
Member Reviews

'Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil' is a feminist tale of three womens lives, each of their interwined perspectives woven across multiple timelines. The themes were of love, self-discovery, and hunger. It was dark and moody and mysterious, and to my great surprise - having jumped into this completely blind - they were vampires. This book read as though it were a dream. The prose was melodic and lyrical, full of metaphors and enchanting imagery.
This was a complex story, which felt very character driven, so I find it odd that I felt so disconnected from the story and the characters. I just couldn't feel them. They felt distant and blurry, similar to the book as a whole, which felt hazy to me. It was so unique, and no doubt many readers will love this experience.
One thing I noticed is that this novel doesnβt contain a lot of dialogue. I don't think this is necessarily a negative, but it did contribute overall to the slower pacing - which definitely was a negative.
This story really dragged for me. It was very drawn out and overly detailed. I think the intricate writing created a very poetic atmosphere, but it was too much. I was intrigued at the start and felt very enveloped by the writing and the beautiful historical setting of Maria's POV, but ultimately, it fell flat for me.
The structure of this book wasn't great either. The amount of time we spend with each character really differs, and we don't get Charlotte's story until way past the halfway mark.
I didn't finish this book in the end. My attention just drifted away, and I felt so tired of how repetitive and un-engaging it was. I hadn't been invested in it for a long time.
If you enjoy this author's writing and are interested in books with a paranormal, thriller-esque vibe that is quite philosophical, I think this would be a great hit. It has very high ratings, after all, which I think is deserved due to the amazing writing, but there really wasn't much to the plot at all, with nothing driving it forward.
Thank you very much to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
*I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for an honest review*

This was an epic fever dream, that's the only way I can describe it is as a literal fever dream. V.E Schwab's world building and descriptions are unmatched because I never fail to feel immersed and lose myself in their books.
At points it did feel really slow and was hard to keep track of the different timings and perspectives but the further in I got the more the plot felt like it all slotted together nicely. Speaking of plot, this book was a bit of a slow burner for me. I didn't feel super engaged immediately but I also couldn't put it down so it was a weird combination to have.
Overall though a really electric read if you keep going through the slower patches of plot.

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This book was interesting. I think it will be highly rated and beloved by a lot of people but it just didnβt quite hit for me. Itβs very thematic and character driven, and until we got a third pov around 60% I wasnβt sure where we were going. This kept me from fully connecting and getting invested in the story. However around the 70% mark when I saw things come together I got really into it and could see the vision that was there all along. The writing was absolutely amazing, I have so many quotes highlighted. This was a gorgeous feminist vampire story that I would definitely recommend and I think I could love this more if I re read it in the future. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Gripping. Twisty. Masterful. Haunting. And yes, toxic.
βThe world will try to make you small. It will tell you to be modest, and meek. But the world is wrong. You should get to feel and love and live as boldly as you want to.β
Wow, oh wow.
Honestly Iβm still struggling to put my thoughts and this feeling in my chest into words.
Bury Our Bones has all Addieβs wanting, but more and deeper and without the eternal positivity.
Our three main characters have very different lives and story arcs, but ultimately they all share one thing: a desire to be wholly themselves, to be who they wish they could be without societal expectations, to live without fear. The way their stories weave together into a single narrative is beautiful, and I was entranced by their individual lives and the way they came together.
The exploration of Vβs unique vampirism, which follows some lore but eschews other aspects, was fantastic, and the contemporary lens of Alice gave us a bit of humour and brought the comparisons we canβt help but make into the narrative.
I loved the idea of their humanity devolving over time, after all, could most of us live forever and still be ourselves? Could we value the lives of those who seemed to live and die in the blink of an eye? Would we empathise with what is now, ultimately, food? And the consideration of how much humanity you can lose before you become a monster.
Bury Our Bones broke my heart. Sabine, Lottie, and Alice have a shared experience of what being female means in this world - at different times and in different places, but always less, always fearful, always small. In a way, getting to see them break that mould was cathartic, even if they had to become monsters to do it.

