Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil had me utterly captivated. I love this author so when I saw this coming out I knew I needed it. Toxic vampires were promised and delivered. I absolutely adored the characters, they are full of angst, yearning and anger. Somehow I was swept into this whirlwind of a timeline that effortlessly flowed. Feminine power and hunger wove itself throughout the timelines. As a standalone it worked so beautifully, even though I didn’t want it to end and am left wanting more. Hungry for words is what this book made me! It’s lyrical, dark and consuming. I actually am at a loss for words to describe how this book made me feel. All I can say is I’m obsessed. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

V. E. Schwab’s books have been hit and miss with me but I was really hopeful for this one!

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a beautifully crafted novel that weaves feminine rage, grief, and desire through centuries. The structure may be a little confusing for some, but as someone who loves a fragmented read, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Schwab undeniably has a knack for it!

Each of the three women, Maria, Alice, and Lottie. bring their own distinct energy to the narrative and their stories explore what it means to be a woman when all that is expected of you is silence and submission.

This novel carries such a dark, emotional weight that is raw and violent and for lack of a better word, bloody. The lyrical, sapphic, vampire slow burn we needed!


Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the ARC!

There is yearning, there is want transformed into need, and there is a very stark warning of the cyclical nature of abuse. This is by far my favorite modern depiction of vampires. It is clear that Schwab was writing with the knowledge that the scariest thing about vampires is that their wants deviate from society’s and they now have the power to fulfill those desires, even if they are no longer capable of being satiated.

I have seen everyone and their gran rave about this book and it delivered and more. I was absolutely hooked couldn’t put it down such a page turner

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

How do you think a sexy, flawed sapphic vampire romance should be written? Like this! And that is the only correct answer.

I sunk my teeth into the pages so hard that I actually started to annotate my physical book, and I never do this. This book was beautifully written, the 3-way POV was wonderful to experience. Especially seeing how the timeline jumps, how we dip into different cultures and how I could really see the parallels with Addie LaRue.

There was powerful tension between the characters, that when you are faced with the pain and manipulation, you were still happily jumping in putting up the red flags like they were bunting, celebrating the hot mess of their relationships.

Honestly this story had me locked in. It also managed to keep me company all week during my bout of illness and I couldn’t think of a better one to nurse me back to health. And ultimately with this story Schwab continuously shows why she’s one of my favourite author.

4.5 stars!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an ARC of this book.

I’ve been a massive Schwab fan for years, so naturally, this was one of my most anticipated reads—I preordered both the hardcover and audiobook half a year early. But I’ll admit: after Addie LaRue, I was nervous. I wasn’t sure if this new book could deliver the same emotional depth or resonance, especially with the promise of a darker, more brutal tone. Fortunately, I had no reason to worry.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil absolutely lived up to my expectations in its own raw and feral way. It’s a sprawling, beautifully crafted novel that weaves feminine rage, desire, and grief through centuries of history. I can understand why the pacing or structure might feel off to some readers, but for me, the fragmented timelines and gradually intertwining stories worked. Schwab has a real talent for unearthing emotional truths through non-linear storytelling, and this book is no exception.

Lottie quickly became my favourite, though I can’t say more without spoilers. And Alice’s clinical breakdown of vampire lore made me grin—such a great touch of levity and intelligence in an otherwise haunting, heavy story. Each of the three women—Maria, Alice, and Lottie—bring something distinct to the narrative. Their lives (and deaths, and undeaths) explore what it means to be a woman in worlds that demand your silence, your softness, your submission—and how you survive that.

I think I still prefer The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue overall—there’s something about its deep dive into art, history, and mental health that continues to resonate with me in a way few books have. That said, Bury Our Bones comes incredibly close. It carries that same emotional weight, just filtered through blood, rage, and centuries of loss.

A dark, lyrical, slow-burning vampire tale with bite. 4.5/5

Love. Love. Love! 4.5 stars of brilliance! I absolutely love V.E. Schwab’s writing and I think she is one of the most beautiful storytellers in modern history. I absolutely devoured this book and it was giving similar vibes of Addie LaRue which I didn’t mind because it’s my favourite book of all time. I loved reading about each woman’s story and not knowing how they all connected until the end, it really built up the suspense. My favourite part was reading about Sabine and Lottie falling in love in the regency era. Highly recommend to everyone!

I found myself routing for each of these girls throughout the book at different times of the story. But as the story came together that changed, along with the characters. Surprisingly, the most gut wrenching quote came from Jocelyn in the way of “did you find someone brave enough to love you?” 😭💔

Each of them were sad, tragic, hopeful, deserving of more than what life had dealt them. In their deaths, Victoria dealt them a whole other bag of issues.

