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.

V.E. Schwab has done it again! I would write any book she reads every but WOW... this is A BOOK. I am a huge fan of Urban Fantasy and stories about Immortals (but also just a big vampire fan in general). This book tells such distinctive separate stories about all these women even while all the stories also intertwine. I cherish these 3 women forever and love my toxic sapphics so much.

I love VE Schwab, but not the biggest fan of Urban Fantasy so it took me a bit to get into. Once I hit the true plot of the book I was sucked in though (Ha, pun). Schwab has such a beautiful way of writing that she can bring any story to life. I loved the different characters, especially the historical POV.

Once again, another banger from V.E. Schwab. This book has been on my TBR for awhile, and I was so excited to finally receive an ARC of it! Schwab writes with such an exquisite tenderness and lush descriptions that I couldn't stop turning the pages and needing to find out what happens next. I loved the sapphic representation (toxic lesbian vampires? sign me UP), and how Schwab did not shy away from creating difficult female characters. I loved the alternating POVs, and thought that Schwab did an excellent job of handling several different timelines.

V. E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a beautifully dark novel that explores immortality, grief, and female resilience across time. The story follows three women: Maria, Alice, and Charlotte, whose lives are connected by a shared fate and a centuries-old legacy. Although they live in different time periods and locations, their stories are intertwined by the heavy cost of immortality and their struggle for agency in a world that often seeks to control them.

The novel takes us readers through a variety of historical settings, including Santo Domingo de la Calzada, London, and Boston. Each place is richly detailed, bringing the past to life while drawing connections between these distant times. Schwab’s world-building is immersive and vibrant, making it easy to get lost in the different historical landscapes.

At the heart of the novel is the theme of immortality. Maria, Alice, and Charlotte are all sapphic vampires, and their eternal lives are both a gift and a curse. While immortality offers them endless time, it also brings the burden of loss, grief, and loneliness. Schwab explores this tension beautifully, showing how living forever can be both empowering and deeply isolating. The story dives into the emotional and psychological toll of immortality, examining what it means to live when time no longer has an end.

Schwab’s writing is lyrical and haunting, creating a dark atmosphere that pulls readers in. The novel shifts between different timelines with ease, and each section adds layers to the story, deepening the connections between the past and present. The pacing is steady, and the emotional depth of the story makes it hard to put down.

One of the novel’s strengths is its exploration of feminine strength and rage. The three women fight not only for their survival, but for their freedom in a world that seeks to silence them. Schwab doesn’t shy away from darker elements, including body horror and the consequences of immortality, giving the story a raw, visceral quality. I would definitely look up TWs.

Overall, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking tale that mixes historical fiction with supernatural elements. The novel’s rich world-building, emotional depth, and haunting atmosphere make it a compelling read. If you’re a fan of V.E. Schwab’s previous work, like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, or enjoy dark, atmospheric stories with strong themes of immortality and feminine power, this book is a must-read, in my opinion.

Gay women battle oppression, demands from their families and that famous unquenchable thirst in Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil.

Schwab is clearly a skilled storyteller; this is a multilayered historical novel smoothly delivered with crisp movement. Creative use of the 'must be invited inside' vampiric lore. Protagonists are young lesbians, and some outside the intended audience will be able to relate to characters - not because they are especially likable but because of situations they are placed in. Charlotte (19th century, British, highly empathetic) is drawn with the most vivid strokes of our three main syringed-toothed ladies.

Fans of Carmilla will love this. Throw on some Bauhaus and give it a go.

The fantastic Fingersmith by Sarah Waters or The Buffalo Hunter Hunter are similar novels worth checking out.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the review copy.