Vile Lady Villains

by Danai Christopoulou

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 choice: remain within the confines of their original tales …

Or burn down the world to pen a new story together . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, Horror, Queer, LGBT, Romance, Adult

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 2, 2026

About the author

Danai 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, comes out in the UK with Penguin Michael Joseph in April 2026, in the US with Union Square & Co in May 2026, and in Greece with Anubis Books. 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...

Reviews

[Ricarda]

Title: intriguing.
Characters: murderous.
Cover: definitely not straight.
Verdict: I will be reading.

[Leonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️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.

[AR · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[⋆ forest ˖]

THIS COVER???? HELLO??? 😫

[Aila Krisse · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[melbareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[blank ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺]

got the ARC <3

[T.L. Coughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Kiara Mars · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lady Olenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[louise ʚଓ · Rating 3 out of 5]

| rating: 2.5 stars

Full review to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the advanced reader copy!

[Lianne Dubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[rachel x]

"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

[lorenzodulac · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this incredible book!

Vile Lady Villans is such a lively, well-written novel. It was a magical blend of a lot of various elements that I adore: crossing the 4th wall, feminine rage & power, and retellings. Two very prominent female characters get the opportunity to redefine their narratives, without men. They go on a journey of absolute pure discovery that leads them to one another and to the truth of who they are.

The pacing was fantastic. I never found myself getting bored because the author was consistently adding something fresh to the story, whether that be a rich description or introduction of a new character/concept. What made it so fantastic is that everything was relevant to the plot and the driving point of the story. I wasn't at risk of being distracted or overwhelemed.

The characters were also so well-represented. Anassa and Claret both have their own distinctive personalities, including strengths and weaknesses that lovingly play off one another. The romance was so lush and gooey and REAL! The gradual build up and increase of not just love, but mutual admiration, was so beautiful. I highly reccomend!

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC for this novel. All thoughts are my own.

“If someone were to tear my bones apart, would they find a heap of words inside, my marrow made up of long monologues and ink?”

Never has there been a book more catered to me, specifically. This story has everything, Greek mythology, Shakespeare, beautiful writing and a deep, reverent love for stories and how they change over time.

I really liked this a lot, the merging the forebears of Western Literature, focusing specifically on Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth, two singularly murderous women, finding their own stories and their own peace within one another.

Vile Lady Villains is more internal than it is a traditional Hero’s Journey and it’s also extremely meta. Not only are we merging Klytemnestra’s and Lady Macbeth’s tales, we are also exploring how these stories came to be. We explore Scottish castles and ancient liminal spaces, meeting the Moirai, the wielders of fate, and so many familiar characters, amongst the gorgeous narratives spun by Danai Christopolou.

It was so exciting and refreshing to read something that builds upon Greek mythology, by a Greek author. I often get frustrated with the Anglo-centric narratives spun by modern retellers, and in this novel, even this is referenced by one of the characters, a sort of custodian of stories.

There is a preface that provides the reader with the source material of the works of literature beforehand, but I have a bit of an obsession with the Mycenaean sagas and some of these would provide a little more context surrounding the events of Klytemnestra, and also touching on some of the supporting characters in the story ^.^

pre/post reading list:
- The Iliad
- Iphigenia (1977 film), cacoyannis
- The Oresteia, Aeschylus
- Elektra, Euripides
- Macbeth, William Shakespeare
- Hamlet, William Shakespeare

[Ifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss for an advanced reader copy of this book.

3.5 stars - There was a lot that drew me to this book! A gothic, horromantasy between two villains from different stories that are being hunted by monsters. The premise sounded intriguing, and I did overall enjoy it, however the middle moved slower for me. I think I had an expectation of how it might go but it didn’t quite go that way.

I liked both Claret and Anassa (Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth) and thought it was intriguing to explore some parts of their stories. The additional side characters were an interesting part of it. The banter between Claret and Anassa was fun especially their first encounter, I think I wish I just got a little more from the romance. However it was fun to read both of their perspectives!

Overall I liked this and had a good time reading it!

[Marisa Urgo]

I can't wait!!

[Tia]

Tell me more. Immediately.

[Elena_19_02 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC! Honest review is written in Italian, my mother language🇮🇹


2.75 forse?⭐️Beh allora… diciamo che ho capito senza capire??? Ma è un problema probabilmente mio🧍 ero intrigata dalla premessa letteraria perche io nei retelling e ispirazioni ci casco sempre AHHAAHAHA. Però l’aggettivo migliore per descriverlo secondo me è camp, perché pescare due personaggi da opere e tempi diversi e metterli insieme in una storia avventurosa e romantica con il classico “books on books”, è una cosa volutamente weird ed è una mia opinione non averla apprezzata del tutto. Pensavo fosse un intreccio di un altro tipo anziché proprio… portali e viaggi nel tempo da una storia all’altra?