What a riveting story. As always, Victoria has the most beautiful way with words and her sentences are so beautiful and descriptive.

Another masterpiece from V. E. Schwab

I love a vampire read and I did enjoy this, but this felt slow in parts and I just kept thinking there should have been more going on. I found it hard to connect with the main FMCs and so wasn't totally invested in their relationships.

My rating? Rounded up to 4 stars because:
It's VE Schwab and I loved her other books.

What I did love:
I was intrigued by the multiple POV tie ins and thought the connections were great.

It was a vampire book.

Loved the human / vampire connection of her friends in Venice.

Glad I read it but not sure I'd read again. That being said, VE Schab is still a favourite for me and Addie will always be my favourite book.

Much like the story itself Bury Our Bones is the kind of book that sinks its teeth into you and for a long time after you have to unravel how and why it did so. Set over centuries meandering across the globe from multiple points of view, it digs at the cause and affect of what it means to be hungry. There is definitely a reason the phrase Toxic Lesbian Vanpires is on the marketing but I have to say much like real life some of the characters that haunt me are the ones we don’t get to spend enough time with. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a slower paced book, historical settings, and darker vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the eBook.


The depth that V.E. Schwab can create in her books is just incredible. We’re following 3 different characters over 3 completely different timelines and it works so well. It was so easy to follow, which is sometimes where these books fall down for me.

I loved the character development in this book. The way we got to know the characters so well and watch how they changed when they became vampires and navigated hundreds of years was brilliant.

It was such a unique take on vampires, which was surprising to me after having read a few before. Toxic lesbian vampires are where it’s at though.

I fell in love with Addie LaRue when I read it earlier this year and V.E. Schwab has written something else just as good. Well and truly can’t wait for the next one.

Woah, this book was incredible. It's my first book I read by V.E Schwab book and I'm so glad i read this one. They were not lying about toxic vampire lesbians.

As a Spanish person, i could tell the parts for Maria where really well researched, my only really small nitpick is Chinchón probably would not be a thing then at least not with the same name.
The characters are so vibrant and the story is beautifully constructed, i loved how distinctive each of them felt and how the story slowly unraveled itself throught each chapter and timeline.
The ending made me need to stare at the train window for 10 minutes while making shocked faces at my friend. What a delight of a book.

I really recommend picking it up if you're interested, it's a really good one.

Atmospheric, ethereal and eery.
This is an epic story spanning centuries and continents. I felt immersed in the world of Sabine, Alice and Charlotte in ways many books can’t achieve. I was entranced.
V.E. Schwab is so talented in crafting stories that enrapture readers, compelling us to imagine multiple different realities all at once.
No one does magical realism like this. I wish I could read it for the first time again.

I'm so happy this delivered for me. I love vampires so much, I have such a high bar for them - and these were some messy, bloody, toxic and seductive vampires. I've got another redhead vampire to love alongside Armand now - Sabine did nothing wrong 😔

In all seriousness, Sabine, Charlotte & Alice were each wonderful in their own way. Particularly enjoyed V.E Scwab putting her knowledge of Scotland to good use - Alice' life felt very real to me. Sabine was ruthless and charming and she can eat me if she wants. Charlotte was a throw back to Louis du pont du lac with her dislike of killing humans and gradual hatred of her maker.

The classic vampire references were frequent enough to keep me happy - we dont always have to reinvent the wheel with these things! At the same time these vampires felt uniquely Schwab's. I loved it. If you liked Addie la Rue you will love this - but equally I think if Addie wasn't your vibe, Bones has a bit more grit and action that might keep you hooked.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My feelings for this book are complicated. I liked the first section with Sabine and her story of how she chose freedom and blood instead of being saddled with a husband that only wanted her for her beautiful fiery hair and ability to bear children. I guess it makes it more tragic then as she journeys the world by herself, until she meets Charlotte. Unfortunately being a vampire does not have a happy ending as the years hollow them out till nothing is left but hunger and rage. I thought that was pretty good. Too often vampires are toted as beautiful and that immortality is the best. Instead they have a best by date and if you are decent or have friends, these vampires can end without destroying everything around them.

Understanding this though did not change that I absolutely hated Sabine (several decades after turning Charlotte) and Charlotte or Lottie had my love for the rest of the book for being such a decent soul with a moral compass that Sabine lacks. I enjoyed Lottie's story so much with her loves and friends and it had me very intrigued to see how Alice was going to fit in with her modern experience as a vampire and why she had been turned. This is a dark story, full of feelings (hate being a strong one, but also love) and I did like the little poem that seemed to be famous among vampires about being buried in the midnight soil and becoming roses with sharp thorns and teeth.

Do not expect a happy ending though. There are no happy endings with vampires (as is proper), just hanging on to humanity and kindness until your end comes as it does for everyone.

