Grouch is descended from Druids and knows her destiny. We wants to hold power over people but must first survive to reach her goal. Men hold the power and could either save her or kill her.

Brilliant novel set in Scotland. Strong , determined characters and this novel has plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. Dark, brooding and powerful, enjoy.

Although I found this Lady Macbeth story to be fascinatingly written (and learnt about a story I had never heard of before), I found our protagonist tough to empathise with and thus struggled to get fully invested in this story.

As someone who loves Greek myth retellings, the idea of life being breathed into the Queen who inspired Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth was exciting. Sadly, I was left disappointed. The character of Gruoch left me very cold. I didn't empathise with her, in fact I found her petty and almost selfish. Several times I had to remind myself that I was not reading YA fiction as Gruoch reminded me of the type of protagonist that is often found within those pages. We follow her from her childhood in Fife, her betrothal which takes her to Dunkeld and then to Moray. It is an interesting journey that she makes as she follows her grandmother's prophecy that she will be queen, but I was not invested in her. I preferred some of the other characters. There are positives - I like the addition of text that links to the play being used throughout, and I actually did like the final chapters and the way the novel ended and linked to the play. I just wish that Gruoch had shown me more of the Lady Macbeth that I know so well. Rounded up to 4*

An origin story to Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, ‘Lady MacBethad’ tells of a determined girl who grows up to be a ruthless woman. Set upon fulfilling her grandmother’s prophesy of becoming an infamous queen, Gruoch (or Groa) is pagan on her mother’s side and the first born of an ousted Scottish king. When ambition takes her away from her family, homeland and childhood friend, MacBethad, Gruoch has to adapt to survive. Schuler’s novel expertly explores and rationalises one of literature’s most famous female characters. I loved how the story weaved new characters and creative plot points with staple characters. Whilst I was constantly asking myself how the stories interlaced, and how much artistic license the author was going to use in terms of the plot, I found myself thinking that it made sense. It is hard to say whether I truly sympathised with Gruoch, but I found the depiction of her character as true, reflective and conflicted as Shakespeare’s original.

An interesting back story for one of Shakespeare's most famous characters.

Gruoch is descended from Scottish Kings, and after she is told she will be Queen, nothing will stop her. She is strategic, a quick thinker, and is prepared to do whatever it takes to fulfill the destiny her Grandmother has told her is there for her. The period of Scottish history covered is bloody and ruthless, and Gruoch weaves herself in and out of the groups in favour. Will she achieve her destiny, or will she fall attempting to get there?

I found it very slow for the first third, Gruoch's childhood was a lot of scene setting and character introducing, and I struggled to get through it. However, when she is removed from her family and taken off engaged to the heir to the throne, the story really woke up and I couldn't wait to see what happened.

The author cleverly links her work to the story of MacBeth, with one particularly famous set of lines appearing throughout. I emewally enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend it to Shakespeare fans.

I think I'm in a minority of readers who were somewhat disappointed by this latest reimagining of a Shakespeare play and the attempt to reclaim one of his most notorious characters. Here we meet Gruoch, descended from pictish lords and Scottish kings, who is determined to reclaim the birth-right of her family and fulfil her grandmother's prophecy that she will be immortalised. The young Gruoch sees this as the promise of a crown but the reader knows better. In her quest to become queen she settles in Moray after her father's lands in Fife are stripped away, there she meets Macbethad, heir to the Mormaer of the area. But despite an attraction Gruoch chooses to follow the destiny she sees before herself and is betrothed to Duncan (yes, that one) who is expected to ascend to the throne on his grandfather's death. Schuler has created a winding path for Gruoch that leads from Fife to Moray to Stirling as she chases the crown. The court intrigues and politics highlight how little influence a woman could have in her course, even if she had a goal in mind and the period details were decent.

Unfortunately, a number of things let it down. Gruoch's internal voice and many of the speech patterns were jarringly modern. Shakespearean dialogue isn't necessary but the way the characters are written and how they speak is certainly not representative of the period. But my main disappointment was with Gruoch herself, many readers find her unpleasant but I found her naïve and wishy-washy. I read JR Thorp's Learwife last year and found it a fascinating character study of someone who doesn't even appear in Shakespeare's play but I was missing a similar intricacy and subtlety here. There's misogyny to spare in Shakespeare's his portrayal so I understand the urge to rehabilitate Lady Macbeth but what I really wanted was a well-constructed antihero that could really grow into the ruthless character we're familiar with while also throwing off some of the most misogynistic tropes. There is room for female characters to be more thoroughly and darkly unpleasant and selfish while also being well-written enough to evoke understanding if not sympathy.

