This was my first V.E. Schwab book & I was looking forward to its release as it seemed right up my alley so I was really glad to be given the opportunity to review it as an ARC!

I love sapphic vampires and dark stories like this one so I really enjoyed this! I felt like the character building was done really well and each character had their own individual story. I went from feeling quite bad for Sabine to honestly disliking her, and the ending was quite unpredictable for me also.

The only thing I would say that was a drawback for me is the jumping back and forth between the different characters and time stamps at the start of the book as it felt quite all over the place; it did settle more further on in the book and it felt more fluid, but at first I kept getting confused about who’s POV we were being told.

Nonetheless I found this book pretty enjoyable and I’ll definitely be picking up more of the author’s work!

Thank you Pan Macmillan/Tor & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated reads for the entire year and I am so glad to say it did not disappoint. I went into it knowing very little other than that it was written by the brilliant V.E Schwab and that it was about sapphic vampires. I loved it from start to finish. Each POV and timeline was intricately woven into a beautiful story. This combined with an engaging atmosphere has turned this into one of V.E Schwab’s best yet!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book.

Obsessed.

I had to keep putting the book down—not because I wasn’t into it, but because I was way too into it. I just wanted to stay in that world a little longer.

A book about lesbian vampires? Of course I knew it would be amazing (I'm a vampire fan through and through). But what I didn’t expect was how it also is a story about women in history—about how freedom, for women, has often come at the cost of becoming something society calls monstrous (like a vampire, lol).

Sure, the pacing is on the slower side, but honestly, I loved how much room the characters had to breathe and grieve and just exist.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Bury our bones

This book genuinely took me by surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed previous books Schwab has written & I applied for the ARC for this without reading the summary so I actually didn’t know what I was getting myself into.

The book started slow, I wasn’t too sure where it was going and I had to remind myself this is quite normal. As usual, Schwab wove the story together really well and by the end I was so happy I stuck with it. The supernatural elements were done very well and the characters were all captivating.

This book followed 3 characters and the way they all intertwined was very exciting. I love how the story built up and I loved when I felt intrigued and invested. This was a story with sapphic elements but it wasn’t the core of the story. For any fans of VE Schwab you’ll enjoy this one!

“A road with no end.”
“You should get to feel and love as boldly as you want”
“She is free”
“Time doesn’t heal. It just wears you down”

How does one even begin to describe the story that is Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil! This was such a worthwhile experience, reading the intertwining lives of three multifaceted women! I think I’ll be in awe of this book for a long time.

Witnessing Maria’s journey, rooting for her and then against her made for such a compelling arc! It shows that no matter how free you are, you still want more and more. Watching her rot when all she wanted was freedom was genuinely so upsetting. A rose in its prime just withering from darkness. Perhaps I’m naive and I should’ve seen it coming. Charlotte was a casualty. She was looking for a life of freedom, she wanted to love who she loved, she was ruled by her heart, and I believe Maria would’ve loved her, but Sabine was far too gone. I enjoyed her arc; it was almost a mirror of Maria’s, the yearning of something more, freedom. Though Sabine thought she was setting her free, she chained her to life in the dark. Unfortunately, Alice got caught in the middle of their game, and though she was late, she was victorious. From the start to the end, she was a character I was rooting for! Again, she wanted something new; though she was not shackled by the customs and pressures of the previous societal norms, she was weighed down by death. And in the end, it was death that truly freed her! She was the standout character; the V.E. weaved in her grief, and the story of Catty was so raw and emotional, it made every chapter feel as if we were getting a sneak peek into her soul! Just amazing.

I loved the use of time; it kept me entertained and just added to the overall storytelling.

I do believe the ending felt a bit rushed. A 400-year-old vampire defeated in a matter of minutes, Sabine deserved a death as loud as she lived, and instead, her flame was quietly, simply snubbed out, very underwhelming for such an amazing character. Charlotte, however, got exactly what she was asking for. After being afraid to live a life along, dragging innocent souls into this game, she lied to Alice, so I can’t complain about her end. Alice’s ending, though upsetting, opened her up to more possibilities. She ended the cycle, she ended the game, and now was given a second chance at life. She’ll be able to live for her mum, catty and herself. The one positive to come out of this is that Alice is free, and though she may fall victim to Sabine’s fate (the ending eluding to her hunger), she is alive!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 🩸

This was my first V. E. Schwab novel and I loved it! I can’t wait to dive into more of Victoria’s books!

