What do you think?
Rate this book
Vile Lady Villains
PRE-ORDER THE WORLD-BURNING HORROMANTASY, BRINGING TOGETHER LITERATURE'S MOST FAMOUS LADY VILLAINS, LADY MACBETH AND KLYTEMNESTRA . . .
For fans of A Dowry of Blood, Clytemnestra, and Piranesi, Vile Lady Villains is an unforgettable ride into the realm of stories
--
With the consequences of her murderous actions closing in, Lady Macbeth turns to the three witches for help. She’s given a brew that transports her to an unknown realm. Desperately lost, she opens a door and comes face to face with a beautiful woman drenched in blood.
Klytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae, is exacting bloody vengeance on her husband. Yet as she revels in her triumph, an otherworldly door appears and a strange woman steps in. Thinking this stranger a spirit, she chases Lady Macbeth into the realm of stories.
Hunted by screaming wraiths into worlds that are hell bent on their demise, this murderous pair are forced to form an alliance or perish. Yet the realm’s goddess, The Mistress of the House of Books, claims to hold the key to saving them. But can they trust this ancient goddess?
As every threat brings our vile lady villains closer, turning ill intentions into fiery attraction that no author dare write, they have a remain within the confines of their original tales … Or burn down the world to pen a new story together . . .
For fans of A Dowry of Blood, Clytemnestra, and Piranesi, Vile Lady Villains is an unforgettable ride into the realm of stories
--
With the consequences of her murderous actions closing in, Lady Macbeth turns to the three witches for help. She’s given a brew that transports her to an unknown realm. Desperately lost, she opens a door and comes face to face with a beautiful woman drenched in blood.
Klytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae, is exacting bloody vengeance on her husband. Yet as she revels in her triumph, an otherworldly door appears and a strange woman steps in. Thinking this stranger a spirit, she chases Lady Macbeth into the realm of stories.
Hunted by screaming wraiths into worlds that are hell bent on their demise, this murderous pair are forced to form an alliance or perish. Yet the realm’s goddess, The Mistress of the House of Books, claims to hold the key to saving them. But can they trust this ancient goddess?
As every threat brings our vile lady villains closer, turning ill intentions into fiery attraction that no author dare write, they have a remain within the confines of their original tales … Or burn down the world to pen a new story together . . .
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2026
About the author
Danai Christopoulou
6 books92 followersDanai Christopoulou is a Greek author raised on a diet of myths and tragedies. Danai’s writing has appeared in Glamour, Marie Claire, khōréō, Fusion Fragment, Flame Tree Press, Writer's Digest and more, nominated for a Pushcart Prize and for a Best of Small Fictions, longlisted for a BSFA Award and featured on the Nebula and Stoker recommended reading lists. Vile Lady Villains, Danai’s debut novel, is out now in the UK with Penguin Michael Joseph, in the US with Union Square & Co on May 12, and in Greece with Anubis Books in June. Growing up amid the ancient ruins of Athens, Greece, Danai currently haunts a forest in Sweden. You can find them on social media at @danaiwrites.
To get the latest VILE LADY VILLAINS news first: https://danai-writes.beehiiv.com/subs...
To get the latest VILE LADY VILLAINS news first: https://danai-writes.beehiiv.com/subs...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
Want to Read
November 22, 2025Title: intriguing.
Characters: murderous.
Cover: definitely not straight.
Verdict: I will be reading.
Characters: murderous.
Cover: definitely not straight.
Verdict: I will be reading.
May 10, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
____________
An utterly gorgeous cover with similarly gorgeous contents. English isn't the author's first language, but the prose is so incredibly well written and lyrical, flowy, and strong. Along with the two POV characters it was my favourite part of this book. Our girls were jumping off the page with their strong characterisation and unrepentant sapphism, and I loved them so much. I'm sure bigger fans of both Shakespeare and Greek history and myth would catch some more easter eggs throughout the story, but the ones I did notice just enhanced the book even further. There are a lot of twists and turns going on, some that work better than others, some that are more comprehensible than others, but overall it was a fairly strong plot, with some even better characters and writing.
(As a side note: this is what Once Upon a Time's season four Author arc wishes it was.)
PUBLICATION DATE: MAY 12 2026
____________
An utterly gorgeous cover with similarly gorgeous contents. English isn't the author's first language, but the prose is so incredibly well written and lyrical, flowy, and strong. Along with the two POV characters it was my favourite part of this book. Our girls were jumping off the page with their strong characterisation and unrepentant sapphism, and I loved them so much. I'm sure bigger fans of both Shakespeare and Greek history and myth would catch some more easter eggs throughout the story, but the ones I did notice just enhanced the book even further. There are a lot of twists and turns going on, some that work better than others, some that are more comprehensible than others, but overall it was a fairly strong plot, with some even better characters and writing.
(As a side note: this is what Once Upon a Time's season four Author arc wishes it was.)
PUBLICATION DATE: MAY 12 2026
March 2, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (4.5 stars, rounded up here)
First of all, this was just SOOO impressive to read. I’m kind of speechless even now hours after finishing it and having thought about what I want to put into this review. Having been a huge fan of Lady Macbeth from the moment I first stumpled upon Shakespears ‘Macbeth’ I knew this book would be SO my type, and let me spoil you, it was (also I have to admit, I’m also someone who feels drawn to good book covers and THIS cover is phenomenal)
Starting off, both of our main characters, Klytemnestra (aka Claret) and Lady Macbeth (Anassa) were really well written, even someone who was only vaguely familiar with Klytemnestra’s story could easily follow the storyline and enjoy how the characters found each other in this magical and Shakespearean world of theirs. Besides, I kind of had a crush on both of them while reading because who doesn’t love two ladies who like stabbing other people and have wild tension with each other (especially at the beginning). I also adored the side chracters, meeting Ophelia, Helen made me so happy and honestly, I even grew fond of William (minus all the times I wanted to stab him) over the course of this book.
The writing is great and at times even lyrical in my opinion, the pace itself is also really nice though some passages did feel somewhat stretched which is why I didn’t give a full 5 stars. Moreover, I loved the general storyline and I do have to admit that I thought about picking up Shakespeare’s plays right after finishing this book just to be able to stay at least with one of our two main characters for a while longer (and then re-read this one hehe).
But honestly, this book is overall really really well written, it has a great story and wonderfully drawn out characters. It is emotional at parts, really lyrical at others and just a great fit for everyone who likes Lady Villains with a sapphic touch!
Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square & Co for providing me with a free digitial copy of this book in exchange for a honest and voluntarily given review.
First of all, this was just SOOO impressive to read. I’m kind of speechless even now hours after finishing it and having thought about what I want to put into this review. Having been a huge fan of Lady Macbeth from the moment I first stumpled upon Shakespears ‘Macbeth’ I knew this book would be SO my type, and let me spoil you, it was (also I have to admit, I’m also someone who feels drawn to good book covers and THIS cover is phenomenal)
Starting off, both of our main characters, Klytemnestra (aka Claret) and Lady Macbeth (Anassa) were really well written, even someone who was only vaguely familiar with Klytemnestra’s story could easily follow the storyline and enjoy how the characters found each other in this magical and Shakespearean world of theirs. Besides, I kind of had a crush on both of them while reading because who doesn’t love two ladies who like stabbing other people and have wild tension with each other (especially at the beginning). I also adored the side chracters, meeting Ophelia, Helen made me so happy and honestly, I even grew fond of William (minus all the times I wanted to stab him) over the course of this book.
The writing is great and at times even lyrical in my opinion, the pace itself is also really nice though some passages did feel somewhat stretched which is why I didn’t give a full 5 stars. Moreover, I loved the general storyline and I do have to admit that I thought about picking up Shakespeare’s plays right after finishing this book just to be able to stay at least with one of our two main characters for a while longer (and then re-read this one hehe).
But honestly, this book is overall really really well written, it has a great story and wonderfully drawn out characters. It is emotional at parts, really lyrical at others and just a great fit for everyone who likes Lady Villains with a sapphic touch!
Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square & Co for providing me with a free digitial copy of this book in exchange for a honest and voluntarily given review.
October 16, 2025
I read this as an ARC and thought I knew what I was headed into - except I sorta didn't and I ended up loving it even more!
So, lemme pick that apart, I suppose...
If you like retellings, this is for you.
If you like portals and doors and mirrors, this is for you.
If you like braided narratives, this is for you.
If you like breaking the 4th wall, this is for you.
If you like structural shenanigans, this is for you.
If you like liminal spaces, this is for you.
If you like solidly crafted characters who do vile things in loveable ways, this is for you.
If you like being kept on your toes by characters and feeling unsure whom to trust, this is for you.
If you like the classics, but also feel that they didn't quite hit the spot for you, or that they could hit different spots that you never knew existed... then this is for you.
And if you like sapphic feminine rage, then this is also for you.
In short: this is for you.
So, lemme pick that apart, I suppose...
If you like retellings, this is for you.
If you like portals and doors and mirrors, this is for you.
If you like braided narratives, this is for you.
If you like breaking the 4th wall, this is for you.
If you like structural shenanigans, this is for you.
If you like liminal spaces, this is for you.
If you like solidly crafted characters who do vile things in loveable ways, this is for you.
If you like being kept on your toes by characters and feeling unsure whom to trust, this is for you.
If you like the classics, but also feel that they didn't quite hit the spot for you, or that they could hit different spots that you never knew existed... then this is for you.
And if you like sapphic feminine rage, then this is also for you.
In short: this is for you.
May 10, 2026
4★ ⋮ two villain arcs, two misunderstood queens, two paths intertwined… vile lady villains follows lady macbeth and klytemnestra, who give each other the nicknames anassa and claret. after a chaotic encounter they find themselves lost inside a sort of a liminal realm and must stick together to fulfill some mysterious quest and, in doing so, discover their way out.
⟢ my thoughts:
my biggest problem is that i couldn’t see the point! they’re going around, escaping danger after danger, with no clear destination. it’s a multiverse of madness, quite literally. initially, it was hard to immerse myself in their journey, both physical and emotional, with so much happening at once. i wished they would just stop and have a full conversation without being interrupted.
(some other things didn’t sit right with me, such as their firsts happening while one of them isn’t completely sober)
despite the bumpy start, this book is phenomenal! imagination is the last thing it lacks. the author takes you to surreal places and timelines, something new and magical with every chapter, it’s so easy to lose yourself in these pages.
the writing!! the writing!! so beautifully poetic, and not in an exaggerated way. it fits the narrative perfectly.
i felt the transition from enemies to lovers was a little rushed but, from the start, their connection is described as something inevitable. in fact, it matches their dynamic. yes, i wanted more, but how could i not when danai has given us such strong and inspiring characters? anassa starts as the “fragile soft one” but her growth is lovely to read. claret, my beloved, i’m obsessed with her murderous tendencies and her fierce desire to protect those worthy of her care.
my love, my shiny angel, my blackbird, my demon, my raven… the way they describe one another is so dear to me!!
the side characters conquered a special place in my heart too. i wouldn’t complain if a book about helene and ophelia was in the works, tbh i’d read it in a heartbeat.