I absolutely devoured this dark and brooding tale of toxic lesbian vampires from V. E.
Schwab. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil felt like a darker, more seductive sister to Addie LaRue.
The story drips with tension and drama as the toxic pull between three women boils over into violence and betrayal against a backdrop of glamour and bloodshed.
The structure of the book was fascinating, the narrative baton passed back and forth between the centuries as each character and their unique relationship to vampirism is explored.
Another stunning novel from one of fictionβs biggest hitters.

This is a story about hunger, love, humanity, toxic lesbian vampires and - perhaps most importantly - female rage. It is dark, moody and atmospheric, putting a new slant on traditional vampire lore, and I have no doubt that fellow fans of V.E. Schwab will eat this up just as much as I did.
It has echoes of stories such as Anne Riceβs Interview with a Vampire, particularly in the sense of its characters grappling with their morality and humanity (or lack of it) but it is told with Schwabβs signature lyrical prose. The interweaving of the triple narrative, historical timelines and three womenβs lives worked so well (though it took a while to get to Lottie) and although it doesnβt quite knock Addie LaRue off my personal top spot, I still loved it. A massive thank you for the e-ARC.

I was so excited to receive an e-arc of V. E. Schwabβs latest release, being such a big fan of her previous works. And whilst there were aspects of this story I enjoyed, it fell flat for me.
I so wanted to love this, but there were glaring issues for me. Donβt get me wrong, Schwabβs prose is as lyrical and beautiful as you would expect and itβs always such a delight to read her stories, especially those filled with such feminine rage.
But there was a big pacing issue here. The middle was so bogged down and slow paced with little story progression, I struggled to get through it all. And then in the last 40 pages, everything was quickly wrapped up, which was very anti-climactic.
I also didnβt warm to any of the main characters, they were all pretty unlikeable and it was hard to root for any of them.
I donβt know whether reading this so soon after I read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue also made it difficult to get through. Schwab herself has said Bury Our Bones is a sister novel set in the same universe and I couldnβt get past the similarities. It kind of felt like I was reading the same story just in a different era.
Still worth a read if youβre a Schwab fan, and I will still be picking up any future books!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Slow pace, but keeps you engaged throughout. An enjoyable walk through history, well paced, and I liked the writing - drew me in to the time. I was so there for the concept of the story, I do like a nice, traditional vampire telling, and this fit the bill. Would definitely read more from Schwab.

4.5 stars
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a moody, lyrical novel that blends literary fiction with subtle horror elements. As always, Schwab's writing is beautiful and prose-driven. Much like Addie, Bury Our Bones is more of an atmospheric experience rather than a plot-driven one. While there aren't sharp twists or plot-driven shocks, the horror seeps in quietly, through the slow decay of characters facing immortality. There's an undercurrent of female rage that runs through every POV, though Charlotte is my favorite, as a master-class in self delusion (we support women's wrongs).
I'd probably read Schwab's grocery list at this point but if you enjoyed The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Carmilla, or An Education in Malice, this book is worth picking up. Toxic lesbian vampires forever.