Forse avrei apprezzato addirittura di più una svolta moderna, per quanto sempre nel fantasy, perché loro che passavano da Shakespeare chiamato per cognome, a lui chiamato col nome Will, a personaggi di Amleto come Ophelia, a Elena di Troia, alla tipa che gestisce le storie che per me non aveva grande fascino… ecco forse è un appoggiarsi alle opere originali un po’ troppo🧍almeno per me. Sicuramente è fatto apposta, una meta narrazione saltando in questi mondi perché l’intento è quello di scrivere di personaggi femminili resi ingiustamente villains, come dice il titolo, che nel solo aggettivo “Vile” e “Lady” affianco a villains, sembra quasi ironico nel sottolineare l’ingiustizia patriarcale con cui i personaggi femminili sono stati creati.



In alcune versioni Clitemnestra uccide per gelosia di Cassandra, nuova concubina di Agamennone, ma in quella di Eschilo seguita dall’autrice, per fortuna greca (OH per una volta che un‘ispirazione/retelling di personaggi dei miti viene fatta da chi conosce quelle storie😭😭e non le mille americane nella moda recente), uccide per vendicarsi si Agamennone che ha sacrificato la figlia Ifigenia.
In Amleto invece, Lady Macbeth è semplicemente la cattiva che manipola il marito a compiere gli omicidi; ho apprezzato molto questa scelta e la specificazione nella nota che, addirittura, non ha nemmeno un nome— non ho mai capito la venerazione delle lettrici, soprattutto, verso questo personaggio a detta loro complesso e dark, cioè, sicuramente lo è, ma mi sembra la fissa degli ultimi anni di rivedersi in donne wannabe ✨diverse dalle altre✨(un altro modo di distaccarsi con snobismo nella vibe femminista, per quanto possa capire totalmente la rivendicazione di personaggi più importanti), dimenticando che è scritta da un uomo del 1500 ed è guarda caso resa l’antagonista con convenienza. Come dice l’autrice nella nota, il suo suicidio è solo ipotizzato perché è forse fuori dal palcoscenico teatrale, questa è l’importanza🤡 e ciò non toglie il fascino o fare propri certi personaggi in modo moderno, ma appunto venerarli nell’origine anche no. È il pensiero che avevo sviluppato anche quando ho letto Lady Macbeth di Ava Reid, che non è minimamente un libro perfetto ma non capivo le critiche al “rendere meno oscura Lady Macbeth”, perché la complessità di quel ruolo non è esente da sessismo🤷

(Tutto questo lo dico da amante di Macbeth, Shakespeare e altri classici, ma così era la vita)



Quello che invece non ho apprezzato di quella nota, e che mi aveva già fatta capire che questo libro non sarebbe stato per me, è la specifica “dagger to the throat”, ripesa anche nei Ringraziamenti, che purtroppo OH AMICI, NON È PER FARE LA SNOB GIURO, MA MI STA STANCANDOOOOO😭😭😭da quando abbiamo deciso di rendere ancora più preminenti e ripetitivi i micro-tropes in singole scene e movimenti, sono scuse per far andare avanti la coppia così. Non mi attacco alla singola frase usata per hype dall’autrice (quel “daggers as a love language” mi ha un po’ fatto ridere però💀), ma all’azione che si porta dietro inevitabilmente, cioè delle scrittrici che le inseriscono apposta perché ormai fanno figo, la scena tipica dà tensione sessuale e quindi è da spuntare in automatico. Avrò visto forse un paio di volte al massimo questa scena fatta bene e con motivazione, anche io ho il mio appeal per certe scene ma non può essere specificato a tal punto, una cosa così minima in particolare, come il coltello alla gola, non dà sostanza se pensata così💀



Comunque, questo per dire che l’intento era iper specifico, e in questo caso, lo ammetto, comunque meglio di altri libri fatti solo di tropes. In versione romantasy e con vibe misteriosa, anche queste cose molto dirette sono un modo, per Danai Christopoulou, di ribaltare con lente femminista due delle figure bistrattate della letteratura, azione su cui ora molte artiste stanno lavorando, con le conoscenze moderne che abbiamo


“mostly, this is a story about stories: about what would happen if two characters from very different tales (yet so alike, in many ways) met each other outside the margins of their given space by their original creators. What would happen it these characters, written as vile, written as villains, got a second chance not only at life but at love?
Would they repent for their crimes? Would
they be nicer?
Or would they burn down the world together?”