⟢ favorite quote:
“there were many men back in my court, who also made a point of mocking me for what they thought were womanly reactions. they all sang a different tune before the night was over.”
p.s. this cover is magnificent.✨
⟢ my thoughts:
my biggest problem is that i couldn’t see the point! they’re going around, escaping danger after danger, with no clear destination. it’s a multiverse of madness, quite literally. initially, it was hard to immerse myself in their journey, both physical and emotional, with so much happening at once. i wished they would just stop and have a full conversation without being interrupted.
(some other things didn’t sit right with me, such as their firsts happening while one of them isn’t completely sober)
despite the bumpy start, this book is phenomenal! imagination is the last thing it lacks. the author takes you to surreal places and timelines, something new and magical with every chapter, it’s so easy to lose yourself in these pages.
the writing!! the writing!! so beautifully poetic, and not in an exaggerated way. it fits the narrative perfectly.
i felt the transition from enemies to lovers was a little rushed but, from the start, their connection is described as something inevitable. in fact, it matches their dynamic. yes, i wanted more, but how could i not when danai has given us such strong and inspiring characters? anassa starts as the “fragile soft one” but her growth is lovely to read. claret, my beloved, i’m obsessed with her murderous tendencies and her fierce desire to protect those worthy of her care.
my love, my shiny angel, my blackbird, my demon, my raven… the way they describe one another is so dear to me!!
the side characters conquered a special place in my heart too. i wouldn’t complain if a book about helene and ophelia was in the works, tbh i’d read it in a heartbeat.
⟢ favorite quote:
“there were many men back in my court, who also made a point of mocking me for what they thought were womanly reactions. they all sang a different tune before the night was over.”
p.s. this cover is magnificent.✨
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
| rating: 2.5 stars
Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth, two of the most powerful women in literature, meet in this ambitious, unique, and deliciously sapphic crossover where stories are safeguarded in a realm by a so-called Mistress of the House of Books. The two villains must work together to escape the House of Books and return to their respective stories, falling in love along the way.
I loved how meta this book is. The entire premise revolves around the idea that characters are alive outside of their respective stories and that they can be recorded and revisited and retold. In a lot of ways, this is a love letter to retellings.
However, I really had a hard time getting through it and connecting with the story.
I thought both main characters were fairly uninteresting and bland. Though I’m only vaguely familiar with Klytemnestra, I loved Lady Macbeth when I read Macbeth last year. I loved her ambition and her ruthlessness, but also how her guilt drove her to her end. She’s a very complex but powerful character and I was excited to see how she would clash and connect with an equally powerful figure like Klyemnestra. Unfortunately, they had the same narrative voice for half of the book, though I did like Claret more than I liked Anassa. I also wasn’t very satisfied with their developments—both as individual characters and as lovers. I thought that it was a very fast insta-love situation, which I typically don’t like.
It also just felt all over the place. I think this was a very ambitious storyline and plot and we got a little lost along the way. At some point, I realized that we were 63% into the book, but nothing of note was happening.
Vile Lady Villains was one of my highly anticipated books of the year. It had an interesting premise and what was supposed to be a very interesting cast of characters, but it just fell short for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the advanced reader copy!
Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth, two of the most powerful women in literature, meet in this ambitious, unique, and deliciously sapphic crossover where stories are safeguarded in a realm by a so-called Mistress of the House of Books. The two villains must work together to escape the House of Books and return to their respective stories, falling in love along the way.
I loved how meta this book is. The entire premise revolves around the idea that characters are alive outside of their respective stories and that they can be recorded and revisited and retold. In a lot of ways, this is a love letter to retellings.
However, I really had a hard time getting through it and connecting with the story.
I thought both main characters were fairly uninteresting and bland. Though I’m only vaguely familiar with Klytemnestra, I loved Lady Macbeth when I read Macbeth last year. I loved her ambition and her ruthlessness, but also how her guilt drove her to her end. She’s a very complex but powerful character and I was excited to see how she would clash and connect with an equally powerful figure like Klyemnestra. Unfortunately, they had the same narrative voice for half of the book, though I did like Claret more than I liked Anassa. I also wasn’t very satisfied with their developments—both as individual characters and as lovers. I thought that it was a very fast insta-love situation, which I typically don’t like.
It also just felt all over the place. I think this was a very ambitious storyline and plot and we got a little lost along the way. At some point, I realized that we were 63% into the book, but nothing of note was happening.
Vile Lady Villains was one of my highly anticipated books of the year. It had an interesting premise and what was supposed to be a very interesting cast of characters, but it just fell short for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the advanced reader copy!
December 31, 2025
This book has a great premise but really struggles with its execution. I’m always a sucker for sapphic retellings, though this is not a retelling exactly, it does use previously established stories and characters. Which is one of its main issues.
The two main characters are Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth; I’ve only read the latter’s source material and felt there was little to no continuity in her characterisation there and her characterisation here.
The issue of continuity is further exacerbated by the language used. It is not overtly or explicitly modern, there is no obvious anachronistic vocabulary in any of the characters speech. But it does still feel anachronistic. Characters that are supposed to be from an earlier era are generally expected to talk in a certain way in media, even if that is perhaps not historically accurate and if the characters do not use language in such a way, they will never feel as though they are from another era. While there an argument can be made that Klytemnestra’s speech needn’t be ‘archaicised’, the same cannot be said for Lady Macbeth. Her character in this book is supposedly the very same one found in the Shakespeare play, yet they speak in vastly different ways. She doesn’t need to communicate exclusively in iambic pentameter, but you cannot just have her speak completely normally and still expect readers to believe that these two characters are one and the same.
There was an opportunity here to use a character’s language as a storytelling device; have Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra speak in an archaic, more stilted way initially, and slowly alter their speech to be less formal and more lively as they grow to know each other, which would have helped their relationship feel more organic, more real.
The relationship between Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth is the main throughline of this story and yet it is massively underdeveloped. I expected them to fall in love because I read the blurb, and still, when they share a kiss for the first time it came as a surprise, since I had not realised either character had feelings for the other intense enough to warrant such an act of affection. Their relationship never managed to feel real, the text includes moments that are meant to indicate a kindling romance, but there was never any spark that would lead me to believe that there actually was any emotion behind it.
I really wish I could’ve liked this book. When I first read the blurb I was very intrigued and added the book to my TBR immediately. It made me expect a darkly humorous tale of two vile lady villains, filled with mischief and mayhem. Unfortunately, it ended up being not especially humorous, and rather tame.
———
Thank you to Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for the ARC
The two main characters are Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth; I’ve only read the latter’s source material and felt there was little to no continuity in her characterisation there and her characterisation here.
The issue of continuity is further exacerbated by the language used. It is not overtly or explicitly modern, there is no obvious anachronistic vocabulary in any of the characters speech. But it does still feel anachronistic. Characters that are supposed to be from an earlier era are generally expected to talk in a certain way in media, even if that is perhaps not historically accurate and if the characters do not use language in such a way, they will never feel as though they are from another era. While there an argument can be made that Klytemnestra’s speech needn’t be ‘archaicised’, the same cannot be said for Lady Macbeth. Her character in this book is supposedly the very same one found in the Shakespeare play, yet they speak in vastly different ways. She doesn’t need to communicate exclusively in iambic pentameter, but you cannot just have her speak completely normally and still expect readers to believe that these two characters are one and the same.
There was an opportunity here to use a character’s language as a storytelling device; have Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra speak in an archaic, more stilted way initially, and slowly alter their speech to be less formal and more lively as they grow to know each other, which would have helped their relationship feel more organic, more real.
The relationship between Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth is the main throughline of this story and yet it is massively underdeveloped. I expected them to fall in love because I read the blurb, and still, when they share a kiss for the first time it came as a surprise, since I had not realised either character had feelings for the other intense enough to warrant such an act of affection. Their relationship never managed to feel real, the text includes moments that are meant to indicate a kindling romance, but there was never any spark that would lead me to believe that there actually was any emotion behind it.
I really wish I could’ve liked this book. When I first read the blurb I was very intrigued and added the book to my TBR immediately. It made me expect a darkly humorous tale of two vile lady villains, filled with mischief and mayhem. Unfortunately, it ended up being not especially humorous, and rather tame.
———
Thank you to Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for the ARC
May 10, 2026
I felt so “meh” about this book. Granted, it sounds awesome, but the execution fell somewhat short. There were too many moments that took me out of the story- from references/Easter eggs, to language and prose that don’t make sense for these characters to be using, etc. As another reviewer noted, it felt more like reading fanfiction for these two women than being immersed in an actual story.
Thank you anyways to the author, NetGalley, and Union Square & Co for a copy!
Thank you anyways to the author, NetGalley, and Union Square & Co for a copy!
February 5, 2026
I want to start off by thanking Netgalley and Union Square & Co for sending me an arc.
As soon as I saw the cover reveal via the author's Tiktok page, I knew I had to read it. It is absolutely STUNNING!!
The premise of this book is wonderful, very original and unique. It is not like something I personally have ever read before so it was a lot of fun to dip my toes into.
I have to admit that I'm not that familiar with Lady Macbeth or Klytemnestra's stories but thanks to Christopoulou's writing, I found myself understanding them quickly enough. I did google some things at points but not because it didn't make sense, but because I just love to know everything in detail. However, I do think I would have enjoyed this book even more if I knew more of the original material before going into it.
The writing is gorgeous, very atmospheric and whimsical which I really enjoyed. Christopoulou does a wonderful job at describing everything in a way that's compelling and interesting. I was for sure hooked from the very first sentence!
The pacing is okay throughout the book but there was a few times that I wished it was a little bit faster and then some times I felt like it all went a bit too fast.
I particularly enjoyed Claret's (Klytemnestra) POV and she is definitely my favourite character throughout the book. She's just a baddie who loves to stab people 🙂↕️ Very very hot..
But I think since I enjoyed Claret's POV so much, I found it hard to connect to Anassa at certain points. At times she felt quite flat to me and just sort of boring(?).
However that being said, I really loved Anassa and Claret together. I think their relationship was very cute and definitely a big part of what made this book so good in my opinion.
The side characters in this book were great, however I do wish we had some more time with some of them, like Helene and Ophelia. I think they were a bit underdeveloped and I would have liked to have seen more of their stories to fully understand them as characters.
