This is the first book I’ve read by Ava Reid and her prose is absolutely beautiful! In terms of the writing itself, I would give 5 stars. However, I’m not sure how much I enjoyed the plot of the book, so I’ve given 3.76 stars (rounded up to 4 here!) It was definitely an interesting read and a good new take on a classic, even more mythical than the original.

This was a PHENOMENAL read. I was so excited for it and it truly did not disappoint. As an English teacher who has taught Macbeth many times, this was a gripping presentation of a well known but (in my opinion) often misunderstood character. Loved, loved, loved, loved it.

DNF @30 %.

I was so excited for Lady Macbeth after reading and ADORING A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid, however I DNFed it at the end of 2024 after my second attempt at reading it. One thing Ava Reid does SUPERBLY is atmosphere and creating that perfect, gothic, dark setting. This was the exact same and I adored what I read for that. However, as a Macbeth retelling I was expecting something entirely different. It felt like a struggle to read from a protagonist that felt widely different to the original, and more so... reading a story where every. single. man. has the most outrageous beliefs. I know that this is a matter of its context, but it felt like it was serving NOTHING to our plot nor character.

Ava Reid’s writing is nothing short of enchanting. Her prose is whimsical and lovely, drawing you into a richly detailed world that feels entirely immersive. Reid excels at painting vivid landscapes and crafting complex characters, making it easy to lose yourself in the atmosphere of her stories.

That said, I have mixed feelings about the portrayal of Lady Macbeth in this novel. On the one hand, I appreciated the complexity Reid brought to the character. However, on the other hand, I often found the character lacking the depth that the narrative seemed to promise. At times, her development felt unearned, and she seemed oddly peripheral to key moments in her own story. For a book that centers on Lady Macbeth, it was strange to feel as though much of the plot unfolded without her active involvement.

Reid frequently tells us that this version of Lady Macbeth is witty and clever, but there’s little evidence to support these claims. Compared to the original Lady Macbeth—known for her ambition, cunning, and power—this rendition felt more like a whiny shadow of what she could have been. While I understand that this is Reid’s reinterpretation, I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed by the execution.

I also found it difficult to connect with her. While unlikable characters can be fascinating, the way this Lady Macbeth viewed the world—particularly her disdainful attitude toward the Scots—made her frustrating to follow. I understand that her unfamiliarity with Scotland could naturally lead to some friction, but she often came across as outright rude, making no effort to adapt or understand her new surroundings. This lack of growth or self-awareness made it hard to root for her or even empathize with her journey.

Given how character-driven the book is, having a protagonist who is both unlikable and frustratingly static made the overall experience challenging. While Reid’s beautiful writing kept me engaged, my dissatisfaction with the main character left me feeling disconnected from the story as a whole.

Sigh.

In honesty, I really didn't like A Study in Drowning. It had a weird depiction of Welsh names that didn't translate well and just felt a little forced in (this might be be from knowing Welsh but that's a different story) and Reid has kind of done the same with Scottish people, names and places.

I loved Macbeth, I have a degree with a focus on Shakespeare and this was just not it. Lady Macbeth has had her brutality and agency taken away from her. She was a villain, she was a murderer, not a love interest without any nuance. The weird xenophobia is another thing that just absolutely ruined this.

This is my beg to American authors, please do your research if you're going to base things off real places. The Welsh and the Scottish haven't appreciated their depictions.

Unfortunately, this probably will be my last Ava Reid book. The representation of Gaelic/Celtic cultures just isn't for me.

Listen, the only time I’ve ever read Macbeth was for school, so I’m not an expert on how accurate of a retelling this was - but Ava Reid wrote such a compelling reimagining of the original tale; I was completely hooked. Her writing is so atmospheric, I felt so immersed into the remote, craggy setting of this eerie castle. You also really get that sense of suffocation that our main character feels, which I thought was cleverly done. While I liked Ava Reid’s interpretation of these characters, I do wish that Lady Macbeth had been a bit more… ambitious? Ruthless? Like I remember her being in the original play. I get that she’s a lot younger in this version of the story, but I just wanted her to sort of be more.