Il messaggio è chiaramente bello, ma appunto questo miscuglio da una storia all’altra non l’ho particolarmente apprezzato. L’ho letto come fosse una fan fiction, cioè “what if due personaggi che tutti conosciamo fossero saffiche e stessero insieme combattendo gli uomini?”😅 d’altronde su Ao3 esiste di tutto, inclusi tag di ship di personaggi storici esistenti LMAOOO quindi perché non una cosa così. Forse metterle entrambe non ha aiutato, sarebbe stato più bilanciato un retelling separato di Clitemnestra e di Lady Macbeth che hanno anche delle amanti donne (ad esempio per la prima poteva essere proprio Cassandra, per l’ironia che è proprio “posseduta” da Agamennone nell’originale). Immagino che sul momento i suoi agenti avranno accolto meglio un’idea così perché, in un mare di retelling ultimamente, quelli sulle singole figure sono più comuni e, come l’esempio citato —proprio sullo stesso soggetto—, non sempre vengono bene e le lettrici (femminile sovraesteso voluto, siamo sempre noi a interessarci di queste nuove versioni al solo nome del personaggio🦵) si stanno stufando.

Però ecco, per me c’è tanta originalità quanta confusione. A proposito di storie “diverse” rivendicate, ultimamente la narrazione female rage si sta diffondendo molto, e anche di quella, una volta abusata appiccicandoci le parole, rimane poco. Qui le motivazioni sono ben chiari, i personaggi partono con questo messaggio ed è tutto meta narrativo con i nomi anche delle altre comparse, ma è comunque iper letterale. So dall’inizio che queste due vogliono vendicarsi e spesso ripercorrono le stesse o simili scene… per questo motivo dico che magari sarebbe stata un’idea alternativa estrapolare i soggetti e metterli in altro contesto o cambiare lo stesso, anziché mescolare tutto. C’è un po’ troppo copia e incolla e ripetitività in un concetto che è chiaro dalla sola trama😅. Non posso dire che non sia legittima female rage, ma è più volontà che lineare esecuzione, secondo me


Perlomeno oh, complimenti allo stile di scrittura: l’autrice è greca e non madrelingua inglese, nei ringraziamenti ha detto di averla imparata e apprezzata col tempo e scrivere così bene, con un lessico ricco e fluido, non è da poco! La sintassi era davvero bella✋


Detto ciò, è un’esagerazione che può avere interesse ma non tanto su di me, che con queste cose un po’ volutamente assurde ho problemi io🚶. Anzi, se fosse stata una storia comica e sopra le righe l’avrei apprezzato di più, perché l’avrei presa come spirito ironico e al contempo critico del sessismo, e questa campyness avrebbe funzionato sospendendo la credibilità. In più non sono fatta per i libri bookworm-friendly, potremmo chiamarli? Non è un cozy book ovvio, ma i libri in cui il concetto stesso di storia e scrittura è presente in modo… sognante, quasi, mi annoiano, lo trovo un modo troppo fazioso a meno che non si vuole il reminder di quanto si ama leggere. Che ci sta eh
ADORO la meta narrazione come tecnica, ma quando è una struttura complessa o metaforica di qualcos’altro. Qui, al posto della “Mistress of House of Books” con personaggi di libri che sembrano citazioni l’un l’altro, avrei creato un mondo fantasy, anche semplice per carità, in cui le due ricadono e magari devono uscirne con le loro conoscenze; non tipo… vedere Elena di Troia, Ophelia e le protagoniste NEL TARTARO contemporaneamente CAPITE💀💀. Non trovo il senso logico se non “avventura nel mondo dei libri” fatta per essere tale, che ci sta se piace, ma è molto “facilona”

Quel che è certo poi è che il tag horror che ho visto su Storygraph è un po’ too much, va benissimo gothic romantasy come definizione nella sinossi LOL non c’è niente di così spaventoso e non segue i tópoi di quel genere

Per assurdo, anzi, in virtù di quest’assurdità per giocare con l’avverbio, ne verrebbe fuori un bel film: costumi scenici, pomposi, un contrasto voluto con le scenografie dal 1500 all’Antica Grecia, una comedy che nel nostro periodo storico, in cui la ripresa di soggetti precedenti è troppo spesso una leva sulla nostalgia con piattezza culturale, sarebbe invece un’idea utile allo scopo femminista, con ritmo e directed by a woman🫣🤗 (Hollywood ascoltami, vista la situazione di noia e copia nei film di alto budget degli ultimi anni pls🫥)



Intanto, mi ha comunque ricordato la triste villainizzazione delle donne nelle storia, e l’unione saffica nel combattere i mariti tremendi è un altro trope che sta parzialmente nascendo nelle narrazioni di nicchia👀. Come dice l’autrice nella nota iniziale: “he had it coming”🤷😔🕺🩸🌈

[Siavahda · Rating 2 out of 5]

*received a copy from Netgalley, doesn't affect my opinions, etc*

Friends, I’m as stunned as you are, but I couldn’t stand this book. I made it to 21% only by forcing myself; I wanted out already after the third chapter.

