This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend. Read the full disclosure here.
Book: “Lady Macbeth” by Ava Reid
Publishing Info: Del Rey, August 2024
Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+
Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound
Book Description: The Lady knows the stories: how her eyes induce madness in men.
The Lady knows she will be wed to the Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed.
The Lady knows his hostile, suspicious court will be a game of strategy, requiring all of her wiles and hidden witchcraft to survive.
But the Lady does not know her husband has occult secrets of his own. She does not know that prophecy girds him like armor. She does not know that her magic is greater and more dangerous, and that it will threaten the order of the world.
She does not know this yet. But she will.
Review: Ava Reid has solidified herself as a “must read” author for me over the last few years. Her books are sometimes a tough read, subject-matter-wise, but her writing is so compelling that I always end up compulsively reading her books late into the night, regardless of my current state of horror. But I would have been interested in this one regardless of its author, since it sounds like nothing I’ve read before, offering up a new take on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” but told from the perspective of his conniving, powerful wife.
Right from the start, my main attraction to Ava Reid’s books was first and foremost: she’s just compulsively readable for me. Something about her style always draws me in so fully. The pacing and plotting is tight, but the story is spun in a way that feels lyrical and moving. The inherent beauty to her prose almost makes some of her more disturbing content moments all the more striking, and that was fully featured here. This Lady Macbeth is a young woman forced into marriage by her manipulative father. As such, much of the book is focused on the power discrepancies between women and men, fathers and daughters, and wives and husbands. The latter, of course, deals heavily with sexual violence with marriages, and readers should be aware going in that this theme is heavily and directly explored. I think it was well done, all told, but it’s definitely disturbing, as the story doesn’t shy away from the realities of Lady Macbeth’s situation.
I will say, however, that there were a few moments throughout where I felt like some of this focus on this one topic became a bit too much and unnecessary. Reid often writes about these hard topics in her books, and while I think she has a steady hand overall, I had a similar criticism in “Juniper and Thorn” where it felt at times over-down and a bit hyper-fixated. So, too, here.
Speaking of our main character, I think readers’ mileage will vary with this version of the Lady Macbeth. If you’re a massive fan of the original play, you may struggle with this story more than others. I enjoyed the original, but was unbothered by the changes made to the character here. This Lady Macbeth is a much younger woman and one of the primary arcs of the story is her slow (very slow, and coming in fits and starts at that) growth towards embracing her own power and throwing off the shackles placed upon her. This is a far throw from the original character who, throughout much of the play, seems to be the real power and mind behind Macbeth himself.
However, the change to the main character was probably one of the lesser changes to the entire story. I don’t want to get into spoilers, but this book definitely includes massive changes to the original, including the addition of a major fantasy element beyond Lady Macbeth’s own abilities. There was an added love interest included (and I very much enjoyed this love story, though it was definitely a subplot to the whole), but I think the changes made to the Three Witches and the role they play in this world was the most striking and effective.
Tonally, this story is dark and grim. If I had to identify my primary emotion while reading this book it would probably be dread. Like Lady Macbeth, the reader is drawn into a near-constant state of tension and fear. It’s incredibly effective, and if it weren’t for the strength of Reid’s writing, could easily exhaust the reader.
As it stands, I think this was an incredibly unique re-telling of “Macbeth,” re-focusing the story on the women that surrounded him and the limitations placed on them by fact of their sex. Readers who have enjoyed Reid’s work in the past will likely enjoy this one. Though more sensitive readers should be aware of its dark themes and scenes.
Rating 8: Exploring themes of women’s power, Reid takes the classic tale of “Macbeth” and turns it on its head!
Reader’s Advisory:
“Lady Macbeth” isn’t on any interesting Goodreads lists, but it should be on Shakespeare Retellings.
The Library Ladies 