I wanted to love this book so much. I adore V E Schwab. She writes like a poet from heaven. It’s just breathtaking the way she draws me inside a characters soul. I was given an ARC sneak peak (Thanks NetGalley and McMillan Audio!) and enjoyed it enough to purchase and read the whole book. Also I read this with a virtual book club and have to add the disclaimer that most of them enjoyed this book more than me. I may be the problem (lol) because fantasy is simply not my thing. I was falsely assuming (seriously my fault) that this was a magic realism book like her others. But it was more fantasy than not. Still, even after realizing what I’d stepped into I wanted to finish it because I just adore the way VE Schwab writes and develops characters. But, by the end of the book, I didn’t like any of the characters. I don’t feel like there was much of a plot really, until the last 30%. That 30% was much better than the first 70%. So, I didn’t love this book but I did enjoy aspects of it and especially the ending. If you are all in on a story of unhinged vampire lovers, written with stunningly deep emotions, this book is probably for you. Sadly, it wasn’t for me.

THIS BOOK!!! V.E Schwab is an auto buy author for me and this book didn't let me down. I absolutely loved it. I would definitely relisten to it soon. I love the way she weaves her stories and history together. If lesbian vampires intrigue you, this is a must read!

Incredible! While I know this review is for a "Sneak Peek" of the audiobook, I have since listened to the audiobook in its entirety, and I 100% recommend it, particularly in this audio format. The narrators are all exceptional, and they truly bring the story to life. This was my first V. E. Schwab novel, but I know it won't be my last. Sapphic + vampires + historical = absolute perfection. There was so much depth to the story and relationships, and I loved Schwab's interpretation of vampire lore.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio!

Spanning five centuries and three women’s lives, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a haunting exploration of immortality, desire, vengeance, and the ache of being. In 1532, María, a fierce and beautiful girl desperate for more than the fate men have carved out for her, makes a fateful deal. In 1827, Charlotte’s sheltered world is upended by a moment of forbidden passion, leading her into the arms of a mysterious widow. And in 2019, Alice, far from home and reeling after a one-night stand that cracks open her carefully constructed identity, begins digging into her past, and something far darker.

Tropes
* Generational storytelling
* Dark bargains/Faustian deals
* Found family
* Queer romance
* Identity and transformation
* Gothic undertones
* Feminine rage and reclamation
* Power, autonomy, and the price of freedom
* Parallel lives across centuries

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is V.E. Schwab at her most ambitious and poetic. It’s not just a story, it’s a meditation on what it means to want: to want more, to want differently, to want endlessly. María, Charlotte, and Alice are unforgettable in their yearning and pain, and Schwab’s narrative weaves their fates together with precision and heartache. This book doesn’t race, it lingers, it builds, and it burrows under your skin. With gothic beauty and aching truths, Schwab explores the cyclical nature of trauma, power, and womanhood. A masterwork of genre fusion that feels both intimate and epic.

This was a great sneak peak!!! I really liked The Secret Life of Addie and was so exicted when I saw V.E. Was coming out with another book! Cannot wait to read the book!!!

This little snipper was all I need to run and immediately get the audiobook so I can dive into this story!! I usually don't read multiple POVs books, but for VE Schwab, it's a not brainer!

I think this book is one I would get more out of by reading a physical copy.
The audiobook is good, and I enjoyed the narrator, but I think it's kind of hard to get into.
I hope that I am able to listen to the rest of the audiobook sometime soon, and hopefully I can get more entwined in the story.

(Probably more of a 3.5 rather than 4)
As this was only a sneak peak, I will give it my review for just that part.
I really enjoyed the perspective of María, but not so much the other two women whose perspectives we observed. It was written really well, I just couldn't immerse myself into their lives for some reason. I'm looking forward to continuing this book and definitely am looking forward to reading more V.E. works!

This was a sneak peek but I ended up purchasing the complete audiobook when it was released and it was amazing. All three narrators have their own style of course but they did such a good job giving a voice to each of their characters. This was my first V. E. Schwab book and I was in awe of just how beautiful her writing is. I really enjoyed the story, it was interesting and kept me entertained.

Thank You NetGalley and MacMillan for the advance sneak peek.

