V.E. Schwab came for my soul with this one
This book isn’t just about vampires…it’s about rage, hunger and desire. Told through the lives of three queer women across centuries, Maria, Charlotte, and Alice, this story had layers.
If you’re into gothic vibes, queer historical horror, and feminine rage, you definitely will want to pick this one up.

“𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥.”

🥀🪦🌱🩸🫦

I had quite the reading experience with this book. At two different points I wanted to call it quits. The pacing was pretty slow and I wasn't interested in any of the characters...BUT I pushed forward because I love Schwab's writing and knew there was a chance it would get better 🫶🏼

Feminine rage, hunger, blood, and centuries of longing—Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a story of three women bound across time, exploring the cost of freedom and its sacrifices. Schwab's writing is like no other. It's haunting and immersive. You can feel the hunger, toxicity and desire on every page. It wasn't until about 60% that I started to really get into the story. The interconnectedness of Maria, Charlotte and Alice is what intrigued me and I loved how it all came together. It's hard to choose a favourite character, but I think Charlotte (Lottie) was my fav! Once I finished the book, I was in awe of Schwabs ability to dissect identity and humanity through these women.

If you enjoy sapphic romance, vampire lore and character-driven stories, this one's for you!

Pub Date: June 10th 🎉 Thank you @netgalley and @torbooks for the gifted e-ARC!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫:
✔️ multiple timelines
✔️ a violent game of cat and mouse
✔️ toxic lesbian vampires
✔️ hunger, angst & rage
✔️ interconnected stories

Vampires and a bit of history?! I'm all for it.

This book has easily become one of my favorites by VE and one of my favorites overall. The back and forth of the timelines to really capture who the characters are and how they fit together was perfect. I loved the evolution of Sabine and Lottie as they journeyed through the decades. The attention to detail in how timelines progressed to get us to modern day was really well done. I also really enjoyed how the dialogue evolved, to fit the characters current time period. Each new era was extremely well executed.

The toxicity and chemistry between Sabine and all of her "pets" or victims, can be felt through the pages.

There were so many times when you felt a variety of emotions throughout this novel. At times you could feel the giddiness of Charlotte and the joy that was robbed from her. The rage that Sabine often felt that was never really warranted. The betrayal and hurt that Alice feels from day one of her new life. There is a bit of a sad undertone to the whole novel, just at the prospect of lives lost, in more than one way. The use of the poem throughout really brought all of the emotions to life, how it applied to each of them differently.

This is a perfect read for Pride month as it encompasses how through the times the acceptance of their female relationships both progress, but also very much stays the same.

Overall I thought that this was an excellent book, just the right amount of spice, horror, and history. Will definitely be recommending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

a must read for my fellow interview with the vampire fans!!! bury our bones starts off slow, but at around the halfway point, i became completely hooked. i particularly loved the historical settings and how schwab explores how vampires adjust to fit in over the centuries. has all of the wonderfully sensual toxicity of louis and lestat, but with three very different protagonists. the way the different narratives tied together was extremely satisfying, and the prose was gorgeous- definitely my favorite from v.e. schwab. just such a great read and i'm sure i'll have more thoughts as i sit on this one. thank you so much to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC!!

I just finished Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, and I am absolutely floored. V.E. Schwab has outdone herself with this one. The prose is lyrical and haunting, weaving a tale that lingers long after the final page. The characters are richly drawn, each with their own secrets and desires, making it impossible not to become emotionally invested or to put it down.

The story delves deep into themes of mortality, legacy, and the unseen threads that connect us all. Schwab’s world-building is impeccable, creating a setting that feels both otherworldly and intimately familiar. The plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, and the emotional depth had me reaching for tissues more than once.

This book shows how much Schwab has grown as a writer and her ability to craft stories that resonate on a profound level. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me!

Thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Day : June 10, 2025
Be sure to grab your copy!

I love everything that V. E. Schwab writes.

This book is about three women, one of which you don't truly meet until much later in the book, so my review will mainly discuss Alice and Sabine.

Alice is a very relatable character, but I was worried that her "meekness" might "ruin" the story - fortunately, as a result of events within the book, she grows a much needed backbone and her character growth here is fantastic.

Sabine is public enemy #1 - she's so incredibly hateable that you can't help but continue to read to see what she does.

This book is character driven, not plot driven, and though I don't generally gravitate towards those stories, V. E. Schwab does it in such an engaging way that I eat it up every time.

V. E. Schwab is a master at writing storylines that cover generations. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil takes a vampire story and throws in lesbian relationships and history. Alice, Charlotte, and Sabine/ Maria are unreliable characters who test the reader’s sympathy and understanding. Beautiful prose mixed with unforgettable scenes filled with this story and propel the reader to keep turning pages. Another masterpiece!