Rating : 4 β
My Interview with the Vampire fan-self fell in love with vampires again !
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is such an interesting tale and will be perfect for you if you love :
π₯ gothic settings & eerie vibes
π¦ sapphic vampires
π·slow burn story
πͺ¦ female rage
Told from three different povs and different time lines, we follow Sabine, Charlotte and Alice as their lives intertwine. The three women are so different but at the same time so similar and the way V.E. Schwab brings them to life is mesmerizing.
As always, I adore Schwab's writing. It's poetic and sharp and Bury Our Bones reminds me a lot of Addie LaRue in that aspect. The story is slow and we take our time with characters development and settings and that's exactly what I love to read about.
Female rage and female power are at the core of the story and feed our characters' actions and choices. While the majority of the book focuses on Sabine's life, we learn more and more about Charlotte and Alice as the story progresses, the place they take and role they play in it.
Interview with the Vampire is one of my favorite classics of the genre and even though I'm getting tired of Vampires being over-used and mis-treated in modern literature, Schwab did a brilliant job with this book. I'm mentioning Interview with the Vampire because I'm seeing a resemblance between the two and can easily imagine inspiration being drawn from the former - and I'm not mad about that.
I wish Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil would have kept focus on Sabine as well towards and until the end as to have a proper insight of her changes and ultimate downfall. In the same way I would have loved for some moments to have been written more in depth (I can give as an example <spoiler>when MarΓa kills Sabine : I thought the scene was too easy and rushed).</spoiler>.
This is a slow read, yet hard to put down.
This is a Romance, yet not a love story ...
Or is it ?
Thank you to Pan Macmillan, Tor and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Happy release day to this beautiful and harrowing book!!
βBury my bones in the midnight soil, plant them shallow but water them deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth.β
I really enjoyed savoring this one, taking my time with it and dwelling on it.
I've been wishing for something like <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60521937-a-dowry-of-blood">A Dowry of Blood</a>, ever since reading it a few years back, and I found this book filled the gap that Dowry left.
Also also, read if you like female rage (which we do, yes yes πββοΈπββοΈ)
"Never walk alone at night, they tell you, if youβre a girl. And it isnβt fair. Because the night is when the world is quiet."
Schwab once again cements why she is one of my faves, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with in the future!
4.5β
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a much anticipated book this year and much anticipated from Schwab as I believe she has talked about this book in previous years. It has garnered a lot of attention for that. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed by this book and I actually felt bored throughout most of it.
We start far into the history of one of the characters where we learn how she became who she is by the time the story catches up to our (2019) timeline. While I understand why Sabine turned out the way she did, I didn't really care about her or her story. In places it is very drawn out. The whole story is, really. When Alice told one of the other characters to hurry up their 'story' as explanation to her, I felt that. I felt that throughout the entire book, honestly.
We clearly don't just follow Sabine. We also follow Alice, and nearing the end Charlotte. I found Alice's story the most compelling because she was someone we can all put ourselves in her shoes, suddenly becoming a vampire in our time. She was also an easy character to follow. Sometimes I found her recollections of her and her sister a little annoying but by the end it made sense as to why they were there. The ending, the choice Alice makes, was bold and I can really appreciate it. But it wasn't enough for me to enjoy the book in the end.
I was bored for most of the book. When the characters don't interest you and there isn't that much happening, a story can become boring very quickly. The story is drawn out and the writing did nothing to draw me in this story. This is Schwab, so I persisted to see if the ending was still worth it. Not really but as I said, I'm still pleased that Alice did that.
Having said that, this book is a mixture of her Addi la Rue and Vicious. Neither of those worked for me at the time. But if one or both of them are books you really liked, you might be more drawn to this than me.

Wow - for my first VE Schwab read this book did not disappoint! I kept hearing it described as 'toxic lesbian vampires' and you know what, they weren't wrong. VE Schwab's writing style is definitely something I vibe with and this book solidified that for me, which means it's time to pick up some of her other books.
The setting, the characterisation, the plot - I loved all of it. This book didn't take me long to read at all because I was so hooked.

