Review: Queen Hereafter (A Novel of Lady Macbeth)

TL;DR

• Overall rating: 4/5

• Genre: Historical fiction

• Length: 352 pages in print; 12 hours, 16 minutes in audio format

• One-sentence summary: In the origin story of one of Shakespeare's most iconic characters, an ambitious and fiercely loving woman in medieval Scotland is driven to seize power, but must pay a heavy price for her ambition.

• Tough topics: Murder happens "on screen" more than once, but none of it is graphic. There is some near sexual assault.

• Read-alikes: Circe, by Madeline Miller; Travelers Along the Way, by Aminah Mae Safi; As I Descended, by Robin Talley

• Available formats: Electronic, via the Sora app or at SoraApp.com

Shakespeare's plays are a treasure trove of unforgettable characters, but none so iconic as the scheming Lady Macbeth. Rather than being a retelling, Queen Hereafter serves as a prequel, delving into the formative years of the real-life historical figure behind Lady Macbeth: Gruoch ingen Boite, queen consort of 11th-century Scottish king MacBethad mac Findlaích.

I didn't know squat about Gruoch before reading Queen Hereafter, but it turns out that many real details of her life are included in the book. The elements filled in by the author to flesh out the character seem well-researched and totally believable, providing a reasonable explanation for the behavior and actions of Shakespeare's leading lady as we see her in the play Macbeth.

What rocked my socks off? Listening to this gem through LibroFM. The Gaelic names would've left me tongue-tied, but narrator Sara Vickers' lilting Scottish accent added an extra layer of authenticity. All that AND the proceeds of your purchases from LibroFM go straight to the local bookstore of your choice, rather than a faceless corporation like Amazon.

As an ex-English teacher you'd expect me to geek out over this, but honestly, you don't need to be a Shakespeare buff to dig it. Gruoch is a boss lady with her eyes set on queendom and the novel has a hint of magic, some romance, and sword fights--basically, something for everyone! And if you have any interest in European history, Queen Hereafter will send you down a Gruoch-Macbethad research rabbit hole.

If power-couple drama is your jam, but you aren't vibing with the historical elements of Queen Hereafter, try As I Descended, by Robin Talley. It's got that dramatic flair without the historical weight. You can check out my complete review of that one in a previous post. And if you're into Shakespeare, but not The Scottish Play, you might consider some YA lit based on his other works--we have a lot of these titles in the library!