I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The legend of Macbeth gets a Greek Mythology twist when the three Fates merge to become one powerful woman as they flee the powerful gaze of a heartbroken god in author Justine Johnston Hemmestad’s “Macbeth’s Spinners”.

The Synopsis

Macbeth’s Spinners is a love story. And like most love stories, things surrounding the lovers can both influence and be influenced by the lovers and their emotions. You know the fallout that can happen among friends when a couple has a spat in the real world.

Now imagine if they were gods? Imagine if the lovers had the ability to influence time and fold the land and sea, and steer the course of a nation’s history?

What if Macbeth was guided to become king not by three elderly witches — but by the Three Fates of Greek Mythos that were transformed into a single woman of remarkable power?

The Review

This was such a powerful and well-done story. The author found a way to bridge the gap between gothic dark fantasy storytelling and epic mythological themes in a very natural way. The twist in Macbeth’s iconic story was such an inspired direction to take the narrative, as it directly spoke to the idea of fate and destiny (quite literally) in ways the original could only hint at. The historical context of the story mixed well with the mythos that the other half of the narrative embodied. 

The character development and imagery played the largest roles here in this story. The game of cat and mouse played between the Fates, Apollo, and their pawn Macbeth all play well into the almost dismissive nature of these godlike figures to the everyday men and women, especially given the Fate’s desire to find a home and take care of its people, much as they did in their old lives. The redemptive nature of the narrative as time goes on and the heartfelt emotions that these powerful gods display help keep the story grounded in such a fantasy-driven world. 

The Verdict

Thought-provoking, imaginative, and entertaining, author Justine Johnston Hemmestad’s “Macbeth’s Spinners” is a must-read gothic dark fantasy read. The expanded upon and new twist on both the iconic Shakespearean tale and the memorable Greek mythology was a pairing that fit together so well that it felt like reading a brand new story much of the time. The imagery and atmosphere the author created spoke to the grand stakes of the novel and the raw emotions that these powerful figures conjured up. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Justine Johnston Hemmestad is an editor, the author of three novels, and is included in several anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries (after having been in a car accident that left her severely brain injured at 19). She is a graduate of The University of Iowa and has also graduated from the English Literature Master’s Degree program with distinction at Northern Arizona University. Her personal webpage is at https://know-your-craft.webnode.page/ , her amazon author’s page is at https://www.amazon.com/Justine-Johnston-Hemmestad/e/B01DHSLN0M?ref_=pe_1724030_132998060 and she’s on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JustineJohnstonHemmestadauthor 

My publisher and I are donating part of the profits to Laughing at My Nightmare charity https://www.laughingatmynightmare.com/         

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