Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I enjoyed this story from the female perspective. I havent read Macbeth since high school so i did go back and gloss over for reference but I enjoyed this one more

The Fire of Winter tells the story of Lady Macbeth. Gruah’s greatest ambition is to be the queen of Scotland. She is willing to do whatever it takes - including getting her hands dirty - to see her husband crowned. When she meets Edward the Confessor, Gruah begins to question her evil deeds. She wonders if her crown was worth the price of blood. Could Gruah ever find redemption or would she continue to bloody her hands that she could never wash off?

At first, Gruah is not a likable character. She comes across as a woman with a thirst for vengeance. She doesn't care who she hurts as long as she gets her vengeance in the end. This made her very ruthless. Gruah is portrayed throughout most of the novel as an ambitious, power-hungry manipulator. Later in the novel, Gruah’s character begins to change, and I hoped for her redemption. I wanted her to regret and be haunted by her evil doings. Gruah may seem like a typical villain, but she becomes a very complex queen who questions her beliefs and her actions.

Overall, this novel is about ambition, power, love, and morality. One thing that I like about The Fire of Winter is that it touches upon religion in medieval Scotland, which were the Celtic faith and Christianity. The characters were at times one-dimensional. The writing was choppy in parts. Some of the parts were rushed. Still, the author did an excellent job in integrating the real history of Macbeth with Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The Fire of Winter will not only appeal to fans of the play but to anyone that loves reading redemption stories of famous villains. I recommend this novel for fans of Ophelia, Hag-Seed, and Mistress Shakespeare.

I really enjoy the story that tell the stories about famous side characters in famous stories. This was a great read and found it to be a wild ride that was a lot of fun and worked for the time period.

There seems to be a lot of books 'Re-telling' stories from the past and this one is about Lady Macbeth and brings a new spin on Shakespeare.

I enjoyed this book but found it a bit taxing trying to work out the language but loved the story and the history. It is pretty full-on and had all the magic, passion, intrigue and danger of a great book. A strong female character (which is all the rage at the moment), lots going on throughout the book but it is a bit long winded for me.

I enjoyed it but it isn't a favourite of mine.

Truly interesting story of Gruah, Lady MacBeth and her driving ambition for Scotland and the man she loves. Handfasted to the man she loves and forced to marry a man she loathes, Gruah plots and schemes to place her lover, on the throne. With royal bloodlines on both sides, Gruah feels that it's her destiny to ensure that he is the heir to the throne with her lover sitting on it as King beside her.

I didn't find Gruah particularly lovable but you have to admire her courage and strength in a time when women were considered nothing but baby breeders. A very interesting take on Scotland's history and worth the read.

Shakespeare's Macbeth retold from the point of view of Gruah, Lady Macbeth. Initially wanting to unite Scotland against the English and remove the present King of Scotland who has achieved the position by murder and other crimes, Gruah allows ambition and greed to overtake her. She manipulates her weaker husband into following her lead. This novel was well researched and written but I found it difficult to read with all the Scottish names and unfamiliar old Scottish terminology.

Macbeth in a different time and place - but with all the power of the original plot. A retelling worth reading!

An interesting approach to Shakespeare’s Macbeth as told from the perspective of Lady Macbeth. A refreshing look at this tragic tale of a powerful woman and what drives her. Highly recommended.

The very first sentence creates a special place for Gruah in our hearts. Ms Marley brings the Shakespearean Lady Macbeth to life and details her circumstances.

Thanks Ms. Marley for writing Lady Macbeth’s side of the story – about Lady Macbeth’s behaviour and her subsequent demonisation.

Gruah’s love for her motherland propels her to a pedestal amongst men who fought either for the fortunes or for their personal honour.

The plot is strong, characters stronger and dialogues powerful. The is pace perfect, but the long sermons drag the book down by half a point.

Apart from other historical elements, the author uses the witch-burning metaphor brilliantly to illustrate Christianity’s impact on womenfolk: common and noble. Also, the map of Scotland as well as the Clann Alpin family are very useful.

Thanks NetGalley and Ms Marley for the book. This is an honest review.
P.S.: This book contains child abuse, explicit language and violence.

A fractured Shakespearean tale of Lady Macbeth. A fascinating and creative look into the mind of one of literature's most enigmatic villains.
Gruah is lead by ambition and the need for revenge. But learns that neither is fulfilling at the end. The tale starts when Gruah is about 18 years old. Flashbacks give us information about her formative years. And the story ends when she is 70. I appreciated the family tree at the beginning since it allowed me to understand the complex familial relationships that form the foundation to the story.
I liked the author's take on witches and witchcraft. I was left with no clear answer to the question whether the prophecy gave birth to rumour which allowed the prophecy to be fulfilled... and whether the three women actually were witches or not.
A lot of research into Scottish history and culture was evident and made the tale believable.
Overall, a very good read.

This book was an interesting re-interpretation of Macbeth, which is not a typical choice for a Shakespeare re-telling. Gruah, or Lady Macbeth, was a compelling character both in the original Shakespeare play and in this book. Her motivations were well-explained and believable, and her downwards spiral was portrayed realistically and sympathetically. As far as the backstory and family lines, some of the explanations in the beginning of the book were a little confusing and hard to follow--some refreshers throughout the story of who is related to whom and with what implications for tanistry and inheritances would have been helpful.

D.K. Marley did a wonderful job establishing the setting of 11th century Scotland. I especially enjoyed the look into England's history, with Edward the Confessor and how William and the Conqueror's reign was set up. The shift from paganism to Christianity was interesting to see, as was the shift from tanistry to direct inheritance. The tension between the thanes was reflective of the times and accurately done.

My favorite element of this re-telling may have been Hecate and the three witches (Sorcha, Fiona, and Alana). The three witches are one of the most interesting aspects of the original play, and the backstory and arc they were given were incredible and contributed to Gruah's own development.

As far as fidelity to the original, I thought D.K. Marley did an outstanding job of including all the iconic portions of the play (Malcom's "O? By whom?", the conversation with Ross, Oengus, and the old man, the storming of MacDubh's castle, Malcom's vice speech to MacDubh, "out, out damned spot," Macbeth's soliloquy after Lady Macbeth's death, etc.), even when Lady Macbeth was not present in the original. These sections felt natural and not contrived, and were great nods to the original play.

The writing style was a bit overdone in places, but overall, it was easy to read. I loved the twist at the end, and the ending portion, especially the last line, gave me chills. I just felt that the story dragged a bit and did not have to go on for 32 chapters.

Fans of Outlander, gird your loins; you're about to go for a wild ride. The main character is bloodthirsty, and her slow burn spiral into insanity is truly riveting. I couldn't put this book down, my stomach clenched in knots. You won't regret this read.

The characters were at times one-dimensional. The writing was choppy in parts. Some of the parts were rushed.