repeat of the last, If you are looking for a retelling of Macbeth that sticks close to the original play, then this is not the book for you. This is far more of a reinterpretation that only loosely touches on its source material. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers are a early copy of the book!

Imagine you just started senior year of high school, probably got your license, met new friends over summer or just ready for the year to be over already before it even began.

You go over your syllabus in English and it says "Macbeth" on it. At this point, you already read a few of his works the previous years and everyone talks of Macbeth as a scary thing to read (which it was). You start to popcorn read it in class, taking it home to read on your own for homework and finally watch the movie. Yet, your brain can't help but wonder, "What if Lady Macbeth wasn't this co-conspirator but yet a young girl still learning the world around here, but still played a bigger role than you could imagine."

I devoured this book in a day, I loved how it was in the five acts just like the original work. Once I finished a act, I had to keep going, I needed to know what the next act would bring. I love the writing, the way the author played with Lady Macbeth's emotions, and the how the magic was subtle yet amazing!

Only complaint? My brain was working over time in the first act to place characters together since there is a lot of them. But, once I got it together in my brain and able to think aloud with our librarians about it, it quickly become so much more to me.

I highly recommend this book to anyone up to the challenge, and I will be talking about it/reread to anyone who will listen

Dark, Disturbing, & Delicious.

Ava Reid breathes new life into the tragic tale of Macbeth. Through the eyes of Lady Macbeth, the tale of their demise deepens into the harsh sting of a blade. Reid's style is poetic and brutal. Devastating and delightful. The story unravels in Lady Macbeth's desire to survive the marriage bed to her foreign husband, saving herself a perceived pain; she accidentally sentences others to a grisly fate.

"Madness, of all things, is the most unforgivable in a woman."

Ava Reid's "Lady Macbeth" is a haunting and inventive retelling of Shakespeare's classic tragedy, infused with dark gothic elements and lyrical prose. The story follows the Lady, a bride wed to the Scottish warrior known for his brutality. As she navigates the treacherous court and her husband's occult secrets, the Lady discovers her own formidable powers and the perilous consequences they bring.

Reid's narrative mastery shines through in the atmospheric setting and vivid characterization. The Lady's journey from a pawn in a political game to a wielder of potent magic is captivating, blending elements of horror and suspense with lyrical storytelling. What really sets "Lady Macbeth" apart is Reid's creativity in reimagining this iconic tale, exploring themes of power, ambition, and the supernatural.

Despite occasional pacing issues, Reid's retelling is a standout achievement, offering a fresh perspective on a familiar story. I highly recommend!

I have read all of Ava Reid's books, and if there's one thing Reid knows how to do, it's tell a wonderfully dark and gothic story. Lady Macbeth is no exception. I know there have been some criticisms about Reid changing things or introducing things that were not in Shakespeare's Macbeth, but this book is marketed as a reimagining rather than a retelling. I personally love all of the additions and changes.

The character of Lady Macbeth, Roscille, was beautifully crafted and really embodies the feelings women have had for eons and will probably continue to have (unfortunately). Every worry and concern she had was realistic for women everywhere. Lord Macbeth was a wonderfully crafted villain from the start, knowing what needed to be done to bend Roscille to his will. Banquho and Fleance were great characters, and I really enjoyed the changes made to the witches, as well as the addition of dragons.

The first chapter was the only thing I disliked about this book. It felt like it dragged and took me days to get through just that first chapter. Now, I won't say that it's Reid's fault, as I am very much a mood reader, and I picked this book up after finishing a delightful series, so it could simply be because I wasn't in the mood for "Lady Macbeth."

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars, I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ava Reid, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for an ARC of "Lady Macbeth" in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This book had me completely hooked from the start. Truly a masterpiece. The characters and the story are absolutely phenomenal

I thoroughly loved this read. As an Ava Reid superfan, I had high expectations that were exceeded. Her prose has never been more lyrical and her characterization skills carried the bulk of the novel. Lady Macbeth was thoroughly enriched. Access to her interior world developed sympathy, disgust, and understanding. Rather than a villain, she has become a three-dimensional, flawed character who is trying her best. Reid's re-imagination of Macbeth was thoroughly original. Each plot point was creatively wrought through a new avenue not previously explored. I am excited to share this Fantasy with my community.