Overall I had a good time reading this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who's in the mood for an original and unique story with cute, hot, stabby sapphic girlfriends!! I can't wait to read more books by Danai Christopoulou!
As soon as I saw the cover reveal via the author's Tiktok page, I knew I had to read it. It is absolutely STUNNING!!
The premise of this book is wonderful, very original and unique. It is not like something I personally have ever read before so it was a lot of fun to dip my toes into.
I have to admit that I'm not that familiar with Lady Macbeth or Klytemnestra's stories but thanks to Christopoulou's writing, I found myself understanding them quickly enough. I did google some things at points but not because it didn't make sense, but because I just love to know everything in detail. However, I do think I would have enjoyed this book even more if I knew more of the original material before going into it.
The writing is gorgeous, very atmospheric and whimsical which I really enjoyed. Christopoulou does a wonderful job at describing everything in a way that's compelling and interesting. I was for sure hooked from the very first sentence!
The pacing is okay throughout the book but there was a few times that I wished it was a little bit faster and then some times I felt like it all went a bit too fast.
I particularly enjoyed Claret's (Klytemnestra) POV and she is definitely my favourite character throughout the book. She's just a baddie who loves to stab people 🙂↕️ Very very hot..
But I think since I enjoyed Claret's POV so much, I found it hard to connect to Anassa at certain points. At times she felt quite flat to me and just sort of boring(?).
However that being said, I really loved Anassa and Claret together. I think their relationship was very cute and definitely a big part of what made this book so good in my opinion.
The side characters in this book were great, however I do wish we had some more time with some of them, like Helene and Ophelia. I think they were a bit underdeveloped and I would have liked to have seen more of their stories to fully understand them as characters.
Overall I had a good time reading this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who's in the mood for an original and unique story with cute, hot, stabby sapphic girlfriends!! I can't wait to read more books by Danai Christopoulou!
Want to Read
January 5, 2026got the ARC <3
November 18, 2024
VILE LADY VILLAINS is an absolute masterpiece. I count myself lucky to have read an early copy. Christopoulou takes familiar characters, those whose stories were written for them, and paints them in a vivid new display. Once side characters used as literary tools for their featured male counterparts, these vile lady villains take new shape, leading a story that is all their own.
I held my breath countless times between the stunning world, addictive writing, and Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra’s relentless battle for survival. All to lose it as I was swept by the emotional undercurrent of their stabby sapphic will-they-won’t-they journey.
In a world that needs it now more than ever, Christopoulou brings forth the notion that to retell is to rebel. This story is incredibly unique and the writing is otherworldly.
I cannot wait until you can all witness its magic.
I held my breath countless times between the stunning world, addictive writing, and Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra’s relentless battle for survival. All to lose it as I was swept by the emotional undercurrent of their stabby sapphic will-they-won’t-they journey.
In a world that needs it now more than ever, Christopoulou brings forth the notion that to retell is to rebel. This story is incredibly unique and the writing is otherworldly.
I cannot wait until you can all witness its magic.
December 9, 2025
I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of Vile Lady Villains and I'm so glad I did!
I started reading not really knowing what to expect and I was surprised in the best way possible!
The concept is incredibly original. I loved how the author masterfully brings together two villainnesses from completely different eras and stories, then watching how the unite to rebel against the predetermined paths assigned for them and fight for a future of their own choice. The world-building was also complex and well-executed: the idea of a liminal place where fictional characters wait to be chosen by a new author and rewritten is really fascinating.
I started reading not really knowing what to expect and I was surprised in the best way possible!
The concept is incredibly original. I loved how the author masterfully brings together two villainnesses from completely different eras and stories, then watching how the unite to rebel against the predetermined paths assigned for them and fight for a future of their own choice. The world-building was also complex and well-executed: the idea of a liminal place where fictional characters wait to be chosen by a new author and rewritten is really fascinating.
May 19, 2026
It's clear that Christopoulou loves the myth and legends that are Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra, but here, the executions fails.
Some positives: there are moments where Christopoulou's talent shines. At times, her craftsmanship is clear in her structuring of sentences, her weaving of 'hints' of both women's respective stories throughout, and finding similarities between two vastly different "villains" of literature. Some of her descriptions are genuinely beautiful. It's in those moments I wanted to yell "YES! YES! More of that!"
Here's where the story fails. I have no problem with re-telling/re-crafting stories of old, but, in my opinion, it has to be so water tight that I, the reader, think that I'm reading about the characters, not a fan fiction version of them. The characterization needs to be robust; I need to believe that you've studied these women of lore so thoroughly, that you understand everything about them.
In this novel, however, if I wasn't told that this was Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth, these would be two ordinary, generic female main characters. Nowhere does the characterizations of these women in literature match what Christopoulou puts on page. She's watered down Lady Macbeth into a 'crow' like woman, and Klytemnestra is nothing but burning copper, with a beautiful body. You want me to believe that Lady Macbeth, a woman of her era, wouldn't know who Klytemnestra was, or Troy (in this novel, she has a vague recollection at the beginning and nothing more)? She was a (literary) Queen, and even Ladies of her century would receive education and learning in history, particularly the Greeks and Romans. Another example. In one instance, Klytemnestra, with a knife in her mouth, feels it vibrate and compares it to a rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes are indigenous to the Americas...so tell me how a Mycenian woman would know what that is? It's details like this that leave both women feeling caricatures of their complicated and well-studied selves.
The pacing is diabolical, never giving us a moment of respite. I thought that the two characters accepted their dreamlike, world-hopping situation far too quickly. And they changed assumptions about each other too easily and without hesitation.
And finally, the most egregious, is the modern language used. Look, again, I really don't mind a more 'modern' take, but if you're going to fit these women into their perspective times, then the language should at least mimic them. Phrases and words like "way more" ("way" was so heavily utilized; way more, way bigger, etc.), "ego" (a word not used colloquially until the 18th century, if I recall), "squishy", etc. take me out of the story, as they instill these women with modern ways of speaking in a story that places them in anything but. And the in-lore fixes of two women from vastly different eras being magically able to communicate with one another felt like so ridiculously easy and thrown at the reader, I found myself a bit insulted.
The world building was all over the place, I did not believe their attraction for one another at all, and I felt their characterizations had been utilized to only to make the "villains" fun and sexy. We need more Sapphic retellings, more fun explorations of women from yore, but I believe others do it far better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for the eArc and opportunity to review.
Some positives: there are moments where Christopoulou's talent shines. At times, her craftsmanship is clear in her structuring of sentences, her weaving of 'hints' of both women's respective stories throughout, and finding similarities between two vastly different "villains" of literature. Some of her descriptions are genuinely beautiful. It's in those moments I wanted to yell "YES! YES! More of that!"
Here's where the story fails. I have no problem with re-telling/re-crafting stories of old, but, in my opinion, it has to be so water tight that I, the reader, think that I'm reading about the characters, not a fan fiction version of them. The characterization needs to be robust; I need to believe that you've studied these women of lore so thoroughly, that you understand everything about them.
In this novel, however, if I wasn't told that this was Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth, these would be two ordinary, generic female main characters. Nowhere does the characterizations of these women in literature match what Christopoulou puts on page. She's watered down Lady Macbeth into a 'crow' like woman, and Klytemnestra is nothing but burning copper, with a beautiful body. You want me to believe that Lady Macbeth, a woman of her era, wouldn't know who Klytemnestra was, or Troy (in this novel, she has a vague recollection at the beginning and nothing more)? She was a (literary) Queen, and even Ladies of her century would receive education and learning in history, particularly the Greeks and Romans. Another example. In one instance, Klytemnestra, with a knife in her mouth, feels it vibrate and compares it to a rattlesnake. Rattlesnakes are indigenous to the Americas...so tell me how a Mycenian woman would know what that is? It's details like this that leave both women feeling caricatures of their complicated and well-studied selves.
The pacing is diabolical, never giving us a moment of respite. I thought that the two characters accepted their dreamlike, world-hopping situation far too quickly. And they changed assumptions about each other too easily and without hesitation.
And finally, the most egregious, is the modern language used. Look, again, I really don't mind a more 'modern' take, but if you're going to fit these women into their perspective times, then the language should at least mimic them. Phrases and words like "way more" ("way" was so heavily utilized; way more, way bigger, etc.), "ego" (a word not used colloquially until the 18th century, if I recall), "squishy", etc. take me out of the story, as they instill these women with modern ways of speaking in a story that places them in anything but. And the in-lore fixes of two women from vastly different eras being magically able to communicate with one another felt like so ridiculously easy and thrown at the reader, I found myself a bit insulted.
The world building was all over the place, I did not believe their attraction for one another at all, and I felt their characterizations had been utilized to only to make the "villains" fun and sexy. We need more Sapphic retellings, more fun explorations of women from yore, but I believe others do it far better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for the eArc and opportunity to review.
April 26, 2026
This is written for the classical literature lovers who want Shakespeare and Greek mythology with a twist.
I’m so torn with how I feel about this book because I thoroughly enjoyed being back in stories and mythology that I love but was it because I love those stories and their references or this new book? If I’m being honest, I think it was the original stories.
I didn’t feel very attached to this new story line or the believe the romance as they fought to find each other.
But the references and innuendos to those original stories were so fun.
I’m very torn… but in the end I think it’s going to be 2 stars.
I’m so torn with how I feel about this book because I thoroughly enjoyed being back in stories and mythology that I love but was it because I love those stories and their references or this new book? If I’m being honest, I think it was the original stories.
I didn’t feel very attached to this new story line or the believe the romance as they fought to find each other.
But the references and innuendos to those original stories were so fun.
I’m very torn… but in the end I think it’s going to be 2 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
5 Stars
A novel plot to stories as old as time! In all my years reading, I have never come across any story similar to Vile Lady Villains. Integrating two characters/villains in one? And basically changing their narrative? What a genius idea! I couldn’t help but gush over the Easter eggs around the story hinting on other classical works. I may not be a fan of liminal space narratives but the Easter eggs made look forward to the characters venturing different places.
A novel plot to stories as old as time! In all my years reading, I have never come across any story similar to Vile Lady Villains. Integrating two characters/villains in one? And basically changing their narrative? What a genius idea! I couldn’t help but gush over the Easter eggs around the story hinting on other classical works. I may not be a fan of liminal space narratives but the Easter eggs made look forward to the characters venturing different places.
May 6, 2026
A huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an e-ARC for my honest review. On paper, Vile Lady Villains had my name written all over it. Sapphic enemies-to-lovers? Morally grey women? A chaotic mashup of these villainesses from history rewriting fate itself? I was ready to eat this up like it was my last snack in the snack-drawer. But me and this book? Unfortunately not a match.