While it is a reimagining, it also stands on its own two feet as an entirely new story, and I just love Ava Reid so much. I see where the negative reviews are coming from but I think you have to see it as a separate entity from the play.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone | Del Rey for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review*

After first reading The Wolf and the Woodsman I fell in love with Ava Reid's prose. And oh, man, Lady Macbeth was no exception. Aside from some minor details that I didn't like, I loved Lady Macbeth, hence the 4.5 stars I'm giving them.

The world building was pretty darn good and so were some of the characters. The only thing I didn't care for, was the Lady Macbeth was portrayed in the story. Instead of the most powerful woman, she almost felt flat and naive. I think, Lady Macbeth, as the sole character, would benefit a little more exposure. It felt like the stakes weren't high enough, and she was mean just for the sake of being mean.

But other than that, I highly recommend you read this book.

A chilling fantasy adaptation of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth gives Lady Macbeth the agency and power that she was missing in the original story. Dark, yet tender and brilliantly written, this is an act of study and love, as well as a compelling read.

A feminist retelling/reimagining of Shakespeare’s most famous villainess
“If she cannot have safety, if she cannot have love, at least she can have this, vengeance”
Centring around Roscille, a 17 year old girl sent to marry Macbeth, following being deemed by her father as a witch
It’s dark, gloomy and very atmospheric, full of Scottish folklore and witchcraft
Offering an engaging look into the reality of being a woman in medieval times - that every move for a woman can be thwarted/overturned by male orientated society, who believed that women were the weaker sex in everything
Loved the beautifully immersive writing and that the author gave Roscille a voice to tell her own story which isn’t undermined by men.
Thanks @avasreid, @delreyuk & @netgalley for the dark gothic atmospheric read

I found the writing absolutely beautiful, and while the pacing slows at times, I was still completely gripped by the story. The retelling offered such a unique and refreshing take, completely exceeding my expectations.

I love the author’s style of writing and it made a story about one of Shakespeare’s lesser-talked-about women really intriguing. Reid takes some creative liberties with the source text and the history and language of Scotland at the time, many of which suit the gothic style of the book, for example, Lady Macbeth only being 17 years old, and new to her power which she gradually works on embracing throughout the story. Although I found it a little bit hard to get into at the start, I think the author’s writing style grabbed my attention a few chapters in and I enjoyed it.

3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC. I’ve wanted to read Ava Reid’s work for a while and own all of her backlist.

This was beautifully written; the prose was very lyrical and flowery in a good way. There was a lot of commentary on the “misuse” of women and I liked the twist on the classic Macbeth story with Lady Macbeth getting a different ending for herself. The atmosphere was dark and heavy, the setting jumped off of the page. I’ve never been to Scotland despite living in England but the cold and wet landscape described is definitely something I am used to.

However, the story itself fell a little flat. There was a romance in this that I just didn’t care about and was very insta-love. The twist on the prophecy the witches made about Macbeth being undefeated was partly well done and partly half baked. The wood coming to the hill part was a bit random in my opinion. There was also a dragon randomly slotted into the book which, correct me if I’m wrong, I don’t remember having anything to do with the original Macbeth story. It served no purpose apart from to provide more of a fantasy element and I wish it had been expanded upon more. The ending was also very rushed and it kind of felt like the author was trying to wrap things up as quickly as possible. I was left wanting to be honest.

I still give this a 3.5 stars because like I said the writing is stunning and I think it has a lot to say. I just wish certain aspects were more cohesive. This was released on 13th August so you can read it now. I will definitely be reading more of this authors work.

I love Lady Macbeth. She's the ultimate scheming, hard done by wife who plans everything for her weak willed husband to reap the rewards. However here, I just didn't get that side of her. Instead she's a young, naive girl who is used as a pawn by the men in her life, especially her husband, who seems to have lost all of the agency that make her the original villainess that Lady Macbeth is known for. I wanted a feminist interpretation of Macbeth, one where she takes control and we see the machinations of her scheming. But I don't think we get this at all., instead following a supposedly clever girl bumbling about trying to manipulate people (badly). And don't get me started on the weird way Scotland and Scots are depicted. And the lack of women in the story. Beyond Lady Macbeth I don't think they actually exist in Scotland.