The author re weaves the tale of Macbeth in this novel. Lady Macbeth is re imagined as a pagan druid child who is told by her grandmother that it is her fate to become powerful above even the Royalty of the day. The author creates a narrative of changing tensions creating a story line that although reminiscent of the Shakespeare play does not stick to it entirely. This divergence from the original works really well and the whole is a debut of some calibre. I will definitely look for more from this author

Gruoch is the daughter of an ousted king, and the descendant of ancient druids. When she is a young girls, her Druid grandmother prophesies that one day she will be queen of Alba, and years later when she is betrothed to Duncan, heir elect to the throne, this appears to confirm the prophecy.
She leaves behind her home, her family and her close friend MacBethad, and travels to the royal seat at Scone to prepare for her marriage and new position. But the court is filled with sly words and unfriendly faces, women desperate to usurp her position, and others who have ulterior motives. As her coronation approaches, an unexpected turn of events forces Gruoch to flee Duncan and the throne and she finds herself alone, vulnerable and at the mercy of an old enemy.
With hope of becoming Queen all but lost, Gruoch does what she must to survive, vowing that one day she will fulfil her destiny and take up the future owed to her. Whatever it may take….

Gruoch isn’t always a likeable central character, she is flawed, arrogant and doesn’t always take the best decisions. She is completely driven and full of conviction of her own right and worth, and she is an incredible strategist, always thinking ahead as she attempts to maintain her own safety and to engineer ways to keep her prophesy-fuelled ambition alive.

Alba is a brutal, dog-eat-dog place and Gruoch can’t be a shrinking violet, if she is to survive, so readers need to be prepared for acts of extreme cunning and manipulation as well as acts of violence and downright bloody episodes.

Woven in with the action there are references to Scottish history, folklore, and custom, as well as the rise of Christianity and the demise of the druids, which adds interest, and it is clear that the author has done a great deal of historical research.

In this novel, Isabelle Schuler has created a very plausible back-story for the character we have all come to know as Lady Macbeth thanks to Shakespeare’s iconic ‘Scottish play’. It is a sweeping historical epic of a novel, but Schuler has cleverly woven into her story, threads which link back to Macbeth, the play, which offer a perspective on, and a possible explanation for Lady Macbeth’s character and the actions she takes within it. I don’t know if there is a sequel planned, but I would love for the author to write a sequel, showing the era covered by the play, focusing of the perspective of Lady Macbeth.

With thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for an e-ARC of the novel in exchange for an independent review

I loved this book. My memory of Macbeth consists of hazy recollections of secondary school study of “The Scottish Play” and my knowledge of Lady Macbeth herself is limited to the portrayal of her feelings of guilt – I think pretty much everyone will know the famous “out damned spot” line. Lady MacBethad serves as a prequel to the events of Macbeth, charting the life of Lady Macbeth from her beginnings as Gruoch, granddaughter to former King of Alba, torn between a mother who wants to keep to their druidic way of life, and a father who is keen to adopt the new, Christian customs to appease the new King. Her exiled druid grandmother prophesied a life of greatness for Gruoch, and this novel follows Gruoch as she grows up and tries to make this destiny come to pass. Gruoch felt like a very real character, with real flaws, making decisions that cause you to want to yell at her through the pages. She’s a strong female character, determined to come into the power she feels in her bones is her birth right, but Schuler doesn’t forget in her portrayal that for the majority of the novel Gruoch is a teenager. I was both rooting for her and incredibly frustrated with her simultaneously. The setting, both in location and in history, felt very authentic. Lady MacBethad will of course appeal to fans of Shakespeare, but it casts a wider net. Fans of Sistersong by Lucy Holland will enjoy this for the similar setting and conflicts of traditional customs and the introduction of Christianity. Fans of Game of Thrones, and more so the new series House of the Dragon, will definitely enjoy this novel for its strong female characters.

I could not put down this enthralling tale of revenge, cunning and manipulation. The perilous situation of women is highlighted by the war games and political scheming of men in this epic historical tale. Princess Gruoch was a brave strong character and I really enjoyed learning more about her story and why she was so depserate to become Queen. It was moving and totally absorbing.

The rise to power comes with a price. And the young Gruoch is ready to sacrifice everything to fulfil her destiny – to become a queen immortalised in history. But can a Picti princess embrace the Roman culture in order to shape her place in the new world?

Discover the background story of the real Lady Macbeth, the historical figure who inspired Shakespeare. This brilliant debut talks about power and freedom, rebellion and family, all overshadowed by fate. A great addition to the current trend of feminist retellings and women’s empowerment.