It’s immediately clear that Danai Christopoulou is deeply passionate about these characters and their original stories, and honestly, respect. But as someone whose Shakespeare knowledge peaks at that one Doctor Who episode where William Shakespeare is unexpectedly hot, and whose Greek mythology background is… let’s say heavily influenced by Disney’s Hercules, I felt so out of my depth it wasn’t even funny. Actually, no, it was a little funny. Just not in the way the book intended.
It took me about 40% of the book to even begin to understand what was going on. Before that? I am confusion. The story throws you straight into the deep end of references, callbacks, and layered storytelling without really handing you a lifeline. I’m all for “show, don’t tell,” but I still need to know what I’m looking at. Instead, I felt like I was perpetually five steps behind, trying to get ahead but never succeeding.
And then there’s the plot… or at least, what I think the plot is. We’ve got this magical, shifting story-realm situation where characters are pulled out of their original narratives and kind of… wander? Fight? Exist? Honestly, if you asked me to explain the mechanics, I would simply stare into the distance and start rambling about a leopard-lady.
At one point, we literally run into William Shakespeare himself, who apparently looks like Lord Macbeth. Sir?? Is this a self-insert moment? A multiverse casting choice? I have questions that the book did not feel particularly interested in answering. Even better: Lady Macbeth is initially heartbroken and emotional about her husband, gets understandably confused seeing Shakespeare, realizes he’s not actually him… and then we just… never circle back to that emotional thread again? Girlie pop said “new realm, new me” and moved on with impressive efficiency!!
Which brings us to the romance. Yes, there is a sapphic love story here, and while I can see why people would love the dynamic, it felt a bit disconnected for me because I was still trying to understand the world, let alone invest in the emotional stakes. I found it hard to care when my brain was busy buffering.
That said, not everything missed for me. Helen and Ophelia genuinely kept me going for a while. Every time Ophelia showed up, my brain immediately played ‘The Fate of Ophelia’, and suddenly I was having a moment. For a brief, shining stretch in the middle, I actually felt… connected. Grounded. Like I understood something. And then the plot said “absolutely not” and launched back into magical chaos. Yay, love that for me!!
There were moments I enjoyed, though. There’s a line from Shakespeare:
“Apologies, my Lady. Time here has a funny habit of stretching like taffy; I’m unsure whether I’ve lingered for a moment, or an eternity.”
Tell me that isn’t giving full-on wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey energy. The second I started imagining this book as a slightly unhinged episode of Doctor Who, everything clicked into place just enough for me to power through. Not necessarily understand, but survive. And honestly, that became the reading experience: survival…
The idea behind this story is genuinely incredible. But for me, the execution felt overwhelming, confusing, and at times inaccessible if you’re not already familiar with the source material. I kept thinking of this quote from the book:
“My poor, lost stories, torn before your time; how confused you must have been…”
And I was like… yes. Hi. That’s me. I am the lost AND confused.
So while I can absolutely see this working for readers who love dense, reference-heavy, experimental fantasy, I personally spent most of this book feeling like I’d accidentally shown up to an advanced literature exam I did not study for. Not a great vibe…
Would I recommend it? If you’re a Shakespeare and Greek mythology expert who enjoys a bit of narrative chaos, go for it! But if you’re like me: just here for the vibes and the morally questionable women… maybe bring notes. Or a guide? Or a Time Lord!!
It’s immediately clear that Danai Christopoulou is deeply passionate about these characters and their original stories, and honestly, respect. But as someone whose Shakespeare knowledge peaks at that one Doctor Who episode where William Shakespeare is unexpectedly hot, and whose Greek mythology background is… let’s say heavily influenced by Disney’s Hercules, I felt so out of my depth it wasn’t even funny. Actually, no, it was a little funny. Just not in the way the book intended.
It took me about 40% of the book to even begin to understand what was going on. Before that? I am confusion. The story throws you straight into the deep end of references, callbacks, and layered storytelling without really handing you a lifeline. I’m all for “show, don’t tell,” but I still need to know what I’m looking at. Instead, I felt like I was perpetually five steps behind, trying to get ahead but never succeeding.
And then there’s the plot… or at least, what I think the plot is. We’ve got this magical, shifting story-realm situation where characters are pulled out of their original narratives and kind of… wander? Fight? Exist? Honestly, if you asked me to explain the mechanics, I would simply stare into the distance and start rambling about a leopard-lady.
At one point, we literally run into William Shakespeare himself, who apparently looks like Lord Macbeth. Sir?? Is this a self-insert moment? A multiverse casting choice? I have questions that the book did not feel particularly interested in answering. Even better: Lady Macbeth is initially heartbroken and emotional about her husband, gets understandably confused seeing Shakespeare, realizes he’s not actually him… and then we just… never circle back to that emotional thread again? Girlie pop said “new realm, new me” and moved on with impressive efficiency!!
Which brings us to the romance. Yes, there is a sapphic love story here, and while I can see why people would love the dynamic, it felt a bit disconnected for me because I was still trying to understand the world, let alone invest in the emotional stakes. I found it hard to care when my brain was busy buffering.
That said, not everything missed for me. Helen and Ophelia genuinely kept me going for a while. Every time Ophelia showed up, my brain immediately played ‘The Fate of Ophelia’, and suddenly I was having a moment. For a brief, shining stretch in the middle, I actually felt… connected. Grounded. Like I understood something. And then the plot said “absolutely not” and launched back into magical chaos. Yay, love that for me!!
There were moments I enjoyed, though. There’s a line from Shakespeare:
“Apologies, my Lady. Time here has a funny habit of stretching like taffy; I’m unsure whether I’ve lingered for a moment, or an eternity.”
Tell me that isn’t giving full-on wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey energy. The second I started imagining this book as a slightly unhinged episode of Doctor Who, everything clicked into place just enough for me to power through. Not necessarily understand, but survive. And honestly, that became the reading experience: survival…
The idea behind this story is genuinely incredible. But for me, the execution felt overwhelming, confusing, and at times inaccessible if you’re not already familiar with the source material. I kept thinking of this quote from the book:
“My poor, lost stories, torn before your time; how confused you must have been…”
And I was like… yes. Hi. That’s me. I am the lost AND confused.
So while I can absolutely see this working for readers who love dense, reference-heavy, experimental fantasy, I personally spent most of this book feeling like I’d accidentally shown up to an advanced literature exam I did not study for. Not a great vibe…
Would I recommend it? If you’re a Shakespeare and Greek mythology expert who enjoys a bit of narrative chaos, go for it! But if you’re like me: just here for the vibes and the morally questionable women… maybe bring notes. Or a guide? Or a Time Lord!!
April 2, 2026
To say that I adored Vile Lady Villains would be an understatement. I was craving a story like this one, so when I discovered Danai’s work on Instagram, I thought it might be providential. It turns out I was right—happily so.
Vile Lady Villains is a story of redemption and freedom, one that crosses the boundaries of time and even of written stories themselves. The reinterpretations of Lady Macbeth and Clytemnestra (or should I say Anassa and Claret) were lovely. I wouldn’t say they were entirely true to their original selves, but rather that, from the second part of the book onward, this felt like a continuation and an evolution of who these two villainesses could have become.
All the secondary characters revolved around the protagonists perfectly, with an honorable mention to a certain drunken author and a devious Egyptian goddess.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the book and was completely hooked. The only “negative” notes I would make concern the second part. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite feel the spark when the romance between Claret and Anassa blossomed, and the unfolding of events felt a bit rushed and chaotic to me. Still, I was quite satisfied with the ending, and, reflecting on it with a fresh mind, I can say I truly enjoyed the ride.
On a side note, since I come from a background in classical studies, being fully immersed in a world like the one portrayed in the book was exactly what I needed to feed my hyperfixation. So, thank you, Danai.
I hope to read more from this author in the near future—maybe something about H and O (if you know, you know).
Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square & Co. for providing me with this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Vile Lady Villains is a story of redemption and freedom, one that crosses the boundaries of time and even of written stories themselves. The reinterpretations of Lady Macbeth and Clytemnestra (or should I say Anassa and Claret) were lovely. I wouldn’t say they were entirely true to their original selves, but rather that, from the second part of the book onward, this felt like a continuation and an evolution of who these two villainesses could have become.
All the secondary characters revolved around the protagonists perfectly, with an honorable mention to a certain drunken author and a devious Egyptian goddess.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the book and was completely hooked. The only “negative” notes I would make concern the second part. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite feel the spark when the romance between Claret and Anassa blossomed, and the unfolding of events felt a bit rushed and chaotic to me. Still, I was quite satisfied with the ending, and, reflecting on it with a fresh mind, I can say I truly enjoyed the ride.
On a side note, since I come from a background in classical studies, being fully immersed in a world like the one portrayed in the book was exactly what I needed to feed my hyperfixation. So, thank you, Danai.
I hope to read more from this author in the near future—maybe something about H and O (if you know, you know).
Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square & Co. for providing me with this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
April 26, 2026
It's so so so SO rare I rate DNF'S but here we are.
I bought this in Waterstones because the cover is one of prettiest I have seen. When I tried to read it the first time I just couldn't get through the first 10 chapters, the idea behind this book is genius and unique but the writing was sub par and the execution absolutely missed the mark.
I then bought the audio, I really wasn't ready to let this one go, I was so disappointed to hear Klytemnestra had an American accent - which is a popular move to make, however, why did she sound like a mum from the suburbs with 3 kids and a mortgage?????
There is just no point to this book, books need a point right??? When I got to one of the twists I started to get excited, but. Why. Does. It. Take. So. Long. To. Get. To. The. Point.
I couldn't even hack the audio... bleh.
I bought this in Waterstones because the cover is one of prettiest I have seen. When I tried to read it the first time I just couldn't get through the first 10 chapters, the idea behind this book is genius and unique but the writing was sub par and the execution absolutely missed the mark.
I then bought the audio, I really wasn't ready to let this one go, I was so disappointed to hear Klytemnestra had an American accent - which is a popular move to make, however, why did she sound like a mum from the suburbs with 3 kids and a mortgage?????
There is just no point to this book, books need a point right??? When I got to one of the twists I started to get excited, but. Why. Does. It. Take. So. Long. To. Get. To. The. Point.
I couldn't even hack the audio... bleh.
May 17, 2026
Thank you Union Square and Co for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was so much fun! Two iconic lady villains from history clashing together in one story is just as amazing as it sounds.
I love that these women weren't soft or timid by any means. They are completely badass. Not to mention the sapphic yearning 😍
This was so much fun! Two iconic lady villains from history clashing together in one story is just as amazing as it sounds.
I love that these women weren't soft or timid by any means. They are completely badass. Not to mention the sapphic yearning 😍
March 5, 2026
I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.
