Lady MacBethad

Love, lust, revenge, power – this completely mesmerising debut has it all

Love, lust, revenge, power – this completely mesmerising debut has it all

Suspenseful, atmospheric and full of twists and turns, I loved the brutal backstabbing world that Isabelle Schuler conjures up where only the most ruthless can survive. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

It has everything you need from an immersive, captivating epic, packed with brilliant writing and a suspense-laden plot. There will certainly be a lot more to come from Schuler

Isabelle Schuler’s Lady MacBethad achieves the unthinkable: transforming Shakespeare’s wicked queen into an empathetic heroine. I was transfixed by this wholly convincing tale of Scottish mormaers and machinations

An extraordinary novel about an extraordinary and unforgettable character. Love, revenge, power and lust – Lady MacBethad has it all and is impossible to put down . Gruoch will stay with me for a long time, I loved her.

I loved this fierce and beautifully written book about power, love and destiny. Gruoch is an unforgettable heroine, her determination shines through the pages, and I struggled to put it down. Lady MacBethad is an inspiring, captivating, triumph of a book

Stuck in a violent and male-dominated society, Gruoch MacBethad’s machinations are limitless. Every time her stubborn pride, unwavering ambition, and lust for revenge forced her hand, I was dizzy with intrigue, relief, admiration—and of course growing dread. Schuler’s masterful and captivating imagining of the early life of the real Lady Macbeth—one of history’s much-maligned women—slowly seduces you into turning page after engrossing page until suddenly you’re reading well into the night, holding your breath as the heart-pounding climax unfolds before you. Days later, and there remains this sense of tantalising, aching loss whenever I find myself thinking about the deeply complex yet very relatable Gruoch; I was utterly enthralled by her. Bold, brutal, and full of suspense, this dark and twisty epic is not to be missed

Isabelle Schuler’s Lady MacBethad is a stunning debut, and sure to become an instant classic . Gruoch’s rise to power is utterly absorbing and believable , and she is a compelling and complex character. Schuler’s meticulously researched historical setting weaves history, folklore and literature to create an unputdownable read - even if we know how the story ends, we’re desperate to find out exactly how it began

As far as feminist retellings of traditional stories go, there is little that compares to the wealth of intrigue, exploration and developed depth that Schuler constructs. A wonderful read and highly recommended. It’s very easy to get lost in the world of the great Scottish Queen and her infamous husband

This Scottish Game of Thrones, by a Swiss American Hawaiian film-score writer and actress, is certainly a well-crafted page turner. Isabelle Schuler is skilled in complex plotting, memorable characterisation and in ending every chapter with a tempting twist in the narrative to encourage the reader to move to the next even when there are so many other duties calling. The book entertains

Dazzlingly clever and difficult to put down

Lady Macbethad is a gripping and fiercely feminist reimagining of an extraordinary woman . Gruoch's tale is an utterly compelling and absorbing reframing of the character and the story we think we all know

Exquisitely written, this poetic novel and its unforgettable heroine seems a shoo-in for this year's Women's Prize

The suspense-filled origin story of one of Shakespeare's best-known characters

Brimful with suspense, packed with power plays and sinister subterfuge

Action-packed

This Scottish Game of Thrones , by a [Swiss-American] film-score writer and actress, is certainly a well-crafted page turner. Isabelle Schuler is skilled in complex plotting, memorable characterisation and in ending every chapter with a tempting twist in the narrative to encourage the reader to move to the next even when there are so many other duties calling. The book entertains

Lady Macbethad by Isabelle Schuler is an action-packed historical tale and a reimagining of the life of the Scottish queen who inspired the story of Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth

Isabelle Schuler is a Swiss-American actress, writer and former bookseller. Her latest self-penned short film, I Am A Unicorn , is currently playing at festivals in the UK, US and Europe. She has a BA in Journalism and her screenplay Queen Hereafter was longlisted by the Thousand Films Screenwriting Competition in 2019. In 2020, Schuler adapted Queen Hereafter into her debut novel, Lady MacBethad .