V.E. Schwab has delivered a dark, lyrical, sapphic gothic that is equal parts aching, atmospheric, and absolutely feral. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil reads like a love letter written in blood and buried under moonlight, and I devoured it till the early hours of the morning.

At its heart, this story follows three women; Sabine, Alice, and Charlotte. Each of them from a different point in time, each haunted in their own way by the same darkness, the same hunger, and the same weight of being a woman in a world that wants to shrink them.

• Sabine: A girl from a time long buried, married off too young to a man who sees her as nothing more than a womb. Her story is quiet and devastating, until it becomes a slow unraveling of what happens when a woman is denied even the smallest freedoms, when all that’s left is hunger. And darkness. And teeth. Her obsessions consume her and set off a tragic chain of events over hundreds of years.

• Alice: A modern-day student trying to fit in thousands of miles from home, running from a family full of loss. A fun night at a party spirals into a confusing, angering and revealing meeting with a girl who only wants to be loved in the same way she loves.

• Charlotte: The debutante whose love is mistaken for weakness, until it isn’t. A chance meeting at a ball leads to hundreds of years of love, fighting, loss, grief, selfishness and an internal battle. Her need to be loved has disastrous consequences for those in her company and a shadow from the past haunts her every whim.

Each of these women is shaped by the specific expectations of their era; silenced, shamed, or simply swallowed whole. But Schwab doesn’t just let them suffer, she lets them rage.

The sapphic tension is thick enough to carve with a knife. These women fall into love like their victims fall into graves; hard, fast, and with a little murder. The relationships are messy, obsessive, and sometimes straight-up monstrous.

Tropes you’ll find in BOBITMS:
• Toxic sapphic vampire romance
• Found family with fangs
• Generational trauma and societal misogyny
• Feminine rage that doesn’t apologise
• Forbidden love and obsession
• Multi-timeline POVs

Schwab’s prose is sharp, lyrical, and occasionally so intense it feels like drowning in velvet, it’s everything I’ve loved in her other works. One of my favourite pieces since Addie LaRue.

The only reason it’s not a full 5 stars? A few slower sections in the middle where the narrative slightly lags but it picks back up with full, fanged vengeance.

If you’re looking for a bloody tale that blends sapphic yearning, buried trauma, and a healthy dose of toxicity, this one will leave you breathless…

I can definitely see how this would appeal to Addie fans but it was quite middle of the road for me. I think it was a little to character driven which is something I usually struggle with. I can totally see why V.E. Schwab described this as toxic lesbian vampires though

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher.. This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising, and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

Of course, this is only my personal opinion of the book, and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

This review is somewhat challenging to write…
I think I am falling out of love with V.E. Schwab’s writing style. I loved Monsters of Verity, Vicious and Addie LaRue. The Darker Shade of Magic books had some length overall, and I dragged myself through book two. My hopes for „Bury our bones in the midnight soil“ were high. Toxic lesbian vampires sounded right up my alley, and I was soooo excited for the book. Sadly, I did not hold up to my expectations.
It’s hard to put into words what my problem is. While reading, I had the feeling that I had read a story, not experiencing it. The same feeling that I have when I read old biographies. I had the feeling that I was just following along, and I wasn’t invested in the story. There were no plot twists that made my head hurt in a good way or shocked me. I just read it, and then I was done.
I think you can understand why it’s hard for me to describe what I am feeling.
Besides this feeling, there are some positive notes. I liked the main idea, and I think it was nice to see the characters live through the times. The sapphic yearning was also good, and I got my „Toxic lesbian vampire“ dose. I wanted to continue this story to see how it ends.

Conclusion
I think this would make a fantastic movie, but as a book, it sadly fell flat for me 😦

3.8 stars.

I really enjoyed this story. It was not at all what I thought I was getting, but I was pleasantly surprised. Sabine’s life slowly unfolds within this story and is full of twists I didn’t expect. I didn’t love Alice’s story as much, but grew to love her by the end.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. The above is a true and fair opinion.

This is my first read by author V.E. Schwab and I was blown away. What a novel.

Set over many different year spans, we meet three very different females and each have their own very heartfelt and intriguing backstory.

I really enjoyed Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, I have never read anything along the lines of something like this novel and I was really invested in the novel.

Its quite a dark, heart-breaking read with elements of vampires which was a completely new experience.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a beautifully written story that shows off V.E. Schwab’s lyrical style. The story follows three women, María, Charlotte and Alice whose lives fracture and entwine across time. Overall, I thought it was a very enjoyable gothic-tinged story with morally complex characters. However I did find the story a little slow in places and felt like I had to push through at times when reading it. You will love this book of you like character driven gothic fantasy with morally gray vampires.

As a lover of VE Schwab I was very excited to get my grubby little hands on this, and even more elated to be approved to read an advanced eARC from the publisher. However, after two months of trying to slog my way through this all I felt at the end was bitter disappointment that for me this was a complete miss.

Ultimately, it comes down to the fact it was brain destroyingly boring. Boredom to the point it was putting me asleep every time I attempted to read more than a few chapters at a time. I know this is very much against what the majority of people thought and whilst I would probably not attempt to re-read this anytime soon, I can understand why others enjoyed it.

<b>Writing</b>
The writing is (as usual for Schwab) very beautiful and poetic - however I couldn’t help but feel half way through that the novel is filled with poetic and atmospheric standalone sentences but when put together you get 530 pages of very nothing.

