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kabrahams's review against another edition
4.25
(I received a free eARC from NetGalley for review purposes.)
Ava Reid is one of my favorite authors, so this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. That being said, I think this is my least favorite of their books, although that could change with time as I think about it more or if I decide to reread it. Definitely not a bad book though, I just have complicated feelings about it that I will try to articulate.
From the very beginning, Ava Reid's prose had me in a chokehold. There is something about her prose, both lyrical and concise, that captivates me and I truly think they are one of the best writers currently publishing novels. While sometimes the metaphors in this book got a bit overused (particularly with the ermine), I loved the writing style and was constantly underlining things in my eARC. That said, I struggled to read this for long periods of time because this book deals with some very heavy topics.
When Roscille is forced by her father to marry MacBeth, she is both terrified of getting trapped in the cycle of breeding and birthing that is the burden of married ladies and determined to do whatever it takes to escape that fate. She has found that her gaze can entrance me and she uses this to bend them to her will. Roscille is a fascinating heroine because she is both tragic and terrifying. Some readers will probably find her incredibly unlikable in her ruthlessness, and yet, I could not help but root for her in the end. Ava Reid has really turned this classic tale on its head and I cannot wait to devour whatever they write next!
Ava Reid is one of my favorite authors, so this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. That being said, I think this is my least favorite of their books, although that could change with time as I think about it more or if I decide to reread it. Definitely not a bad book though, I just have complicated feelings about it that I will try to articulate.
From the very beginning, Ava Reid's prose had me in a chokehold. There is something about her prose, both lyrical and concise, that captivates me and I truly think they are one of the best writers currently publishing novels. While sometimes the metaphors in this book got a bit overused (particularly with the ermine), I loved the writing style and was constantly underlining things in my eARC. That said, I struggled to read this for long periods of time because this book deals with some very heavy topics.
When Roscille is forced by her father to marry MacBeth, she is both terrified of getting trapped in the cycle of breeding and birthing that is the burden of married ladies and determined to do whatever it takes to escape that fate. She has found that her gaze can entrance me and she uses this to bend them to her will. Roscille is a fascinating heroine because she is both tragic and terrifying. Some readers will probably find her incredibly unlikable in her ruthlessness, and yet, I could not help but root for her in the end. Ava Reid has really turned this classic tale on its head and I cannot wait to devour whatever they write next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Rape
Minor: Animal death, Torture, War, and Sexual content
esme_bonner's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey UK, and Ava Reid for a galley of this book.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to enjoy it, and I did for the most part, but there are just some things I struggle to get on board with. Let's start at the top, if you are looking for a Macbeth retelling, that is relatively true to the play, this is not for you. If you are looking for a Macbeth reimagining with some changes, and don't mind a few historical inaccuracies, then this might be right up your alley.
As a book that isn't a Macbeth retelling, this has some strong moments. I enjoyed the way Reid employed varying names and spellings to reflect the flexibility of language in Medieval Britain. Don't be put off by the list at the front, the changes are relatively few, and largely understandable. I liked this attention to detail, although there are some historical inaccuracies I'm going to come back to. I also thought this idea tied in the play nicely, and gave us a sense of who we could expect to see.
I enjoyed the way Roscille's magic came to be, and for the most part I found her an interesting and sympathetic character. She was younger than I expected, and not Scottish, but she seemed smart and slippery. I was surprised so few of her schemes seemed to come off in the end, but overall I think she was an interesting woman, with a unique outlook on the world. I think she also has the potential to be an excellent leader, and I think Reid showed rather than told the reader that. For the most part I liked being in Roscille's head, and I enjoyed witnessing the relationships she built with potential friends, allies, and love interests.
I thought some of the symbolism and motifs Reid used were really strong, and as a piece of Gothic fantasy fiction it had some excellent beats. I think another intertext for this was the Bluebeard myth, which is also a related intertext for books like Gone Girl, so you can imagine the themes that are struck on here. In terms of Gothic fiction conventions, Reid ticks all the boxes. Spooky castle? Check. Creepy magical goings on? Check. A hot / cold, never-know-where-you-stand, much older husband? Check. Really strong when you look at it through that lens, and enjoyable to read.
I struggled, however, with it's ties to Macbeth. I think beyond the setting and the character names, they didn't bear that much similarity. If this had been Gothic fiction with Macbeth as a clear intertext, I think it would be stronger. But instead, attention is drawn to the fact that this is a 'retelling', and in my opinion it just is not similar enough for that to hold true. If you ignore the play, then I think this is really great. If you want something that is the play, then this might disappoint you.
With regard to the historical inaccuracies… It's hard. The thing is, I studied medieval literature at MA level, and I can tell you there were women. Everywhere. I can tell you that women had better lives than you probably think. I'm not saying it wasn't hard to be a women in Medieval Britain, but it was hard to be anyone in Medieval Britain. The larger issue is that Æthelstan was ruling in the 10th century, and Macbeth is traditionally set in the 11th. So these are things that just are not happening at the same time, and the languages they spoke would have been very far apart. Æthelstan would have spoken Old English, which is much closer to Norse than it is Middle English. Scots did not exist until the 13th century, so Macbeth should be speaking Gaelic, Middle English, or a Norse based language like Brythonic. I just think when such a point has been made of the language thing at the beginning, then that should be reflected in the narrative. If this is set when Æthelstan is King, then no one is speaking Scots.
This actually brings us to the only thing I had a real genuine problem with.
Here is probably a good place for me to stop and say that 1) this is a well written book, and I think that if you want to read it you will get a lot out of it. It was an exciting, twisty, dark narrative, and it had a lot of things to say about the role of women, and the way that society puts us down. 2) Ava Reid, and I would suspect a lot of the people who were involved in the editing process, is / are American, and probably did not speak to many, if any, Scottish people during the editorial process.
Personally I think that was a bit of an oversight, because the way Scottish people are presented in this book actually borders on the offensive. There are no women in the castle, so it is all men, all of whom are a mix of brutish, stupid, easily manipulated, cruel, ugly, and predatory. The only Scottish women we meet are ugly, monstrous, or victimised, if sometimes kind and well-meaning. These things would maybe be less of an issue is Roscille was Scottish, but she isn't, this Lady Macbeth is a 17 year old girl from Brittany. Similarly, if any of the good men we interact with where Scottish, then it would be less of an issue. But they're not. The only 'good' men we meet are half-English, and even then one of them inherits monstrous traits from his Scottish side. What that leaves us with is very strange, borderline xenophobic, representation of all Scottish people (in this book) as brutes who are less civilised, and much crueler, than the rest of the world.
Now, to be clear, I do not have an issue with Roscille the character having negative experiences with people who happen to be Scottish. That isn't what's happening in this book. This is not presented as a personal xenophobia, or even as a cultural xenophobia relating to her own upbringing. We do see that in her early responses and thoughts about 'Northmen'. Instead Reid simply represents all the Scottish characters as these things, it becomes objective rather than subjective in the narrative. All the Scots are, objectively, bad people. Their customs and behaviours are, objectively, antiquated, violent, and unpleasant. That is the problem I have. I don't think any culture would want to be represented that way, and I think bringing in things like Scots (which did not even exist in this time period) makes it harder to draw a line and say 'no, this is history, this is fictional history.'
Overall… I don't really know what to say about this book. I didn't not like it. It was enjoyable. it's well written. Reid is a master of Gothic fantasy. But I struggled with it. I worry it could be incredibly polarising. 3 stars, to me, I think presents that struggle. For some, for those that don't care about how Scottish people are presented, and don't mind a historical inaccuracy, this could be an easy 5 stars.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I really wanted to enjoy it, and I did for the most part, but there are just some things I struggle to get on board with. Let's start at the top, if you are looking for a Macbeth retelling, that is relatively true to the play, this is not for you. If you are looking for a Macbeth reimagining with some changes, and don't mind a few historical inaccuracies, then this might be right up your alley.
As a book that isn't a Macbeth retelling, this has some strong moments. I enjoyed the way Reid employed varying names and spellings to reflect the flexibility of language in Medieval Britain. Don't be put off by the list at the front, the changes are relatively few, and largely understandable. I liked this attention to detail, although there are some historical inaccuracies I'm going to come back to. I also thought this idea tied in the play nicely, and gave us a sense of who we could expect to see.
I enjoyed the way Roscille's magic came to be, and for the most part I found her an interesting and sympathetic character. She was younger than I expected, and not Scottish, but she seemed smart and slippery. I was surprised so few of her schemes seemed to come off in the end, but overall I think she was an interesting woman, with a unique outlook on the world. I think she also has the potential to be an excellent leader, and I think Reid showed rather than told the reader that. For the most part I liked being in Roscille's head, and I enjoyed witnessing the relationships she built with potential friends, allies, and love interests.
I thought some of the symbolism and motifs Reid used were really strong, and as a piece of Gothic fantasy fiction it had some excellent beats. I think another intertext for this was the Bluebeard myth, which is also a related intertext for books like Gone Girl, so you can imagine the themes that are struck on here. In terms of Gothic fiction conventions, Reid ticks all the boxes. Spooky castle? Check. Creepy magical goings on? Check. A hot / cold, never-know-where-you-stand, much older husband? Check. Really strong when you look at it through that lens, and enjoyable to read.
I struggled, however, with it's ties to Macbeth. I think beyond the setting and the character names, they didn't bear that much similarity. If this had been Gothic fiction with Macbeth as a clear intertext, I think it would be stronger. But instead, attention is drawn to the fact that this is a 'retelling', and in my opinion it just is not similar enough for that to hold true. If you ignore the play, then I think this is really great. If you want something that is the play, then this might disappoint you.
With regard to the historical inaccuracies… It's hard. The thing is, I studied medieval literature at MA level, and I can tell you there were women. Everywhere. I can tell you that women had better lives than you probably think. I'm not saying it wasn't hard to be a women in Medieval Britain, but it was hard to be anyone in Medieval Britain. The larger issue is that Æthelstan was ruling in the 10th century, and Macbeth is traditionally set in the 11th. So these are things that just are not happening at the same time, and the languages they spoke would have been very far apart. Æthelstan would have spoken Old English, which is much closer to Norse than it is Middle English. Scots did not exist until the 13th century, so Macbeth should be speaking Gaelic, Middle English, or a Norse based language like Brythonic. I just think when such a point has been made of the language thing at the beginning, then that should be reflected in the narrative. If this is set when Æthelstan is King, then no one is speaking Scots.
This actually brings us to the only thing I had a real genuine problem with.
Here is probably a good place for me to stop and say that 1) this is a well written book, and I think that if you want to read it you will get a lot out of it. It was an exciting, twisty, dark narrative, and it had a lot of things to say about the role of women, and the way that society puts us down. 2) Ava Reid, and I would suspect a lot of the people who were involved in the editing process, is / are American, and probably did not speak to many, if any, Scottish people during the editorial process.
Personally I think that was a bit of an oversight, because the way Scottish people are presented in this book actually borders on the offensive. There are no women in the castle, so it is all men, all of whom are a mix of brutish, stupid, easily manipulated, cruel, ugly, and predatory. The only Scottish women we meet are ugly, monstrous, or victimised, if sometimes kind and well-meaning. These things would maybe be less of an issue is Roscille was Scottish, but she isn't, this Lady Macbeth is a 17 year old girl from Brittany. Similarly, if any of the good men we interact with where Scottish, then it would be less of an issue. But they're not. The only 'good' men we meet are half-English, and even then one of them inherits monstrous traits from his Scottish side. What that leaves us with is very strange, borderline xenophobic, representation of all Scottish people (in this book) as brutes who are less civilised, and much crueler, than the rest of the world.
Now, to be clear, I do not have an issue with Roscille the character having negative experiences with people who happen to be Scottish. That isn't what's happening in this book. This is not presented as a personal xenophobia, or even as a cultural xenophobia relating to her own upbringing. We do see that in her early responses and thoughts about 'Northmen'. Instead Reid simply represents all the Scottish characters as these things, it becomes objective rather than subjective in the narrative. All the Scots are, objectively, bad people. Their customs and behaviours are, objectively, antiquated, violent, and unpleasant. That is the problem I have. I don't think any culture would want to be represented that way, and I think bringing in things like Scots (which did not even exist in this time period) makes it harder to draw a line and say 'no, this is history, this is fictional history.'
Overall… I don't really know what to say about this book. I didn't not like it. It was enjoyable. it's well written. Reid is a master of Gothic fantasy. But I struggled with it. I worry it could be incredibly polarising. 3 stars, to me, I think presents that struggle. For some, for those that don't care about how Scottish people are presented, and don't mind a historical inaccuracy, this could be an easy 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual violence, and Confinement
Moderate: Rape, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
This is a historical fantasy novel set against a backdrop of machination, and violence. This also features a woman in an arranged marriage eventually forced to consummate that marriage.princegene95's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Amazing adaptation of Macbeth from the pov of the Lady.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Sexism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicide attempt, Torture, War, and Violence
petit_lecteur's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Blood, Violence, Suicide, Body horror, Sexual violence, War, and Torture
the_rainydayreader's review against another edition
dark
slow-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, Rape, Murder, Violence, War, Misogyny, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion
1aura_reads's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Murder, and Rape
folkofthebook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A witch does not need a reason, only an opportunity...
Most men do not need a reason, either. Only an opportunity.
ava reid's macbeth retelling is dark, gothic, haunting, and even more brutal than its source material. while the scottish play examines lady macbeth in tandem with her husband, taking on (what was then seen as) masculine traits so they may succeed, this lady macbeth leans in to her strategy, her careful tactician in hopes of staying ahead of her husband.
"And now you are the dagger in my hand."
this marriage does not resemble shakespeare's couple who are typically revered as the most loving couple of all his work. lady roscille is sent to a wed a violent warrior as a peace offering for allegiance.
To cause lustful madness is one thing - any beautiful woman has that power, if she wishes to exercise it, even if she doesn't, even if such a thing can be called power. To mold a man to her will is another.
Madness, of all things, is the most unforgivable in a woman.
ava reid examines a woman's role in these harsh times; their duties, their roles as pawns, their powerlessness, their sufferings. this was an excellent addition to the evolution of witches in storytelling from cautionary tales & embodiments of sexism to icons of feminism and women's reclamation of strength.
Vengeance is not a wooden cup that empties. It is a jeweled chalice which endlessly spills over.
i appreciated her choice in the juggling of languages; she chose to be more true to the time period, where language was more fluid and constantly changing in domination. her vivid imagery and details truly set me right there in that damp, cold castle with piercing, briny winds. She calls in the symbolism of the iconic bloody hands as well as her own new ones: the unicorn, the eels, the necklace, the snake.
"I prefer a monster that shows itself openly."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Infidelity, Misogyny, Death, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Rape, Vomit, Death of parent, War, Self harm, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Abortion
ktkeps's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, and Sexism
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