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Title details for Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid - Wait list

Lady Macbeth

A Novel

by Ava Reid
Imani Jade Powers
Audiobook
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a “masterful reimagining” (Publishers Weekly) of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.
“Lady Macbeth doesn’t retell Shakespeare so much as slice cleanly through it, revealing what was hidden beneath. I couldn't look away.”—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House

A CRIMEREADS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 13, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593907122
      • File size: 265245 KB
      • Duration: 09:12:35

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from June 24, 2024
      In this tour de force, bestseller Reid (A Study in Drowning) brilliantly brings to life an alternate version of Shakespeare’s villainess that leans into the play’s supernatural elements. Seventeen-year-old Roscille, the daughter of the Duke of Breizh, has been sent away from her homeland to wed Macbeth, the Thane of Glammis. Roscille is no ordinary bride, however. She is rumored to have been cursed by a witch, and, as a result, one look into her eyes is said to drive men mad. Adjusting to life with her husband is difficult; she is immediately parted from her handmaiden, whom she suspects has been killed, and is forced to care for herself. Roscille gets another shock when the thane leads her to a locked chamber in the depths of his castle, where he keeps three witches captive, who prophesy that he will gain the title of Thane of Cawder, before becoming the King of Scotland. Reid deftly subverts the expected plot beats, enhancing the play’s familiar story line by deepening not only her heroine, who is surprisingly sympathetic, but members of the supporting cast, such as Banquho’s son, Fléance. It’s a masterful reimagining.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Expertly narrated by Imani Jade Powers, this speculative fiction enters the mind and motives of Lady Macbeth. While she's reminiscent of Shakespeare's character, many of the events depart from the play's, allowing us to see things through her eyes. Seventeen-year-old Roscille, allegedly cursed by witches, drives men mad after one look into her eyes. Against her will, she's forced to marry the brutish Macbeth and wear a facial veil. Macbeth keeps three witches locked in a dungeon beneath his castle. As their predictions come true, he becomes convinced of his invincibility. Powers creates a gothic ambiance with occult overtones and credible supernatural occurrences. Powers's hushed tones and fascinating multilingual expressions make the Lady's despair and deep understanding of her situation completely believable. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      December 6, 2024

      Reid (Juniper & Thorn) reimagines the story of Lady Macbeth, shaping Shakespeare's classic villainess into a more complex and sympathetic character. Seventeen-year-old Roscille, the daughter of the Duke of Breizh, has been forced to marry brutish Macbeth, the Thane of Glammis. Macbeth's court is rough, hostile, and suspiciously lacking in women. Roscille, rumored to be a witch cursed with a supernaturally malevolent gaze, will have to draw upon all her powers to survive. What she does not know is that Macbeth has occult abilities of his own, and he will stop at nothing to achieve unassailable power and control. In the vein of Gregory Maguire's Wicked or Eilish Quin's Medea, Reid immerses listeners in a powerful story of survival, witchcraft, and coming-of-age as Roscille sheds her youth and insecurity and embraces her intelligence and desire. Imani Jade Powers shines as a narrator, deftly handling the many accents and dialects and tapping into the richness of Reid's atmospheric setting and lush language. VERDICT This woman-centered portrait of Shakespeare's complicated Lady Macbeth should appeal to listeners who love to hear the other side of the story.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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