The premise is obviously magnificent, but the execution can’t do it justice. To begin with, Christopoulou demurely leaves the murders committed by both protagonists off-page, which is a massive red flag for me when you’re writing about villains; it’s a bad sign that an author isn’t really willing/going to engage with the villainy of the characters. And sure enough, both Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth are swiftly shown to be…overly sympathetic, even as Christopoulou doesn’t want to let go of the idea of unrepentantly badass female villains: the result is their personalities flip-flopping back and forth from Villain to Victim, moment by moment even within a single scene. The first-person present-tense narration makes it worse, adding to the erratic jerkiness of the characters’ thoughts and actions, both of them doing and saying things at random, completely disconnected from what they were doing/thinking just a few sentences prior. It’s maddening and boring at the same time, and makes it impossible for the reader to get a sense of who these characters are – because they’re NOT coherent characters. They’re messes.

Adding to the declawing of what SHOULD be incredible characters is the way in which Christopoulou has them both either ignoring or oblivious to very obvious questions, in their surroundings and in what’s happening to them. These are two women so deviously brilliant we’re still saying their names centuries and centuries later – so why, here, are they just…kinda dumb? They’re constantly jumping to conclusions with no evidence, making assumptions with no basis, and not demanding answers to what’s happening. At one point Klytemnestra’s dagger is supernaturally heating as she presses it against Lady Macbeth – who notices, but doesn’t want to think about it. That kind of thing keeps happening, and it made me want to tear my hair out.

And look – I hate the nicknames. I like that they gave each other nicknames, but the ones they choose are Not Great, imo. Klytemnestra dubs Lady Macbeth ‘Anassa’, ancient Greek for ‘queen’…which, given that it’s a response to discovering Lady Macbeth is a queen without a name of her own, feels pretty stupid since it’s just perpetuating the queen-with-no-name thing. ‘A queen without a name; I’ll name her queen.’ What??? Lady Macbeth decides to call Klytemnestra ‘claret’, and look, you can tell me that it means ‘blood’ as often as you like, but since I live in 2026 I’m still hearing ‘red Bordeaux wine’ every time instead, and the effect is really jarring.

Speaking of jarring: if you dropped Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth’s dialogue into a contemporary novel, no one would blink. No, they’re not using modern slang or anything, but still, nothing about their speech is, for lack of a better term, ‘old-timey’. I wasn’t expecting Lady Macbeth to only speak in iambic pentameter or anything (can you imagine???) but I expected SOMETHING. And the lack is disappointing and really odd: it took me a while to work out what about the dialogue was niggling at me, but it was bothering me from the start.

Several other reviews have mentioned flowery prose, and I would like to correct that: this is an ATTEMPT at flowery prose. Occasionally a turn of phrase or a specific image is genuinely lovely, but mostly it’s a barrage of alliteration (listen, I love alliteration, but you can overdo it and my gods this author has overdone it) and overly complex or just-slightly-off-kilter phrasing that kept making me twitch. It’s like music that’s just slightly out of tune; I can’t not-hear it and it completely destroyed any chance I had of enjoying the prose. (This aside from the fact that I generally hate first-person present-tense, and it’s very hard to make first-person present-tense flowery in a way that’s both effective and natural.)

Quotes taken from my review copy, so there’s no guarantee they’ll be in the published edition!

We are no longer alone here. Yet I quite preferred it when we were. Because this moaning mist of darkness that approaches us at breakneck speed appears much less likely to reason with. Or to poison. Or to survive. A cloying smell of rotting roses permeates the air.

That’s two counts of alliteration in one paragraph, but my main issue is ‘much less likely to reason with’. What? The mist is…less likely to reason with? That’s nonsensical. What are you talking about? With the way it’s set up, we’re meant to make sentences out of the later points, so in ours heads it should be ‘appears much less likely to poison’ and ‘much less likely to survive’. These are also nonsensical.

The rose scent dissipates, replaced by the sea’s salty ordinariness.

‘salty ordinariness’???

A force I must be very careful how to handle, lest it burns me to a crisp.

‘A force I must handle carefully’ would have been perfect.