I have never read a V.E. Schwab novel before, and when I saw that the Sneak Peek of the author's latest book was available as an instant approval on NetGalley my curiousity was peaked. I listened to this Sneak Peek, which is narrated by Julia Whelan, Katie Leung, and Marisa Calin.

This advance listener's copy includes the first 12 chapters of the novel, and introduces the three main characters and multiple timelines that the story spans. If the goal of this Sneak Peek is to get people to read the rest of it...mission accomplished. The narration is excellent so far, the accents are done really well and the pace of each storyline is perfection. I plan on devouring this book as soon as the fall season rolls around because it fits the autumn vibes perfectly.

So far this one is a 5 star!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macillan audio, and the author for this advanced listener's copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ahh, still can't believe I got to listen to VE Schwab's new release early! Even just a few hours in, this novel already feels like V.E. Schwab’s most emotionally layered and ambitious work to date. It’s dark, atmospheric, and rich in tone, with three distinct voices spanning centuries, all circling themes of survival, power, and reclamation.

Each timeline so far feels well-defined: María’s 16th-century arc is haunting and feral, Charlotte’s Victorian narrative restrained and aching, and Alice in 2019 feels sharp, angry, and raw. The writing is more restrained than in some of Schwab’s earlier books (less flourish, more slow-burn emotional tension) which works well for the gothic themes and bodily horror.

So far, it’s not a plot-driven novel. It’s emotional, introspective, and clearly building toward something big. I can already tell this is a story about rage and resistance, told through layered, intimate portraits rather than fast pacing.

I still haven't finished the entire novel, but I’m so invested. It’s one of those rare books where even the setup makes you feel like something important is being said.

“Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil,” by V. E. Schwab

This book was super interesting. A non-linear story plot with lots of timeline shifts and characters which reminded me of Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven, which I adored. I would say this book would be great for people who love character driven plots and a lot of piecing together the plot while reading. Lots of deep thinking and hard life stuff was tackled and kept me thinking throughout the time listening. The audiobook was really good, and I enjoyed it. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Multi POV
-Non-Linear plot

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Woo hoo! Love this author and can’t wait to read more. Thanks for the sneak peak netgalley! Always love a nice little preview leaving me wanting more!

These three narrators were so incredibly evocative, captivating, and resonant. I could listen to them tell stories for days, and I adore the way each embodied the three characters at the core of this book. Katie Leung as Alice was a standout. This teaser had me urgently searching for a nearby store to pick up a physical copy along my travels.

"Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil" by V.E. Schwab is a gothic vampire novel that takes place in three time periods following three women from the 1500s to modern times. It explores the cost of each of the women's choices and how one's soul dies in the curse of immortality. It also features several prominent LGBTQ romances.

Schwab's writing is very descriptive, and she seems to delight in the vampire biting scenes, which could be a bit graphic. There's so much murder throughout that I got a bit desensitized to it by the end, which may have been a choice intended to mimic the characters' decent into soulless, careless killing. The story is told in a descriptive way, but it lacked big moments. To me, it started strong, but by the time the first character turned I began to lose interest and couldn't ever really find anyone that that I cared about for the duration or was rooting for. The end felt a bit anti-climactic.

I haven't read any of Schwab's other books, so I'm not sure about how this compares to her others. I don't know if it was just the gothic vampire portion, lack of momentum, or the abrupt ending, but it just wasn't for me.

Julia Whelan is a great narrator, but her portion concludes early in the book, and I found myself wishing she would have been the narrator for the whole book.

I'll give it three stars for the interesting structure and writing. Those who love gothic vampire stories, or those that span big periods of time will probably like this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the sneak peek.

This sneak peek of this book by one of my favorite authors made me want to read more. An interesting and engrossing story.

This sneak peak completely drew me in and I'm so excited to finish the audio! The narrators were all amazing. I cannot wait to continue! Thank you for this sneak peak!

This was just a sample, but it really reeled me in. I can’t wait to pick up where the sample left off.

Loved this and can't wait to read the full version! I'm excited for the other perspectives, seeing how everything connects together. The characters I'm all in on and know it will travel through centuries!

I loved this book! I immediately continued the audio when it came out because the sneak peek hooked me! It was so indulgent and dark and everything I’ve come to hope for out of a V.E. Schwab book.