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Darkland Tales
Queen Macbeth
Shakespeare fed us the myth of the Macbeths as murderous conspirators. But now Val McDermid drags the truth out of the shadows, exposing the patriarchal prejudices of history. Expect the unexpected . . .
A thousand years ago in an ancient Scottish landscape, a woman is on the run with her three companions – a healer, a weaver and a seer. The men hunting her will kill her – because she is the only one who stands between them and their violent ambition. She is no lady: she is the first queen of Scotland, married to a king called Macbeth.
As the net closes in, we discover a tale of passion, forced marriage, bloody massacre and the harsh realities of medieval Scotland. At the heart of it is one strong, charismatic woman, who survived loss and jeopardy to outwit the endless plotting of a string of ruthless and power-hungry men. Her struggle won her a country. But now it could cost her life.
A thousand years ago in an ancient Scottish landscape, a woman is on the run with her three companions – a healer, a weaver and a seer. The men hunting her will kill her – because she is the only one who stands between them and their violent ambition. She is no lady: she is the first queen of Scotland, married to a king called Macbeth.
As the net closes in, we discover a tale of passion, forced marriage, bloody massacre and the harsh realities of medieval Scotland. At the heart of it is one strong, charismatic woman, who survived loss and jeopardy to outwit the endless plotting of a string of ruthless and power-hungry men. Her struggle won her a country. But now it could cost her life.
134 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2024
248 people are currently reading
4024 people want to read
About the author
Val McDermid
342 books5,315 followersVal McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 529 reviews
September 12, 2024
4+
Macbeth is without doubt my favourite Shakespeare play but the events he recounts are not always accurate ! For instance, Macbeth himself is actually Macbethad mac Findlaeh and Lady Macbeth is Gruoch. Val McDermid’s excellent telling of their story which clearly focuses mostly on Gruoch is immersive reading. We first meet her as the wife of brutish Gille Coemgain with a dual narrative of what happens to her after Macbeth’s death at Lumphanen. I love the way the story is told which transports me back to 11th Century Scotland. It’s beautifully written and engaging from start to finish. What a talented lady Val McD is. Not only can she write blooming good mystery thrillers, she can also write authentic historical fiction. It also inspired me to do some further reading and to look up the places that are mentioned in the story. If you like HF or just want to read something different this novella is worth checking out.
Macbeth is without doubt my favourite Shakespeare play but the events he recounts are not always accurate ! For instance, Macbeth himself is actually Macbethad mac Findlaeh and Lady Macbeth is Gruoch. Val McDermid’s excellent telling of their story which clearly focuses mostly on Gruoch is immersive reading. We first meet her as the wife of brutish Gille Coemgain with a dual narrative of what happens to her after Macbeth’s death at Lumphanen. I love the way the story is told which transports me back to 11th Century Scotland. It’s beautifully written and engaging from start to finish. What a talented lady Val McD is. Not only can she write blooming good mystery thrillers, she can also write authentic historical fiction. It also inspired me to do some further reading and to look up the places that are mentioned in the story. If you like HF or just want to read something different this novella is worth checking out.
October 13, 2024
Wow! I just had to look up who Queen Macbeth was actually modelled on. Turns out she was a real woman called Gruoch Ingen Boite.
In this historical fictional retelling of Macbeth, our focus is Lady Macbeth, and it is a very different version to the one penned by Shakespeare. McDermid is passionately determined to set the record straight. Yes, Lady Macbeth was Queen of Medieval Scotland. Yes, she was a clever, ambitious woman. She was also a woman among ambitious men and used her title to exhert her power. However, in this version, she is not the power-hungry, manipulative, destructive woman we meet in Shakespeares tale. Instead, we have a tale of passion bloodshed, self-preservation, and loss.
The story starts with Queen Macbeth on the run with her three companions in a bid to save her life as Scotland falls into disunity after the death of Gille, her first husband and then her marriage to his cousin Macbeth.
Her marriage to Gille Coemgáin, Earl of Moray, is one of convience in a political move by her father to keep her estate. Her true love is Macbeth.
Her three companions are but ordinary women who are skilled in particular areas: Aife is a clever baker, Ligach has a knack for taming and handling animals. Eithne is probably the most witch like of the three: she is a seer and herbalist, lethal with not just lavender and rosemary but more politically useful plants like white poppy and henbane, which put talkative mouths to sleep.
What I love about this retelling is that it feels more human and at the heart; a love story wrapped up in Medieval Scottish politics. I love that we explore the role of women and politics, all expressed through the eyes of a woman, under whose reign the whole of Scotalnd was once united.
Val McDermid is a genius. Her writing is poetic, sharp, and beautifully descriptive. The story, although full of curious twists and turns, is easy to follow as we move between the past and present.
Love love loved it!
In this historical fictional retelling of Macbeth, our focus is Lady Macbeth, and it is a very different version to the one penned by Shakespeare. McDermid is passionately determined to set the record straight. Yes, Lady Macbeth was Queen of Medieval Scotland. Yes, she was a clever, ambitious woman. She was also a woman among ambitious men and used her title to exhert her power. However, in this version, she is not the power-hungry, manipulative, destructive woman we meet in Shakespeares tale. Instead, we have a tale of passion bloodshed, self-preservation, and loss.
The story starts with Queen Macbeth on the run with her three companions in a bid to save her life as Scotland falls into disunity after the death of Gille, her first husband and then her marriage to his cousin Macbeth.
Her marriage to Gille Coemgáin, Earl of Moray, is one of convience in a political move by her father to keep her estate. Her true love is Macbeth.
