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!

While atmospheric and poetic, I found this story much more chilling than I expected. Although I loved the feminist tones and the theme of reclaiming oneself, I was surprised to find myself filled with dread as I was reading. This story was gripping, winding, and at times, weirdly terrifying, although I struggle to put my finger on exactly why I was feeling so distraught. Am I just a big baby? Perhaps! Would I recommend it? Yes! Just be warned that if you’re in the mood for another book as quietly hopeful as Addie Larue, this is not that.

The author said that this is about toxic lesbian vampires, and it very much was. If you read this for the vibes, it’s an enjoyable read, plot wise definitely a little bit weaker. 3 1/2 stars rounded up to a four.

3-3.5 stars. Thematically, this feels similar to Addie - sad girls drifting through centuries - plus old school vampire fiction (but make them sapphic!). I did generally enjoy this as I like morally grey female characters and women's wrongs, which this story has much of. I also felt a bit like I was reading it from a distance and felt very removed from the characters, and by the end, I wasn't left with a strong impression of the book.

Dark. Gorgeous. Heart-wrenching. One of the BEST books I've read in a long time. THIS is how you write a 5 star book.

Toxic lesbian vampires?! Say less!

This book was haunting and beautiful and gothic and delicious. I’m obsessed with it. The twisting timelines and toxic love hooked me from page one.

Vampires are so back!

Three women whose lives started centuries apart, but threaded together by the Midnight Soil. So much that can't be said without giving too much away, but Victoria weaves their stories together perfectly. Not just the dialogue, but the very tone of the tale changes depending on the era in which we hear their stories. What would have happened if other choices had been made? We'll never know, but we do know this - they say you only get to live one story... they lied.

Once again V.E. Schwab does not disappoint! A refreshing return to dark and bloodthirsty vampires, this will definitely be added to my "atmospheric and creepy" recommendations list. You will never quite be sure who you are rooting for in this and the moral quandaries will keep your head spinning until the end.

This book is EVERYTHING. While maybe it can be called slow with more character development than plot, but these characters ARE plot. They shift, they morph, they are evil, but they are also good. They are vampires, and yet they were once humans and the conflicting emotions that brings are impossible to look away from. This was dark and feral and I read nearly 600 pages in just two settings because I couldn't stop. This doesn't have the emotional pull of Addie LaRue, but wow does it have a pull. This will be a book of the summer.

I love Schwab but this latest book was something else! I absolutely loved it. It was dark, mysterious and the writing as usual was just so beautiful. Will definitely recommend to friends!

Absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking - if you loved Addie la rue you’ll love this one. VE Schwab can do no wrong!

“Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” is a slow, brutal exploration of female rage and queer obsession. It’s one of those stories that’s so powerful that you don’t quite know what to say about it, but I’ll try lol. Each of the characters (but particularly Sabine) flies off the page and makes you care about them. Are they likeable? Not particularly, but there’s something deeply relatable in each of their stories and experiences that makes them easy to read about and impossible to forget. I read this book in just a couple days, and whenever I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it, reflecting on the beautiful language or trying to figure out how their lives intersect (which I didn’t end up guessing, so the plot twist was definitely solid).
My only complaint, which kept this from being a five star read, is that the middle is so slow. For a while we just watch Sabine go through her routine over the course of decades, and I kept waiting for anything at all to happen. If you’re someone who likes action packed books, you will not enjoy this. Eventually something does happen, and I was drawn back in, but I think at least 100 pages could have been removed from the book and it would be better for it.
All in all, this was a beautiful, haunting book, and I recommend it to anyone who likes character driven stories, or is just interested in toxic lesbian vampires.

There is a richness of experience in these characters that blend historical fiction and introspection to completion. Each of these three women have such unique journeys and come together in a series of compelling storytelling and culminate in strong “taking it back” narratives in their own rights. Intertwined tales of obsession, grief, and loneliness. Spectacular.

I just wanna say it feels like an honor to be able to read a book by this author early. I have wanted to read a book by her for so long so when I got the notification that I got approved for reading this early...I screamed! So thank you so much for this opportunity.

So let's talk about this book...I can tell the author put her soul into this book. It felt so deeply connected to her that the roots of the story felt like they broke through the pages and pulled me in. I felt so deeply immersed in everything happening it was overwhelming.

Toxic lesbaian vampires. Didn't know I was into that. Pleasantly surprised. Gave me Ann Rice vibes.

Absolutely loved the writing and the back and forth with the characters. My only complaint is that it didn't feel like this is a book focused on plot, but more feelings. If this had more plot it would have been an easy 5 star read for me. Other than that I did have a fun time.

This was absolutely breathtaking. I absolutely adored The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and you can feel some of Addie in this book but it's an entirely different story.
The depth of these characters...ARGGGHHH it makes me want to scream!!!
V. E. Schwab has delivered yet another masterpiece. The lives of these three women will haunt me for the rest of my days. The way she had me rooting for a villain YET AGAIN. So toxic. So delicious. PLEASE READ

Schwab, the author, describes this book wonderfully as toxic lesbian vampires. However, the story and its characters is so much more complex than to be chalked into those three little words. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is also a testament to women's bodily autonomy and life independence with female rage capitalized upon throughout the narrative. While the book is set in the same universe as Addie LaRue, it also functions as partly a mirror world to what her life could have been, had she not made the pivotal choice that she did. Schwab does historical fantasy very well for fans of either genre to have the chance to truly enjoy the whole piece. One complaint I've heard about Addie's story is not fully utilizing the time periods she could have experienced, yet I still love that book. Major components of history shape our characters more in this new book to the point that we actually see them interact with some events and parts of society and culture at different times. People are products of their time, and the core characters of Maria, Lottie, and Alice are not exemptions to that rule, despite breaking the molds in some ways. Interestingly, much of the novel's effects can be traced back to the actions of one character, but he is so insignificant in the grand scheme that I no longer recall his name. A misogynistic everyman is not meant to be remembered but to ignite rage, because he still exists in the metaphorical sense in all centuries. I love the ending, the perfect poetry and final note of hope we are left with. Many types of relationships sprout in these pages, and I especially appreciate and feel seen by each POV being of a youngest daughter, a role they all fit into that I feel greatly shapes their choices leading to the events that weave their roots together.

The title is derived from a beautiful, meaningful poem many characters live and die by, but I am also reminded of Juliet's lines from Romeo & Juliet - ``What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet.'' Or prick as sharply? Choose your poison, as you cannot have the soft, lovely petals without the thorns.

Huge thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the chance to read this book early. Easily one of my favorite books of 2025, and we are only now in early April.