This is a strange, ferocious tale. It’s an interesting concept that takes two famous women out of their own stories, bringing them together as they try to work out what’s happening to them. It’s quite surreal, it trips along, changing location frequently and dramatically, bringing in familiar characters from literature. This really enhances the sense of the characters feeling out of control as they try to make sense of the situation. They’re regularly on the back foot, having things thrown at them that the don’t understand yet.
I thought the novel did really well at marrying up the experience of the two characters, bringing the worlds of Classic Greek together with Shakespearean Scotland. We have Klytemnestrana and Lady Macbeth, being thrown together in a liminal space. Both are misunderstood, painted as villains. However this novel seeks to focus on what connects them. Their complexities and internal thoughts, their rage and their mistreatment by men.
I thought the cultural crossover that was done here was really interesting. For example, the witches from Macbeth presenting as the fates to Klytemnestra. I don’t think you need familiarity necessarily with the original works to read this book, but I did like the recognition I experienced from those stories.
Overall a really unusual concept that is explored well with two memorable protagonists.
This is a strange, ferocious tale. It’s an interesting concept that takes two famous women out of their own stories, bringing them together as they try to work out what’s happening to them. It’s quite surreal, it trips along, changing location frequently and dramatically, bringing in familiar characters from literature. This really enhances the sense of the characters feeling out of control as they try to make sense of the situation. They’re regularly on the back foot, having things thrown at them that the don’t understand yet.
I thought the novel did really well at marrying up the experience of the two characters, bringing the worlds of Classic Greek together with Shakespearean Scotland. We have Klytemnestrana and Lady Macbeth, being thrown together in a liminal space. Both are misunderstood, painted as villains. However this novel seeks to focus on what connects them. Their complexities and internal thoughts, their rage and their mistreatment by men.
I thought the cultural crossover that was done here was really interesting. For example, the witches from Macbeth presenting as the fates to Klytemnestra. I don’t think you need familiarity necessarily with the original works to read this book, but I did like the recognition I experienced from those stories.
Overall a really unusual concept that is explored well with two memorable protagonists.
April 27, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ !!
This was my first ever ARC, which makes it feel especially meaningful to me, so first of all, thank you so much to NetGalley for approving little old me. I was genuinely so excited to read this one, and I am happy to say that it ended up being a very memorable, very unexpected, and very beautiful reading experience.
At its core, Vile Lady Villains is the kind of story that feels like it is reaching into old myths and old tragedies, dusting them off and then asking (mischievously) what if these women were allowed something more than the roles history and literature gave them? What if they were not simply doomed figures, but people with hunger, grief, rage, desire, and the possibility of connection? I think that question is what makes this book so compelling. It is not just a story about villainy and it is not only a story about love. It is a story about reclaiming voice, identity, and narrative itself.
The premise alone is enough to make me sit up straighter. Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra, two women from vastly different worlds and texts, are brought together in a lush gothic, queer, horrormantasy setting that feels both strange and strangely inevitable. On paper, it sounds like a wildly chaotic idea. In execution, I believe it works beautifully. The book takes two women who are often remembered through the lens of their violence, their reputation, or the men around them and gives them space to exist as something more layered and intimate. That alone made the story feel refreshing to me. It felt inventive without being gimmicky and ambitious without becoming too messy to follow.
One of the things I loved most was how cohesive the book felt even though it is drawing from multiple origins and references. I barely know anything about the original stories beyond the broad strokes so I expected to feel a little lost at times but I really did not. Even without deep prior knowledge, I think the book does a strong job of making the emotional core accessible. The references, echoes and allusions are woven in with care, and the story explains enough without flattening the richness of its source material. If anything, I came away feeling like the book was inviting readers in rather than testing them. That made the experience feel generous.
The writing style is another major strength. It is very pretty, in a way that feels lyrical and atmospheric without becoming unreadable or overdone. There is a poetic quality to the prose that suits the gothic tone extremely well. The language often feels lush, incantatory and deliberate, like the book is casting a spell as much as telling a story. At the same time, I did occasionally wish for a little more showing than telling because there were moments where I wanted the emotional beats to breathe a bit more rather than be stated so directly. That said, the prose still worked for me overall, especially because it fit the mood of the book so well.
This is also a narration-heavy book, so readers who prefer a lot of dialogue may notice that. Personally, I did not mind it but I do think it is worth mentioning. The narration carries much of the story’s atmosphere, tension and intimacy. It gives the book a reflective, almost ceremonial quality, which I found very fitting especially given the themes of storytelling and myth. There is something almost ritualistic about the way the book unfolds and I think that is part of what made it feel so distinctive.
I was also really impressed by how often the book surprised me. I kept thinking I had a sense of where things were going, only for the story to quietly pivot and prove me wrong. That unpredictability was one of my favorite things about it. It never felt like it was following a formula I already knew. Even when I thought I might dislike a character or feel indifferent toward a certain development, the book found ways to deepen my understanding and shift my feelings. By the end, I found myself looking back on certain characters and moments much more fondly than I expected.
The relationship at the center of the story is, of course, a huge part of what makes it work. The dynamic between Claret and Anassa is full of tension, heat, rage, tenderness, and fascination. I love the names the book uses for them and I think those nicknames add so much texture to the relationship. Claret and blood. Anassa and queen. They feel symbolic, intimate and charged, not just as labels but as extensions of how each woman sees and understands the other. There is something very powerful about that naming, because it makes the relationship feel like a language of its own. I think the book handles that beautifully.
At the same time, I do wish the romance had been a little more of a slow burn. I am not against instant attraction at all and in some ways I think it makes sense here given how intensely these characters meet each other. Still, because both women have so much depth, so much damage and so much emotional history embedded in them, I would have loved even more gradual build-up and subtlety in the romantic progression. I wanted a little more lingering, a little more restraint, a little more time for the tension to accumulate before it fully ignited. That is not a flaw that ruined the experience for me, but it is one of the few things that kept this from being a full five-star read.
I also want to mention one element that did not fully work for me, which was the repeated emphasis on Claret being curvy. I understand that it is likely meant to reflect Anassa’s attraction and desire but it was mentioned often enough that it started to stand out to me in a slightly distracting way. It did ease up later on, which I appreciated but I still think it is worth noting because it was one of the few points where it took me out of the story while reading.
What truly stayed with me, though, was the emotional and thematic power of the book. This is a story about rage, yes, but it is also about being seen. It is about what happens when women who were written as monstrous get to speak for themselves. It is about the violence that history preserves and the tenderness that history forgets. It is about whether a person can survive being made into a symbol and whether love can exist in a place built out of ruin. I think the book asks those questions in a way that feels both literary and emotionally accessible. It is smart, but it is also readable. It is reflective, but it is also deeply alive.
There is also something I found incredibly compelling about the book’s self-awareness. It knows it is working with stories, legends, and inherited narratives and it leans into that with confidence. The author’s note makes that especially clear but you can feel it throughout the book itself. This is not simply a retelling but a rebellion. It is interested in what it means to step outside the margins of the story you were given and choose something else. That idea resonated with me a lot, especially in a book about two women who have been reduced, in different ways, to their worst acts or most famous (male) associations.
And I cannot write this review without talking about the cover because holy shit. It is stunning. It absolutely fits the book’s atmosphere and feels like the kind of cover that immediately promises something dark, gorgeous and dangerous and in this case, I think it delivers on that.
TL;DR
I think Vile Lady Villains is a very strong standalone and one that I would especially recommend to readers who love gothic atmosphere, queer romance, mythic retellings, morally complicated women, and stories that feel both haunting and emotionally charged. Even if you do not know the original source material well, I do not think that should stop you from trying this book. I certainly did not feel shut out by not knowing every reference. Instead, I felt welcomed into a story that understood the power of two women being given another chance, not at innocence, but at choice.
For me, this book was lyrical, smart, beautifully imagined, and emotionally satisfying. It had just enough sharpness to keep me on edge, just enough tenderness to make me care deeply and just enough strangeness to make it unforgettable. It really leaves you thinking about what women are turned into by history and what they might become when they are allowed to write their own ending.
This was my first ever ARC, which makes it feel especially meaningful to me, so first of all, thank you so much to NetGalley for approving little old me. I was genuinely so excited to read this one, and I am happy to say that it ended up being a very memorable, very unexpected, and very beautiful reading experience.
At its core, Vile Lady Villains is the kind of story that feels like it is reaching into old myths and old tragedies, dusting them off and then asking (mischievously) what if these women were allowed something more than the roles history and literature gave them? What if they were not simply doomed figures, but people with hunger, grief, rage, desire, and the possibility of connection? I think that question is what makes this book so compelling. It is not just a story about villainy and it is not only a story about love. It is a story about reclaiming voice, identity, and narrative itself.
The premise alone is enough to make me sit up straighter. Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra, two women from vastly different worlds and texts, are brought together in a lush gothic, queer, horrormantasy setting that feels both strange and strangely inevitable. On paper, it sounds like a wildly chaotic idea. In execution, I believe it works beautifully. The book takes two women who are often remembered through the lens of their violence, their reputation, or the men around them and gives them space to exist as something more layered and intimate. That alone made the story feel refreshing to me. It felt inventive without being gimmicky and ambitious without becoming too messy to follow.
One of the things I loved most was how cohesive the book felt even though it is drawing from multiple origins and references. I barely know anything about the original stories beyond the broad strokes so I expected to feel a little lost at times but I really did not. Even without deep prior knowledge, I think the book does a strong job of making the emotional core accessible. The references, echoes and allusions are woven in with care, and the story explains enough without flattening the richness of its source material. If anything, I came away feeling like the book was inviting readers in rather than testing them. That made the experience feel generous.
The writing style is another major strength. It is very pretty, in a way that feels lyrical and atmospheric without becoming unreadable or overdone. There is a poetic quality to the prose that suits the gothic tone extremely well. The language often feels lush, incantatory and deliberate, like the book is casting a spell as much as telling a story. At the same time, I did occasionally wish for a little more showing than telling because there were moments where I wanted the emotional beats to breathe a bit more rather than be stated so directly. That said, the prose still worked for me overall, especially because it fit the mood of the book so well.
This is also a narration-heavy book, so readers who prefer a lot of dialogue may notice that. Personally, I did not mind it but I do think it is worth mentioning. The narration carries much of the story’s atmosphere, tension and intimacy. It gives the book a reflective, almost ceremonial quality, which I found very fitting especially given the themes of storytelling and myth. There is something almost ritualistic about the way the book unfolds and I think that is part of what made it feel so distinctive.
