🔹SYNOPSIS 🔹
Roscille is a seventeen year old French woman, sent to Scotland as a bride for the warrior lord, Macbeth, in an effort to secure an alliance between her father and Macbeth. She is thrust into a dangerous and brutal new land with nothing but her own wits to keep her safe. As she fights for her life in a foreign land, she uses whatever means necessary to avoid becoming a pawn in yet another court.

🔹MY TAKE 🔹
Ava Reid’s signature dark and gothic world building and lush prose has hit its mark once again. I will say this is a very loose retelling of the story and I found it to be more of a reinvention of the entire tale. Those who were coming for a retelling might not be pleased with the liberties Reid has taken in re-writing the characters from the play. I, myself, enjoyed the story for what it was - a study in feminine rage, desperation and the absolute misogyny of medieval times. Reid’s writing of young Roscille’s experience makes her fear and panic at being such a young bride in a foreign land incredibly palpable. I would venture to guess that it’s a more accurate portrayal of the experience of women of that time. They were truly pawns in a game played by men. Roscille’s desperate maneuverings to avoid her husband’s displeasure and ensure her safety was met with both success and failure in varying degrees and her attempt to gain allies and keep track of all of the lies and webs she was weaving kept the tension of the story and the plot moving quickly. I was surprised at the clear fantasy elements - dragons and unicorns and actual magic. I hadn’t been expecting those and I don’t know that they were entirely necessary. I did love the ending for Roscille and the role that the witches played in the story. Reid’s writing is fabulous and I found myself highlighting quote after quote after quote . Overall, I was really engrossed and thought it was a great read! I would highly recommend it with the caveat that it significantly differs from the original tale of Macbeth and there are some mature themes and content.

I’m just starting to explore the historical fantasy genre and I was pleasantly surprised by this story! It was a nice mix of romance and fantasy. I can’t speak to the historical aspects of it/comparison to Lady Macbeth’s original telling but I was definitely intrigued by it

Why would you even choose to retell the story of Macbeth when you so clearly hate the Scots, desire nothing more than a Y/N Wattpad-worthy FMC, and don't stay true to the power of the original material? Why would you do this to Lady Macbeth? And, literally, what is with the unexplained Xenophobia towards Scotland? I desperately hope this isn't claimed as a feminist title because the lack of care or regard for women is astounding. This isn't prized literature. I wouldn't even call this fantasy. This could have been written as something new and bad but instead it was marketed on the work it clearly had no regard for. I can't even think clearly because this was just that dreadful. The only thing I can compliment is the writing style and even that was only a 2/5, because good Lord, this book really think Lady Macbeth is a scheming powerful girlboss when in reality she is a paper-thin excuse for a female protagonist. The only character she had was driven by Reid's decision to make all of the Scots in the story brutish, thuggish, uncultured, animalistic stereotypes of neanderthals. And the only good man is the English one? Did Scotland personally kick your puppy, and that led to you forever portraying all Scots as abusive, women-hating barbarians? This literally could have been excused by explaining that such descriptions were part of the world from Lady Macbeth's eyes, but no. I've heard about the xenophobic attitude towards Scotland in the Study in Drowning book as well. And finally, the thing that put me over the edge--- why did Lady Macbeth need to be an itty bitty little thing with big badonkers? Grow up.

Reid's "Lady Macbeth" is quite different than its source material. This title captured my attention because Reid always carves out interesting worlds and simply because "Macbeth" is my favorite Shakespeare work. A title that promised to focus on Lady Macbeth and offer readers a rare look into her motivations, past, and relationship with Macbeth sounded like an excellent read. However, this Lady Macbeth is a pale imitation of the one, who spun her fate and her husband's.

Roscille hails from Breizh. She comes with a veil to protect the men from her gaze, and as the bastard daughter of a father, who emulates the characteristics of an ermine. Unaccustomed to the brutish and wild ways of Scotland, Roscille finds herself at a crossroads. She can either be a dutiful wife or she can attempt to wield fate into her own hands. Throughout the story, the Lady wobbles between being the submissive and dutiful daughter and spinning a web of her design to escape the clutches of Macbeth and his faith in prophecy.

