This book was a massive disappointment. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so disappointed in a book. Reid took a strong powerful Shakespeare character and took away pretty much everything that was powerful about her. And what did she replace it with? Abuse from all the men around her. Also, as someone with OCD, I really wanted to see her explore the madness of Lady Macbeth which she just removed from the book entirely.

The whole point of Lady Macbeth is that she’s the strong one. When Macbeth is unable to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth steps up and does the dirty deed. She’s the power behind Macbeth. She pushes him and pushes him. Taking that away, takes away pretty much the entire point of the character. It might as well have been an original story, because that just wasn’t Lady Macbeth.

I’m also getting a bit fed up with books that torture women and call it feminism. Rising up against your oppressors is all well and good, but there has to be a point to the suffering in the story. For me, it has to make a point about society we live in or raise awareness of domestic abuse, or just do something other than watch a woman suffer on the page for most of the book.

I am just extremely unhappy with what Reid did with this story. It could have been a beautiful story about a strong woman and the ways she takes power for herself, but it was not.

TWs for Lady Macbeth: rape, sexual assault, gore, violence

As someone who wasnt really familiar with Macbeth prior to reading this book, i had no struggle understanding the motives behind Avas words. After finishing the book and looking at sparknotes and essays about Shakespear's Macbeth, I can tell that Ava put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into writing this work of art. I really want to read the orginal text and then reread this one, to compare the way Lady Macbeth gets portrayed in both.

I truly loved Ava's prose! The way she crafts the atmosphere is truly magical. It was so easy to get lost in her words.

I am definitely joining the ava reid cult after this one and i can't wait to explore her previous works!

Unfortunately, this was not my Lady Macbeth I was expecting. I really love Shakespeare's Macbeth but this was just lost on me, but I genuinely felt blindsided by this. I adore the original character and play, I thought this would be so great from Ava Reid but it fell so short and not fully fleshed out. I'm heartbroken because I really thought Reid made one of the most interesting women very flat

The one thing that is absolutely indisputable when it comes to Ava Reid is that she can write the most gorgeous and grotesque gothic imagery. That is absolutely still the case with her latest novel Lady Macbeth. Reid’s ability to so clearly paint you a picture with her words is unparalleled, and I always, always enjoy highlighting sections that take my breath away with their beauty. She is a truly gifted writer whom I look forward to reading each year when she brings out a new novel, and I am slightly devastated that the one I was most looking forward to let me down greatly.

I don’t know how else to summarise Reid’s Lady Macbeth other than catastrophically wishy-washy. There was no substance, no grit. I am all for authors having their own take on an already established story - I LOVE retellings that truly bring something new to the table - but taking one of the most beloved and interesting female literary characters and reducing her to a meek child without agency (or brain cells…) feels offensive in some way. The original Lady Macbeth is so fascinating because she breaks the traditional mould for women - she is self-centred, conniving, ruthless, ambitious. She is a brutal middle-aged Scottish woman, She is the original gatekeeping, gaslighting girlboss who answers to no man, and I was SO excited to delve deep into her psyche. Instead, I got a 17-year old French girl (???) who constantly talks about how bright and sneaky she is, but that is never shown whatsoever. Her prejudices towards the Scottish characters felt very heavy handed and lacked any nuance, and she just came across as ridiculous. Her romantic subplot was entirely nonsensical to the point where I convinced myself I’d somehow made it up. She has no character arc - starts and ends the novel none the wiser and remains under the thumb of all the men around her. It was equal parts incredulous and upsetting. Complete and utter character assaination.

(There was an attempt at a plot twist that could’ve been exciting if it had been well crafted, but alas, it fell flat and only got an eye roll out of me.)

I am still excited to read her future work, but for me this book was such a let down, especially with ASID being one of my top three books of last year. I am sure others will enjoy this one, but if you’re a fan of the original Lady Macbeth, I would personally recommend giving this one a miss.

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

"Lady Macbeth" gives the titular character a backstory and voice that Shakespeare's play did not. I wouldn't call this a retelling as such, there are elements of Macbeth which are familiar but many key plot elements are changed and the story didn't feel as recognisable as I had expected it to.

Reid's writing paints a murky, ethereal atmosphere which shrouds Macbeth's castle in mystery. There are clearly sinister elements at play and the whole castle and its inhabitants seem gloomy. The writing is in places slightly disjointed, which in some ways did help to keep the sense of murkiness but also at times made it seem disjointed and underdeveloped.

I found Roscille to be an unlikeable character who only at the very last moment showed agency and strength. Her immediate meddling upon her arrival into her husband's affairs didn't make sense as Reid failed to build up a motivation for this move and to me it felt unexplained. This meant it was hard to trust Roscille as a main character and I didn't feel I was on her side until right at the end where she killed Macbeth.

One element of the book that I did enjoy was the dragon. It was wholly unexpected and a brilliant twist on the "not of a woman born" prophecy.

This wasn't a book I'd recommend to others as I feel Roscille's motivations and the disjointed writing could do with some more fleshing out to make the story flow better and make me want to keep reading.

