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Hagtale: A Macbeth Origin Story
A hagtale, a dark fable, a fireside story, known to Shakespeare, but unwritten. Until now.
In eleventh-century Scotland, feral wolf-child Wulva is brought up by witches and then sent to live at a Scottish castle, where she falls under the spell of cruel, ambitious Lord Macbeth.
Three hundred years later, gentle Brother Rowan goes on a strange and perilous journey to a remote and ancient monastery to write a history of the Scottish king-line.
Misfits in their own time, seekers after truth, Wulva and Rowan are deeply connected despite the centuries that separate them.
Hagtale explores the power of stories lost and found, their transformative potential, and who gets to be the owner of the tale.
In eleventh-century Scotland, feral wolf-child Wulva is brought up by witches and then sent to live at a Scottish castle, where she falls under the spell of cruel, ambitious Lord Macbeth.
Three hundred years later, gentle Brother Rowan goes on a strange and perilous journey to a remote and ancient monastery to write a history of the Scottish king-line.
Misfits in their own time, seekers after truth, Wulva and Rowan are deeply connected despite the centuries that separate them.
Hagtale explores the power of stories lost and found, their transformative potential, and who gets to be the owner of the tale.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 21, 2025
"Hagtale" is a reimagining of Macbeth which didn't quite work for me. While I liked the premise, the story failed to really convince me. The characters didn't have a lot of depth, possibly because the story was split between two timelines.
December 6, 2025
I enjoyed this but it isn't going to be for everyone.
This is very much akin to Cosmic horror, of which I am a fan. A lot of the elements are here, the unknown, the body horror, strange unknowable beings, beasts, the madness that seeps through your pours... but the book doesn't claim to be that. It says its a dark fable yes, but what is inside has more in common with the aforementioned genre.
I started out way more invested in Brother Rowan's story than Wulva's. I guessed pretty early on who she was going to turn out to be, and at first I really liked her connection to the McDuffs. I wish more had been done with that, there could have been some real tragedy there.
I did enjoy Rowan's tale the most although I accept I am in the minority there as it makes sense for people reading a Macbeth tale to be more interested in that side. I am a little unsure as the point of it though, why there needed to be these two timelines. The pacing is so weird though. You don't even meet Macbeth till about half way through the story, which wouldn't be a problem expect its marketed as his origin story.
I think the blurb is very misleading, the two main timelines are not deeply connected, and this is only vaguely about the power of stories and who tells them. Honestly, if this had been marketed as more gothic/cosmic horror instead of just 'historical fiction' it will probably be rated higher because you're going to get the right readers.
Know what you're getting into and I think you'll have fun.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
This is very much akin to Cosmic horror, of which I am a fan. A lot of the elements are here, the unknown, the body horror, strange unknowable beings, beasts, the madness that seeps through your pours... but the book doesn't claim to be that. It says its a dark fable yes, but what is inside has more in common with the aforementioned genre.
I started out way more invested in Brother Rowan's story than Wulva's. I guessed pretty early on who she was going to turn out to be, and at first I really liked her connection to the McDuffs. I wish more had been done with that, there could have been some real tragedy there.
I did enjoy Rowan's tale the most although I accept I am in the minority there as it makes sense for people reading a Macbeth tale to be more interested in that side. I am a little unsure as the point of it though, why there needed to be these two timelines. The pacing is so weird though. You don't even meet Macbeth till about half way through the story, which wouldn't be a problem expect its marketed as his origin story.
I think the blurb is very misleading, the two main timelines are not deeply connected, and this is only vaguely about the power of stories and who tells them. Honestly, if this had been marketed as more gothic/cosmic horror instead of just 'historical fiction' it will probably be rated higher because you're going to get the right readers.
Know what you're getting into and I think you'll have fun.
~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~
November 20, 2025
One of my best books of the year!
Hagtale is an origin story of Macbeth and some of the characters associated with him. In the dual timeline we follow Wulfa, a child raised and manipulated by 3 witches and later integrated into a noble family. 300 years in the future Rowan, a scribe and scholar, is sent on a pilgrimage to find and copy an ancient text.
Normally I don’t like a split timeline, but this was written so well that it came together in a way that made sense and added to the story. The beautiful writing created a stunning and atmospheric Scottish landscape. The story the Hag tells weaves in Wulfa’s story beautifully and you often forget that her side is told as a narrative story.
Slight spoiler here, but I had never heard Lady Macbeth’s first name. In the original story she is only given the name we all know so well. But here we see Wulfa grow into Lady Macbeth. I really enjoyed seeing a perspective from her before Macbeth enters the picture.
For fans of Macbeth, then this would be a good book to pick up. For those unfamiliar with the story, then I would still recommend reading this due to the well constructed world, beautiful writing, and memorable characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for the Advanced Listener’s Copy (ALC) of this book. All opinions are my own.
Hagtale is an origin story of Macbeth and some of the characters associated with him. In the dual timeline we follow Wulfa, a child raised and manipulated by 3 witches and later integrated into a noble family. 300 years in the future Rowan, a scribe and scholar, is sent on a pilgrimage to find and copy an ancient text.