This book follows the lives of 3 different women spanning over many years, until their stories eventually come together as one. I loved the way this was done. I was so engaged in each story and couldn’t wait to see how it all came together.

Some scenes in this book had me sitting up and gasping!

The ending felt like it all happened very fast, I would have liked that to play out a bit longer but overall I really enjoyed this.

I need more vampire books in my life🩸

Thank you to pan macmillan and Netgalley for the E-Arc

This has been my most anticipated read for this year and I have absolutely been enthralled by it!

Having been described by V. E. Schwab as toxic lesbian vampires and inspired by Florence + The Machine, I knew this book has been exactly what I have been searching for. I adored the characters and I really enjoyed following their journey. I especially enjoyed following Sabine and I also loved seeing Alice's character development as we follow her struggle with her own identity and relationships.

This has been a phenomenal read for me and I'm so excited for more people to enjoy this book as much as I have.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer (athenafreyag on Instagram)

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is the first book I read by this author, and yes, I do know that it sounds weird lmao. But give me sapphic vampires, and I will read it ASAP! Multiple timelines and povs isn't usually my thing, so I was a tad worried, but I didn't mind it in this book at all. It did feel jarring, though, as in the order of the povs and change of povs was jarring.

Our first pov, Maria, is a woman who is hungry for more, who does not settle for what society dictates, and I loved her for it.

Our second pov, Alice, is an anxious young woman who wants a fresh start, who wants to become a different kind of person, but anxiety and emotional baggage are a b!tch....

The third pov, Charlotte, is another woman who wants freedom.

I like flawed main characters, I like women who push for what they want no matter what. We have been told what to do, who to be, and how to act for so long, so I always yearn for female characters who shatter the norms and expectations, and these characters did that. However, I didn't feel invested in any of them, and I didn't root for any of them. Perhaps, it's me, but I just didn't particularly care for any character and any motive. I loved S.T. Gibson's sapphic vampire books, for reference, but I just didn't get into this book. It felt like the plot and pacing were dragging,and the characters couldn't pull me in to counter-balance the slow pacing. It could be that this book just wasn't for me, so I'd give a 3.5 star rating.

What an incredible read.

The tagline of ''Toxic Lesbian Vampires’ could not have been more accurate and the book has you looked from the first page.

Dual timeline, diverse characters and chaotic plotlines make for one of the best releases of 2025.,

V.E Schwab at her best.. An amazing sapphic vampire tale that spans centuries and continents. The characters are amazing, I absolutely loved this!

One day the lesbians will be happy but not in this book! I loved the shifts in perspective as each character becomes more evil in their own different ways, and the build up to Alice’s move to the US. It never could be anything other than a tragedy but it is a beautiful one.

5/5 stars! Ahh! This book was heart-breakingly beautiful. This is for fan's of V.E.'s Addie work, not here Shades fantasy work. This is dark and heavy but also surprising. Sapphic love but add vampires!?!? Say less! The ending was realistic, even if it was hard to read.

Without a doubt, my favourite book of 2025.
This was my most anticipated read for this year, so the stakes were incredibly high. Schwab did not disappoint. The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue is still one of my favourite books and you can really see the authors voice and style in this.
The marketing for this has been bang on; Toxic Lesbian Vampries… and in abundance! This follows three women, in their transition into vampires. I think everyone will agree Sabine is one of the most fascinating characters to follow. She is so unapologetically fierce and powerful; if you love a villains origin story, this will be a must-read.
Despite being quite a chunky book, I loved every second of reading it. The alternate characters and settings kept the pace moving and Schwab does an excellent job of keeping the reader invested.
The market is heavily saturated with vampire fiction at the moment, yet Schwab has managed to do something new. I loved the idea of immortality not quite being true, and that they are slowly rotting from within. It was such an interesting take.
I’ve heard whispers that this is set in the same world as Addie, and how I would love more from this world.
10/10. Outstanding.

