Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is, in a word, lovely. Schwab’s prose is reliably lyrical—delicate when it needs to be, brutal when it hurts the most—and the novel unfolds like a gothic tapestry slowly being embroidered with blood, memory, and myth.

What truly shines here is Schwab’s ability to draw together multiple storylines—hauntingly parallel yet emotionally distinct—and weave them into a finale that feels both dramatic and inevitable. Each thread builds tension in its own quiet way, but by the time the pieces converge, you realize she’s been setting the stage for something much larger all along. It’s storytelling as sleight of hand, and she pulls it off beautifully.

A haunting, satisfying read that lingers long after the last page.

No because this book had me in a chokehold I wasn't sure I wanted to get out of.

V.E. Schwab does it again with another amazing book, that was so effortlessly perfect. This book had magic, vampires, romance, and just a story that had me hooked right from the get go.

This was so lyrical & beautiful. I couldn't put it down. For anyone who's read anything by V.E. Scwab before, you are going to want to run to grab this book as well!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

Only getting around to writing this review now but wow. This book was truly a work of art, and it has been hard to find the correct words to dictate these feelings.

We have three women, whose tales we follow through time and through alternating chapters, and they are all connected by midnight soil, a craving that can never be sustained, and a love that transcends time.

The imagery and the scenery and the prose and the passage of time and the settings and the metaphors and the queer representation is so beautiful. An easy 5 star read, and one that will solidify Schwab as a writer of our generation.

I love V.E. Schwab, and I'm glad I read this book, but wow - it was very intense. I thought the intertwined stories of three women and three different timelines - Maria in 16th century Spain, Charlotte (Lottie) in 19th century England, and Alice in 21st century Boston. I saw a lot of people describing this as being about toxic lesbian vampires and that feels pretty accurate to me. I found the characters to be well-developed, complex, and generally compelling, and the alternating timelines really kept me reading - I wanted to know how it was all going to come together. Alice was, to me, the only truly likable main character, though the sense I got from the way the other character arcs were moving was "give her a century and see what she's like then." My two biggest issues here were: 1) the length and the pacing - this really dragged for me at certain points, and I think it could have been shortened (apparently it clocks in at 560 pages) and 2) the fact that consent (or the lack of it) was so important in the story but I didn't feel like it was really addressed. Not my favorite of Schwab's books, but I can absolutely see why lots of people are loving it. Content warning for like, soooooo much violence.

There’s a lot I could say about Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil—and probably even more I shouldn’t say, because this is one of those books you really need to go into with as little context as possible. But what I can tell you is this: it’s my favorite standalone V.E. Schwab novel, hands down.

If Addie LaRue was a soft, flickering candle of longing and memory, Bones is a bonfire—rage-fueled, blood-soaked, and absolutely glorious. Schwab has been teasing this for years as her “toxic lesbian vampire novel,” and somehow it’s exactly that, and yet so much more. It’s brutal and romantic, sharp and sorrowful, a story that sinks its teeth into themes of hunger—emotional, physical, existential—and never lets go.

The story spans centuries, weaving together the lives of Maria (1532 Spain), Charlotte (1827 London), and Alice (2019 Boston). Three women across three eras, bound by blood and power and a whole lot of complicated, vicious love. I loved how Schwab let each character be unapologetically flawed—each one my favorite at different points, and each one so deeply human, even in their monstrosity. It’s that rare feat where the characters feel nothing like you, yet they hit somewhere deeply relatable.

And can we talk about the writing? Schwab’s prose is always evocative, but Bones is on another level. Lush, lyrical, haunting—it wraps around you and drags you through time without ever feeling disjointed. The violence? Gorgeous. The grief? Devastating. The yearning? Off the charts. It’s Vicious meets Addie LaRue, but more dangerous, more unhinged, and more achingly beautiful.

This isn’t just a vampire story. It’s a story about what it means to want—freedom, love, vengeance, escape—and what you’re willing to become to get it. It honors the mythos of vampires while simultaneously reinventing it. And it’s so queer, so full of rage and tenderness, it hurts in the best way.

If you’re a fan of Schwab, of dark historical fantasy, of sapphic romance, of morally gray women who bite (literally and figuratively)—you need this book. It’s the kind of story you finish and immediately want to reread just to live in its pages a little longer.

"Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil" has been a MUCH anticipated title for me. 3 young women, all from different times and places- all growing roots in the Midnight Soil.

The story structure absolutely blew me away in its ability to extract the reader's empathy, longing, anger, and own moral indifferences. A vampiric mystery spanning across centuries and continents, three women all in search of freedom, satisfaction, and home: their roots run deep, wild, and entwined.

For the modern day "Carmilla" lovers. It is sexy, frightening, thrilling, and I was literally RACING home just to keep reading. SCHWAB HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

I loved this so much please read it thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!! <3

In 1529, Maria's wild nature is her pious mother's despair. She lands an advantageous marriage through sheer force of will, but the freedom she desires is not so easily won. In 2019, Alice thought she could cast off her small town upbringing by going to college on the other side of the ocean, but keeps falling back into timidity. One magical night at a party knocks her world off its axis. Their stories meander through time, each young woman experiencing love, heartbreak, and hunger. These epic, toxic, sapphic vampire love stories are slow-burning but deeply moving. Thanks, Netgalley.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of my favorite reads and so I was very excited to read this new novel from Schwab.