No one can create a world and atmosphere like Reid. Her version of ancient Scotland and even the world from which Roscille hails is wholly unique and original. She carefully skates around the tumultuous relationship between our understanding of the past, and the actual reality of names, customs, and fragile relationships between these burgeoning cultures and countries. Her command over this period truly creates a sense of a world unfamiliar and full of conflict, magic, and men seeking their glory. The truth behind a tragedy is fondly remembered with a different understanding and a masterful ability to evoke ancient traditions and settings that beguile.

However, Roscille and perhaps, Reid lose their way about halfway through the story. It starts out promising as Roscille is introduced to the court and the customs of her new land. She attempts to forge her path, but quickly, successively, and repeatedly falls prey to the men around her. There is no sense of agency in this Lady Macbeth. The story instead resorts to a lot of beautifully written prose and musings on her entrapment, which is enchanting but does not contain a well-developed character arc or constitute a feminist re-telling by the actions of the character alone

It would also be fine to re-textualize the character of Macbeth, but his personality seems to shift halfway through the book. He goes from including Lady Macbeth in all the court dealings and entrusting the castle to her to simply a caricature of an uncaring and abusive husband. This character shift only seems to happen to justify the unleashing of the monster at the end and to see Roscille survive through the end. It is an interesting re-telling, but Macbeth and Roscille, their motivations, and their relationship are flat and one-dimensional. This story simply exists to extoll the tired storyline that men are bad, but women persevere. It works fine, but I expected something more complex than this.

I went into this book not knowing much about Macbeth and maybe this just wasn't for me. I knew it would be dark. I knew it would likely still be a tragedy. But it was difficult for me to read at times. It was not what I was expecting.. It let me down. She was not a strong female character until she was given no other option. I was hoping to see her scheming more, plotting and controlling men without them being aware. Especially since she's a witch who has the power to control men if they look at her.

As someone who hasn't read the play "Macbeth" in a very long time, this was a bit hard to follow.

This is the second book I've read by this author (the first being "A Study in Drowning".) Reid's writing style is definitely unique. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I was in a different reading mode. I'll have to pick it up again maybe to see if my perspective changed.

I would recommend this book to someone who is in a "dark academia/historical" mood. You have to be in a particular headspace to enjoy this book.

I have never read Shakespeare but I want to now.
My notes on Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

Roscille or Lady Macbeth comes to Macbeth's castle as a bride. Macbeth is a brute of a man. She has her handmaiden taken from her. Men run Macbeth's castle which I thought was so odd. Macbeth keeps three witches chained in his castle to tell him prophecies. Roscille tries to be cunning throughout the book but fails miserably.
I thought this book was wonderful. I really enjoyed that it was written in the viewpoint of Lady Macbeth. I thoroughly believed this book.

“If she cannot have safety, if she cannot have love, at least she can have this. Vengeance.”

Lady Macbeth is a magical, devastating, and beautiful retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It walks a thin line between being inspired by the original text and retelling the story, as it exists within the same world but varies greatly from the original story. I believe this makes the book perfect for anyone, whether they are fans of the original play or not.
Lady Macbeth has always been one of Shakespeare’s most interesting characters, even from the male-centric story of Macbeth she shines through and captures the audience's attention. Hearing the story from her point of view is so interesting, it gives voice to her manipulations and schemes and helps us understand that she never wanted to be a monster but that is the role the men in her life forced her into. In this story she is even able to find comfort and love in the other outcasts of the world and find a way to forge a new path for them.
I have so many wonderful things to say about this book but if I continue I’m sure to spoil something so I’ll end with saying; this book is a must read for anyone interested in stories that give voices to women that have previously been drowned out by men. It also doesn’t hurt if you enjoy Shakespeare, but having knowledge of the play is not instrumental to the enjoyment of this book.

Thank you to Ava Reid, her publication team, and NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy an advanced copy of this magnificent book!

I was HYPED for this one. So hyped that I went out and requested an ARC. But BOY was this a letdown. This was somehow supposed to be a feminist re-imagining of Macbeth, but I feel like it came off as the exact opposite. Lady Macbeth was the ultimate practitioner of “gaslight, gate-keep, and girl boss,” but this rendition strips every bit of her power away and makes her a total victim. Where is the ambition? Where is the relentlessness? Where is the ruthlessness? Besides the fact of the character destruction, the prose and stylistic choices make this a difficult book stay interested in, for me, personally. I thought about DNF’ing a few times, but was curious as to how things would end up. Things ended up disappointing 😅 Maybe I’m just a harsh critic right now?? Thanks to NetGalley and Randomhouse for my ARC.

