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juliannareads's reviews
175 reviews
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
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
When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
4.25
When Among Crows is a gorgeous fantasy novella from Divergent author Veronica Roth. I don’t normally love novellas, but this one managed to pack an incredible story in less than 300 pages.
It’s an urban fantasy based on Polish folklore featuring creatures with magical powers who feed on things like fear and sorrow. There’s an opposing group of enforcers who find magic through pain and have decided they must hunt down these creatures.
When Among Crows is fully immersive from the first chapter, not sparing any time for info dumping but moving quickly along with the action. It did take me a minute to fully understand what was going on!
But once I did, I was sold. I adore the characters in this book. Listening on audio, the main characters are played by different voice actors and it was perfection. Everyone starts out mysterious, but I quickly fell in love with Ala, Dimitri and Nico.
The story is dark and gritty, but from the darkness emerges a quest for redemption, and an offering of, if not forgiveness, a respite from the violence. I loved the beautiful ending of the story. My only complaint is that I want MORE. I need Veronica to please write me a thousand more pages of Dimitri, Nico and Ala!
Huge thanks to @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copy.