Unfortunately, I'm DNFing this at 33% after trying to read it for two weeks. I wanted to enjoy this, I absolutely adored Addie LaRue and was hoping for more of the same but this just didn't work for me.
The pacing is very slow, it takes a long time for the vampire stuff to start - I've literally just got to it before I DNFd. The vampire side of things is ok but it just isn't enough to keep me engaged, the characters aren't very likeable either.
The plot is also non-existent! It feels like the story is just wandering around and nothing is going on, there should be an identifiable plot to a story - especially over a quarter of the way in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor for making my dream come true and providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Spoiler: I am screaming. This was the most addictive story.
This is how you write vampires. Vicious, sexy, dark and flawed. I love vampires, and V.E. Schwab did it absolutely perfectly. They are all so different from each other, but still share the hunger, the wilderness. Toxic lesbian vampires, dare I say more?
The tales of the three women span across centuries. They are tales of love and lust and chaos. Their stories sank their teeth into me and did not let me go. I am not sure they ever will. Their love devoured them, consumed them like fire; if you could even call it love. More like obsession, lust and passion. More like poison. They knew it was toxic, yet kept coming back for more.
Before I start talking about the characters and what made them so special, I need to mention the writing. Lyrical, but dark and engaging, it drew me in like a moth into a flame. The book didn't have a structured, linear plot, but it made up for it with feeling. I couldn't read the book, I felt it all the way into my soul. The story was not about what happened, even if that is a big part of it. I think it was mostly about how it felt- like a deep sadness, an ever consuming emptiness and starvation.
Schwab's prose just gets better and better with every book. When she called this one the opposite of Addie, she meant it.
Without spoiling it, the ending left me staring at the ceiling at 4am. Much like our characters, I was left craving more, questioning everything I knew about life. And sometimes you need an ending like that. One that stays with you, like a comforting heaviness onto your chest.
Onto the characters. Firstly there was Maria- the definition of female rage. A simple girl who always knew she wanted more from life than just being a wife. She was craving power, and freedom and to live how she pleased. And that's exactly what she did, even before the turning point when she bit destiny by the throat. She knew what she wanted and was not afraid to take it, from her husband's riches, to later his life and Sabine's whole identity. Damning the consequences, she was all about the thrill of the chase. She was the definition of the obsession you want to dedicate your days to. The one you want to dedicate your nights to.
Charlotte-Lottie. More tame, a naΓ―ve girl whose only mistake was to fall in love with the wrong person time and time again. She felt like a fever dream. She felt human. She was enjoying her life, while still being a bridge between the maturity of her real age and the youth of her heart. She was love, pure and open.
And Alice? Alice was revenge. She was angry, not just at what happened to her family, but at what happened to herself. She demanded justice, even if she had to make it herself. She started off as an unwilling participant, but the tangled story she became a part of changed her. Alice was just starting to live.
Pure artistry, the book showed women through history. It was a big love letter to female rage and loving women.
"Bury my bones in the midnight soil, plant them shallow but water them deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth."

4.5 β
Toxic sapphic vampires. ππ‘οΈπ©Έπ₯
There is very little wiggle room when it comes to writing stories about vampires while trying to stay true to the base myths and lore, but I loved the creative liberty V.E Schwab took with certain elements in this novel.
'The last thing these men will ever feel is fear. And it will be her doing.'
This is what I imagine would be the aftermath if women were given a machete and free will to do anything with no consequences. When it comes to women committing violence against men, I am blind, your honor, I cannot testify.
This novel is the embodiment of violent obsession, unbridled rage and heavy grief.
(A vampire having a panic attack was not on my bingo card, but the struggle is real.)
Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an early proof in exchange for an honest review.

Bury our bones in the midnight soil
Author V. e Schwab
Out now.
Rating 4 stars 8.00 CAWPILE
This book. Was a whirlwind, one that I was expecting but one I was not expecting all at the same time. This was a well woven story of three women, three women in a time where life begins for them when it ends. I felt the pain, the heartbreak for all three but I also spent the time feeling the love poured into the page. I feel that this book will be one I will come back to and I will fall in love in with, it has all the potential of 5 stars, I just wasnβt quiet there. But this is still an excellent book and Schwab once again brings a story to life.
I enjoyed the interwoven stories and finding out the pieces as a story that led all the way back to the modern time. The 1500s will always be my favourite as this is my era and hearing names that I know really well made me smile.
This book will hit you in the feels and I cannot wait to hear all of your thoughts on this because I know this will be a book I am going to have to reread to pick up other things I have missed. Because I am sure there are little clues that I missed when I was reading it. So I cannot wait to delve into it again.
Upload will go up on Wednesday 11th

What a beautiful prose! V.E Schwab never ceases to amaze me with her writing and storytelling.
This is a sapphic vampire story about three morally grey women who were turned into vampires at different timelines and who meet at different points in the story.
Their relationship is toxic and the characters are really flawed, trying to find their place in a society governed by men and other ideals.
This is the kind of story that isnβt to be rushed out but savored and enjoyed.
I really loved following Alice, Sabine and Lottieβs journey and this is the kind of book that stays with you long after youβve read finished reading it.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for this ARC!!!

I love how it weaves together the lives of three women across centuries and crafts a story thatβs haunting and deeply emotional.