<i>If she claims this name, Lady Macbeth, she claims it for us all.</i>

I'm going to start this review with a probably controversial statement - I never liked Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth.

The idea that she was a powerful female character never really sat well with me, considering that her "power" was from manipulating her husband and essentially taking the blame for Macbeth's actions.

Ava Reid's Lady Macbeth, however, shows that not all strength is loud, not all power is destruction, and not all stories are quite as they seem.

A reimagining of the Thane of Glammis' wife, our Lady Macbeth is the young bastard daughter of a foreign lord, her hand in marriage traded for an alliance. Though beautiful, she's forced to hide behind a veil at all times because of the witch powers that rumour bestows upon her. Roscille has every intention of retaining at least some autonomy, sending her new husband to complete three favours for her before he can consummate their marriage. While this may seem like the origin story for the manipulative Lady Macbeth of history we've come to know, it's just the beginning of where everything starts to change.

<i> Madness, of all things, is the most unforgivable in a woman.</i>

I've said it in previous reviews, but Ava Reid has such an immense talent for creating an atmosphere with their writing, wrapping it around you like a blanket and drawing you into this world and these characters. Lady Macbeth is young and scared, but also determined and quietly strong, learning who she is and what she's capable of as the story progresses. Macbeth himself is no longer the puppet of a scheming wife, but a man who is as sure of his actions as he is the prophecies spoken by the witches.

A beautiful gothic weaving of history, literature, and fantasy, Ava Reid's Lady Macbeth explores what it means to be a woman seemingly without power, to be a man who feels nothing but powerful, and the cracks that form in these clashes.

<i>I have seen what mortal men can do. I prefer a monster that shows itself openly.</i>

Thank you so much to Del Rey for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I think if this book had any other title it may have been a better read. This is not a retelling of Macbeth from Lady MacBeth’s point of view. This is a complete reimagining of one of literature’s most famous villains without the cunning and deadly ambition. Shakespeare fans will not recognize this story.

So I decided to ignore the names and concentrate on the story itself and I was still underwhelmed. The introduction to Roscille (Lady MacBeth) tells us that she is observant and a great reader of people, finding their weaknesses and exploiting them. That skill seemed to fall away as she kept tripping over her tongue getting herself in trouble…not very clever of her. By the end of the book I was just over the characters. I simply didn’t care about any of them. I also got the impression the author didn’t like them much either.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I am convinced that Ava Reid could write an instruction manual and I would devour it. She is truly a master at capturing a mood, a feeling, the things that are generally unspoken but universally understood. And perhaps more significant, I have never found someone more skilled at portraying strong female characters in soft, untraditional ways.

If you are coming into this story hell bent on Lady Macbeth being portrayed exactly as she is in Shakespeare’s play, you may find yourself disappointed. While that Lady Macbeth is cut throat, ruthless and unapologetic, Reid’s Lady Macbeth is more subtle — but make no mistake, as she is no less conniving. Reid is a master at demonstrating quiet bravery, female main characters who do not show their strength through brute force but rather through more subtle (and in my opinion, therefore deeply relatable) ways. This was on full display here.

As a woman, it is impossible to read this and not feel the rage simmering underneath the surface of Lady Macbeth throughout this story. It is as present a pulse in this book as your own heartbeat.

* If she cannot have safety, if she cannot have love, at least she can have this. Vengeance.*

I re-read Macbeth before reading this in an effort to remind myself of the story, but i don’t think it would be necessary to do so.

If you like her other work, if you like stories about feminine rage, if you like to feel like you have been transported to another world (even if it is a dark one), then you will like this book. Although I do feel it is important to check trigger warnings if that is something important for you, as there are very heavy themes and situations in this story 🖤

This was a tough read to finish. The characters lacked depth and connection which made it difficult to get into the story… Maybe this was intentional to stay true to its theatrical roots - with the characters’ personalities showcased through the actors? Idk…
3 stars because the overall plot was fantastic.