Her three companions are but ordinary women who are skilled in particular areas: Aife is a clever baker, Ligach has a knack for taming and handling animals. Eithne is probably the most witch like of the three: she is a seer and herbalist, lethal with not just lavender and rosemary but more politically useful plants like white poppy and henbane, which put talkative mouths to sleep.
What I love about this retelling is that it feels more human and at the heart; a love story wrapped up in Medieval Scottish politics. I love that we explore the role of women and politics, all expressed through the eyes of a woman, under whose reign the whole of Scotalnd was once united.
Val McDermid is a genius. Her writing is poetic, sharp, and beautifully descriptive. The story, although full of curious twists and turns, is easy to follow as we move between the past and present.
Love love loved it!
June 16, 2024
4.5
Macbeth is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. I’d understood that it was another example of the bard re-writing history to serve his story line and keep in with the Establishment.
The Macbeths reigned for 17 years, 900 or so years ago. Contrary to Shakespeare, they appear to have been quite good eggs. Under them, Scotland was united for the first time. Not masses of material for Val McDermid to work with but she’s done a pretty fine job. Love at first sight, it seems and a passionate relationship thereafter. Very readable, very Scottish, lots of scotch mist. Select incorporation of the odd line or word from Shakespeare’s play.
We are tribal folk and especially so in early medieval Scotland. The importance of female relationships, finely portrayed here.
Useful glossary for the more archaic Scottishisms. This covered about 50% of the words/ expressions I was unfamiliar with!
Loved it!
Macbeth is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. I’d understood that it was another example of the bard re-writing history to serve his story line and keep in with the Establishment.
The Macbeths reigned for 17 years, 900 or so years ago. Contrary to Shakespeare, they appear to have been quite good eggs. Under them, Scotland was united for the first time. Not masses of material for Val McDermid to work with but she’s done a pretty fine job. Love at first sight, it seems and a passionate relationship thereafter. Very readable, very Scottish, lots of scotch mist. Select incorporation of the odd line or word from Shakespeare’s play.
We are tribal folk and especially so in early medieval Scotland. The importance of female relationships, finely portrayed here.
Useful glossary for the more archaic Scottishisms. This covered about 50% of the words/ expressions I was unfamiliar with!
Loved it!
September 8, 2024
I thought this novel was OK. it wasn't especially interesting, nor did I find it riveting or compelling in any way. I guess it was a kinda surface overview story, without alot of depth.
but 'twas a gentle and pretty easy read 🙂 I enjoyed the focus on the Queen and her three companions, on women's relationships and experiences 🙂 and I think it was well written, and probably good wrt trying to explore the history and potential reality of who 'Lady Macbeth' really was (and wasn't) 🙂
🌟 🌟 🌟
accessed as a library audiobook, read by Lesley Harcourt.
but 'twas a gentle and pretty easy read 🙂 I enjoyed the focus on the Queen and her three companions, on women's relationships and experiences 🙂 and I think it was well written, and probably good wrt trying to explore the history and potential reality of who 'Lady Macbeth' really was (and wasn't) 🙂
🌟 🌟 🌟
accessed as a library audiobook, read by Lesley Harcourt.
July 5, 2025
Queen Gruoch
A review of the Atlantic Monthly Press hardcover (US September 24, 2024) of the Polygon hardcover original (UK May 2, 2024).
I really applaud the premise here of a reappraisal of the actual historical Queen Gruoch (1015-?) and King Macbethad mac Findláech of Scotland (?-1057) who ruled together for 17 years over the then earldom/kingdoms of Moray & Alba. It is in the spirit of Josephine Tey's classic The Daughter of Time (1951) in that it likewise rescues a historical character (Tey's being Richard III) from Shakespeare's Tudor/Stuart agitprop / propaganda.
Several of the names from Shakespeare make appearances, but not in their stage play roles and outcomes, and I'll say no more about that for fear of spoilage. There are other allusions as well, such as Queen Gruoch having 3 female companions (with one having knowledge of herbs and flowers i.e. would be seen as witchcraft by some in that age, and two of them in a lesbian relationship). Actually it was the "language of flowers" which was the most interesting part for me, i.e. being able to communicate non-verbally via the selections you made in a floral bouquet.
At novella length though, this was short measure and couldn't get into epic territory. The somewhat unlikely "happy ending" also seemed rather too convenient. But it was still a definite 3-star "Like".
Trivia and Link
It was interesting to discover that this was part of a recent series Darkland Tales (2021 - ongoing?) in which "the best modern Scottish authors offer dramatic retellings of stories from the nation's history, myth and legend. These are landmark moments from the past, viewed through a modern lens and alive to modern sensibilities. Each Darkland Tale is sharp, provocative and darkly comic, mining that seam of sedition and psychological drama that has always featured in the best of Scottish literature."
A review of the Atlantic Monthly Press hardcover (US September 24, 2024) of the Polygon hardcover original (UK May 2, 2024).
I really applaud the premise here of a reappraisal of the actual historical Queen Gruoch (1015-?) and King Macbethad mac Findláech of Scotland (?-1057) who ruled together for 17 years over the then earldom/kingdoms of Moray & Alba. It is in the spirit of Josephine Tey's classic The Daughter of Time (1951) in that it likewise rescues a historical character (Tey's being Richard III) from Shakespeare's Tudor/Stuart agitprop / propaganda.
Several of the names from Shakespeare make appearances, but not in their stage play roles and outcomes, and I'll say no more about that for fear of spoilage. There are other allusions as well, such as Queen Gruoch having 3 female companions (with one having knowledge of herbs and flowers i.e. would be seen as witchcraft by some in that age, and two of them in a lesbian relationship). Actually it was the "language of flowers" which was the most interesting part for me, i.e. being able to communicate non-verbally via the selections you made in a floral bouquet.