Every a time I read a book by V. E. Schwab I just cannot believe how good her writing is. She is so good at reeling you in right away, even when she immediately drops you into wildly different settings. This book will delight fans of all of her previous work.

What a ride. Sweeping through centuries with vivid settings and deep character exploration, Schwab delivers an excellent take on a timeless terror that feels fresh and exciting. She knows the origins and the stories you've heard before, but as the narrative slowly unfolds you wait in anticipation of what fate has ahead for the characters of these different timelines, all with their own distinct pasts and burdens to bear. Alice, endearing in her frustration and stunted anger and the struggle to live against, or despite, the loss she won't name. Charlotte, elusive and forlorn, a mystery that must be resolved. Maria (and all she becomes), so aware of her hunger and yet unaware of how it's her failing and downfall in both the world she grew up in and the world she comes into.

What Schwab makes new in her refiguring of age-old myth coheres within the world of the book to create interesting avenues and interesting limitations that are put to use in the unfolding story. Detailed and distinct settings throughout Europe create a culture that the protagonists move through seamlessly without forgetting where they came from. The characters we meet along the way always feel full and interesting, with lives of their own that exist beyond what we've peeked at. Alice and her sister are particularly compelling, and the end of the story--all the ends of all the stories--wraps up in a way that is astonishingly bittersweet and befitting, with costs tallied and accounted for.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the digital ARC of “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” by V.E. Schwab! I’m torn two ways with this book. On one side I thought it was great, and on the other I felt unfulfilled by its ending. I’ll mention what I did like, the historical settings were lovely, and there were some great poetic lines. The recurring midnight soil poem is beautiful. There’s also the toxic sapphic vampires of it all, along with the wrestling with immortality and morality that I love from vampire fiction. I enjoyed the side characters they met throughout the book. Sabine was the standout POV, a wild girl from 1532 Spain who dreams of freedom from the restraints of society. It’s as the other characters remark, when she’s in the room your eye is immediately drawn to her. Charlotte’s backstory as a regency era debutante is interesting, and Alice the small town Scottish girl at Harvard college has potential. I was interested in both their POVs as self-loathing and reluctant vampires compared to Sabine who is definitely not. Unfortunately that potential is abruptly cut off by the end of the novel and Sabine’s POV is completely lost to us after she meets Charlotte. After building up the story of these three women we reach the conclusion where they come together. (Skip next paragraph to avoid spoilers).

SPOILERS: Ultimately Alice is manipulated into killing Sabine by Charlotte and then Alice also kills Charlotte in revenge. As Alice walks away into the night I was left wondering what the point of this story was. Is Alice ending a line of emotional abuse by killing her potential mentor? Had Charlotte, like Sabine, really lost too much of her humanity? What exactly was it trying to say about life? We’re led to believe Alice is going to truly value the life she still has and let go of the past, but I don’t feel the hope that Schwab is trying to elicit, I just feel tragedy as Alice walks the streets of Boston alone.

While this was an interesting take on vampires, I’ve been spoiled by better takes on the toxic queer vampire genre by Anne Rice and S.T. Gibson. I truly enjoyed reading the novel up until the end and perhaps if a sequel ever appears I can forgive the potential that was wasted if Alice was given a community to support her journey with immortality going forward. If you like other books by V.E. Schwab or are looking for another take on vampire lore you will probably enjoy this book, don’t let my pickiness deter you, there’s still plenty to love!

Moving through three women's lives, and three timelines "Bury Our Bones" follows the lives of Sabine, Lottie and Alice as young women struggling with their lives, and then their vampiric after lives until their come culminating into one intertwined story.
Epic and rather ambition, it still felt rather slow moving in parts and despites being interesting, none of the characters really gripped me. Sometimes I can't make myself put a books down, especially one by Scwab... this one I had trouble picking back up. It was okay, but, and I'm sure others will disagree, but just not my cup of tea this time around.

Thank you to Net Galley for an eARC for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

Yes. Yes. 1000x Yes.

I love V.E. Schwab's books and this book is one of her best. A sexy, sapphic vampire thriller that spans centuries? Sign me the hell up.

This book is masterfully written (as all of Schwab's books are), and the imagery she invokes is mesmerizing and evocative. You can really dive into her characters and her world and be consumed by them in the most magical way. And this book is no exception. The characters were incredibly flawed and toxic, the overall vibe of the book screams gothic even though part of it is set in a relatively modern time. It is a powerful look into relationships and loneliness that leaves you feeling exhausted, but still thirsting for more.