"There are other names for us, of course,' continues Hector, 'Night Walker. Blood Drinker. Abomination. Vampire. But those are words crafted by mortal tounges. They are imperfect, incomplete. they lack the poetry, the brutality, the grace. No, we are roses."



A decadent, seductive, lavish tale filled with feminine magic, queer romance (bring a fan, it’s hot) and rebellion. I adore a vampire story; but usually you have the same few stories retold over and over - languishing and dramatically draped over a chaise lounge, falling in love with a human, etcetera, but Ms Schwab managed to hold onto that gothic delight while making something utterly fabulous and unique.

Maria lives in Spain, 1521, telling us tales of warm sun, fresh cherries, and mysterious pilgrims hoping to wash away their sins. A life before betrothal when she was just a child that feels more at home with nature and dirt before becoming a woman who dared to ask about her own pleasure, to seek adventure and dare to question men.

Then there's Alice in 2019 Boston, she watched the world happen but always feels like a voyeur, an observer until she meets a beautiful girl who disappears into the night. I wished we’d spent a bit more time with her in the first half, she felt a little forgotten but I was so rapt by the stories I didn’t mind so much.

All of our characters were undeniable - complicated, human, inhuman - they change and morph into something unrecognisable- at times cruel - as they try to survive.

Their lives move forward in stunning snapshots, leaving us wondering what threads could join them across time, weaving between countries and centuries. Third person narrative flows nicely, letting us settle but never too long that we get stuck in one perspective and lose the big picture. Alluring, hypnotic, so vividly described but always moving with a fabulous pace. It’s one scene of fear, anger, rage and debauchery after one another, but even through moments where the plot isn’t moving there’s something about the characters being uncovered

In the moment, I was a little deflated with the finale, feeling like everything was just over quickly within a line, and while I wanted it to feel like more, the rest of the story more than made up for it.

A dangerous love story of eternal, deep romance — some heartbreakingly beautiful, some fleeting and lustful, and some poisonously dangerous; the many kinds of love, obsession and fear that can create and destroy lives.

I love V.E. Schwab and have read every one of her books, so it's been wonderful to watch her grow as an author and develop her craft over the years. This book felt more similar to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue than any of her other books or series, except Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil felt darker, less whimsical, more brutal. I loved how carefully crafted the language was - there were paragraphs where every sentence was a gut punch. The narrative was woven carefully, and though the story takes a while to truly begin, letting us linger with the characters and get to know them first, once the narrative threads begin twisting together, the pay off it well worth it. I'm usually suspicious of hyped book and authors, but in this case, I have to say: the hype was well worth it.

Wow, where to start… While I wasn’t absolutely blown away by this book, probably because my expectations and excitement were incredibly high, it was a beautiful, intricate novel that I have thought about often after finishing it. I don’t read books that are this long very often and I was impressed with how engaged I was throughout. The story was intense, emotional, fun, and it constantly evolved. The settings were vivid and the character journeys were sincere, by the end it really made you feel like you had been on a journey with them.

The writing was also an incredible aspect of this book, V.E. Schwab’s writing feels so unique and I just fall into her stories, it was filled with tension and poetry that completely absorbs you into the story. The only thing I would change about this book is that I would have liked to see more of Alice in the middle section. I think at times we spent too long with one character and I would have preferred the POV to change more often. This is definitely a personal preference and I’m sure some readers loved spending a lot of time with one character.

I definitely plan on rereading this quite soon, as I was reading the ebook I found myself wanting to flick back and reread different parts, which I wasn’t able to do, so I definitely want to read it again! I also loved the ending, sadly I can’t say more but I love it when an author makes a brave move!

Unfortunately I didn't finish this book in the end. I got to 31% and I just didn't ever feel like picking it back up again. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters and the dialogue felt lacking or like there wasn't enough of it. It gave me the same feeling of empire of the damned, which I didn't finish either, I felt bored and not driven forward in the story or to continue.

A few of my friends enjoyed this one though so I think maybe it just wasn't for me on this occasion.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

I loved the premise and the writing style - Schwab is always one to deliver on beautiful prose. However, my one gripe with the book is that I feel that it is too long in the setting up of the action and then not a lot truly happens. I was more taken with Alice's chapters, however slow they were, and just when something was about to happen we are ripped away back to Sabine's life which just felt too frustrating to me.

The commentary on the lack of choices women have had throughout history in their own lives was great, as well as the fact that it really was only recently that homophobia has begun to die down (side note, we may have sexual equality ie 'allowed' by society to be and love who you want, but it is something we must keep fighting for).

A stunning piece of gothic literature, yet I feel like it's missing a couple of notes in its song.