'Wild garlic symbolises unity and good fortune, but it also stands for patience. Milk-gowans are all about overcoming hardship. And forget-me-nots? Well, that's obvious; they say "My love is true, don't forget me."' She took the flowers from me and studied the plant stem that bound them together. 'When the flowers are tied together, the plant that binds them can send a message too. This is mallow; it represents the sender consumed by love.'
At novella length though, this was short measure and couldn't get into epic territory. The somewhat unlikely "happy ending" also seemed rather too convenient. But it was still a definite 3-star "Like".
Trivia and Link
It was interesting to discover that this was part of a recent series Darkland Tales (2021 - ongoing?) in which "the best modern Scottish authors offer dramatic retellings of stories from the nation's history, myth and legend. These are landmark moments from the past, viewed through a modern lens and alive to modern sensibilities. Each Darkland Tale is sharp, provocative and darkly comic, mining that seam of sedition and psychological drama that has always featured in the best of Scottish literature."
November 27, 2024
3.25 Stars
I definitely recommend revisiting Shakespeare’s Macbeth before reading this novella or at least have a good understanding of it. McDermid’s retelling is short but does not lack substance. I love when we get a more fleshed out character (particularly the women) in a retelling of a classic. Added bonus here for the more historically accurate story as well.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I definitely recommend revisiting Shakespeare’s Macbeth before reading this novella or at least have a good understanding of it. McDermid’s retelling is short but does not lack substance. I love when we get a more fleshed out character (particularly the women) in a retelling of a classic. Added bonus here for the more historically accurate story as well.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
March 31, 2025
This is not Shakespeare's Macbeth retelling!
There was a time, about a thousand years ago, in the land of what is now Scotland, where there was a king named Macbeth and his wife, Gruoch.
Queen Macbeth is a historical fiction of them, and The Tragedy of Macbeth is another.
Queen Macbeth is the story of Gruoch and her threewitches companions: a healer, a weaver, and a seer, before Macbeth to-be-king and after Macbeth's presumed death.
There are two timelines: the time of Gruoch and her first husband Gille Coemgáin, when she first sees Macbeth, and then the years after that which are not shown in Shakespeare's Macbeth.
An interesting read from a historical point of view, and I like Val McDermid's writing style. I assume she is mostly a mystery writer, but I enjoyed reading her non-mystery work.
Thank you, Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for DRC. I have given my honest review.
There was a time, about a thousand years ago, in the land of what is now Scotland, where there was a king named Macbeth and his wife, Gruoch.
Queen Macbeth is a historical fiction of them, and The Tragedy of Macbeth is another.
Queen Macbeth is the story of Gruoch and her three
There are two timelines: the time of Gruoch and her first husband Gille Coemgáin, when she first sees Macbeth, and then the years after that which are not shown in Shakespeare's Macbeth.
An interesting read from a historical point of view, and I like Val McDermid's writing style. I assume she is mostly a mystery writer, but I enjoyed reading her non-mystery work.
Thank you, Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for DRC. I have given my honest review.
August 12, 2024
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Val McDermid, and Grove Atlantic for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
While Shakespeare offers up a tale about Macbeth and his adventurous life, Val McDermid explains that it was but an action-filled story with little relation to what actually happened. Choosing to pen a more realistic version of events, McDermid sets things straight in this piece, adding her own literary flourish. She explores events through the eyes of Lady (read: Queen) Macbeth, crating a much different version of events than the Bard provided those centuries ago. Told in a straightforward manner, McDermid offers up a spin on the story with unique ideas to keep the attentive reader highly entertained.
Scotland in the tenth century differed greatly from the landscape we now know. Within the bogs and hilly terrain, a woman is on the run. She seeks to protect herself with three companions, all of whom play a role in her success and continued determination to flee the enemy. Scotland is a place of war and one in which one battle won could bring about a new ruler on the throne, as lines of succession mean little when it comes to who will next sit on the Scottish Throne. At present, the protagonist seeks to find her husband and remain protected. Queen Macbeth is, at least for the time being, the wife of Scotland’s ruler. For how long that will last is up to many events that are about to unfold.
As pressures mount and enemies emerge from various shadows, Queen Macbeth will have to come to terms with the past that brought her here and the future that awaits. A forced marriage haunts her, but she could have done worse. At the heart of the ongoing battle is a woman whose charisma and determination has fuelled her. She made many sacrifices to get where she is and can only hope it was for a good reason. Otherwise, she will soon have to face the reality that she gambled and lost, leaving not only her country behind, but likely her life. McDermid delivers a piece of historical mystery and intrigue that is sure to impress some readers.
I usually quite enjoy the writing of Val McDermid, though I admit that I am not as much a fan of medieval history. She tackles that in this latest book, short though it may be. The narrative flow seems to work, at least for those who enjoy the time period and writing style that one can expect from it. Events connect and the protagonist moves from setting to setting, making herself known as well as the trouble that follows her. However, I found myself not able to properly connect to this piece, as I stumbled repeatedly to make sense of things. The narrative flow seemed off to me, as did the presentation of characters. However, I admit, I was likely not in the mindset to tackle something penned in medieval style.
There were plot points on offer and McDermid’s sense of surprises was apparent, though it did not resonate with me as much as I might have liked. I enjoy most things, but could not find myself linking aspects of the story together properly, leaving me to feel disjointed and out of touch with the themes presented. That said, it was likely just me missing something. I look forward to seeing what others thought and will stand back for their stronger reviews.