I have adored and previously devoured Ava Reid’s writing but, I’m sad to say that I neither enjoyed nor devoured Lady Macbeth. I was not hoping for slavish adherence to Shakespeare's Scottish play, in fact I wasn’t disappointed that this wasn’t a retelling from the lead female character’s perspective of the same events but, IMO young Lady Macbeth in this book wasn’t what I was expecting or hoping for.

The story is inspired by Shakespeare’s work but, that’s where the similarities end, which I really liked as it meant that I had no idea how the story would end. This kept me reading until the end!

There are aspects of this version of Lady Macbeth that didn’t particularly appeal to me but, I recognised that this was something she became and that comes from the experiences, trauma and fears that she went through and has, and that is shown throughout the book.

Even though I didn’t love this book, I’m still an ardent admirer of Reid’s writing. She captures the world and characters with such beautiful and evocative prose that I can feel characters’ emotions almost as well as I can view a piece of artistry.

However, despite all of this I still struggled to engage with Lady Macbeth but, that won’t stop me from trying this book again in the future- perhaps it’s a state of mind thing. Either way, Lady Macbeth remains a vivid and evocative reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Scottish play.

Thank you Penguin, Random House UK & NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

After stopping at a certain point as I was not connecting with the story I decided to give it another chance..and I’m so happy I did.

I picked Lady Macbeth back up and straight away got swept away with the gothic vibes and just became so engaged I couldn’t stop reading. It’s a very different take on the Macbeth story and after taking some time I can fully appreciate what this story is. Lady Macbeth is a feminist reinvention of the story from the POV of a young beautiful girl who is married off to a lord of a foreign land and what you have is a tale of toxic relationships and a rather dark and gothic story.

I love Ava Reid’s writing there is always such a beautiful way she can pull me in and keep me engaged this is more along the lines of Juniper and Thorn and The Wolf and The Woodsman rather than A Study in Drowning so please be prepared for a dark tale that I personally needed to be in the right frame of mind to read and I am so happy I took another chance as I throughly enjoyed it and will always love how Ava writes such thought provoking stories.

DNF @35%

I'm SO SAD!!

I love Ava Reid but this just really isn't for me, which is such a shame because I love her writing style and how she's not afraid to take on more serious subject matters and display of characters but wow I'm SO bored.

I can't bring myself to pick this up any longer and trust me, that's something I'd NEVER thought I'd say about Ava Reid.

I hope others love this a lot more than I do!

-Sarah

*Thank you to Random House UK + Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

4.5 stars

LADY MACBETH is a gothic tale of survival.

This is very much a gothic tale, blending horror with elements of romance. It has the gloomy atmosphere that presses in, very much suffocating at times. It's a bleak tale of survival in the face of violence, particularly violence against women in all its forms.

The writing very much builds this atmosphere of unease. It's quite a sparse prose at times, focusing on certain details and letting you fill in the rest. The use of third present (which I personally really like in general) here creates a slight separation as if you are seeing it all through Roscille's veil.

This is a retelling that deviates a lot from the source material. In the same way that Shakespeare took a few minor elements from history (mostly names!) and wrote his own story, Ava Reid has written her own tale. It does at least stick closer to Shakespeare than Shakespeare did to history.

I don't think stories should have to stick to their source material and this is a book that makes it clear very early on that it's not. The source material is a spring board for a new tale that takes certain elements and explores the theme of villainy - what makes someone a villain and what makes them a hero within a society's expectations.

There is also some influence from the Lais of Marie de France - one of the epigraphs is from the lais as well as a section taking its name from one of them. It is a less obvious influence, more the thematic side of how those poems approach the subject of different types of love (and "love") and their consequences.

It is set in a fantasy version of early medieval Scotland, between 927-939 based on references to Æthelstan as king of England. For reference, the real Macbeth reigned from 1040-1057. There are bits and pieces of real history in the story - for example, Roscille's father is Alan II of Brittany - but there are plenty of anachronisms in service of the story. For example, they're living in a stone castle two centuries before the first stone castle was built in Scotland. This is definitely a book where the setting is vibes more than accuracy, leaning into tropes that fit the gothic intents of the story.

This is not a Macbeth retelling from Lady Macbeth's perspective as I initially thought, and I was left slightly disappointed. This is a haunting reinvention of the story of Macbeth from the POV of the FMC, Lady Macbeth, a 17-year-old beautiful girl who is married off to a Lord in a foreign land.
Ava delves into the struggles of women in medieval times, exploring mature themes through some dark and grotesque scenes.I enjoyed Ava's writing style and gothic world-building which, as usual, is captivating; immersing readers in a vivid atmosphere. Ava is especially gifted at evoking a range of emotions like hope, despair, disgust, and fear as the plot unfolds.
I loved the role the three witches played in the story and thought they were the most accurate to the source material. However, the depiction of the FMC in this story falls short of Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth’s ruthless, conniving, intelligent, and ambitious nature. Roscilla’s actions seem to lack agency and her schemes are predominantly influenced by Macbeth or driven by her survival instincts, with her 'redemption' emerging too late in the plot. I wanted more from the final act and felt Roscilla's actions could have been more substantial.
The romantic subplots did not really work for me; there was no depth to either beyond lust and possession. The second romance plot, which was of the FMC's choosing, felt forced and uncomfortable.
Had this book not been tied to a character named Lady Macbeth, I might have appreciated it more for its own merits. However, Lady Macbeth as a character comes with its own connotations and the weight of expectations heavily influenced my perception of the story.

The style of this book is lyrical and beautifully written, I was just the wrong audience for it. I was intrigued by this book as Macbeth was one of the few Shakespeare plays I didn't hate when studying English at school, but sadly the historical setting just wasn't for me. Regardless I still think this will be a fantastic read for those who do like this genre

This just wasn’t for me unfortunately. Every Scottish character was a horrible brute, and “Lady Macbeth” was absolutely clueless. Really disappointed as this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year.

DNF.

I really wanted to enjoy this as I loved A Study in Drowning but I just couldn't get into it. The book bored me and the relationship was just toxic. I'm hoping her next book will be better!

I loved Ava Reid's book A Study in Drowning so was so excited to receive an e-arc of Lady Macbeth.

This was a fantastically tense and beautifully written Macbeth retelling. The way that Reid seamlessly melds fantasy with historic fiction makes it easy to fall deeply into the worlds she creates, while still feeling the magic imbued throughout. I did find this book hard to get into, with a slow start and a lot of language and plot to quickly get a handle on, however after a couple of chapters I was fully engrossed. I loved the different take on the classic story.

I'm always a fan of morally grey FMC's so loved Roscille's perspective. Her rise into her own power and coming to know herself, while facing down her fears and trauma was wonderful to read. I just wish that at the end we could have seen more of what happened after the final battle.

A great retelling of Lady Macbeth woven with Reid’s unique blend of fantasy. Absolutely loved the characterisation and pulling together of lore. A great twist on one of literatures most interesting villains.

I enjoyed reading Macbeth at school and was excited to see someone take Lady Macbeth to the forefront. Unfortunately, I struggled to get into this, perhaps because of the mixture of language throughout the book? The story was interesting and not like the Lady Macbeth I was expecting (I was expecting the vision of Shakespeares Queen appearing out at me).

Sadly I didn't love this as much as A Study in Drowning, but that's not to say it wasn't great! As always the writing and prose was beautiful, but I just didn't feel that connected to the story.

DNF

I’m very gutted to be DNFing this book as it was a story I have been highly anticipating due to being allured by the marketing and what it alluded to be. Unfortunately I didn’t find this to be the case, and after scrolling through some recent reviews I can see that I’m not alone in this sentiment.

Considering this to be a Lady Macbeth retelling feels inaccurate due to the main character being nothing like what history proclaims this iconic figure to be. In this book, she is a meek and docile woman who seems unable to stand up for herself. This is by no means a bad characterisation when that is what is intended… but that’s not who Lady Macbeth is alleged to be? I was expecting a vicious, power-hungry and manipulative woman who is unafraid to go after what she wants… which is not the portrayal that I received. I don’t enjoy providing star ratings on a DNF as I cannot review the book as a whole, however I’m adding an additional star due to Reid’s writing as a whole. The writing itself is beautiful and alluring, however I also had issues with the overall pacing so ultimately I knew that this book wasn’t for me. I may decide to revisit at a later date but for now it’s not likely.

However what I will say is that this is my first read by the author and I’ve seen many people attest that this book is vastly different to the their other works. So I look forward to reading A Study in Drowning which has received ample praise, and I hope that will be the title that pulls me in.

Thank you to the author for the ARC opportunity.

I love Ava Reid with my whole soul. The atmosphere she creates with her prose is beautiful and so textured, her writing really shines brightly in this novel, however it is the only thing I liked and the only thing that propelled through this novel. This is not Lady Macbeth. She is not ambitious or clever or manipulative, she is not one of Shakespeare's greatest villains; though this is a retelling, this protagonist doesn't resemble Lady Macbeth at all, she has no teeth and is just so meek and fearful throughout the whole novel. I wanted a dark villain but I got a bland girl with only like 2 glimpses of her desire and strength. If this had been it's own novel and not a retelling maybe i would've liked it more. The depiction of all Scots as horrible brutes sat oddly with me, especially when the only good man was half English. I wanted more magic, more bite, more more more. And i didn't get it. I'm devastated, but I'm holding out hope for future Ava Reid novels

I am a fan of Ava reid's prose and think it is lyrical and beautiful, so I knew I'd enjoy this. SHe has a way of capturing her surrounding that make it seem like another character, and this is no exception. Macbeth is originally set in the Scottish highlands, and its described so wonderfully here its vivid and makes you feel like you are lost in this wilderness too. It reflects the madness we know is taking over Lady Macbeth. This is set before the story we know from the original Macbeth, and shows how lady Macbeth got to where she was and how she became the character we know. Its a good reflection on what women at the time went through and if they wanted any kind of power or influence what they had to go through and the lengths it takes.
I think its an excellent story and reid just has a magical way with words.