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mynameisrebecca's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to Netgalley & Del Ray Books for the eARC.
Lady Macbeth is positioned as a "modern retelling" of Macbeth from his wife's point of view. I'd say that apart from the characters and loose direction of the plot, it's a fully independent piece of work. So if you're looking for more Macbeth like quotes and events, you might be disappointed. I was surprised that the writing itself was very Shakespearean, and had hoped for a little more modernity in it. As promised on the book jacket, there's elements of fantasy, though I think it took too long for the story to get there. The first bit of the book is quite slow, and then it gains steam. I enjoyed it overall and really liked the characterization, but it was a lot more challenging of a read than I expected. There's also a lot of historically accurate violence against women, and I wish that was toned down a bit.
Lady Macbeth is positioned as a "modern retelling" of Macbeth from his wife's point of view. I'd say that apart from the characters and loose direction of the plot, it's a fully independent piece of work. So if you're looking for more Macbeth like quotes and events, you might be disappointed. I was surprised that the writing itself was very Shakespearean, and had hoped for a little more modernity in it. As promised on the book jacket, there's elements of fantasy, though I think it took too long for the story to get there. The first bit of the book is quite slow, and then it gains steam. I enjoyed it overall and really liked the characterization, but it was a lot more challenging of a read than I expected. There's also a lot of historically accurate violence against women, and I wish that was toned down a bit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Vomit, War, Medical trauma, Blood, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Confinement
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
creadsfantasy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book! Ava Reid is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite authors. I absolutely love how her settings are a character in her books and it's woven so flawlessly into the story, the character development and the plot. She took a story that almost everyone knows something about, and turned it on its head. She added her signature gothic style and the atmosphere was dark, dangerous, and haunted. There were so many quotable moments, moments where I gasped or cried, and the story still surprised me in so many ways. I loved how she chose to include the many names all of the characters would have had depending on the regional dialect and all of the historical research that went into the setting of this story. This will probably be one of my favorite books of all time and it will be difficult not to pre-order multiple editions of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Murder, Rape, and War
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
dontreadinsecret's review against another edition
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Blood, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Confinement
Moderate: War, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Abortion
bells__reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I absolutely LOVED this book. I wish I could give it to my 16 year old self, who used to rant about all the misogyny in high school English books.
Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a 17 year old noble-woman who is trying desperately to take back some of her agency in a world where only men are allowed to be powerful. I loved her journey and growth throughout the story.
The writing was beautiful and filled with so much unique figurative language. There were so many little details illustrating the frustration of being a woman in a patriarchal world that resonated me to the point that it made me want to shout.
Full disclosure: I have not read the original Macbeth, so I cannot speak to how Ava Reid has changed the story. I was a little nervous it wouldn’t be as impactful having not read Macbeth, but it was amazing.
Content warning - SA (off page), DV, violence, torture (off page)
Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
Minor: War and Torture
theresahasread's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Rape
Moderate: Violence, Sexual violence, War, Domestic abuse, Gore, 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
4.5
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: Torture, Violence, Blood, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and War
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