Kudos, Madam McDermid, for a piece well worth many readers’ time.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
While Shakespeare offers up a tale about Macbeth and his adventurous life, Val McDermid explains that it was but an action-filled story with little relation to what actually happened. Choosing to pen a more realistic version of events, McDermid sets things straight in this piece, adding her own literary flourish. She explores events through the eyes of Lady (read: Queen) Macbeth, crating a much different version of events than the Bard provided those centuries ago. Told in a straightforward manner, McDermid offers up a spin on the story with unique ideas to keep the attentive reader highly entertained.
Scotland in the tenth century differed greatly from the landscape we now know. Within the bogs and hilly terrain, a woman is on the run. She seeks to protect herself with three companions, all of whom play a role in her success and continued determination to flee the enemy. Scotland is a place of war and one in which one battle won could bring about a new ruler on the throne, as lines of succession mean little when it comes to who will next sit on the Scottish Throne. At present, the protagonist seeks to find her husband and remain protected. Queen Macbeth is, at least for the time being, the wife of Scotland’s ruler. For how long that will last is up to many events that are about to unfold.
As pressures mount and enemies emerge from various shadows, Queen Macbeth will have to come to terms with the past that brought her here and the future that awaits. A forced marriage haunts her, but she could have done worse. At the heart of the ongoing battle is a woman whose charisma and determination has fuelled her. She made many sacrifices to get where she is and can only hope it was for a good reason. Otherwise, she will soon have to face the reality that she gambled and lost, leaving not only her country behind, but likely her life. McDermid delivers a piece of historical mystery and intrigue that is sure to impress some readers.
I usually quite enjoy the writing of Val McDermid, though I admit that I am not as much a fan of medieval history. She tackles that in this latest book, short though it may be. The narrative flow seems to work, at least for those who enjoy the time period and writing style that one can expect from it. Events connect and the protagonist moves from setting to setting, making herself known as well as the trouble that follows her. However, I found myself not able to properly connect to this piece, as I stumbled repeatedly to make sense of things. The narrative flow seemed off to me, as did the presentation of characters. However, I admit, I was likely not in the mindset to tackle something penned in medieval style.
There were plot points on offer and McDermid’s sense of surprises was apparent, though it did not resonate with me as much as I might have liked. I enjoy most things, but could not find myself linking aspects of the story together properly, leaving me to feel disjointed and out of touch with the themes presented. That said, it was likely just me missing something. I look forward to seeing what others thought and will stand back for their stronger reviews.
Kudos, Madam McDermid, for a piece well worth many readers’ time.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
July 29, 2024
3.5 stars
Val McDermid tells us Shakespeare had it all wrong and in her new novella, she tries to set the historical record straight. When Macbeth was killed in battle, Queen Gruoch and her three closest companions sought sanctuary among the monks. Upon learning her son Lulach has been killed and Malcolm's men are hunting for her, they flee for their lives.
The present action is interspersed with Gruoch's memories of how she and Macbeth met while she was married to his cousin Gille Coemgáin and what he did to claim her as his own and proclaim himself King of Scotland. Very interesting and well told!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of her novella. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Val McDermid tells us Shakespeare had it all wrong and in her new novella, she tries to set the historical record straight. When Macbeth was killed in battle, Queen Gruoch and her three closest companions sought sanctuary among the monks. Upon learning her son Lulach has been killed and Malcolm's men are hunting for her, they flee for their lives.
The present action is interspersed with Gruoch's memories of how she and Macbeth met while she was married to his cousin Gille Coemgáin and what he did to claim her as his own and proclaim himself King of Scotland. Very interesting and well told!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of her novella. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
June 10, 2024
Queen Macbeth is a novella-length re-imagining of the story of Shakespeare’s second most famous duo - but based on the known history of the real 11th century Scottish king of that name. Told by his wife in two timelines, Gruoch is no longer a scheming villainess, but instead a brave woman trying to survive after losing the man she loves with her three companions who are not witches but wise women. I did Macbeth at school, but never either “got” or enjoyed Shakespeare until adulthood, and I couldn’t remember much of the plot, not ever having seen it as a play or movie, but a quick refresher (thanks internet) meant I could instantly see how much the plot diverges from that of the play - this is way more Outlander than Elizabethan tragedy.
Four years after King Macbeth was killed at the battle Lumphanan, Gruoch and her lifelong friends Eithne, Aife and Ligath are in hiding at a remote monastery by Loch Leven, but forces loyal to King Malcolm are closing in, and they must flee for their lives. Gruoch reminisces about how she met the handsome redheaded warrior when she was still married to her first husband, and fell hopelessly in love.
While this does use lots of traditional Scots words (there is a glossary at the end - why don’t publishers put them at the beginning - or at least tell you at the beginning that there is one?!) it’s surprisingly easy to read. I had fun with the various nods to Shakespeare that I did recognise - I’m sure those more familiar with the play will recognise more. My main complaint is that this could easily have been a full length novel, but other than this I really liked it.
NB it’s worth looking at Wikipedia for an explanation of why Shakespeare’s version is so different!
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
Queen Macbeth is published on 24th September.
Four years after King Macbeth was killed at the battle Lumphanan, Gruoch and her lifelong friends Eithne, Aife and Ligath are in hiding at a remote monastery by Loch Leven, but forces loyal to King Malcolm are closing in, and they must flee for their lives. Gruoch reminisces about how she met the handsome redheaded warrior when she was still married to her first husband, and fell hopelessly in love.
While this does use lots of traditional Scots words (there is a glossary at the end - why don’t publishers put them at the beginning - or at least tell you at the beginning that there is one?!) it’s surprisingly easy to read. I had fun with the various nods to Shakespeare that I did recognise - I’m sure those more familiar with the play will recognise more. My main complaint is that this could easily have been a full length novel, but other than this I really liked it.
NB it’s worth looking at Wikipedia for an explanation of why Shakespeare’s version is so different!