Normally I don’t like a split timeline, but this was written so well that it came together in a way that made sense and added to the story. The beautiful writing created a stunning and atmospheric Scottish landscape. The story the Hag tells weaves in Wulfa’s story beautifully and you often forget that her side is told as a narrative story.
Slight spoiler here, but I had never heard Lady Macbeth’s first name. In the original story she is only given the name we all know so well. But here we see Wulfa grow into Lady Macbeth. I really enjoyed seeing a perspective from her before Macbeth enters the picture.
For fans of Macbeth, then this would be a good book to pick up. For those unfamiliar with the story, then I would still recommend reading this due to the well constructed world, beautiful writing, and memorable characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for the Advanced Listener’s Copy (ALC) of this book. All opinions are my own.
November 3, 2025
Hagtale is the origin story of the witches of Macbeth, where the three witches find a feral wolf child in the woods, name her Wulva and domesticate her with the intentions of sending her to the MacDuff castle where she will eventually meet the cruel and ambitious Lord Macbeth in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
Three hundred years later, the monk Brother Rowan is sent to a remote ancient monastery to retrieve any information that has survived the hostile conditions there, on the lineage of the King of Scotland.
I'm not entirely sure how I felt about this book. On one hand, I loved Wulvas story and how she goes from being a feral child raised by wolves, to a lady worthy of living with a Lord, under the teaching of the three witches. Seeing her grow, from what is essentially a wolf cub and having to learn human behaviours was a fascinating story, and then to find herself married to the future King of Scotland. However the Brother Rowan story felt a bit random, it didn't really seem to add anything to the storyline with the witches and actually left me with too many questions. I mean, what on earth actually happened to Brother Kenneth?? Their whole saga was a bit disjointed and a little bit pointless to me.
I did really like the authors writing and would be interested to read more of her work.
Three hundred years later, the monk Brother Rowan is sent to a remote ancient monastery to retrieve any information that has survived the hostile conditions there, on the lineage of the King of Scotland.
I'm not entirely sure how I felt about this book. On one hand, I loved Wulvas story and how she goes from being a feral child raised by wolves, to a lady worthy of living with a Lord, under the teaching of the three witches. Seeing her grow, from what is essentially a wolf cub and having to learn human behaviours was a fascinating story, and then to find herself married to the future King of Scotland. However the Brother Rowan story felt a bit random, it didn't really seem to add anything to the storyline with the witches and actually left me with too many questions. I mean, what on earth actually happened to Brother Kenneth?? Their whole saga was a bit disjointed and a little bit pointless to me.
I did really like the authors writing and would be interested to read more of her work.
November 1, 2025
This review is for the audio version of the book, narrated by Coral Sinclair and James Rottger.
These are the stories, set in the 11th century, of a young girl named Wulva, reared by wolves, later raised by witches to perform a certain task later in her life, and the scribe Rowan, on a pilgrimage to a remote monastery to copy an ancient book, and how the 2 stories intertwine.
This was a quiet, slow, burn, but definitely the kind of story that draws you in one bit at a time. Bouncing back and forth between the 2 characters, you're fed their stories piece by piece until you get a fairly decent picture of the lives of these people and the world in which they exist.
Not my normal kind of story, but one that was fascinating and, with these 2 narrators, enveloping like sitting around the fire and listening to the stories of times long since gone.
I enjoyed this and think it was definitely worth the time to read.
These are the stories, set in the 11th century, of a young girl named Wulva, reared by wolves, later raised by witches to perform a certain task later in her life, and the scribe Rowan, on a pilgrimage to a remote monastery to copy an ancient book, and how the 2 stories intertwine.
This was a quiet, slow, burn, but definitely the kind of story that draws you in one bit at a time. Bouncing back and forth between the 2 characters, you're fed their stories piece by piece until you get a fairly decent picture of the lives of these people and the world in which they exist.
Not my normal kind of story, but one that was fascinating and, with these 2 narrators, enveloping like sitting around the fire and listening to the stories of times long since gone.
I enjoyed this and think it was definitely worth the time to read.
January 6, 2026
I think some might find confusion in this book as it's listed as a historical fiction, when it isn't, and Macbeth the character is featured in a limited capacity. That said, I really did enjoy this book. I love any kind of re-telling of a myth or story, and Macbeth is my favourite of Shakespeare's plays.
I thought the dual narrator was done really well and seeing how the two converge into each other at the end was really nicely well done. It was interesting seeing how their stories mirrored each other, both being tasked with undertaking a pilgrimage (of sorts) at the behest of a higher power to gather knowledge and power. Their dual transformation from meek and at the command of others to characters in charge of their own fate, despite the restrictions to which they lived under was so interesting.
I had seen this in Foyles and was SO interested to read it and I'm so glad I did.
I thought the dual narrator was done really well and seeing how the two converge into each other at the end was really nicely well done. It was interesting seeing how their stories mirrored each other, both being tasked with undertaking a pilgrimage (of sorts) at the behest of a higher power to gather knowledge and power. Their dual transformation from meek and at the command of others to characters in charge of their own fate, despite the restrictions to which they lived under was so interesting.