Claret turns to look at me, her brown eyes almost yellow in this light, a bird of prey whose plumpness must not be confused for lack of sharpness.

‘lack of sharpness’??? Why not something like ‘gentleness’ or ‘sweetness’ or whatever?

There are also weird moments where the issue is not the prose, but the author losing track of where everyone is in the scene – Klytemnestra realises Lady Macbeth is drowning because only LM’s hands are still on the surface of the water. But Klytemnestra has to dive down deep to rescue her, and swim upwards with LM for a decent distance to get back to air. Which makes no sense; unless her body is as long as a giraffe’s neck, if LM’s hands are at the surface of the water she hasn’t gone very deep. So why the diving?

Prose/writing aside, there’s not much to enjoy elsewhere in the book either. Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth’s first meeting is a ‘comedy’ (I cannot emphasise the quote marks enough) of jumping-to-conclusions-with-no-evidence; the magical realm they find themselves in is just a corridor full of doors that won’t open, and when they finally get somewhere, it’s a random beach. There’s lots of running and swimming and walking trying to get somewhere, and while the similes try to be flowery, there are no interesting or beautiful visuals for us in the characters’ surroundings. The book feels like it’s on fast-forward, but at the same time, nothing is happening. (From reading the reviews of others who did finish the book, it looks like that continues past the point where I stopped.) Where is the magic? The fantasy? This was billed as a ‘horrormance’; where’s the horror? If you’re the right kind of nerd you’ll pick up on various easter eggs, references and nods to Klytemnestra’s lore and Lady Macbeth’s play; conflating Macbeth’s three witches with the Greek Fates is nice, but it’s not mindblowing and I can’t see it impressing other hardcore ancient Greek/Shakespeare fans – for us it’s a pretty obvious move, yes?

I would still love a ginormous poster of the (UK) cover for my wall; it’s stunning. But there’s nothing inside the book that makes me want to continue reading; nothing I’ve seen in other people’s reviews that make me thing it’s worth pushing on.

Major disappointment.

[Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

There wasn’t a bone in my body that went into this thinking I was going to do anything but love this. Unfortunately I’ve go to say I just didn’t.

We’ll start with the good as always.

I loved Anassa and Claret. There’s nothing slow burn about them and I loved the immediacy the author gives them. There’s no waiting around and in the context of this adrenaline and uncertainty, I found this worked really really well.

Vile Lady Villains is very meta and while a bit peculiar I really enjoyed that. There’s plenty of nods to offpage stuff that feel quite fun, and there’s a number of reveals that can easily get the Shakespeare/Greek myth-buffs really excited.

This is very meandering, but there’s enough interesting world and plot here that I didn’t find this frustrating where it might have been in another setting. The author does a fabulous job of writing his and very powerful characters, she absolutely nails the ancient, dangerous voice especially with Shepherd.

Unfortunately, I also struggled a lot.

This was just so bogged down by prose, and I’m someone who absolutely adores prose-packed books. But nothing here was said simply, every description had to be packed with description and metaphor and simile. Don’t get me wrong, it was all stunning. But there comes a point where it just got exhausting to read, when you’ve got to reread everything to get to a very simple point.

There were so many passages, particularly in the action scenes where I was just frustrated. Bits that could have been so impactful if the author had pulled the punches on her prose and give weight instead of beauty to her writing.

Pacing was also something I really struggled with.

This book is, for the most part, a dual point of view, which is my favourite kind of writing. However, the author insists on ending every single chapter with a cliffhanger. Great in theory, but when the next chapter must always be the alternating perspective, and the author insists on picking up the really cool ending plot point from the previous chapter a good few pages into the next, it doesn’t prolong or emphasise anticipation. It makes it putter out like cheap candles under gentle breezes.

Quite a bit of this read like the author wrote with her word count off and realised at the last minute she was close to the max word count. Because whereas there’s enormous amounts of page space taken up on describing and redescribing appearance and motive and just how hot Anassa/Claret are. We hit the final 10% and suddenly everything shifts into eleventh gear and not in a good way unfortunately.

The climax feels rushed, everything we’ve been working toward feels far too neatly tied together. Plot points begin just piling together and characters dropped a couple hundred pages earlier, Hercules, the Gods etc suddenly remember they’ve got plot relevance. It just happens all too quickly and without enough stakes to leave me with any sort of impact.

I went to the Goodreads page before writing this and find this is classed as horror/thriller. I’m sorry to say it is neither when it could have so well been both. Aside from murder there’s no real horror elements and this was far too dragging to be classed as thriller. Fantasy? Yes, romance? Overwhelmingly.

But the author doesn’t lean into either genre interestingly enough to this book to have a real impact unfortunately.

And then there’s the issue of the 40-year-old newborns. If not already immensely obvious, this follows Lady Macbeth and Klymenestra. Characters even my baby brother who’s reading starts and ends at Captain Underpants when he was eleven, probably knows the names of. These (among others, Ophelia, Helene, as well as the nonfictional like Shakespeare or Marlowe) are characters with so much canonical and non canonical writing on them.

Yet from page one it’s like these pages were the first breaths these characters have ever taken. We enter VLV at the climax of Anassa’s and Claret’s “previous stories” as it were, yet we get no sense of impact emotional or physical on what’s just happened to them. They get so swept up in each other and “fixing” the now, that when you get into the thick of the actual plot, scaffolded on what happens before this book commences, you just… don’t really have any real idea of why. The author begins scrambling to explain motive and morale quite late on when that legwork should have been done earlier.

[Unpopmary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

This is an enemies-to-lovers romance about Lady Macbeth (Anassa), who turns to the three witches for help but accidentally opens a doorway to another realm. There she encounters a woman covered in blood: Klytemnestra (Claret), who has just completed her revenge by killing her husband in the name of her lost daughter. When Claret first sees this strange woman, she assumes she’s some kind of spirit and drives her away. But fate isn’t finished with them yet.

When they meet again in another realm, they’re forced into an uneasy alliance as they try to return to their worlds while escaping the screaming wraiths hunting them down. Their journey eventually leads them to the realm of stories, where an ancient goddess known as the Shepherd promises them safety—and perhaps the key to returning home. But trusting a goddess may come with its own dangers, and both women must decide whether to rely on her… or carve their own path toward freedom.

The premise of this book immediately caught my attention because it felt so original and different from anything I’d read before. Christopoulou builds a world that’s imaginative, layered, and full of mythological and literary references. I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest reader of classics like Shakespeare, so I was a little worried I might miss important context. Thankfully, the author introduces the characters in a way that keeps things understandable. Still, I can imagine that readers who are more familiar with those stories might appreciate the references even more.

At the beginning, the story felt a bit confusing to me because of the constant shifts between different realms. I struggled to figure out where everything was going, which made it harder to connect with the story right away. But around the halfway mark things started falling into place, and that’s when I became much more invested in what was happening.

The characters themselves were one of the strongest parts of the book. Klytemnestra (Claret) quickly became my favorite. She’s fierce, bold, and unapologetically dangerous; a woman who won’t hesitate to stab anyone who threatens her or the people she cares about. But at the same time, she also shows a surprisingly protective and attentive side, especially toward Anassa.

Lady Macbeth (Anassa) took me a bit longer to warm up to because she initially felt distant and fragile. However, watching her transformation throughout the story was incredibly satisfying. As she spends more time with Claret, she slowly grows more confident and begins to take control of her own choices instead of suppressing herself. By the end, her growth is undeniable, and I loved seeing how she becomes someone capable of holding everyone together.

The side characters were also wonderful additions. Ophelia and Helene brought even more depth to the story, and the found-family dynamic that develops between the characters was one of my favorite aspects. Even Will, who didn’t make the best first impression for me, eventually won me over. Each character had a role to play, which made the group feel much more alive and meaningful.

As for the romance, it didn’t fully win me over. I really enjoyed the tension between Claret and Anassa and loved the way their personalities contrasted; "very much like the anchor and the sail". Their relationship develops slowly, and the author clearly takes time building their connection. But by the end, I still felt like I was missing a little emotional depth. Because the plot is constantly moving and the characters are often focused on survival, their relationship sometimes takes a back seat, which made it harder for me to fully feel their bond.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the world Christopoulou created. I especially loved the idea of taking two women who are historically portrayed as villains and giving them a story where they can be powerful, complex, and in control of their own fate. If you’re looking for a fast-paced horromantasy with sapphic tension, morally complex characters, and a strange, whimsical world that keeps you wondering what’s coming next, Vile Lady Villains might be worth picking up.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advance copy from Netgalley
“Vile Lady Villains” by Greek author Danai Christopoulou has been one of my most anticipated reads of this year and since I heard about it. The premise of Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth, sapphic temptations, and more, was enough to make me want to leap at the chance to read the book. It starts off from Lady Macbeth’s point of view, and it immediately transported me to the atmosphere of the parts of the Scottish play where one finds the witches. I have always, through every re-reading or viewing of adaptations, wished I could put the protagonist aside and go “Hey, I want to spend more time with the witches! I want to see what they’re up to!”

The novel starts off with that atmosphere and builds to wonderful highs. And as Lady Macbeth herself states, one has to be cautious around witches, because they can twist your words into intricate knots. So many sentences in this novel will strike the reader with so much intricacy and beauty.