A very strong start to this one and I was very interested and invested in where the story was going, where the different stories would converge but there is something about vampire stories that just never do it for me. Once that aspect was recognized, the book went downhill for me, became a bit repetitive and not as enjoyable as the beginning.

I simply loved this. I don't know if I can put into words why I loved it so much, I'll certainly try, but I sincerely couldn't put it down and it'll linger in my brain long after I finish this review. I was on board as soon as I heard toxic lesbian vampires but that doesn't nearly do justice to the depth and beauty, nor the rage and violence and grief of this story.

First off, the writing. I think it's quite rare to find prose that's as lyrical and beautiful as it is easy to read by VE Schwab has absolutely nailed the skill. Hours and days passed while I read this, just sucked into the narrative voice. The plot is slow and meandering for the majority of the book but the writing carried me along with it, just enjoying the world and the characters and the vibes. Then it picked up pace in the second half and I was just gripped by the slow unfurling of Lottie, Sabine and Alice's stories, and the ways and the places in which they intertwined.

This story took the romanticised vampires and made them visceral and venal and real, while at the same time making them relatable and brave and bold. Truly, they contained multitudes. I adored them all. Sabine and her blazing determination to live freely and independently. Lottie and her wild desperate need to be loved. Alice and her torn and broken heart.

I don't want to give away any spoilers but I was left pondering questions about what makes us human, and what does it mean to lose that humanity with forever stretching in front of you. And how easily we discount the humanity of others in favour of our own, when it comes down to it.

An absolute masterpiece end to end.

MASTERPIECE!!!!

V.E. Schwab does NOT disappoint with this one!! If you're a fan of Addie LaRue - but make it more toxic, more sapphic - then you'll love this. The writing is GORGEOUS and I love the characters and how they intertwine throughout 500 years. I love how they've done vampires here - still using some original lore, also doing something new.

This took me ages to read because I felt like I wanted to savour every word. I LOVED IT!!!

The story builds gradually, but if you stick with it, the payoff is worth it. The second half is particularly strong.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc for this absolute masterpiece of a book!
I thought no V.E Schwab’s book would ever touched me like this after Addie Larue, but she really outdid herself. I’m positively obsessed with the different point of views of the characters, getting to know Sabine and Charlotte through their struggles, their flaws as they get used to both each other and themselves. It’s also so important to get to know a character such as Alice who genuinely hates being one of the collateral damages caused by Sabine’s hatred towards Charlotte.
I need more time to recover from this reading.
Thank you V.E. for another one of those life changing novels I’d never forget.

10/10, Victoria you smashed it again. A centuries spanning epic of obsession, love, female rage and finding freedom in your own way. Personally I felt the ending was a little rushed, but I’m still hooked, so good, loved it

4.75 stars (rounded up)

Finding the right words to portray accurately how a book has made me feel, the impact it’s had and what I’m left with has never been the easiest for me and this book is no exception. V writes such incredible, visceral, deeply rich characters that I truly felt I was inside their minds, considering, tasting, delving into every thought and action that played out.

This story yearns of hunger - feral, raw, hunger to live, to want, to discover, to love. Bounds of lust and grief entangled in beautiful prose where the three main characters discover what it means to be a vampire (or buried in the midnight soil) whilst contending with grief, rage and queerness. Schwab uses vampiric tropes we know and love whilst extending and deepening our knowledge on what it is to hunt for blood and live among the night. It’s done so thoughtfully that you feel like you’re discovering all over again for the first time and some of them leave such interesting questions in my mind.

The foreshadow is truly incredible, immersive and stunning without feeling too repetitive and guided, it’s a testament to V’s ability to wrap you up in this gothic, dark , hungry world.

Each word feels so considered, each sentence built into paragraphs that grasp your attention, leaving you wanting more and more until your own hunger for the story is never ending to create this heartbreaking, bittersweet message of living freely.

I had the absolute pleasure of reading this with Bookbreak and a group of incredible people in a week long readalong and it has been the best experience. This review is all my own but the way my mind has expanded after the book and reading with these people is something that has changed me!! Thank you bookbreak for an advanced proof copy of this book!!