Hagtale

A Macbeth Origin Story

Sally O’Reilly author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Scribe Publications

Publishing:6th Nov '25

£16.99

This title is due to be published on 6th November, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

Hagtale cover

A hagtale, a dark fable, a fireside story, known to Shakespeare, but unwritten. Until now.

In eleventh-century Scotland, feral wolf-child Wulva is brought up by witches and then sent to live at a Scottish castle, where she falls under the spell of cruel, ambitious Lord Macbeth.

Three hundred years later, gentle Brother Rowan goes on a strange and perilous journey to a remote and ancient monastery to write a history of the Scottish king-line.

Misfits in their own time, seekers after truth, Wulva and Rowan are deeply connected despite the centuries that separate them. They are joined by their love of nature and steeped in its potent mysteries.

Hagtale explores the power of stories lost and found, their transformative potential, and who gets to be the owner of the tale.

‘A strange, epic, haunting tale.’

-- Chetna Maroo, author of Western Lane

Praise for Dark Aemilia:

‘A gripping novel that gives feisty feminist voice to the unknown woman who inspired Shakespeare’s sonnets.’

-- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for Dark Aemilia:

‘A pleasure for anyone who enjoys well-crafted historical fiction.’

-- The Washington Post

Praise for Dark Aemilia:

‘Seethes with intrigue, sorcery, and sex.’

-- The New York Times Book Review

Praise for Dark Aemilia:

‘With elegant style, masterly wordplay, and an eye for historical detail, O’Reilly beautifully relates a passionate and tragic love story.’

* Library Journal *

Praise for Dark Aemilia:

‘A lively, vividly rendered novel about the dramatic life of an extraordinary woman.’

* Bookli

ISBN: 9781917189088

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

240 pages