This book is immaculate and I am absolutely here for it.

This is just true masterful beautiful storytelling at its finest. VE is an all time favorite author and this didn’t disappoint. The way she used different POVs to develop the storytelling and character growth was SO well done. And the sapphic queer rep, I need more of this by her because I loved it. It was gothic, it’s toxic. It’s romantic in ways. I felt I understood each character and their choices. And Sabine oh Sabine what a beautiful tragic character but did it to herself sorry not sorry babes. I’m at a 4.5

This is a sweeping gothic tale of toxic relationships, loneliness, and power. I really liked the structure of this book and the changing timelines that interconnected at the end to give Alice some sort of answer she was looking for as to what happened to her. Overall, I enjoyed the premise and will always continue to read Schwab's books - I do feel like this book could have been about 200 pages shorter though!

I was taken in by this dark, emotional tale of struggling to find freedom in life without fully understanding the consequences to achieve that freedom. V.E. Schwab creates complex characters who are paradoxically easy to understand in their desire for living freely, yet complicated to relate to in their willingness to go to extreme lengths to live out this desire. And then there are the characters who are faced with consequences without being allowed to make the choices for themselves. I had a hard time putting this book down, wanting to find out what would happen next and to find the connections between the main characters. It is one of those books that has left me thinking about the characters, the lives they led, and the choices they made long after reading the last page.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an early galley copy of the book!

oh this was just *chef’s kiss*

toxic lesbian vampires that span across five hundred years?? i was so mesmerized that the 500 pages flew by like nothing. these characters are morally gray and juicy and sexy and blood-thirsty. this plot is shocking and sensual and thrilling and bone-chilling and shockingly philosophical. what a treat from start to finish.

v.e. schwab continues to lure me with her immaculate writing, and keen skill for storytelling. the writing is at once simple and complex, surface and hidden, rich and lush. and the story she is able to craft with such beautiful prose sweeps you away like a bit of ash.

this is such a smash. SMASH 💥

written review found on my Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7279401217
video review found on my TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@bookswithjm/video/7512291037658860842

Are the flaws of the characters a main focus of the book? The flaws are the entire focus of this book. I think it was a really interesting way to look at how we hurt people and does it matter, does it make us better if we don’t intend to hurt others vs. if we take pleasure in hurting others. 

I think the following quote really sums up the entire book:

“You want me to feel sorry for you? Because you had a toxic ex?” Lottie lets out a small sound, half sob, half laugh, but Alice just throws up her hands. “I’m sorry she hurt you,” she says. “But it doesn’t make up for what you did—”

Ultimately who doesn’t want to read about toxic lesbian vampires.

V.E. Schwab may have single-handedly cured my hatred of vampire books. The women in this book are fierce, flawed, and deeply sympathetic, making for an engaging, unpredictable journey. While the ending left me conflicted, it doesn’t overshadow the novel’s intricate storytelling and emotional depth. A beautifully crafted, if occasionally bittersweet, read.

𝒯𝑜𝓍𝒾𝒸. 𝐿𝑒𝓈𝒷𝒾𝒶𝓃. 𝒱𝒶𝓂𝓅𝒾𝓇𝑒𝓈. 𝐵𝓊𝒸𝓀𝓁𝑒 𝓊𝓅, 𝒷𝒶𝒷𝑒𝓈, 𝓌𝑒’𝓇𝑒 𝒷𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔.

Ok, so I have always LOVED vampire books, but this is a new level of love. Shall we call it a Sabine level of love. IYKYK. It's slow, it’s weird, it’s GORGEOUS, and it’s full of women making terrible life (and afterlife) choices. And I ATE. IT. UP.

It’s not a romance. It’s not even close. It’s longing and obsession and rage and bad decisions that feel so right in the moment. Like, yes, we’re going to ignore the red flags, taste the danger, and burn it all down. The writing was as beautiful as Addie Larue but instead of being sad and timeless the characters are hot, unhinged, toxic and definitely messy.

I’m not going to spoil the ending, but it left me hollow in the best way. Just vibes and trauma and a lingering sense that love is a trap and freedom is a myth and women are tired and furious and still burning.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: It’s a beautifully written, emotional, and messy book about love, freedom, and the monsters we become (or love) along the way. Maria deserved peace. I did not get peace. No one is at peace. Loved it.

What a journey this was! My short review of this is sapphic vampires out for love, revenge, and to satiate their hunger throughout time, make for a phenomenal story. This was well-plotted and paced from the 1530s to present day and following 3 main characters - all of whom are lesbian vampires. I enjoyed every second of this and found the bits where certain revenges occurred to be particularly delicious.