Ugh. I completely and utterly DEVOURED (full pun intended) this book in less than 24 hours. Bury Our Bones In the Midnight Soil had me on the edge of my seat from the opening pages, to the final chapter. If you were a big fan of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, BOBITMS has a lot of similar beats when it comes to pacing and balancing a non-linear narrative, two things V.E. does masterfully. Of the three main characters, Alice, Lottie, and Maria/Sabine, I do think some earlier integration of Lottie's story could have come a bit earlier in the story, just to give the reader a bit more time to explore her character, since we don't do much of that until the third act and all instances in which she's mentioned prior are through the lens of Alice looking for her. All three MCs were delightfully human, and delightfully wicked (especially Maria/Sabine, my god what a character) though I was admittedly left wanting a little more from the ending (which is something I will likely get, since V.E. revealed in an interview that the ending we got in this copy is not the same as the one we'll be receiving in the official release come June, so fingers crossed for mischief, mayhem, and murder).

This book has stuck with me WEEKS after reading it. There's so many different layers in this one. There's a story of freedom and independence, one of feminism, one of personal identity. The one that sticks with me the most - the power dynamics between people and how that shapes a subordinate and changes them - for better or worse. This is not a happy novel, but it is extremely satisfying.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What a wild ride. This is a sweeping tale of love and rage over centuries. Fantastic and definitely for those who loved Addie Larue. The way Schwab perfectly captures female rage is something to be studied. Highly recommend.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed and more. It took me some time to settle in, but once I did I was absolutely glued to this book. I was expecting an evocative and vindictive story and Schwab absolutely delivered! I loved exploring all three women but Maria really stole the show for me. I already cannot wait to read this again and will be shoving a copy into the hands of everyone I know.

I have no idea how I was not a die hard VE Schwab fan before Addie LaRue, but I'm making up for lost time now. I'm reading all of her prior works, and devouring everything new as soon as it comes on Netgalley. Like, how does she manage to write a queer vampire novel without making it overtly queer OR vampiric?? It's a story without agenda, and it's fantastic and I truly believe that every reader can pick it up and enjoy it regardless of how they feel about same sex pairings. Or vampires. She is JUST THAT GOOD.

I loved this one. I instantly preordered it for my husband. I loved the two/three timelines and the actual epic journey that spanned the novel. Vampires, yes, but it was really a book about longing, women defining their own freedom, and what constitutes living.

My dreams were haunted by this book. I wanted to read this because I love the author. I am not really into vampires. And I don't usually read Lesbian love stories. But V.E. Schwabs' character development is enchanting to me. The justifications of the vampires to feast is a bit unnerving. Like I said I am not really into vampire stories. But I loved Matteo and Assalandos relationship and the whole philosophy of whether it is better to be immortal or live a natural life. And there is why I enjoy her books. The questions, probing at morals, at whose morals, mine, yours. As Alice lays bare the logic of Lottie's motives, I began to move away from my love of Lottie. However, I can't say I ever much liked Maria/Sabine. At the end, well I want more and I hope we hear more how Alice fares.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this earc

Reason I wanted to read this book
- it’s V. E. Schwab
- I love Addie LaRue
- I love vampires
- I love good writing

Reason this book just didn’t work for me
I’m a true believer that a story, any story, should make you feel something. We hope to love every story we read but I’ll take hate. I’ll take any emotion
This book made me feel NOTHING. I couldn’t care less about any of the characters. Their stories didn’t make me laugh or cry or care.
I think part of the reason why I didn’t like it is the pacing. The way chapters/time jumps were written just didn’t work. We got soooo much time with Sabine, less with Alice and almost none with Lottie. But at the same time, the story ends with Alice as if she was the main plot line.

If someone asking me to sum this book up it would go something like “a girl with a messed up past got turned into a vampire and killed lots of people”

Out all the things I wanted, I got one. The writing was still good. It’s just the story that did nothing for me.

At the end of it all, all I kept asking myself “what was the point?” And I still can’t think of one.

An excellent story, weaving female love, rage, and hunger into a dark fantasy. I will be purchasing this for my library and recommending to patrons and friends.

V.E Schwab hits it out of the park again. Vampire Lesbians? I'm in!

Like many multiple POV novels, I did like some chapters more than others, which impacted enjoyability a bit. It felt like it went on a tiny bit too long, but this is a great book to... sink your teeth into. Truly fantastic book yet again,

I am convinced I will love everything VE Schwab puts out.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil was a fantastic read. I was quickly sucked into the stories of the different women in this book, and couldn’t wait to find out more about them. This story had love, vampires, lesbians, manipulation and abuse, so please go into this knowing there may be some triggering content. My only criticism was that the ending left me a little unsatisfied, but not completely, if that makes sense.

If you were a fan of the type of storytelling in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I think you will love this. I’ll be looking forward to getting a physical copy when this is released next year! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

"Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil" by V.E. Schwab is a captivating and haunting novel that delves into the complexities of love, loss, and the blurring lines between life and death.

V.E. Schwab does it again- I loved this one! The plot was incredible- I loved the characters and their story! Highly recommend!!

Wow! It was a slow burn to start and see how the story would all come together but I was pleased. Perfect for readers who love a good vampire book - definitely a lot of parts that reminded me of early Anne Rice.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil was a beautifully woven tale. I have always loved VE Schwab’s writing abby this book definitely appeals for fans of Addie LaRue or those who like a very character focused book that doesn’t have too much of an overarching plot. The concept of this book intrigued me and I loved the exploration of what it meant for each of the three women to be a vampire. My favorite part of this book was the idea that for most of time, women longed to be vampires as a way to free themselves from the life that was forced on them by society and men. How tragic and stunning, and of a course an equally tragic ending.

What a beautiful story. When the author described the story on social media I was in from the start. It was a bit of a slow start, but then I couldn't stop. I'd love a follow up - will there be another? If so I will be waiting in line!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Tor for an advanced copy of this title for an unbiased review.

This is my first foray into Schwab's work outside of her Darker Shades of Magic Series.

Upon picking the title up, I had no idea this would be a vampire story - I was drawn to the 'different women in different times all telling one story' idea.

I have to say that I was quite pleased with her worldbuilding here (specifically in terms of how vampirism works in this world). She did a great job in making her vamps stand out against a whole subgenre of bloodsuckers.

I do not think that it would be controversial to think of Anne Rice as the godmother of historical vampire fiction. Schawb does a great job of telling a tale that spans half a millenium, but she is no Anne Rice in this sense. In fact, I felt there was more variation in the locations of the book than the time periods- if you were to have this title set as a globetrotting romp, but within a few decades rather than 500 years...I do not think much would have been lost here.

Nevertheless, Schwab does an excellent job of not only enticing us with the sexy-times that vampirism brings, but also moves us emotionally when we are forced to face its consequences.

Thank you so much to Tor Books for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I truly have no idea how to write a coherent review for such a masterpiece as this. I'm not sure I've even fully processed this book yet and I finished it days ago. This is a book that will subvert all your ideas of good and evil, all your societal ideas of femininity and even feminine rage itself. You'll start the book in one place in both your head and your heart and you'll end up in an entirely new realm by the end of it.

This was such a beautifully written book that I can't even describe the ways its beauty shines through. I feel as though so much is subtly placed that you will only realize it once all the strings have been tied together. It's the kind of book that truly keeps you learning and growing with the characters until the very last page. The kind of book where not a single word is placed without need. The kind of book that will keep you thinking far beyond its pages.

I feel as though I can't say much more without ruining the authentic experience that I had with this book, and that's truly the beauty of a book like this. It's going to make you feel. It's going to make you ache. Most importantly, it's going to make you live.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil was a pleasant surprise for me. I am a librarian so I am familiar with V.E. Schwab, yet I do not read fantasy at all. There was little to no info on Amazon (or anywhere else) regarding this book but it was a hefty book and that's what I was looking for.
This novel is told in alternating voices/timelines and that is a favorite for me. Always a winner.
Alice, a Boston college student from the UK, meets a young woman who intrigues and attracts her. Little does she know that her 'life' will be forever altered by that one passionate night together.
Maria, a young woman from the 1500s is married off to a man who turns out to be a brute. She meets and is attracted to a woman named Sabine, a hypnotic beauty who runs an apothecary - mainly after dark...
Maria is dawn to her again and again and when they share a passionate interlude, her life is forever altered as well.
Lottie, a young girl from 1800s London, sent to her aunt's to learn some culture and hopefully unlearn her attraction to her (female) best friend, meets a woman who she is physically and emotionally drawn to and her life is forever changed.
This is a violent, romantic, sometimes chilling novel about vampires, women's rights, family dynamics and how to learn to live a different life than you had thought would be your future.
How these women's lives interacts is at turns unexpected and surprising.
No spoilers here but suffice it to say that for a reader who NEVER reads fantasy or anything remotely resembling that genre, I was transfixed from the start.
Highly recommend.

Bury My Bones in the Dark is an atmospheric and haunting novel that beautifully weaves together themes of loss, resilience, and the enduring ties of family. The author’s prose is evocative, painting vivid imagery that immerses the reader in the story’s dark, mysterious world. The characters are complex and deeply human, and their struggles resonate long after you’ve closed the book.

That said, while the story is compelling, I found it to be overly long. Certain sections, though well-written, felt unnecessarily drawn out, which occasionally slowed the narrative’s momentum.