It didn't disappoint, but didn't inspire the same feelings that Addie did.

"The fact is, whether death takes you all at once, or steals pieces over time, in the end there is no such thing as immortality. Some of us just die slow than the rest." This book was a beautiful exploration of immortality and love.

I love how immortality is, at different turns in this novel, an escape, a gift and a curse. It's something that can be useful and incredible, but also something that will eventually steal your humanity.

I also appreciated the discussion of love and how, again, it can start as something beautiful and lovely, but over time can corrode into something ugly and awful and possessive.

These characters were so unique and interesting, each had their own voice and I appreciated being able to get to know each of them through the flashbacks.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and a unique story. Schwab is really good about that.

Schwab created these characters, dropped them into time, and wrote 500 pages of every visceral, tender, romantic, aching point they intertwined. The messy supernatural sapphics we deserve.

Spanning centuries with seamlessly woven timelines this explored queerness, being a sister, and being a woman with a backdrop of vampirism, which worked extremely well as the main core of the story was hunger, (metaphorically and literally 👀) as well as grief, power, rage and love, the experiences of our three main characters are told with sincerity and authenticity,  influenced by Rice but with that distinct Schwab flare this has become one of my favourite books, I really hope we get a second book..maybe..no spoilers but I want more! (I'm greedy!) on the surface level this works as a fun vampire novel, with some unique lore, but simmering underneath is a poignant message of finding, embracing and accepting yourself

Sadly, I didn't finish this book. The different plotlines were not meshing well for me--short bits of a modern story, loooong sections from the past with Maria (and her HAIR, which is apparently its own character), not a whole lot of things to pull them together. And while I didn't necessarily hate the characters, there was whole lot of exposition before even getting to anything vampiric. I stopped at the point where something violent, gory, and disturbing happened and I knew that it was veering off the rails for me, becoming the kind of book I'm not interested in reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This started off so strong and I will never not be a fan of VE Schwab’s writing style. We follow three different women struggling with their place in the world only to find themselves lured out of it. I loved the first 20% but then found myself waiting for Maria’s story to end, and Lottie’s story to begin. I often have this problem with multi POV books, where one POV is the obvious favorite and for me, that was Alice. Maria’s story went on for far too long and then by the time we got to Lottie, it felt like I was just reading Maria’s story over again but with a slightly different font, The real standout was Alice. I understand why we needed Maria and Lottie’s POV but I would have cut up to a hundred pages out of their stories to give us more time with Alice. By the end I had to hold myself back from skimming which really saddened me! This would definitely work for fans of ST Gibson’s A Dowry of Blood mixed with Addie La Rue, but unfortunately I did not enjoy those two books! Thanks for the opportunity!

I devoured every chapter Schwab fed me. I was sucked in the moment I started to the moment I tragically finished. Every character took me in their hands through the dark streets and endless nights. It was magical and gothic, beautiful and dangerous. I loved every minute. I knew I was reading a new classic novel.

“Bury my bones in the midnight
soil.
Plant them shallow and water
them deep.
And in my place will grow a feral
rose.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil was everything! After The Invisible Life of Addie Larue I knew I had to read V.E. Schwab’s latest and it did not disappoint!
Achingly atmospheric, hauntingly lyrical and full of magic only V.E. Schwab can pull off. This one is a must read for all V.E. Schwab fans!

The only reason I didn’t give a full 5 star rating is because the beginning is SLOW. Like I kept checking how far I was into it slow. But once it picks up? I couldn’t put it down! But literally my only issue. I really enjoyed this one!

If you love quiet horror, morally gray characters and a lovers to enemies book then this one belongs on your shelf.

Thank you Tor and NetGalley for an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review!
Release date: 06/10/2025!

The premise of this book is fascinating and and the exploration of what immortality is like and how it decays from within I LOVE. At times I was a little wary and confused how things were going to connect since i had a hunch our three girl's stories had to intertwine somehow. Whilst the pacing was a little slow for MY personal taste, I was always intrigued and absolutely blown away by the romance?! Reading about lesbian/gay vampires fall in love again and again does it ever get boring? NOPE. I've come to the conclusion, that its because each character was truly SO DIFFERENT from one another. Their voice, their fundamental beliefs, their view and approach to all things vampire or mortal was so unique. Because these characters were so well rounded and flawed, I was consistently excited to meet the next one (never feeling overwhelmed).

If I had to summarize the areas in which this book thrives I would say:
Atmospheric, Slice of Life, Character study

4.5 Stars
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a haunting, gorgeously written novel about love, grief, and the slow erosion of self in the midst of a toxic relationship. At its core, this is a sapphic vampire story, but one that subverts romantic tropes in favor of something darker, more complex, and emotionally raw. It doesn’t offer a traditionally happy ending, but it does leave a spark of hope for its main character, and that stayed with me.

