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juliannareads's review against another edition
5.0
Ava Reid has done it again! Lady Macbeth is the Shakespearean reimaging I did not know I needed.
This is a study of the character of the infamous Lady Macbeth. A villainess of the highest order in Shakespeare’s tragedy. But what if she was a powerless 17-year-old woman named Roscille, growing up in a patriarchal society, making her way toward survival with her wits and her wiles? Roscille is afraid and she’s also ruthless, she’s vulnerable and impenetrable – she’s the perfect morally grey heroine. The feminine rage in this book is palpable.
This book is gritty and violent, and Reid immerses us so thoroughly in the world of Medieval Scotland that I can almost hear the ocean crashing on the shore. I feel the bite of the collar around my neck and the cold on my skin, almost as if I’m Roscille, Lady Macbeth herself.
This is a short book, just under 300 pages. Reid sets a slow pace, but with a feeling of foreboding, building slowly to the point of crisis and an incredible conclusion to the story. I sobbed at the point where everything comes together and Roscille makes a momentous decision. It was so powerful and moving.
There are fantasy elements of this book – think witches and dragons – but it reads like a historical or literary fiction, and I think this book will appeal to more than just fantasy fans. I definitely recommend picking this book up when it comes out in August. Huge thanks to @delrey for the free ARC.
#ladymacbeth #avareid #bookrecommendation #mustread #fivestarreads
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, War, and Gore
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
auteaandtales's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-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
3.0
I’ve never read anything by Ava Reid before but I love Lady Macbeth as a character so I thought this would be a good place to start.
TLDR; I didn’t really like it, it’s not my cup of tea and I didn’t like the direction it went in but I will still read more from this author before I decide whether or not this author is for me.
Firstly, I knew I was taking a chance with this, as retellings are very hit and miss for me (and usually miss). The main thing is that the stories are something you’re very familiar with, so you know exactly where it’s going. Even if you don’t, you can easily guess where it’s going. It’s not impossible to write a story that’s interesting when you know exactly what will happen, but, unfortunately, I wasn’t interested here (although I do appreciate that Reid didn’t over explain events that were occurring, she trusted us to already know, which I did like).
The second thing about retellings is that we already have some sort of connection with the characters, and those characters can mean a lot to a lot of people, so it can be hard to navigate that and create your own interpretation while still appreciating the original texts. I don’t think this did that, in my opinion, but just because this particular version of Lady Macbeth wasn’t for me, I don’t think she’d be universally disliked. I can see why some people would really like this. I love that Lady Macbeth is so cunning, manipulative and intelligent but this version of Lady Macbeth is the complete opposite. We are told she’s intelligent but I didn’t see evidence of this. She was only defined by the men in her life, and that’s it.
I did really like the ending though. roughly the last 10% of the book, but I wish we had that for the rest of the book as well.
I also don’t like how feminism was dealt with here. It did a very shallow interpretation of it, in my opinion. Feminism is much more than “women are always good and men are always bad”. There was so much that could have been done there, such as showing Lady Macbeth as both the manipulated and the manipulator.
Saying all that, I didn’t hate it. I don’t think this is a bad book. It just wasn’t for me, a lot of it didn’t work for me, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for other people. I can see why this would be loved, I especially think the dark exploration of a “behind the scenes” to Macbeth will be especially interesting to a lot of people.
Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for the review copy!
TLDR; I didn’t really like it, it’s not my cup of tea and I didn’t like the direction it went in but I will still read more from this author before I decide whether or not this author is for me.
Firstly, I knew I was taking a chance with this, as retellings are very hit and miss for me (and usually miss). The main thing is that the stories are something you’re very familiar with, so you know exactly where it’s going. Even if you don’t, you can easily guess where it’s going. It’s not impossible to write a story that’s interesting when you know exactly what will happen, but, unfortunately, I wasn’t interested here (although I do appreciate that Reid didn’t over explain events that were occurring, she trusted us to already know, which I did like).
The second thing about retellings is that we already have some sort of connection with the characters, and those characters can mean a lot to a lot of people, so it can be hard to navigate that and create your own interpretation while still appreciating the original texts. I don’t think this did that, in my opinion, but just because this particular version of Lady Macbeth wasn’t for me, I don’t think she’d be universally disliked. I can see why some people would really like this. I love that Lady Macbeth is so cunning, manipulative and intelligent but this version of Lady Macbeth is the complete opposite. We are told she’s intelligent but I didn’t see evidence of this. She was only defined by the men in her life, and that’s it.
I did really like the ending though. roughly the last 10% of the book, but I wish we had that for the rest of the book as well.
I also don’t like how feminism was dealt with here. It did a very shallow interpretation of it, in my opinion. Feminism is much more than “women are always good and men are always bad”. There was so much that could have been done there, such as showing Lady Macbeth as both the manipulated and the manipulator.
Saying all that, I didn’t hate it. I don’t think this is a bad book. It just wasn’t for me, a lot of it didn’t work for me, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for other people. I can see why this would be loved, I especially think the dark exploration of a “behind the scenes” to Macbeth will be especially interesting to a lot of people.
Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for the review copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny
esme_bonner's review against another edition
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 against another edition
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
mikaelawithak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Gore, Rape, and Confinement
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
thekayles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book... This book is a top five read of all time for me. Every page is breathtaking to read, and the journey of Roscille is full of the heartbreak, and rage, and relentless hope that we as women have all felt in our lives. It is a masterpiece that so accurately and beautifully depicts feminine rage, struggle, and vengeance. It takes a play centered around the madness of a man and peels back layers upon layers to give a striking commentary that has such dedication to historical accuracy and respect for the original work. This piece will sit with me for a long, long time, and for that I am so grateful to Ava for her writing. I have never felt so seen, so heard, and so raw as I did reading this, and reconciling with my own fears about womanhood and the violence of the patriarchal world around me. I cried with her, I raged with her, and I rejoiced with her, in her end.
This is a must read. This is a piece of art that is so evocative of the feminine experience that it's my first choice for those in need of learning. I think everyone should read this book, just to learn, to feel, and to grow.
Truly breathtaking, and exquisite, and all the fantastic praises I can think of to offer to Ava Read.
Brava.
This is a must read. This is a piece of art that is so evocative of the feminine experience that it's my first choice for those in need of learning. I think everyone should read this book, just to learn, to feel, and to grow.
Truly breathtaking, and exquisite, and all the fantastic praises I can think of to offer to Ava Read.
Brava.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
designatedbanana's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Death, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicide
bolte_books's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture and Xenophobia
Minor: Death, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Rape
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