Foul is Fair: A Novel

(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.) "Fair is foul, foul is fair" - an infamous phrase and recurring theme, not just in this novel, but originally from Shakespeare's Macbeth. And make no mistake, despite the fact this novel isn't presented as such, it IS a modern retelling of the classic - from the coven's prophecy.. to the new King and his escalation in violence to keep his secrets.. it's all there. The author even maintains most of the original character names, if somewhat modified for modern use. Unfortunately for Hannah Capin, it's a lofty ambition to begin with, recreating one of Shakespeare's great tragedies, and while she's competent at stringing together the puzzle pieces of a story, she's no storyteller. At least, she doesn't show any real ability here. If the synopsis had been more honest about what it was, that also may have earned it more leniency. I might have enjoyed the way she reapplied certain aspects of the original work, such as the Inverness location, but going into a story expecting something fresh.. made me draw those contrasts much more strongly. My biggest issue with this novel, is really the narrative point-of-view approach the author uses to tell the story. It's often the weakest way to tell a story anyway. Authors intend to utilize it to immerse readers in their stories, but instead I feel.. it often alienates me. And our protagonist's 'voice' reads like rambling, with little direction and less control.. despite all her claims of the opposite. The words seem to pour out in a constant rush, more like a spill than a careful pouring of information. As far as the characters are concerned, the bulk of them are as designed.. thoroughly unlikable. However, I felt that also extended to our main character, Jade, and her friends. In fact, the only character I did like, was our new King. Our Mack(beth), and watching him fall to ruin was just unpleasant. Turning away from the original text in this case, might have been the only thing that would have won me over. Overall, the book was a disappointment. There was potential there, but the author just failed to bring it to fruition.