The time period was captured well, and I was impressed by the author's knowledge of how medieval castles were organized and the different roles that various servants played. Sure, the antiquated style is perhaps a little disorienting at times, but I felt that the outdated language (''Tis,' ''Twas,' etc.) was important to capturing the time period and, more importantly, Shakespeare's style. The writing style, for example, is well done and pleasant to read. There were plenty of things that I thought the author did well. This book isn't a total disaster, hence the two stars. This book should have been right up my alley. I'm also a history buff who is at least somewhat interested in the mundane details of medieval Scotland.

Even better, it was about the character of Lady Macbeth in summary, it made an argument about why she was a complex and sympathetic character, an argument that - without giving too much away - definitely connects to some of the themes in this book.īeyond that, I am typically a big fan of alternate retellings, particularly when they bring something new or exciting to the table. Not only was I an English major in college, my senior research paper was actually written about Macbeth. I do, in fact, have an appreciation for Shakespeare, and Macbeth is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays.

This was the kind of book I should have liked. I'm pretty much the exact reader this type of book would be targeted toward, and this book just didn't work for me. Unfortunately, there's also a chance that you won't. If the answer to these questions is yes, then there's a chance you might like this book. Do you like Shakespeare? Specifically, Macbeth? More importantly, are you a fan of alternate retellings? How about medieval Scotland?

The third witch by rebecca reisert