The novel unfolds across multiple timelines, following three women - Maria, Alice, and Charlotte - each facing isolation, judgment, or grief in their own century. Their stories slowly braid together, revealing how the past and present can share the same soil, literally and metaphorically. Schwab’s skill at juggling layered timelines without losing emotional depth is on full display here. The prose, often tinged with melancholy and beauty, feels especially alive in the present tense - fans of Addie LaRue and Gallant will recognize and appreciate that poetic touch.

What really stayed with me, though, is how the book examines the quiet corrosion of love that becomes possession, and how hard it can be to leave someone who has shaped your very sense of self even while they steal it away. There’s a deep emotional rawness to the central relationship - one that is painful to watch unfold but never feels gratuitous. Schwab doesn’t shy away from the messiness of connection or the loneliness of immortality, and she gives us a protagonist who, despite everything, you want to see rise again.

While I admired the book’s emotional depth and thematic ambition, I was left with a lingering sadness - not just because the story is dark (which I expected), but because of how firmly it leaned into queer tragedy. The narrative doesn’t shy away from portraying manipulation, gaslighting, and the devastating consequences of toxic love, but I found myself wishing there had been more space for tenderness and joy before the descent. I wanted the characters to experience more moments of happiness and connection before everything began to unravel.

Still, this is a powerful and affecting read. Schwab continues to impress with her ability to weave timelines and craft complex, compelling characters. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil isn’t a comfort read, but it is a thoughtful, atmospheric, and beautifully written novel that I’ll be recommending to others. Just… maybe with a warning to keep tissues close and go in with a braced heart.

Beautifully written, at times brutal, and ultimately bittersweet, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a novel that lingers like a ghost - quiet, heavy, and hard to shake.

I received an advance reader's copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This version was not the final edited manuscript, and all opinions are entirely my own.

This is a story that mainly follows three women who are all at, let’s just say, very different stages of vampirism. You don’t know how their stories will connect at first, but connect they do. And it’s quite satisfying. They are unapologetic with their hunger and in the best of ways, none of them aspire to be humble. The prose itself is evocative and rich, without being heavy handed. Worldbuilding takes a slight back seat, at least compared to some of Schwab's other works, but never felt lacking. The pacing of this was slow and steady and yet it’s also a story full of carnage… that was such an interesting combo. I think Addie LaRue lovers will appreciate this violent meandering.

I rated this novel four stars. I wanted it to be five stars but a few things didn't end well with me. The first was that it was way too long for the actual story. I felt it could have been condensed quite a bit. The other was the ending. The ending was too easy, convenient, and sudden for me and thus anti-climatic, however it was still satisfying knowing this had to be condensed for a standalone.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️ / 5

My Summary: Three timelines, three women, three entangled lives. It all starts in 1532 when Maria's bones are buried in the midnight soil. The choices she makes will reach far and wide across the world leaving lasting impacts on the people she touches and turns.

My Thoughts: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a lesbian vampire romance that spans centuries, and I am absolutely obsessed with it. It reminds me of the kind of lyrical storytelling that reminds me of V.E. Schwab's prose in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. We follow one vampire named Sabine throughout centuries of self-discovery, turmoil, love, and loss as she discovers what it means to live a very unique life. She learns from some and easily discards others, but along her journey, she meets Charlotte, who she decides to turn and bring along on her escapades. In modern times, we follow Alice--a Scottish college student living at Harvard--who is usually withdrawn, but the one night she decides to be a "New Alice," everything changes.

I loved discovering how each of the characters connected, the truth of their pasts, and the true motivations behind their actions. Each character is uniquely crafted, and their journeys are what really kept me captivated while reading this novel. If you like character-driven novels with lots of twists and toxic relationships, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is perfect for you.

Lesbian vampires? Count me in! I've been an avid fangirl of V.E. Schwab for some time. I was beyond excited to get early access to something new from her. Fans of Addie LaRue will likely love this one too. I'm normally not the biggest fan of switching POVs and timelines, but it really worked here. I truly enjoyed the character development. I'll be telling everyone I know to read this come June upon its release.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for the E-Arc
Spoilers at the bottom!!
If you loved Addie LaRue you will love this book as well! This is a very character driven story with not a whole lot of plot. I personally loved it anyway. The writing is just as beautiful as you want it to be and V. E. Schwab just has a way of writing characters that you want to know more about. I will say that Sabine's chapters were my favorite. I loved being in her mind and seeing the world through her eyes. I also truly was excited about how the book was broken up. Being told what women we are following and having a few chapters with each made it so much of a better experience! My main problem with the book is it was so long and we learned so much and it seemed to wrap up extremely quickly. Overall it was an amazing book and I can't wait for more people to read it!
SPOILERS AHEAD
My main complaint is the ending. It was so quick and felt like there was no pay off. We see Alice lose everything for no reason. Charlotte out of no where is also evil or I missed some chapters. I also really didn't care for Alice. It felt like if we didn't have her in the book not much would change. Other than that it was one of my favorites and I can't wait to own the book!