Reviews with content warning for Gore - Lady Macbeth

Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

44 reviews

farnhamburglar's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A great book I’ll be thinking about for a long time! For fans of Shakespeare who love lady M, this book gives a new understanding to her complex and powerful character. However, it varies so much from the play that one need not be a Shakespearean scholar to find it captivating. The gothic setting, the intertwining of magic and war, the theme of defining power in new terms are strikingly done. The writing is gorgeous.

Content Warnings

lilmadmadz's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

alexallain98's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

Content Warnings

sakisreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I was looking forward to this book’s release, as I had enjoyed reading Macbeth at school 🤣 (Okay nerd!)

Even with Ava Reid’s disclosure at the beginning, it did take me some time to adjust to the way the English was written. Gosh, the writing was so weird back in the day eh 😳

The drama was dramatic (🤣) and I definitely didn’t want to stop until I had finished!

3.5 out of 5 stars for me, thank you! ✨ Content warnings included below.

Content Warnings

madd1al1c3's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

gladiolus17's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Lady Macbeth is a retelling like Ava Reid’s other’s. It is loosely based off the original work with a dash of magic and much feminine rage.

Lady Macbeth here is a seventeen-year-old girl having grown up in extreme patriarchy, but she is clever and self-aware, and knows how to manipulate men. But she is also afraid of the men’s power, and that influences her decision-making, for all she wants is to be safe from injury or sexual assault.

Because she has only ever been brutalized by men, she sees all men as brutes. Yet as she begins to know her husband, she can see flashes of his complexity underneath his violence and toxic masculinity. When she meets her love interest, she falls in love with him for his understanding of her; that she is a mold in which the world has crafted, a monster like him.

Some other reviews say this book is xenophobic to the Scots because they are portrayed as war-loving simpletons. I find these reviews deeply incurious about why Reid depicted them this way. Lady Macbeth is French and has learned biases against the Scots, she is also forced to marry Macbeth like a breeding horse, and because of the Scots’ toxic masculinity and lack of women in their keep, this does not encourage the Lady’s positive view on them. For me, I did not read the book as a criticism of the Scots’ culture, but on patriarchy in general, and the Scots’ war-hungry aspects were utilized in a way that emphasizes the book’s theme.

I also can understand that one depiction of Scotland is not representative of the entire culture.

(There were some more criticisms about historical accuracy, but I can’t speak in this. But I do wonder why historical accuracy is necessary in a fantasy book?)

I am Ava Reid’s ideal reader. I love the layers she weaves through symbolism and imagery. I love the sexuality and sensuality, the animal nature. I did not read the original Macbeth, so I can’t speak from that perspective, but as a piece separate from the original work, I feel it succeeds.

At the end, the witches give their power to Lady Macbeth, a symbol of feminine solidarity of scorned women. It really resonated with me. Like with all of Reid’s books, this one will stay with me for a long time.

Editing to add that I found a lovely interview with Ava Reid!

https://podcasts.apple.com/jp/podcast/reader-tangents/id1751414298?i=1000666942276

Content Warnings

cayliehausman's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

A tale of madness begetting madness, that leads to freedom or ruin. The added touches of forbidden romance and feminist ideology creates a modern take on a classic play.

I would recommend reading a summary of Macbeth but it’s not necessary to have read the play beforehand.

Content Warnings