My two complaints are that I noticed a handful of crutch phrases that could have been edited out and that I wish Macduff had been utilized differently. I have seen some complaints about historical inaccuracies, however this is a Fantasy novel, not Historical Fiction. I think the presence of witches and dragons provides some slack.

Did somebody say “A study on drowning” s brilliant author Ava Reid decided to give another perspective to Shakespeare’s one of the most controversial plays? As a respond: firstly I screamed yes, then pumped my fist. Secondly, I screamed louder for having a chance to read earlier copy of this retelling made me intrigued especially that lady in veil’s penetrating looks on the cover.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.

Ava Reid has cemented herself as one of the best writers of our age. This book is just another example of how well she can depict the struggles and triumphs of complicated characters. Love love love!

Dnf 50%

I will begin by saying i love ava reid and delray so dnfing this is shocking for me,

I will give it 3 stars for the portion that i read!

For me the story felt flat from the beginning, i was also confused with what Lady Macbeth did for her husband and didn’t understand her witchy powers very well.

Every chapter essentially repeated how she felt about the Scotts as well as about her father and for me as a reader who remembers everything i don’t need to constantly be reminded,

I kept trying over and over to pick it up and gain interest but it is just to slow for me and the magic is not explained well.

Thank you netgalley and delray! For my earc

I was so excited to pick this one up because 1) the cover and 2) I loved A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid and was hopeful this would also be fantastic.

Boy was I disappointed.

Synopsis: A feminist retelling of the Shakespearian classic 'Macbeth.'

Plot: This is such a strange one because while it was so short (only 200 pages) I had the hardest time getting through it. The pacing and story itself was awkward and uncomfortable at times, but beautiful and well-written at others. I found myself trying to like this so hard, but unfortunately it just ultimately fell very flat for me. Maybe I would have liked this more if I liked the original but this just was not for me. Overall, there wasn't even much of a story to keep me entertained, this was definitely more of a novella and could have been told in probably 5 chapters. The whole book felt very shallow and without depth to the true themes of the book. Basically this was a "men suck" story and that was it. And I mean sure, and I love feminist retellings, but this had nothing important to add to the conversation, and was simply just "there." The random xenophobic insertion was also VERY out of left field, considering it wasn't in the original text and had no real rhyme or reason for being a (major) topic. The lack of women in a feminist retelling, also strange. Why was there a dragon? Why? He had zero significance. And lastly, why are the witches portrayed the way they were? The choices made in this made next to no sense.

Characters: Lady Macbeth is not a likable character, which is so sad. She is supposed to be this iconic powerhouse of a woman that we mourn for, and wish the best, but instead, she is unlikable, overdramatic, manipulative, and childish. The romance in this was also very strange. We are supposed to despise Macbeth, but he was very understanding and good to Roscille for most of the book, so it was hard to. The other love interest was extremely Insta-lovey and was very random and unnecessary for the plot line. If Lady Macbeth is supposed to find her power without men, why is romance a main plot line, with him saving her in the end? This story is also clearly supposed to say that women are more than just their bodies, but Roscille uses hers the entire time to get what she wants and runs and cowers when she's not. She is not brave, nor powerful, nor interesting, and I was so disappointed.

What a weird and unnecessary retelling. Oof sorry for going for this so hard.

2/5 stars.

This only got an extra star because of the occasional beautifully written moment by Reid, whom I still love.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy.

Ava Reid writes sweeping fantasies that immerse you in their dark lore and prose quickly with no hope of putting them down.

Lady Macbeth is no exception. Reid takes a beloved character often seen as a mad villain and places you inside her wonderful mind.
A feminist retelling laced with fantasty and horror. Sometimes grotesque and gut wrenching (in all the best ways), the story takes you through the life of Lady Macbeth and the oppressions of the patriarchy. The thought and research that went into this novel is evident in every detail. The landscape is lush and the characters fully formed.

For Shakespeare fans and haters alike, this book will turn what you know upside down and stay with you long after.

This book consumed my weekend, I could hardly stop reading, It was such a genuinely unique and good retelling of Macbeth. I love Ava Reid's writing and how she's able to transform stories into something magical.