I had seen this in Foyles and was SO interested to read it and I'm so glad I did.
December 2, 2025
Hagtale is a Macbeth retelling with two storylines. Wulva a wild child raised by witches and who grows into Lady Macbeth and Rowan, a monk centuries later searching for old texts.
Wulva’s journey was the part I loved, watching her go from feral child to a noblewoman was fascinating, and the writing really brought the Scottish setting to life. Rowan’s chapters didn’t grab me as much and they felt a bit disconnected, but they didn’t take away from the overall atmosphere.
The audiobook narrators, Coral Sinclair and James Rottger, were excellent. They made the story feel like listening to old legends by the fire, which suited the book perfectly.
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the ARC of this book :)
Wulva’s journey was the part I loved, watching her go from feral child to a noblewoman was fascinating, and the writing really brought the Scottish setting to life. Rowan’s chapters didn’t grab me as much and they felt a bit disconnected, but they didn’t take away from the overall atmosphere.
The audiobook narrators, Coral Sinclair and James Rottger, were excellent. They made the story feel like listening to old legends by the fire, which suited the book perfectly.
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the ARC of this book :)
November 16, 2025
Huge thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the ALC.
When I see "Macbeth origin story" or "Macbeth retelling", THIS is the kind of story I'm hoping to experience. Hagtale is a strange, dreamlike, macabre, perfect little read. It matches the vibe of Macbeth beautifully while still being a unique tale all of its own. It's wyrd (with a y).
The audiobook was a joy to listen to. The book has two perspectives (Wulva, a girl raised by wolves and witches) and Rowan (an ailing monk tasked with recording the history of English kings). Both POVs are gorgeously narrated by Coral Sinclair and James Rottger, respectively. The slow building of tension and interweaving of the perspectives was fabulously executed by the author and narrators alike.
If you like Shakespeare (or, dare I say, were disappointed with other recent Macbeth retellings 🙊), I highly recommend this one. It's not long but it packs a punch and I will be thinking about it for a long time.
Pub date: 6 November 2025
When I see "Macbeth origin story" or "Macbeth retelling", THIS is the kind of story I'm hoping to experience. Hagtale is a strange, dreamlike, macabre, perfect little read. It matches the vibe of Macbeth beautifully while still being a unique tale all of its own. It's wyrd (with a y).
The audiobook was a joy to listen to. The book has two perspectives (Wulva, a girl raised by wolves and witches) and Rowan (an ailing monk tasked with recording the history of English kings). Both POVs are gorgeously narrated by Coral Sinclair and James Rottger, respectively. The slow building of tension and interweaving of the perspectives was fabulously executed by the author and narrators alike.
If you like Shakespeare (or, dare I say, were disappointed with other recent Macbeth retellings 🙊), I highly recommend this one. It's not long but it packs a punch and I will be thinking about it for a long time.
Pub date: 6 November 2025
December 18, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
Really enjoyable audiobook listen! Both the narrators did a great job of bringing Wulva and Brother Rowan to life. I also enjoyed the dual timelines which seems to be a bit of a split opinion. I would say this is definitely worth a listen, it was short but entertaining.
Thank you NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for this ARC in exchange for a review!
Really enjoyable audiobook listen! Both the narrators did a great job of bringing Wulva and Brother Rowan to life. I also enjoyed the dual timelines which seems to be a bit of a split opinion. I would say this is definitely worth a listen, it was short but entertaining.
Thank you NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for this ARC in exchange for a review!
November 21, 2025
Read this because of it's connection to the masterpiece that is Macbeth. This certainly isn't of that calibre. Wulva's story is interesting and enjoyable. Brother Rowan's much less so and felt superfluous.
November 21, 2025
I get it, and some of the writing is wonderful. But I only really cared about Wulva and that half of the story
December 2, 2025
This was a book of two halves, alternating - we had the story of a monk historian who has recently survived the black plague that wiped out most of his brothers, who is sent from Midlothian further north to gather histories of the kings of different regions of Scotland, and then we have the story of a shapeshifter who is trained by a coven of witches to inveigle her way into the lives of a noble Scottish family, with the end goal of her part in MacBeth's lust for power.
I really enjoyed Lady MacBeth's alternative back story, in the same way that I enjoyed the book of Wicked, telling a unique story in a well established setting and giving interesting takes on existing tales and events.
The monk's story was fine, but a little dragged out. While there was eventually a link between these two, it felt like these chapters were a needless distraction and didn't serve much purpose.
The narration of this audiobook was excellent.
I received a free advance copy of the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed Lady MacBeth's alternative back story, in the same way that I enjoyed the book of Wicked, telling a unique story in a well established setting and giving interesting takes on existing tales and events.
The monk's story was fine, but a little dragged out. While there was eventually a link between these two, it felt like these chapters were a needless distraction and didn't serve much purpose.
The narration of this audiobook was excellent.
I received a free advance copy of the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews