This is a reimagining of the Scottish play, rather than simply a retelling from Lady Macbeth’s perspective. In this version her name is Roscille and she is presented as a consummate survivor — 17, alone, clever beyond imagining, and allegedly capable of enchanting men who look upon her. The problem, of course, comes from her husband — also too clever by half, brutal, and cruel in ways that echo the father who raised her. The story is interwoven with historical tidbits and folklore from period Scotland.

Ava Reid’s version questions what power truly is and how it changes depending on the wielder. The narrative is tinged with a familiar, feminist perspective of men at their most base; this is particularly underlined given how dismissive men tend to be of Roscille while being utterly consumed with fear and jealousy of her alleged abilities. To take it a step further, it’s an examination of how women are stronger together, and the men in their lives often try to separate them and isolate the women in their lives to maintain control.

Ultimately the reader is asked what truly defines a monster and what it means to survive — and not to be a ‘perfect’ victim, but one who is flawed and has blood on her hands. Roscille’s story itself is further blended with that of the ill-fated King Duncan’s sons, which echo and underline these themes nicely.

https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/9c593ff9-b4c1-4759-b687-62b1d8223ce9