Meanwhile, Klytemnestra gives us an unforgettable introduction. The intensity of her rage is palpable and she has a good reason for it. When readers see how these two women--one a mythological creature possibly based on a real person, and the other, a fictional character from one of Shakespeare's most celebrated plays who was also likely based on real people, activate a doorway and it's wild to see first, Klytemnestra's point of view, and her reactions, and then to get into Lady Macbeth going through the same thing, from her point of view, where she thinks she has opened a portal to hell and that the other woman is a demon.

Klytemnestra, interestingly, thinks that Lady Macbeth is a goddess of some kind—a Trojan goddess perhaps. Although it's not quite love at first sight, these two come up with great names for each other including Anassa, which means queen, and Claret for Klytemnestra.

The richness of the author’s prose comes across, every page a lush garden of exploration. The mood and sense of atmosphere is palpable and engrossed me as a reader. And the pairing of one mythological figure along with a fictional one based on a few historical figures Shakespeare may have drawn from creates an intoxicating elixir that readers will not want to stop imbibing.

There’s the part of me as a reader who pines for intimacy between the characters, but also to see how they get to know each other and build their relationship. This novel has all of that in spades. Sapphic love story at its core, I loved falling in love with Claret and Anassa.

There’s also a lot of wonderful humour at points in the book that help alleviate the tension, like when Lord Macbeth doesn’t quite believe Anassa is his wife.

I also greatly enjoyed the sense of taking such a famous female character, someone like Lady Macbeth, and not simply re-telling the story of the Scottish play from her lens. This book has an entirely different tension and trajectory. The main question is not whether Lady Macbeth will help her husband become king. It’s a re-imagining and I loved it.

It’s not going to be so easy to dispatch Lord Macbeth, as it turns out. There is plenty of magic and mayhem in these pages to keep readers satisfied.

And there’s a surprising character who helps but also hinders both characters, which keeps things interesting.

The Greek mythology parts were a complete joy. Klytemnestra’s strength, resiliency, and badass attitude shone strongly throughout this text, and it also fused all the things I loved about English & Scottish history in the era for Lady Macbeth’s part.

Overall, I think this is going to be one of the most unique sapphic romantasy books that readers should definitely pick up this year, and it is a heralding from an author of whose works I hope we see many more of!

[star · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vile Lady Villains was one of my most anticipated releases of my year, so I want to thank NetGalley, Union Square & Co. as well as Danai Christopoulou for the advanced reader's copy! This book didn't only catch my attention because it's sapphic, but because of how inventive and refreshing the premise of this book is. Using two well known figures, Klytemnestra and Lady Macbeth, and giving them their own story that's filled with fantastical elements sounds brilliant to me.

This book felt very accesible to me, so while Klytemnestra's part felt much more familiar to me than that of Lady Macbeth, the characters get their own names, Claret and Anassa, and are introduced and characterised at the beginning. I also found the writing style to be accessible, it's one of my favorite aspects of the book as it's quite lyrical and descriptive in nature but it never felt overwhelming or purple, it kept a clear tone at all times. I especially liked Anassa's voice. Lastly, I do love fantasy, horror and historical stories and so I found this story to be refreshing and unique in all three aspects. While it uses aspects that have certainly been used in fantasy before, it tries to use them in novel ways and plays with the narrative which I liked. I really loved the way the author played with the perception of time and how meta it was at times.

Now to some points that I didn't enjoy. I love this idea of taking two already existing characters and retelling their story in a way that hasn't been done a lot before. It's not your typical feminist retelling of a greek myth, I have to say that. Though I feel like more could have been done with the premise. Klytemnestra is from Ancient Greece, while Lady Macbeth originated from the early 17th century. That's a huge difference in time and I feel like that could have been highlighted more. Their narrative voices were way too similar, and while there's a magical explanation given, I think it would have been cool if both characters would have been stylised more to sound more different from each other in the way they speak and think. For my taste, the characters were way too normal about going back and forth in time as much as they did.

Another major problem was the pacing. I really struggled multiple times throughout reading this and I think it didn't help that the chapters were so short and it always changed between the two POVs. I felt like I could never be deeply immersed in the story since I was just thrown around between the two.

The side characters also did absolutely nothing for me. There was a lot of potential there and while I knew them from their respective original stories, I don't feel like they had a lot of room to breathe and evolve on the page. While the main characters certainly developed on page, I also struggled with how their relationship was developed at times. It fell victim to telling instead of showing, even when they acted in a way that should show how much they love each other, it could feel stiff at times.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm. This book was a lot weirder than the cover and description led me to believe which would usually be a compliment, but I don't think anything about this story really worked for me.

