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.

A stunning and enchanting book.
Truly I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did, it was my first dive into Ava Reid's works and it did not disappoint.
Lady Macbeth drives you in with Roscille, a sweet and innocent girl who is yet to know how the world outside of her home truly works, by the end of this book you are able to see the growth and the change in her character as she spends more time in Glammis.

A watered down, timid version of Lady Macbeth throws a wrench into the OG play in this VERY LOOSE reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The scene? Miserable. The characters? Miserable. The ending? Largely miserable, but with a twist!



As always, Reid’s writing and prose create such a vivid, gothic, unsettling atmosphere, and did her homework with the level of detail she gives with homage original play. I don’t mind dislikable characters, which Roselle and company certainly were, but the backstory to them was not there for me to care. Roselle has aged backwards, become spineless compared to the Lady Macbeth we know and [love]. Although she occasionally shows intellect and cunningness, it always seems like these events just happen to her, rather than her being the mastermind orchestrating it. The only remarkable thing about Lord Macbeth was his bloody limp. The witches carried the team on their back and tbh I will now be dressing up as a magical sea hag for Halloween, justice for the witches!! They may not be the beautiful topless witches that Sleep No More depicts, but they were arguably better and I loved all scenes with the trio involved. Without going into spoilers, certain traumatizing and character-altering scenes in this book were not treated with the gravitas they deserved and seemed almost off the cuff. This was probably the biggest drawback for me in this story. Overall, I was here for the vibes and the vibes were a home run, but some questionable plot points made for a bumpy road.



<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC! While I didn't enjoy A Study in Drowning, I appreciated Reid's prose and wanted to try out her retelling of Macbeth focused on the titular Lady Macbeth. Unfortunately, I expected a darker, sinister, more clever and cunning characterization - but this book didn't deliver. I have no doubt that other readers will eat this up and it will be someone's five star read, but for me this wasn't quite what I expected and even Reid's gorgeous writing style couldn't help.

Really, really loved this. It was my first Ava Reid book, and I will definitely be picking up her other stuff now. Macbeth is my favorite of the tragedies, and this retelling does it justice and then some. Absolutely beautiful.

I really enjoyed this book! Ava Reid is truly gifted at bringing out the darkness and oddities and Roscille was no exception. I know that this book will be very popular on BookTok and I can't wait to see what others think of it.