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
Queen Macbeth is published on 24th September.
September 14, 2024
I am, unashamedly, a big Shakespeare fan, and this is one of my favourites. This, however, doesn't mean that I am unaware of possible historical inaccuracies in the plays.
In this novella, Val McDermid attempts to correct some of the inaccuracies she finds in the famous "Scottish play".
I found this retelling an enjoyable read. I was glad to find Lady Macbeth had at least some happiness in her life - and would not simply be remembered for maniacally trying to wash blood from her extremely clean hands!
In this novella, Val McDermid attempts to correct some of the inaccuracies she finds in the famous "Scottish play".
I found this retelling an enjoyable read. I was glad to find Lady Macbeth had at least some happiness in her life - and would not simply be remembered for maniacally trying to wash blood from her extremely clean hands!
February 2, 2025
It’s well known that Shakespeare played fast and loose with the facts when it came to his historical plays. To be fair, he would hardly have survived in Tudor England if he hadn’t portrayed the last of the Yorkist kings, the comparatively benign Richard III, as other than an infanticidal hunchback.
However, when it comes to “The Scottish Play”, it was not so much political expediency which distorted the facts but an unreliable source – Holinshed’s Chronicles. Therefore much of the play consists of what Shakespeare invented on top of Holinshed’s fabrications.
In this short novel, Val McDermid seeks to redress the balance, particularly with regard to the play's most maligned character, whom Shakespeare refers to as “Lady Macbeth”, in reality Gruoch ingen Boite, a Scottish queen.
The story is told in two alternating timelines. In the earlier, Gruoch first encounters and falls in love with Macbeth (MacBethad mac Findlaích) while she is still the wife of his cousin, the brutal and boorish Gille Coemgáin.
The second timeline is about 30 years later and finds the widowed Gruoch taking refuge in a remote monastery in Fife along with Angus, formerly Macbeth’s chief messenger, and three female companions: Ligach, a weaver, Eithne, a herbalist and Aife, a seer. No doubt the inspiration for Holinshed’s and Shakespeare’s “weird sisters”. They soon realise they are not safe there and attempt to return to Macbeth’s former kingdom on Mull to escape Malcolm Canmore and his main henchman MacDuff of Fife.
I’ve no doubt that Val took a few liberties with her story and we’ll probably never know the full truth of what happened in the remote highlands over a millennium ago, but it is refreshing to get a less fanciful perspective.
However, when it comes to “The Scottish Play”, it was not so much political expediency which distorted the facts but an unreliable source – Holinshed’s Chronicles. Therefore much of the play consists of what Shakespeare invented on top of Holinshed’s fabrications.
In this short novel, Val McDermid seeks to redress the balance, particularly with regard to the play's most maligned character, whom Shakespeare refers to as “Lady Macbeth”, in reality Gruoch ingen Boite, a Scottish queen.
The story is told in two alternating timelines. In the earlier, Gruoch first encounters and falls in love with Macbeth (MacBethad mac Findlaích) while she is still the wife of his cousin, the brutal and boorish Gille Coemgáin.
The second timeline is about 30 years later and finds the widowed Gruoch taking refuge in a remote monastery in Fife along with Angus, formerly Macbeth’s chief messenger, and three female companions: Ligach, a weaver, Eithne, a herbalist and Aife, a seer. No doubt the inspiration for Holinshed’s and Shakespeare’s “weird sisters”. They soon realise they are not safe there and attempt to return to Macbeth’s former kingdom on Mull to escape Malcolm Canmore and his main henchman MacDuff of Fife.
I’ve no doubt that Val took a few liberties with her story and we’ll probably never know the full truth of what happened in the remote highlands over a millennium ago, but it is refreshing to get a less fanciful perspective.
July 23, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book (and my apologies for not having a more positive review).
Seeing as it's probably not acceptable to review a book simply with the eyeroll emoji, I'll lay out what exactly irked me about this book.
First, there was barely any substance to this book, even for a novella. It is severely lacking in plot. I have no idea what this book was even about because the author gave absolutely no context to what was happening at any time. All we know is that Macbeth is more than likely dead, and the other characters are on the run. From what? Who knows! Who cares, either, apparently; certainly not the author, or she would have given us a little more detail.
Characterization was also a major issue. So many characters felt interchangeable, while most were completely blank slates. Even Gruoch (Lady/Queen Macbeth) felt rather blank and completely passive, and we never saw Macbeth himself beyond a few lacklustre conversations and a sex scene. I'm not sure how the author expects her readers to root for, or even care about, these characters if we know next to nothing about them.
The way McDermid writes women and men kind of icked me out, because every woman was beautiful and highly feminine (as all women apparently are in this world... which is bizarre, considering Val McDermid is a butch lesbian and butch women have existed practically forever), while all men are tyrants who are divided into honorable masculine men and weak men whose lives and deaths don't matter. It felt very TERFy, and knowing that McDermid identifies as a RadFem, I feel like there might be a reason for that...
The book also is distinctly lacking in any kind of emotion. Many characters die throughout the course of this story, but their deaths came and went, and even though the narrator said she was devastated, I just felt kind of bored or disappointed when I read these scenes. Similarly, I was not invested at all in Macbeth and Gruoch's romance because the writing didn't give me anything to hang onto or even begin to understand why she was interested in him, other than that he was her cousin (ah, royalty...) and it was prophesied that he would give her a son.
The dual timelines also make absolutely no sense because there is absolutely no connection from one section to the next, as there should be when writing stories this way. Whether or not the characters can see the parallels or not, the reader definitely should be able to see them, but there were none to be seen. Just random jumping back and forth between Macbeth fucking Gruoch, to Gruoch and her women (and Angus) hiding out in the wilderness, back to Gruoch who is now pregnant, and then to Angus changing in the tall grass so none of the women can see his dick. It felt completely random and pointless, but I suppose if McDermid had told the story chronologically, it would have been more obvious that there was no plot.
McDermid has a few interesting ideas, I suppose, and the general outline of what could be a good retelling of the Macbeth story, but she doesn't deliver on any of these ideas, and she doesn't achieve the goals she lays out in her opening author's note. This book needs at least 100-150 more pages to make all the details of this book make more sense and clear up some of the confusion about what the reader is meant to be feeling at any given moment.
If I could unread this book, I would.
Seeing as it's probably not acceptable to review a book simply with the eyeroll emoji, I'll lay out what exactly irked me about this book.
First, there was barely any substance to this book, even for a novella. It is severely lacking in plot. I have no idea what this book was even about because the author gave absolutely no context to what was happening at any time. All we know is that Macbeth is more than likely dead, and the other characters are on the run. From what? Who knows! Who cares, either, apparently; certainly not the author, or she would have given us a little more detail.
Characterization was also a major issue. So many characters felt interchangeable, while most were completely blank slates. Even Gruoch (Lady/Queen Macbeth) felt rather blank and completely passive, and we never saw Macbeth himself beyond a few lacklustre conversations and a sex scene. I'm not sure how the author expects her readers to root for, or even care about, these characters if we know next to nothing about them.
The way McDermid writes women and men kind of icked me out, because every woman was beautiful and highly feminine (as all women apparently are in this world... which is bizarre, considering Val McDermid is a butch lesbian and butch women have existed practically forever), while all men are tyrants who are divided into honorable masculine men and weak men whose lives and deaths don't matter. It felt very TERFy, and knowing that McDermid identifies as a RadFem, I feel like there might be a reason for that...
The book also is distinctly lacking in any kind of emotion. Many characters die throughout the course of this story, but their deaths came and went, and even though the narrator said she was devastated, I just felt kind of bored or disappointed when I read these scenes. Similarly, I was not invested at all in Macbeth and Gruoch's romance because the writing didn't give me anything to hang onto or even begin to understand why she was interested in him, other than that he was her cousin (ah, royalty...) and it was prophesied that he would give her a son.
The dual timelines also make absolutely no sense because there is absolutely no connection from one section to the next, as there should be when writing stories this way. Whether or not the characters can see the parallels or not, the reader definitely should be able to see them, but there were none to be seen. Just random jumping back and forth between Macbeth fucking Gruoch, to Gruoch and her women (and Angus) hiding out in the wilderness, back to Gruoch who is now pregnant, and then to Angus changing in the tall grass so none of the women can see his dick. It felt completely random and pointless, but I suppose if McDermid had told the story chronologically, it would have been more obvious that there was no plot.
McDermid has a few interesting ideas, I suppose, and the general outline of what could be a good retelling of the Macbeth story, but she doesn't deliver on any of these ideas, and she doesn't achieve the goals she lays out in her opening author's note. This book needs at least 100-150 more pages to make all the details of this book make more sense and clear up some of the confusion about what the reader is meant to be feeling at any given moment.
If I could unread this book, I would.
August 18, 2024
I really liked this. And I don't think I've ever read Macbeth?? Even with Shakespeare as an elective in both hs and college!
I know the basic gist though, and I enjoyed this female-centric spin on it. Full review coming for Shelf Awareness.
I know the basic gist though, and I enjoyed this female-centric spin on it. Full review coming for Shelf Awareness.
December 1, 2024
Shakespeare gave us Macbeth and his wife as villains. McDermid gives us an alternate not-so-villainous version of Queen Macbeth. It starts with Gruoch, the real name of Macbeth’s wife, in a life-threatening situation. We then follow two storylines – one set during the time of Gruoch’s first marriage and of how she met and fell in love with Macbeth, and the other moving forward from the perilous circumstances of the starting point. The Queen is attended by three ladies, who are the antithesis of Shakespeare’s three witches – they are Gruoch’s close friends - an herbalist healer, an animal caretaker, and a weaver. We also learn the background of Gruoch’s first husband, Gille, and her son, Lulach, whose parentage is part of the story. After the action-packed setup, it takes a while to provide the grounding, but it then picks up to follow Gruoch and her ladies’ hazardous journey in the Scottish wilderness as they flee toward sanctuary. The women prove to be both clever and courageous. This short book is one of the better retellings I have read, employing historical sources. It gives voices to the women, and places them in central roles. The author packs a lot into this short book. Recommended to those who enjoy new interpretations of old classics.
April 15, 2024
The blurb sets out a challenging narrative to what we have known so far about the concept of Lady Macbeth and promises to bring to light a few unfiltered versions of history, contrary to Shakespeare's version. Hence, I was pretty excited to get started with this one.
The approach of the story is certainly different from the 3 other books I have read on the same topic. That being said, while the concept was riveting, I found very little to cling to in the story, as it was pretty short with minimal buildup on the chemistry between the two main characters. It also got me wondering about the jealous and hate angle between the two cousins brothers and what drives it. I would have enjoyed it more if the book had covered these aspects to create a wholesome picture of all the characters, exploring the complexities and stakes of power.
Thank you @netgalley @wfhowes for the digital ARC.
Genre: #historicalfiction
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
#QueenMacbeth
The approach of the story is certainly different from the 3 other books I have read on the same topic. That being said, while the concept was riveting, I found very little to cling to in the story, as it was pretty short with minimal buildup on the chemistry between the two main characters. It also got me wondering about the jealous and hate angle between the two cousins brothers and what drives it. I would have enjoyed it more if the book had covered these aspects to create a wholesome picture of all the characters, exploring the complexities and stakes of power.