By a strange twist of the Fates' hands, Lady Macbeth drinks a potion that leaves her stumbling into the story of Klytemnestra, whose husband's blood still stains her hands. The two fall into the realm of stories, fighting off shadow creatures and growing closer as they meet their makers and realize that they may be able to rewrite their own stories.

It didn't occur to me going into this, but I remembered pretty early on that I've actually read/watched Macbeth and The Oresteia which are the texts that inspired this story. I expected that to improve my experience, but I think it might have hurt it. For one, in my mind the characterization is kind of backwards. Christopoulou depicts Lady Macbeth/Anassa as weary but scheming and Klytemnestra/Claret as kind of feral, when I really feel that it's the opposite in the original stories. That and the new names meant that I kept getting the two mixed up. The plot is kind of unusual. I don't have a problem with the meta elements or stories within stories, in fact I usually like those, but the goal of the story is kind of vague and it's not really clear why the plot unfolds the way it does. The scene transitions are kind of abrupt as well. I didn't really understand the romance either. There's kind of instant attraction and a very lukewarm knife-to-the-throat scene and then some suggestions that they might be getting a little closer and then out of nowhere they're kissing and actually they're soulmates. Other than recognizing one another's rage and willingness to do whatever it takes, it's hard to pinpoint what exactly they like about one another.

Weirdly, I'm kind of less sympathetic to these versions of Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra than I was to them in the original stories. I didn't get any sense of Anassa's ambition or the kind of descent she takes, taking things just one step further until she's neck deep in a pit of blood that she can't pull herself out of. Claret's grief is only barely mentioned, and insanely I don't think Aegisthus and Orestes are mentioned once despite being so key to Klytemnestra's story and factors that make her a complex and interesting character. Usually, these kinds of retelling seek to led depth and agency to characters, especially female characters who are often flat or portrayed horribly in older works. I'm not a huge fan of the originals, but I was definitely on the side of Lady Macbeth and Klytemnestra when I read them, and they're just much flatter in this book.

I did think the writing was solid and it's an interesting idea but I don't really understand what this was trying to accomplish and it didn't do what for me would be the bare minimum of fleshing out these characters more than their original works did.

Thank you to Danai Christopoulou and Union Square & Co. for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review.

Happy reading!

[Peyton Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Union Square and Co for the eARC to read and review before release day!

Vile Lady Villains follows Lady Macbeth, nicknamed Anassa, and Klytemnestra, nicknamed Claret, two villainesses, as they come together in a dangerous realm ruled by the Mistress of the House of Books, who is determined to keep them to their original tales, but the two are determined to chart new courses for themselves as they fight through this realm.

3.5 stars! I was really impressed with the interweaving of modern language and the “Shakespearean” style of writing! It was really gorgeous! It helped to root me in the story’s origins while still giving it that modern feel!

With that said, this made for a very lyrical, haunting voice. A lot of the setting and characters descriptions were dreamy in a haunting way. It had a bit of that fever dream quality to it with vivid descriptions that I don’t typically see in other books!

However, I feel like at times, the book relied too heavily on its gorgeous prose. It was very easy to get lost in it and forget where the plot was going. While this is a strength of the author’s, I do wish she would have spent a little less time inside this prose. It began to drag at times, and with how fast the pacing of this book was, I often found myself wondering how the characters got from point A to point B because of how drenched the story was in this prose.

In the first half of the book, the end goal of Anassa and Claret was murky. I understood that to some degree they wanted to get back to their worlds, but pretty quickly it was established that those weren’t their true desires. After that, I found myself wondering what they wanted. What they were striving for. They wanted answers, but the lack of clear and solid motivations until the halfway mark frustrated me a little, and this led to me being less invested in their journeys, despite finding both Anassa and Claret very intriguing!

The second half of the proof hooked me much more! The things that were revealed and the inclusion of certain characters from other well known stories was an interesting blend of choices! The settings were haunting and had me on edge. I almost wish most of the book had taken place in the events of the second half! Anassa and Claret’s relationship was such a beautiful slow burn of confusion and not understanding what they were feeling for one another. It was a gradual trust, to friendship, to love. I adored seeing them openly care for one another and place their goals and dreams in their love.

(I also did love the poking fun/scolding of Shakespeare. It was a nice tough in this story of revenge, defying expectations, and becoming more than you ever thought you could be)

This was a very intriguing debut! I would love to read more from this author! Danai Christopoulou knows how to weave a story of a hauntingly dreamy quality!

Thank you again to Union Square and Co for the eARC to read and review before it releases on April 2nd!