I was also really impressed by how often the book surprised me. I kept thinking I had a sense of where things were going, only for the story to quietly pivot and prove me wrong. That unpredictability was one of my favorite things about it. It never felt like it was following a formula I already knew. Even when I thought I might dislike a character or feel indifferent toward a certain development, the book found ways to deepen my understanding and shift my feelings. By the end, I found myself looking back on certain characters and moments much more fondly than I expected.
The relationship at the center of the story is, of course, a huge part of what makes it work. The dynamic between Claret and Anassa is full of tension, heat, rage, tenderness, and fascination. I love the names the book uses for them and I think those nicknames add so much texture to the relationship. Claret and blood. Anassa and queen. They feel symbolic, intimate and charged, not just as labels but as extensions of how each woman sees and understands the other. There is something very powerful about that naming, because it makes the relationship feel like a language of its own. I think the book handles that beautifully.
At the same time, I do wish the romance had been a little more of a slow burn. I am not against instant attraction at all and in some ways I think it makes sense here given how intensely these characters meet each other. Still, because both women have so much depth, so much damage and so much emotional history embedded in them, I would have loved even more gradual build-up and subtlety in the romantic progression. I wanted a little more lingering, a little more restraint, a little more time for the tension to accumulate before it fully ignited. That is not a flaw that ruined the experience for me, but it is one of the few things that kept this from being a full five-star read.
I also want to mention one element that did not fully work for me, which was the repeated emphasis on Claret being curvy. I understand that it is likely meant to reflect Anassa’s attraction and desire but it was mentioned often enough that it started to stand out to me in a slightly distracting way. It did ease up later on, which I appreciated but I still think it is worth noting because it was one of the few points where it took me out of the story while reading.
What truly stayed with me, though, was the emotional and thematic power of the book. This is a story about rage, yes, but it is also about being seen. It is about what happens when women who were written as monstrous get to speak for themselves. It is about the violence that history preserves and the tenderness that history forgets. It is about whether a person can survive being made into a symbol and whether love can exist in a place built out of ruin. I think the book asks those questions in a way that feels both literary and emotionally accessible. It is smart, but it is also readable. It is reflective, but it is also deeply alive.
There is also something I found incredibly compelling about the book’s self-awareness. It knows it is working with stories, legends, and inherited narratives and it leans into that with confidence. The author’s note makes that especially clear but you can feel it throughout the book itself. This is not simply a retelling but a rebellion. It is interested in what it means to step outside the margins of the story you were given and choose something else. That idea resonated with me a lot, especially in a book about two women who have been reduced, in different ways, to their worst acts or most famous (male) associations.
And I cannot write this review without talking about the cover because holy shit. It is stunning. It absolutely fits the book’s atmosphere and feels like the kind of cover that immediately promises something dark, gorgeous and dangerous and in this case, I think it delivers on that.
TL;DR
I think Vile Lady Villains is a very strong standalone and one that I would especially recommend to readers who love gothic atmosphere, queer romance, mythic retellings, morally complicated women, and stories that feel both haunting and emotionally charged. Even if you do not know the original source material well, I do not think that should stop you from trying this book. I certainly did not feel shut out by not knowing every reference. Instead, I felt welcomed into a story that understood the power of two women being given another chance, not at innocence, but at choice.
For me, this book was lyrical, smart, beautifully imagined, and emotionally satisfying. It had just enough sharpness to keep me on edge, just enough tenderness to make me care deeply and just enough strangeness to make it unforgettable. It really leaves you thinking about what women are turned into by history and what they might become when they are allowed to write their own ending.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you Danai for sending me an eARC of this wonderfully written book! I am voluntarily leaving a review, and all thoughts are my own.
Vile Lady Villains was a delightfully unique story following two characters that would never meet under any other circumstances: Klytemnestra of Sparta and Lady Macbeth from the Shakespearian tale. I had a vague idea of how this story would go, and I was happily surprised to find that I could not predict how this tale would end. The story was compelling, the theme of defiance was presented wonderfully, and the characters were multilayered and intricate. The world of stories was absolutely terrifying, allowing this story to live up to the "horror" part of its "horromantasy" label. The chemistry between our two leads was off the charts. Not only did they have to work together, their interactions allowed them to figure out who they really were. Lastly, the side characters were amazing! There was a certain side character that readers will know of, a couple of side characters from the canons of other works, and the villain in charge of keeping storybook characters "where they belong".
If you love villanous women, spellbinding storylands, Greek myths and/or Shakespearian tales, and a tale of defiance, then I cannot recommend this tale enough!
Vile Lady Villains was a delightfully unique story following two characters that would never meet under any other circumstances: Klytemnestra of Sparta and Lady Macbeth from the Shakespearian tale. I had a vague idea of how this story would go, and I was happily surprised to find that I could not predict how this tale would end. The story was compelling, the theme of defiance was presented wonderfully, and the characters were multilayered and intricate. The world of stories was absolutely terrifying, allowing this story to live up to the "horror" part of its "horromantasy" label. The chemistry between our two leads was off the charts. Not only did they have to work together, their interactions allowed them to figure out who they really were. Lastly, the side characters were amazing! There was a certain side character that readers will know of, a couple of side characters from the canons of other works, and the villain in charge of keeping storybook characters "where they belong".
If you love villanous women, spellbinding storylands, Greek myths and/or Shakespearian tales, and a tale of defiance, then I cannot recommend this tale enough!
May 17, 2026
1 ★ — Vile Lady Villains is described as a weird, queer retelling centering two women — Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth — who are villainized in their original stories and are supposed to find agency (and love) in this book. I was initially reeled in by the premise and the gorgeous cover illustration by Audrey Benjaminsen; however, what I found within these pages deeply disappointed me. I made it 60% of the way through before my Kobo corrupted the file, thus saving me from having to continue what had turned into a strenuous reading experience.
The biggest issue with the book is its prose, which heavily depends on "pretty" descriptions that collapse under logical scrutiny. Metaphors are frequently bizarre:
Clearly the aim is to alliterate, but these words bear little connection with one another.
Here, the coupling of "boorish" and "barbarian" with "birdsong" is odd. It's oxymoronic, to be sure, but does it make sense? If we are to play fast and loose with semantics, I suppose we should have called them Brojans for the sake of alliteration too.
It isn't the stripping of context that makes these sentences sound confusing or awkward. They can confuse even the most attentive reader who encounters them naturally in the book — perhaps, only the most attentive reader, actually.
In one scene, the narrator tries to attack a skeleton: "...so I kick her. In the belly, first, but skeletons do not have bellies so my kick does nothing but frustrate me. [...] I push harder, nicking the skin, if such a thing as skin existed." The scene is set up for the reader to imagine the violence being wrecked upon a belly and skin that, actually, the author soon reveals, are not there. Very little point in describing them, then. Even the punctuation gets weirdly distracting: "Its bloody contents stain her long elegant fingers with red drops....Elegant fingers?". Here I wasn't even sure what the point was.
Characters observe and describe things in an awkward mix of contemporary and faux-archaic language that never feels genuine or intentional, it's just there. And sometimes word choices are about as pleasant as stepping on a rusty nail. I'm of course referring to "claret", which is introduced early in the book and becomes a staple in every other paragraph. By Chapter 6, I was ready to never hear it again, but the author uses it as a historical-sounding stand-in for blood and, later, as a nickname for Klytemnestra.
The book relies on jarringly modern meta-language when it comes to its worldbuilding as well, at one point having a character state: "You can't stay here; this is not your storyworld." There is no attempt to contextualize the characters' understanding of this "storyworld". To bridge this massive historical and cultural gap between these two women, the author introduces magical "logic": thanks to the Fates, or the Three Witches, Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra are able to communicate in the same language in both speech and writing. This translation spell strips away any genuine tension or fascination that should come from two completely different eras colliding. These women intuitively know and understand all.
Historical accuracy is not so important in books such as this one, and the clunkiness and carelessness with which words are used presents a bigger problem. However, Vile Lady Villains offers historically confused metaphors, like a reference to "lighthouse beams emerging through the fog to guide [the character]" — an image heavily tied to modern 19th-century Fresnel lenses, as opposed to the ambient oil-and-fire glows these characters would have known. At some point one of the characters is described as a "curvy demon", where this is either a hint to their geometrical nature or a desperate resort to modern US slang for lack of better words.
A book can sometimes survive awkward prose if the plot keeps you moving, but Vile Lady Villains drags its feet from the very beginning. I am generally not a fan of first-person narration when it becomes a data-dump of internal monologue, and that is exactly what happens here. The reader is told every single passing thought these women have about each other, leaving absolutely zero room for subtext, mystery, or organic tension.
To make matters worse, the author decides to change the characters' names to Anassa and Claret. I constantly found myself confusing the two, intuitively thinking "Anassa" belonged to Klytemnestra and "Claret" to Lady Macbeth — only to realize the book has it the other way around. This naming confusion is compounded by the fact that the narrative fails to sufficiently distinguish between the two women. Their individual POVs use an almost identical narrative voice and personality; were it not for the chapter headings and the occasional "my husband Agamemnon was very evil" reminder, it would be genuinely difficult to know who is supposed to be speaking. On top of this, nearly every single chapter opens by reprising exactly what happened at the end of the previous one, treating the reader like they have no short-term memory. At the 20% mark, this gimmick, much like the word "claret", had run its course.
I don't know how Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra's [I refuse to call them Claret and Anassa] story ends, but when my e-reader corrupted the file, I felt nothing but total relief.
As stated in the acknowledgments, Vile Lady Villains has gone through "more rounds of edits than any other manuscript" this author/agent duo has worked on before, but at this point I can say it wasn't nearly enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and Union Square for providing me with an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.
The biggest issue with the book is its prose, which heavily depends on "pretty" descriptions that collapse under logical scrutiny. Metaphors are frequently bizarre:
"Thorns of suspicion twist around my ribs."
"Moments stretch out in silence, coated in jasmine and uncertainty."
"A quiet spattering of freckles on her nose and cheeks, like markings on the page hinting at vows untaken, at thoughts half drowned in sorrow."
"She smells like a burning forest that has just been saved by rain, like pine and promises."
"The vapors from our bath snake upward to the vaulted ceiling, like supplications made in sacrifice, scented with copper and steel."
Clearly the aim is to alliterate, but these words bear little connection with one another.
"... that boorish language of the Trojans, that barbarian birdsong."
Here, the coupling of "boorish" and "barbarian" with "birdsong" is odd. It's oxymoronic, to be sure, but does it make sense? If we are to play fast and loose with semantics, I suppose we should have called them Brojans for the sake of alliteration too.
It isn't the stripping of context that makes these sentences sound confusing or awkward. They can confuse even the most attentive reader who encounters them naturally in the book — perhaps, only the most attentive reader, actually.