Thank you @netgalley @wfhowes for the digital ARC.
Genre: #historicalfiction
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
#QueenMacbeth
May 8, 2024
My love for the lies of Shakespeare notwithstanding, I really liked it. It’s poetic and beautiful.
December 26, 2024
Author Val McDermid revisits the story of Lady Macbeth, but hews closer to what is known about the actual Scottish king Macbeth and queen Gruoch. We learn of how she came to meet the warrior Macbeth, their marriage and their kingdom, and eventually why she and her three ladies and one of Macbeth's men are on the run from a murderous rival chieftain.
I've never read Shakespeare's play, which seems to be largely bloody entertainment versus a representation of actual events. McDermid's novella has a dual timeline, one set in the present and the pursuit of the four after the death of Macbeth, and the other set in Gruoch's past and relationship with her first husband, a cruel, self-centred man, then romance and marriage with her husband's cousin Macbeth, and their rule.
There's plenty of tension in both parts of the story, but there's also love, friendship, and political intrigue. I totally loved the relationship Gruoch had with her three ladies Aife (a healer), Eithne (a seer) and Ligach (a weaver). They support and rely heavily on each other, and it's this relationship that is central to the excellent story. McDermid immerses the reader in 11th century Scotland beautifully, with its power struggles and patriarchal society.
I thoroughly enjoyed this small dip into this time period, as well as a fresh look at Queen Gruoch/Lady Macbeth. She and Macbeth managed to unite a fractious Scotland, and though the politics are important in this story, it is the woman, whose love and determination changed a country, that captivated me.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my review.
I've never read Shakespeare's play, which seems to be largely bloody entertainment versus a representation of actual events. McDermid's novella has a dual timeline, one set in the present and the pursuit of the four after the death of Macbeth, and the other set in Gruoch's past and relationship with her first husband, a cruel, self-centred man, then romance and marriage with her husband's cousin Macbeth, and their rule.
There's plenty of tension in both parts of the story, but there's also love, friendship, and political intrigue. I totally loved the relationship Gruoch had with her three ladies Aife (a healer), Eithne (a seer) and Ligach (a weaver). They support and rely heavily on each other, and it's this relationship that is central to the excellent story. McDermid immerses the reader in 11th century Scotland beautifully, with its power struggles and patriarchal society.
I thoroughly enjoyed this small dip into this time period, as well as a fresh look at Queen Gruoch/Lady Macbeth. She and Macbeth managed to unite a fractious Scotland, and though the politics are important in this story, it is the woman, whose love and determination changed a country, that captivated me.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Grove Atlantic for this ARC in exchange for my review.
September 8, 2024
3.5 stars rounded off to 4.
It is currently trendy to narrate known stories through a woman's perspective. It can be a hit and miss especially when the woman's character is taken out of context and presented as a contemporary woman, rather than one of her time. As times change, so do choices and the perception of strength. Women in the past could also be strong, albeit with a different sensibility. And it can be beautiful to explore that determination too.
In this rendering, Val McDermid treads this line beautifully. She layers Queen Macbeth's character with grace, strength and dignity. She also lets the Queen be vulnerable and helpless as some situations would have left her. In many ways her thoughts were ahead of her time and this is explored well in this book. Nicely done! It is a short read that is engaging the whole way through. Briefly it touches upon the first idea of Scotland.
I am keen to explore more books in this series on forgotten queens.
It is currently trendy to narrate known stories through a woman's perspective. It can be a hit and miss especially when the woman's character is taken out of context and presented as a contemporary woman, rather than one of her time. As times change, so do choices and the perception of strength. Women in the past could also be strong, albeit with a different sensibility. And it can be beautiful to explore that determination too.
In this rendering, Val McDermid treads this line beautifully. She layers Queen Macbeth's character with grace, strength and dignity. She also lets the Queen be vulnerable and helpless as some situations would have left her. In many ways her thoughts were ahead of her time and this is explored well in this book. Nicely done! It is a short read that is engaging the whole way through. Briefly it touches upon the first idea of Scotland.
I am keen to explore more books in this series on forgotten queens.
July 9, 2024
I enjoyed this more than another book in the Darkland Tales which I previously reviewed because I didn't know the story that McDermid was going to tell and so it kept me interested. Queen Macbeth flips seamlessly between the threads of a story from the past and the one happening in the present. Perhaps the length doesn't give the reader much of an opportunity to connect with the characters which made a few emotional beats fall a bit flat for me but overall an enjoyable and quick read which I would recommend to fans of Lady Macbethad by Isabelle Schuler.
October 12, 2024
What a disappointment. Taking one of the strongest female characters in history and Shakespeare, a manipulative, ambitious murderess and turning her into a feeble, lovesick ingenue. This didn't work on any level.
May 5, 2024
Yes indeed
July 16, 2024
Well written but I got a little bored.
I liked the flashback scenes better than the present story, but overall I was wondering what the point in the narrative was.
I liked the flashback scenes better than the present story, but overall I was wondering what the point in the narrative was.
June 26, 2025
3.5
Queen Macbeth, part of the Darkland Tales series, is aimed at exploring the truth behind the story – the myth, as the author would have it – Shakespeare presents in the play Macbeth. Her particular focus is the woman we know as Lady Macbeth in the play but whose real name was Gruoch and herself possessed royal blood.
The book alternates between past and present timelines, all written from the point of view of Gruoch (Helpfully, one is in italics.) The past timeline starts when Gruoch meets her husband’s cousin Macbeth for the first time. She considers him a vast improvement on her husband whose only interest in her is to get an heir, something she has been unable to provide. Macbeth offers a much more enticing prospect.
The author replaces Shakespeare’s rendition of events with historical fact, adding parts of Macbeth and Gruoch’s life together that are not mentioned in the play. For example, that they undertook a pilgrimage to Rome. Macbeth comes across as a (relatively) more benevolent and sane ruler than he does in the play, even if it was very likely he gained the throne by murdering his cousin. But then most kings of Scotland at the time gained – and lost – their thrones that way. Real life figures such as Duncan, Macduff and Malcolm feature but with more historical accuracy. Other characters from the play appear but in different roles. For example, the equivalents of the three witches are Gruoch’s waiting women, one of whom is gifted with ‘second sight’.
Little is known about Gruoch’s life after Macbeth’s death so McDermid engages her writer’s imagination to continue the story. In the present day timeline it’s four years on from Macbeth’s death and Gruoch has been in hiding from King Malcolm, to whom she poses a threat as a rallying point for rebellion. Their hiding place having been discovered, Gruoch and her faithful companions are forced to flee across the country. Unfortunately they are captured and it looks like the end of Gruoch’s story. However, the book’s blurb warned to ‘expect the unexpected’ and the author definitely delivers it at this point. In Shakespeare’s play Lady Macbeth meets a bloody end, in this one it’s more sail off into the sunset.
As you’d expect from Val McDermid, Queen Macbeth is very well written and I liked the occasional inclusion of Scottish words (there’s a helpful Glossary) and the way she sometimes incorporated into the dialogue quotations from Macbeth. (Probably a lot more of them than I noticed.) The book provides a vivid picture of medieval Scottish life in a noble household including detailed descriptions of food.
Although it was fascinating to learn about the ‘real’ Lady Macbeth, it’s fair to say quite a lot of events in the book are drawn from the author’s imagination given Gruoch simply disappears from the historical record.
Queen Macbeth, part of the Darkland Tales series, is aimed at exploring the truth behind the story – the myth, as the author would have it – Shakespeare presents in the play Macbeth. Her particular focus is the woman we know as Lady Macbeth in the play but whose real name was Gruoch and herself possessed royal blood.
The book alternates between past and present timelines, all written from the point of view of Gruoch (Helpfully, one is in italics.) The past timeline starts when Gruoch meets her husband’s cousin Macbeth for the first time. She considers him a vast improvement on her husband whose only interest in her is to get an heir, something she has been unable to provide. Macbeth offers a much more enticing prospect.
The author replaces Shakespeare’s rendition of events with historical fact, adding parts of Macbeth and Gruoch’s life together that are not mentioned in the play. For example, that they undertook a pilgrimage to Rome. Macbeth comes across as a (relatively) more benevolent and sane ruler than he does in the play, even if it was very likely he gained the throne by murdering his cousin. But then most kings of Scotland at the time gained – and lost – their thrones that way. Real life figures such as Duncan, Macduff and Malcolm feature but with more historical accuracy. Other characters from the play appear but in different roles. For example, the equivalents of the three witches are Gruoch’s waiting women, one of whom is gifted with ‘second sight’.
Little is known about Gruoch’s life after Macbeth’s death so McDermid engages her writer’s imagination to continue the story. In the present day timeline it’s four years on from Macbeth’s death and Gruoch has been in hiding from King Malcolm, to whom she poses a threat as a rallying point for rebellion. Their hiding place having been discovered, Gruoch and her faithful companions are forced to flee across the country. Unfortunately they are captured and it looks like the end of Gruoch’s story. However, the book’s blurb warned to ‘expect the unexpected’ and the author definitely delivers it at this point. In Shakespeare’s play Lady Macbeth meets a bloody end, in this one it’s more sail off into the sunset.
As you’d expect from Val McDermid, Queen Macbeth is very well written and I liked the occasional inclusion of Scottish words (there’s a helpful Glossary) and the way she sometimes incorporated into the dialogue quotations from Macbeth. (Probably a lot more of them than I noticed.) The book provides a vivid picture of medieval Scottish life in a noble household including detailed descriptions of food.
Although it was fascinating to learn about the ‘real’ Lady Macbeth, it’s fair to say quite a lot of events in the book are drawn from the author’s imagination given Gruoch simply disappears from the historical record.
October 8, 2024
Don't go into this book thinking it has anything to do with Shakespeare's play.
From the author's note at the beginning McDermid seems to think she can do better than the bard...she is wrong.
Granted this is historical fiction inspired by the "real Macbeths" rather than a retelling of the play, but I still think Shakespeare did it better.
The plot is slow to start, then rushes to explain the hidden "twist" at the end. Honestly, it would have been better as a linear story rather than the back and forth recap concept it used.
"Queen" Macbeth, though full of problems gender-biased issues in the play, still reads as a stronger deeper character there than she does here.
From the author's note at the beginning McDermid seems to think she can do better than the bard...she is wrong.
Granted this is historical fiction inspired by the "real Macbeths" rather than a retelling of the play, but I still think Shakespeare did it better.
The plot is slow to start, then rushes to explain the hidden "twist" at the end. Honestly, it would have been better as a linear story rather than the back and forth recap concept it used.
"Queen" Macbeth, though full of problems gender-biased issues in the play, still reads as a stronger deeper character there than she does here.
September 7, 2024
Interesting take on the story of Queen Macbeth. I found it a bit confusing moving between the timelines - didn't realise at first it did have different timelines! The narrator was excellent though.
June 4, 2025
This was the wooooooooorst!
October 14, 2025
[through gritted teeth] no one understands lady macbeth like i do…
February 25, 2025
A delightfully gripping short read.
May 23, 2025
An enjoyable and well-written story that flowed along while I worked.
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