I want to start by thanking Netgalley for an ARC of this title to review. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. #NetGalley #LadyMacBethad #IsabelleSchuler #BookReview #ARCReview

I have always loved Shakespeare from studying at GCSE to A-Level and then my Bachelors and Masters which was in Renaissance Studies. So I was incredibly excited to read an historical fiction about one of his most popular female characters and was so happy when I was granted access to this ARC. I have to say that Schuler did not disappoint in presenting the strong female as someone who knows what she wants and will do anything to get it including manipulating those around her.

As always I like to avoid spoilers but the intrigue of the court was perfectly captured and presented along with the more mystical side of history. I adored how we got to see the potential of events that lead Groch to become Lady MacBethad and have her revenge and the crown. Here we have an extremely human character who is scorned, and often forced into situations she wishes to not be in. She is driven and focused and we learn how she could become the iconic character who is often quoted as being ‘cold and calculating’ in the play and perhaps history itself.

If you love Shakespeare’s histories, history or strong character driven stories you will definitely love this one. I could not put it down when I started and will highly recommend it to anyone who listens.

Not the type of novel I usually read, however as a fan of Macbeth, I felt I should give it a go. It is an enjoyable read, building a world around the changing relationship of Macbeth and the woman who would ultimately be his wife. A strong, driven heroine who drives her story.

Loved the concept of this and enjoyed the writing style but somehow it fell short for me , slow at the beginning then rushed at the end but an interesting background to female characters in Macbeth.

When shall we meet again?
In thunder, lightning or in rain?
When the chaos has come and gone,
When the battle’s lost and won.
There shall we meet MacBeth.

A suspenseful, sweeping historical epic, Lady MacBethad is the origin story of the woman who inspired one of Shakespeare's most iconic characters.

I adored this book. From the very first paragraph I was completely swept up in Gruoch's world.
The magical childhood with her Pagan Grandmother, the prophecy bestowed on her, the political chess games played around her and her path of determination to fulfil what she was destined to become.

This is a brilliantly written book, the world is captured so wonderfully, the characters everything they need to be.
A book that makes your emotions flare, whatever kind of emotion that may be, is a rare find and I did not want to stop reading this book and leave Gruoch behind.
I loved this woman, I loved her passion and her strength.
I loved Macbethad too, I was disappointed initially in how many years passed between his appearances but actually it worked wonderfully in regards to the story.

I didn't study Macbeth in school, however I have seen the play and so I knew the rest of her life going forward. I am choosing to not associate this Gruoch with Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, but instead the real Gruoch ingen Boite.

I both love it and hate it when I don't want a book to end. I can't wait for a few months to go by so I can read this again.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this ARC.

I loved this as I like connecting history with fiction. This tells the tale of Lady Macbeth before she married Macbeth. It starts with her as a little girl and goes through to her being grown up. Lots of intrigue and suspense and very well written.

I really liked the theme of this novel, however i think the end could have been played out a bit longer or the lead up could have been a bit shorter. It sort of felt like the story came to an abrupt end. However i did really enjoy this book and would recommend to friends.

Lady MacBethad by Isabelle Schuler
I loved this fascinating origin story of one of Shakespeare’s best known female characters which transforms Lady Macbeth from a ruthlessly ambitious villain to a woman doing what she needs to do to survive and fulfill her destiny.
Much as I love Shakespeare, his version of Lady Macbeth leaves a lot unexplored and unexplained and it’s a real delight to have her character fleshed out as Isabelle Schuler does so brilliantly.
Gruoch, ( Lady Macbeth) is written as a strong, intelligent, and ambitious woman who is ambitious, but also a multi-faceted, likable, and sympathetic character.
This gripping historical story is beautifully written, cleverly managing to combine atmosphere, historical detail, and a fast-paced plot.
I would love to read more by this author. I could not put the book down and have told everyone to grab a copy as soon as it goes on general sale.
With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading Lady MacBethad.
It tells the story of Gruoch, a girl with old royal bloodlines. How she tries to follow her grandmothers prophecy, that she will be queen one day and must survive at all cost,
Gruoch has to flee from her home with her family to Moray in the North, to her fathers best friends family where she grows up.
Gruoch is promised to Duncan, the future king, to combine bloodlines and strengthen the kingdom. This means she has to leave her home, leave everyone behind and overcome a lot of obstacles in the hope of achieving the prophecy. A young woman in a man’s world.
A fabulous story, fast pace, exciting to read and well written.
If you enjoy light historical novels, you will enjoy this.

I was lucky enough to receive a electronic advanced reading copy via NetGalley.

Wow wow wow - this book is fantastic. I devoured it in 2 days. It’s a wonderfully gripping backstory of Lady Macbeth! It was extremely well paced - with enough twists and turns to keep me invested in the story!

I’m not sure if this is in the pipeline but I hope there will be another book with the events leading up to the infamous play.

Looking forward to buying a physical copy once it is released.