In one scene, the narrator tries to attack a skeleton: "...so I kick her. In the belly, first, but skeletons do not have bellies so my kick does nothing but frustrate me. [...] I push harder, nicking the skin, if such a thing as skin existed." The scene is set up for the reader to imagine the violence being wrecked upon a belly and skin that, actually, the author soon reveals, are not there. Very little point in describing them, then. Even the punctuation gets weirdly distracting: "Its bloody contents stain her long elegant fingers with red drops....Elegant fingers?". Here I wasn't even sure what the point was.
Characters observe and describe things in an awkward mix of contemporary and faux-archaic language that never feels genuine or intentional, it's just there. And sometimes word choices are about as pleasant as stepping on a rusty nail. I'm of course referring to "claret", which is introduced early in the book and becomes a staple in every other paragraph. By Chapter 6, I was ready to never hear it again, but the author uses it as a historical-sounding stand-in for blood and, later, as a nickname for Klytemnestra.
The book relies on jarringly modern meta-language when it comes to its worldbuilding as well, at one point having a character state: "You can't stay here; this is not your storyworld." There is no attempt to contextualize the characters' understanding of this "storyworld". To bridge this massive historical and cultural gap between these two women, the author introduces magical "logic": thanks to the Fates, or the Three Witches, Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra are able to communicate in the same language in both speech and writing. This translation spell strips away any genuine tension or fascination that should come from two completely different eras colliding. These women intuitively know and understand all.
Historical accuracy is not so important in books such as this one, and the clunkiness and carelessness with which words are used presents a bigger problem. However, Vile Lady Villains offers historically confused metaphors, like a reference to "lighthouse beams emerging through the fog to guide [the character]" — an image heavily tied to modern 19th-century Fresnel lenses, as opposed to the ambient oil-and-fire glows these characters would have known. At some point one of the characters is described as a "curvy demon", where this is either a hint to their geometrical nature or a desperate resort to modern US slang for lack of better words.
A book can sometimes survive awkward prose if the plot keeps you moving, but Vile Lady Villains drags its feet from the very beginning. I am generally not a fan of first-person narration when it becomes a data-dump of internal monologue, and that is exactly what happens here. The reader is told every single passing thought these women have about each other, leaving absolutely zero room for subtext, mystery, or organic tension.
To make matters worse, the author decides to change the characters' names to Anassa and Claret. I constantly found myself confusing the two, intuitively thinking "Anassa" belonged to Klytemnestra and "Claret" to Lady Macbeth — only to realize the book has it the other way around. This naming confusion is compounded by the fact that the narrative fails to sufficiently distinguish between the two women. Their individual POVs use an almost identical narrative voice and personality; were it not for the chapter headings and the occasional "my husband Agamemnon was very evil" reminder, it would be genuinely difficult to know who is supposed to be speaking. On top of this, nearly every single chapter opens by reprising exactly what happened at the end of the previous one, treating the reader like they have no short-term memory. At the 20% mark, this gimmick, much like the word "claret", had run its course.
I don't know how Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra's [I refuse to call them Claret and Anassa] story ends, but when my e-reader corrupted the file, I felt nothing but total relief.
As stated in the acknowledgments, Vile Lady Villains has gone through "more rounds of edits than any other manuscript" this author/agent duo has worked on before, but at this point I can say it wasn't nearly enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and Union Square for providing me with an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.
Want to Read
January 10, 2025"For fans of A Dowry of Blood and Piranesi, an unforgettable horromantasy ride into the realm of stories bringing together literature's most famous lady villains, Lady Macbeth & Clytemnestra..."
hell yeah
hell yeah
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It’s with books like this one that I don’t know where to start. This was perfect. I really don’t have the words. Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth all in one book. And they’re queer. I’m once again not eloquent enough to express my thoughts. But enough of this, let’s break it down.
Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra (as previously stated) share the stage in this novel. They’re both thrust into a realm of stories, being villains in their own. This is a perilous world and different to theirs, dangers lurking at every corner, so they’re forced to form an alliance. As the author stated, this is NOT a retelling.
I’ve been a Lady Macbeth fan since the beginning of time, so just reading her name on page was enough for me. Our other FMC, I’d say a bit less simply because I’m not quite as familiar with her story. But it delivered anyway, so absolutely no complaints on that front. It was maybe even better that I didn’t know much, a bit of an element of surprise added in.
For anybody who doesn’t know, very briefly, Lady Macbeth is wife to Macbeth in the Shakespeare play by the same name, known as aid to regicide, the mind behind it. Klytemnestra is wife to Agamemnon, she’s also a Queen, and known for murdering her husband and being murdered by her own son. Pretty hardcore, these two.
So, yeah the two of them separately, all good and well. But the two of them together. Dangerous, weapon-wielding, mythological sapphics? Heaven. Knives to the throat as a form of love. It’s not even an enemies to lovers, it really is more like, the two of them are murderers and this is how they behave even with the people they fancy. Villainously.
They have nicknames they call each other, but really that’s what we call them in the story as well. Lady Macbeth becomes Anassa, Queen. And Klytemnestra becomes Claret, blood. And more fitting nicknames could not have been given. I really didn’t know how to feel when they were introducing themselves and Anassa didn’t remember any name of hers but her husband’s. That tugged at my heartstrings.
The bard HIMSELF was in this story. I jumped up when I realized who it was that was talking. That’s the best surprise of them all for someone who loves his plays. I’m a fan, don’t mind me. But yeah he wasn’t the most likable character, I’ll admit. That last bit of the book was such a fun way of ending it, though I know some people are going to feel like it’s a cop out or unimaginative. I do see why you would think that. But I don’t agree, I thought it worked well.
We also meet other characters, such as Ophelia from Hamlet, which was all I needed, and the actual Lady Macbeth.
I wouldn’t have done anything differently, this book was everything it set out to be, and I loved it. To say the least. Wait, you know what I could’ve done differently? I would’ve made this a series. I need more. 5 stars isn’t enough. Highly recommend to anyone who has eyes and can read. Gorgeous cover, too.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra (as previously stated) share the stage in this novel. They’re both thrust into a realm of stories, being villains in their own. This is a perilous world and different to theirs, dangers lurking at every corner, so they’re forced to form an alliance. As the author stated, this is NOT a retelling.
I’ve been a Lady Macbeth fan since the beginning of time, so just reading her name on page was enough for me. Our other FMC, I’d say a bit less simply because I’m not quite as familiar with her story. But it delivered anyway, so absolutely no complaints on that front. It was maybe even better that I didn’t know much, a bit of an element of surprise added in.
For anybody who doesn’t know, very briefly, Lady Macbeth is wife to Macbeth in the Shakespeare play by the same name, known as aid to regicide, the mind behind it. Klytemnestra is wife to Agamemnon, she’s also a Queen, and known for murdering her husband and being murdered by her own son. Pretty hardcore, these two.
So, yeah the two of them separately, all good and well. But the two of them together. Dangerous, weapon-wielding, mythological sapphics? Heaven. Knives to the throat as a form of love. It’s not even an enemies to lovers, it really is more like, the two of them are murderers and this is how they behave even with the people they fancy. Villainously.
They have nicknames they call each other, but really that’s what we call them in the story as well. Lady Macbeth becomes Anassa, Queen. And Klytemnestra becomes Claret, blood. And more fitting nicknames could not have been given. I really didn’t know how to feel when they were introducing themselves and Anassa didn’t remember any name of hers but her husband’s. That tugged at my heartstrings.
The bard HIMSELF was in this story. I jumped up when I realized who it was that was talking. That’s the best surprise of them all for someone who loves his plays. I’m a fan, don’t mind me. But yeah he wasn’t the most likable character, I’ll admit. That last bit of the book was such a fun way of ending it, though I know some people are going to feel like it’s a cop out or unimaginative. I do see why you would think that. But I don’t agree, I thought it worked well.
We also meet other characters, such as Ophelia from Hamlet, which was all I needed, and the actual Lady Macbeth.
I wouldn’t have done anything differently, this book was everything it set out to be, and I loved it. To say the least. Wait, you know what I could’ve done differently? I would’ve made this a series. I need more. 5 stars isn’t enough. Highly recommend to anyone who has eyes and can read. Gorgeous cover, too.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I’m rating this a 4 for Netgalley and Goodreads, but more accurately it’s a 3.5. I also lost the notes I took while reading as I deleted the book on my device before starting to write my review (rookie mistake), so I might forget some details or leave out something by accident.
Vile Lady Villains was not really what I was expecting. I’m not the most familiar with Greek/Roman mythology and legend (past my Percy Jackson obsession in middle school) and have literally never read any Shakespeare, so most of what I know about Klytemnestra and Lady MacMeth come from cultural osmosis. After the authors note, VLV really just throws you in. Lady MacBeth’s perspective begins at the end of her tale, while Klytemnestra’s is just beginning with her murdering her husband. This is both good and bad, as for people familiar with their stories, exposition setting up these characters and their background is going to feel redundant and boring. Whereas for folks like me with less in depth knowledge, it feels like you’re reading a sequel, where you already know and care for the established characters.
Their characterisation was hit or miss for me as well. I can’t speak to their “out-of-character”-ness but something felt off about Lady MacBeth. The three witches, or the Fates (which I found the combination of these roles incredibly clever and fitting), say that with the two of them together, there’s nothing they cannot accomplish or get through. But in truth, Lady MacBeth is too soggy kitten to be useful. Klytemnestra seemed at first to be the more physical character. She wields a knife, she does more fighting and takes more action in situations. It seemed to me like Lady MacBeth would become the smooth talker of sorts, showing the dichotomy of their villainy, the careful planning of Lady MacBeth against the vengeful violence of Klytemnestra. But then you have scenes of speaking and, again, Klytemnestra takes the more active role. Lady MacBeth will think, or occasionally insult or question, but Klytemnestra is who really makes things happen. It made the dual perspective feel quite imbalanced.
The characters also seemed to only exist within the scene, if that makes sense. They did not think or really internally struggle with their past (and, in some cases, future) actions unless specifically prompted. I did not come away from this book knowing all that much more about Lady MacBeth or Klytemnestra. I don’t even remember the name of the daughter Agamemnon sacrificed, despite this appearing to be pivotal for Klytemnestra. This should’ve begun right before Lady MacBeth seemingly killed herself, her absolute lowest moment, but with how much plot is introduced, it’s like all of it went to the wayside. Both characters desperately want to get home, but I have no idea why. From what has been presented to be about their pasts, they seem better off here. It made it difficult to follow the story. Despite this, it was incredibly entertaining, I cannot deny.