Not the retelling I was hoping for.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was an interesting retelling of the Macbeth story - however I think I preferred last year's Lady MacBethad, so go and read that if you liked this. Reid does a good job exploring what it means to have power as a woman, especially at a time where women generally had none, and how powerful women are automatically seen as dangerous and the overlap with witchcraft. I also liked the introduction of the character of Lisander and how that allowed Roscille to have more agency.

After really enjoying A Study in Drowning, I was so excited for this book. I know next to nothing about the original Macbeth play, so I can’t comment on how this book compares.

Ava Reid writes absolutely beautifully, and the prose in Lady Macbeth is no different. It was lyrical without being too distracting, and there were some stunning descriptions that made the book feel so atmospheric.

I was really intrigued by the character of Lady Macbeth and the myths surrounding her. However, I felt that the character had no development throughout the story and I also couldn’t connect with the love interest or any of the other characters.

Sadly, the plot did not pull me in at all. I kept waiting for the moment when it would, and it just never came. However, there was a very clever twist that I wasn’t expecting.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. I’m unsure whether this was because I’m not familiar with the original Lady Macbeth, or whether I’m simply not the reader for this type of story. However, will definitely pick up Ava Reid’s next book as I did really enjoy her previous book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, as I fell in love with Ava Deid’s writing after a study in drowning, and her telling of Lady Macbeth were just a brilliant in the gothic, slightly macabre and poetic.
My only recollection of the original Macbeth was from my time at school, but Ava’s development and take on the character was phenomenal.
Her settings and descriptors set the scene really well, and were true to the time and place, and vivid in placing the reader right where she wants them.
Ava used Lady Macbeth to as a means of discussing women’s roles and rights within the time, and how they are often used within an expectation that is seemingly out of their control, almost like a pawn for others to use at will. The imbalance of power and increased suffering of women in the period is something I’ve always found interest in so I’m glad Ava gave a story to an almost unheard and vacant voice within Shakespeare’s original.
As with the rest of her workings, this is one I’ll be recommending!

This was a brutal re-telling with a character who many will love. I found her quite sad at times and wished I could have felt more attachment to her.
As a Scot I was a bit annoyed by the wrong spelling of some if the places ie Glamis which I felt was not spelt correctly and I felt at times there was an undercurrent of xenophobia against the Scottish people and their country.
I loved the writing and the mix of folklore and fantasy which i did really appreciate.
I know lots of readers will love this one and I can see it being a hit

I understand that in a retelling things are going to be different (obviously) but the changes Ava Reid makes strips the character of anything interesting. A cunning middle-aged Scottish women becomes a French teenager who is lacking in any nuance.

This trend of feminism 101 retellings that strip away any riveting moral quandaries in the story in favour of ‘empowerment’ really dull. Love feminism (duh) but delving into a dangerously ambitious immoral character would be a far more engrossing story than whatever this was. The romance was silly and its inclusion was a complete drag. Not sure if Roscille’s weird xenophobia was intentional as a character fault or not – either way it didn’t work the way Reid wrote it. Every time I thought the story was going to take an interesting turn it went the opposite way. Again, the whole novel read as very one note and shallow (particularly Roscille’s characterisation) with no nuance in the storytelling.

The one high point of this was Reid’s prose when writing the witches. It read like it was from a different book – so creepy and evocative. But even with that, I wish I’d dnf’d this.

I enjoyed the last two books I read by this author but unfortunately, I felt bored for most of this book.

The main character had no personality, the love interest was bland and the fantasy elements felt random and nonsensical.

I will try future books by Ava Reid but this was a miss for me.

Sadly I did not finish this book. I made it to 32% but the pace felt very slow and I would put it down for long stretches without feeling the need to pick it back up again and dive back in. I love Ava Reid’s writing usually but this one just wasn’t for me, and by 30% in not all that much happened. I enjoyed the fact that Reid tried to give Lady Macbeth a witchy, mysterious backstory, and I loved the myth of her beauty and the use of the veil etc, but I think perhaps the fact that I have taught Macbeth for a decade and know the play inside out made it less enjoyable for me, rather than more, in this instance.

The prose itself is great, with moments of lyrical beauty that I’ve come to expect from the writer, but unfortunately it just wasn’t a winner for me and I got bored with the pacing. As I didn’t finish it, it would be unfair for me to rate it any less than three stars.