shonagh_catherine 's review for:

Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid

3.5

reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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"Queen Macbeth" offers a thoughtful reimagining of the infamous Scottish queen, blending myth, history, and modern sensibility. While not without flaws, the novel's focus on female relationships and its grounding in Scottish history lend it a distinct and occasionally compelling voice.

The novel shines brightest in its portrayal of the relationships between women. Lady Macbeth is no longer a solitary, scheming figure but one deeply enmeshed in a network of female kinship and power. Her interactions with Ligach, Aife, and Eithne provide a welcome expansion of the limited female scope in Shakespeare’s version. McDermid explores the importance of female relationships in keeping one grounded whilst traversing the complexities of power: she offers insight into the emotional and political toll of queenship.

The historical context is handled with care, though occasionally it feels more like a backdrop than a fully realized world. 

Where the novel is most successful is in its depiction of real, human relationships—not just romantic ones, but familial and political bonds too. Macbeth himself is rendered with nuance; his marriage to Lady Macbeth is complex, intimate, and fraught with ambition, loyalty, and grief. 

"Queen Macbeth" doesn’t fully escape the shadow of its Shakespearean predecessor, nor does it always live up to the emotional stakes it sets. But it carves out space for the women of the story to speak, and for that alone, it is worth reading.