This title is the singular reason I created a NetGalley account, and it did NOT disappoint! Ava Reid’s Lady Macbeth retelling is beyond captivating with every page beautiful written and every word meticulously chosen in order to underscore the mood of her work. Shakespeare would proud! Reid is a queen of wielding metaphors, and each one had me stopping and thinking. The eels and lampreys were especially striking. Reid did justice to the unwritten and overlooked narratives of women throughout history, and her blood-filled pages will leave its mark on everyone who reads them. Please, please, please read this haunting tale! 🖤🖤🖤

As someone who is not incredibly familiar with Macbeth, I thought this book was okay. I gave it a lot of grace because I knew it was a Shakespeare retelling, but I was really hoping for a little.... More?

From my understanding Macbeth is the one who kills everyone, with support from Lady Macbeth, in order to guarantee his line of succession. So I'm not really sure why Lady Macbeth has now been made the one to perform all of the murders. I don't know what that accomplishes? I enjoyed the setting and the Gothic feel, but that's something that I still could have achieved by reading the original play. I'm not sure that this book brought forth any new ideas in an enlightening way.

It also seems weird that in the play, Macbeth is Scottish. But in this book he is half Scottish and also absolutely abhors the Scots. Definitely felt like Scottish slander lol.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Lady Macbeth is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, one of the most complex characters Shakespeare rendered and Ava Reid did her nothing but justice. From the beautiful prose to the stunning scenery Ava Reid ensures that the reader is as enraptured by our Lady Macbeth as everyone else is. Cannot wait to see this in store.

This is my third book by the author and very much a mixed bag. Some high highs and some low lows.

The Writing:
But I have to start by talking about the writing itself, which I thought was lovely. Quotes like "A witch does not need a reason, only an opportunity" or "He has already seen how easily her fingers can spin lies; can her lips not also fashion falsehoods?"

Repetition:
However I really struggled around the 60% mark with how repetitive it became. Being trapped in the head of a naive and scared girl wasn't fun. The fact that she keeps thinking the same thoughts of the country she now finds herself in, and what she perceives to be the brutish countrymen, while cowering and fearing a terrible future of her own invention... it was very wearying.

The Magic:
Around chapter 11 is when things started to get interesting and fantastical enough for me. I'd probably say Historical Fiction is my least favourite genre, so the low fantasy of the first two thirds did little to hold my attention outside of the writing. And then chapter 15 was kind of a banger? But it was also very short and a little too late.

Controversy:
I've seen some controversy surrounding the way she views Scottish people and that the real life Lady Macbeth was a Scottish woman and this adaptation is more French. In my reading, I never felt like the text backed up her views of the Scottish so I think it's important to differentiate the views of the character and the views of the author/being endorsed by the text. Additionally, this is an adaptation of a character from a Shakespeare play and not a retelling of a real woman's life, so it doesn't bother me that her nationality was changed. But ymmv.

Overall:
This is overall challenging to recommend to a particular audience. I think that it might be most at home with Historical Fiction lovers who prefer their prose on the purple side and a strong female rage/good for her throughline in their narratives.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and DelRey publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.
I am obsessed with Lady MacBeth and the new take Ava has taken with this book. It was such a a fun, yet heartbreaking read. From beginning to end I was on the edge of my seat and sent reeling by the last few pages. I loved the character contrast and relationships, I think they worked well with characters we know from the original tragedy we all know. This book essentially turns it's pages for you, if I could read it for the first time again, I would!

I am very sad with the outcome of my reading experience. I was so excited to read this based on how much I love "A Study in Drowning" by the same author but this was so disappointing. I don't even have words to describe how overwhelmed I felt reading this.

4.5 ⭐️! I absolutely love Ava Reid’s writing. I first read A Study in Drowing and fell in love with her writing style and Lady Macbeth did not disappoint! Her ability to write so beautifully about feminine rage, pain, and revenge makes her stories so enjoyable to read and experience.

This book in particular is an exploration on female power and how that power can influence, intimidate, and threaten men. Roscille is controlled by men for most of her life and constantly told who she is. When she has been broken down, and in moments of peril, she finds her strength, not by using the brute force of men, but in using her intuition and will to survive.

I love that this book (as well as Reid’s other works) explore the dark themes that mold and stifle the female character, as well as her growth and integration of the shadow self. I’m so grateful to have received this arc and I can’t wait to purchase the hard copy. Highly recommend this book.