I want to note that Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra are renamed within the book to Anassa and Claret. There’s a great scene where Klytemnestra asks Lady MacBeth for her name, for which she responds “Lady MacBeth.” Klytemnestra declares that she doesn’t want her husband's name, but the woman's own. Lady MacBeth has no answer, she even says she doesn’t remember. To me, this is great. It speaks to a depersonalization of Lady MacBeth, she has no identity outside of her husband and their ambitions, while also showing she is a character, one that doesn’t exist outside of the manuscript of MacBeth. This makes Klytemnestra’s renaming of her to Anassa, meaning queen, really fitting and just a great moment. I have no complaints with this choice. Klytemnestra, on the other hand, does not need to be renamed. Perhaps there’s something I’m missing, but I don’t see the point of the renaming. It works as a nickname, Lady MacBeth must follow the “path of claret,” meaning blood, and she finds Klytemnestra (covered in blood). Badabing badaboom, Klytemnestra becomes Claret. I just don’t think it was necessary. Maybe in a sort of “they become more than what they were written to be” way, but like, she has a name. I’ll stop ragging on it, but I would like to see what others think. Going forward, I will be calling them by their new names (they’re much easier to spell and my autocorrect is failing me).
Anassa and Claret are undeniably super cute. There’s some anachronisms, especially with how Anassa thinks about Claret’s appearance. I wish I could quote, but lets just say, it’s a lot of talk about curves and hips. Which, I get you girl, but should I really be relating to an 11th century Scottish noblewoman in this way? There’s a great scene where they meet what appears to be Anassa’s husband and Claret immediately wants to kill him. This scene was super fun to read because these vile lady villains oozed character, I just wish they got to more often. Helene and Ophelia are also such interesting characters, they get to mirror the girls and show what they could become. Helene is a legend that has been whitewashed over time, whereas Ophelia is stuck repeating her most iconic lines and actions.
I would also like to note that Claret’s hair is described as blonde, despite being red on the cover. This is not a continuity error, her hair gets dyed roughly halfway through the book. Though, there are far less knives to the throat after that.
I fully intend on purchasing a finished copy, as I’d love to reread this (perhaps after learning more about Lady MacBeth and Klytemnestra) and see what changed and stayed the same. Overall, I had a great time, I always wanted to find out what happened next. This falls into a similar boat as First Kill, not perfect, but so, so entertaining.
I’m rating this a 4 for Netgalley and Goodreads, but more accurately it’s a 3.5. I also lost the notes I took while reading as I deleted the book on my device before starting to write my review (rookie mistake), so I might forget some details or leave out something by accident.
Vile Lady Villains was not really what I was expecting. I’m not the most familiar with Greek/Roman mythology and legend (past my Percy Jackson obsession in middle school) and have literally never read any Shakespeare, so most of what I know about Klytemnestra and Lady MacMeth come from cultural osmosis. After the authors note, VLV really just throws you in. Lady MacBeth’s perspective begins at the end of her tale, while Klytemnestra’s is just beginning with her murdering her husband. This is both good and bad, as for people familiar with their stories, exposition setting up these characters and their background is going to feel redundant and boring. Whereas for folks like me with less in depth knowledge, it feels like you’re reading a sequel, where you already know and care for the established characters.
Their characterisation was hit or miss for me as well. I can’t speak to their “out-of-character”-ness but something felt off about Lady MacBeth. The three witches, or the Fates (which I found the combination of these roles incredibly clever and fitting), say that with the two of them together, there’s nothing they cannot accomplish or get through. But in truth, Lady MacBeth is too soggy kitten to be useful. Klytemnestra seemed at first to be the more physical character. She wields a knife, she does more fighting and takes more action in situations. It seemed to me like Lady MacBeth would become the smooth talker of sorts, showing the dichotomy of their villainy, the careful planning of Lady MacBeth against the vengeful violence of Klytemnestra. But then you have scenes of speaking and, again, Klytemnestra takes the more active role. Lady MacBeth will think, or occasionally insult or question, but Klytemnestra is who really makes things happen. It made the dual perspective feel quite imbalanced.
The characters also seemed to only exist within the scene, if that makes sense. They did not think or really internally struggle with their past (and, in some cases, future) actions unless specifically prompted. I did not come away from this book knowing all that much more about Lady MacBeth or Klytemnestra. I don’t even remember the name of the daughter Agamemnon sacrificed, despite this appearing to be pivotal for Klytemnestra. This should’ve begun right before Lady MacBeth seemingly killed herself, her absolute lowest moment, but with how much plot is introduced, it’s like all of it went to the wayside. Both characters desperately want to get home, but I have no idea why. From what has been presented to be about their pasts, they seem better off here. It made it difficult to follow the story. Despite this, it was incredibly entertaining, I cannot deny.
I want to note that Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra are renamed within the book to Anassa and Claret. There’s a great scene where Klytemnestra asks Lady MacBeth for her name, for which she responds “Lady MacBeth.” Klytemnestra declares that she doesn’t want her husband's name, but the woman's own. Lady MacBeth has no answer, she even says she doesn’t remember. To me, this is great. It speaks to a depersonalization of Lady MacBeth, she has no identity outside of her husband and their ambitions, while also showing she is a character, one that doesn’t exist outside of the manuscript of MacBeth. This makes Klytemnestra’s renaming of her to Anassa, meaning queen, really fitting and just a great moment. I have no complaints with this choice. Klytemnestra, on the other hand, does not need to be renamed. Perhaps there’s something I’m missing, but I don’t see the point of the renaming. It works as a nickname, Lady MacBeth must follow the “path of claret,” meaning blood, and she finds Klytemnestra (covered in blood). Badabing badaboom, Klytemnestra becomes Claret. I just don’t think it was necessary. Maybe in a sort of “they become more than what they were written to be” way, but like, she has a name. I’ll stop ragging on it, but I would like to see what others think. Going forward, I will be calling them by their new names (they’re much easier to spell and my autocorrect is failing me).
Anassa and Claret are undeniably super cute. There’s some anachronisms, especially with how Anassa thinks about Claret’s appearance. I wish I could quote, but lets just say, it’s a lot of talk about curves and hips. Which, I get you girl, but should I really be relating to an 11th century Scottish noblewoman in this way? There’s a great scene where they meet what appears to be Anassa’s husband and Claret immediately wants to kill him. This scene was super fun to read because these vile lady villains oozed character, I just wish they got to more often. Helene and Ophelia are also such interesting characters, they get to mirror the girls and show what they could become. Helene is a legend that has been whitewashed over time, whereas Ophelia is stuck repeating her most iconic lines and actions.
I would also like to note that Claret’s hair is described as blonde, despite being red on the cover. This is not a continuity error, her hair gets dyed roughly halfway through the book. Though, there are far less knives to the throat after that.
I fully intend on purchasing a finished copy, as I’d love to reread this (perhaps after learning more about Lady MacBeth and Klytemnestra) and see what changed and stayed the same. Overall, I had a great time, I always wanted to find out what happened next. This falls into a similar boat as First Kill, not perfect, but so, so entertaining.
May 15, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the eARC! In exchange for the ARC, I am leaving an honest review.
This book was an interesting concept! When I first began reading it, it was okay, but then it took a turn about halfway through and it pulled me in. The world-building was so creative and unique with the magical doors and portals, and characters from stories being able to interact with other characters and their own authors. There were lots of references to classic books, especially Shakespeare, which I absolutely loved as a Shakespeare fan!
The romance between Anassa and Claret was so lovely and these characters developed well through the story, especially Claret. However, I personally was not too big of a fan of Anassa and the part with Gruoch did not make much sense. I wished there was more with Claret and her world rather than Anassa's.
Otherwise, this was a great read, especially if you love classic retellings, sapphic romance, and world hopping through portals.
This book was an interesting concept! When I first began reading it, it was okay, but then it took a turn about halfway through and it pulled me in. The world-building was so creative and unique with the magical doors and portals, and characters from stories being able to interact with other characters and their own authors. There were lots of references to classic books, especially Shakespeare, which I absolutely loved as a Shakespeare fan!
The romance between Anassa and Claret was so lovely and these characters developed well through the story, especially Claret. However, I personally was not too big of a fan of Anassa and the part with Gruoch did not make much sense. I wished there was more with Claret and her world rather than Anassa's.
Otherwise, this was a great read, especially if you love classic retellings, sapphic romance, and world hopping through portals.
May 2, 2026
Shakespeare familiarities, but in a much sexier and fun way! I really enjoyed the writing in this story, it felt unique and not quite a Shakespeare retelling. These women, Claret and Anassa did such villainous things but with their tension and overly-stabby inclinations, they were endearing to me. I wish their romance had gone deeper because I wanted more, but it was cute. The side characters were fantastic and left me wanting more time with them. The definition of feminine rage was woven throughout this story really well and it was quite satisfying.
Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 6, 2026
Many thanks to the folks at Union Square for providing this ebook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!!
***
Shakespeare be like I'M RUNNING AROUND DREAM SPACE WITH A PACK OF WILD LESBIANS
Jokes aside, I loved this book. It's like Marvel's Loki but with lesbians and ravens, cool cloaks, shadow demons, skulls and a lot of stabbing.
The writing style alone is marvelous and I think Danai is definitely someone to keep out eyes on from here on out. Being a non native English speaker myself Danai's writing was beautiful.
The romance, the action, the literary implications, the gender rebellion, the feminism and the queerness. All of it. Great.
Anassa and Claret have my heart and I'm glad I got to meet them in my lifetime.
This book contains topics that could trigger sensitive readers like: abuse of power, violence, gore, death, suicide attempt, murder and sexual content.
***
Shakespeare be like I'M RUNNING AROUND DREAM SPACE WITH A PACK OF WILD LESBIANS
Jokes aside, I loved this book. It's like Marvel's Loki but with lesbians and ravens, cool cloaks, shadow demons, skulls and a lot of stabbing.
The writing style alone is marvelous and I think Danai is definitely someone to keep out eyes on from here on out. Being a non native English speaker myself Danai's writing was beautiful.
The romance, the action, the literary implications, the gender rebellion, the feminism and the queerness. All of it. Great.
Anassa and Claret have my heart and I'm glad I got to meet them in my lifetime.
This book contains topics that could trigger sensitive readers like: abuse of power, violence, gore, death, suicide attempt, murder and sexual content.
Did Not Finish
May 8, 2026Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
At the beginning I really enjoyed this book and thought the writing style was so beautiful. However by about 34% I started to lose interest in the story. I tried my best to get back into it but I just couldn't. In some chapters I felt a bit lost and didn't know what they were talking about. Maybe I will give it another chance in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
At the beginning I really enjoyed this book and thought the writing style was so beautiful. However by about 34% I started to lose interest in the story. I tried my best to get back into it but I just couldn't. In some chapters I felt a bit lost and didn't know what they were talking about. Maybe I will give it another chance in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews