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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
vohak's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is Lady Macbeth's story, a seventeen year old girl who is scrambling for footing in her new husband's home, a creature desperately trying to build power to protect herself. Reid's writing is lush and visceral, tense and intricate. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and I may go back and read it again immediately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Violence
Minor: War and Animal death
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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