<b>Pacing</b>
Because of it’s length (which is quite frankly 100 pages too long and all unnecessary words could have been cut down to make a much more concise story) the pacing of the book is tedious and the middle section feels like filler. A lot happens within the middle section that doesn’t drive the plot and drags out for so long that it messes with the pace. The first 20% has me hooked and intrigued, 20-50% had me close to DNFING, 50-70% picked back up again with the introduction of a new character but then by the end it sizzled out to an ending that was anti-climatic, rushed and quite frankly unbelievable. I refuse to believe a newly made erratic vampire could best a centuries old mind reading one in their first encounter and within 5 pages.

<b>Character development</b>
There are three main characters in this, all with different levels of character depth and development.

Sabine’s character starts out strong and is surprisingly kept interesting throughout. I enjoyed reading her chapters because things happened; we met different people; we got even tid bits of vampire lore; we saw defining moments that changed or justified Sabine’s character. In Sabine’s chapters the plot progressed and we kept learning a little more about her character’s motivations throughout the novel - even if she is a morally questionable person I just found her character the most fleshed out.

Lottie was interesting but her chapters felt very forced. The switch half way through the book to her felt like info dumping and the author / character telling us everything we needed to know rather than showing us wIt did help pick up the pace, but I never felt connected to her because we only ever learn about her from her own perspective. Which I understand is to intentionally create self bias, it just didn’t work for me.

Alice has absolutely no personality. We don’t know anything real about her and most her chapters contain flash backs to her off-page sister. I had no connection to her at all and found myself not caring about her or her outcome. Alice’s chapters were also littered with the overuse of brackets as a way to add side thoughts or paragraph long flash backs in the middle of the story which started to annoy me and dread getting to another chapter from Alice.

<b>Overall thoughts</b>
Whilst I get the point of the book and it’s underlining themes; women trying to make space and exist in a world where they want more than they are given; female rage and taking back the power in a patriarchal world (and I can see where a book like this is brimming with themes that can be overanalysed until we’re all blue in the face or AI has taken over), the execution didn’t work for me and I spent the majority of the time bored.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025, and I was lucky enough to get an early e-copy via NetGalley.

I really love vampires, so I was already excited. The focus on relationships between women only made it more interesting for me! There are a few different perspectives in this book following different characters in their transition from humanity to the midnight soil.

Maria’s timeline is set in 1532 in Spain. As a young woman, she knows her only way into a different life is dependent on a man. Later, though, a stranger offers her a different kind of opportunity and escape, which changes her life forever.

Charlotte is sent to London in 1827 after a forbidden encounter with a friend. While she is being trained to be a proper lady, she comes into contact with an enigmatic widow living with the independence she craves.

We also have a college setting in 2019 following Alice in Boston. Having come from Scotland, she wants to become a new version of herself, but a one night stand has a much bigger impact than she expected.

I was really intrigued to see everything come together. There were similar themes in each of the characters stories, so it was interesting to see these play out in different ways. In particular, discussions of time, morality, and ethics really added to this depiction of vampires. There was some fascinating lore including carving out personal spaces.

Basically all the relationships are incredibly toxic. This fit well with the horror genre and made the characters all the more interesting. I wouldn’t go into this looking for romance necessarily, but it is very sapphic regardless. I constantly wanted to keep reading between the different timelines.

Personally, I really resonate with the idea that living for a long time fundamentally changes you. This was especially relevant for Maria and Sabine, and seeing the change over the years felt like a descent into madness. I also liked when other vampires interacted with the main characters, such as in Venice.

Overall, I had such a great time reading this. I thought the pace was fast so I really flew through it. The writing style was beautiful and engaging with a lot of thought provoking moments.

I do really love V.E. Schwab’s books, even though they are all so different! In this case, I think Bury Our Bones is most similar to Addie LaRue, so if you liked that, you should check this out!

Beautifully paced, sultry and alluring throughout, I really found myself engrossed in this book. The characters, although fantastical, were believable, with the changes gradual but seemingly inevitable. My second VE Schwab book after the quite superb Addie Larue, but I'll definitely be checking out her others and future publications

I went in expecting raw female rage, but what I got was shallow men-hating disguised as empowerment. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil reeks of white feminism. The kind that confuses queerness for depth and villainy for strength. The constant theme of “hunger” could’ve been powerful, but it gets repeated to the point of emptiness. Everyone’s angry, everyone’s starving, but no one grows. It tries to be bold and biting, but it ends up repetitive, hollow, and a little too proud of itself. Two stars for the prose, not the message.

Thank you @Tor and @Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

If there is one thing I trust Victoria Schwab with it's being able to travel through time, Addie LaRue is a perfect example of this, and moving through space and time in Gallant in my opinion is done perfectly, I could go on and on about how this author can move through space and time in her books and this is no exception as she does it with such fluidity in her new book.

How here in this book Schwab writes vampires is brilliant. Her reimagining here of them here transplants them into different times to give perspective on three incredibly well written women. I wish our third perspective was introduced earlier in the book somewhat but I feel like they are incredibly well written and developed even though we meet them at different places in the book and share their stories.

The writing can be flowery, maybe but I think honestly considering we're moving between different time eras that it works, I think it fits the story honestly and Schwab's way with writing entices you in and makes you care about these characters, well for me at least. I really enjoyed Maria's story, I feel like yes maybe she ticked off alot of character tropes, but damn she ticks them off well (that family are so damn awful, ugh).

I really enjoyed this one, I knew if we were getting a new V. E. Schwab that it wouldn't fail me and I'm glad to be right!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor books for allowing me to read this prior to release.

It took me a good 20-25% of the story to really get into this book. Once there, I felt compelled to keep reading and see where the story went.

In many ways the story unfolded slowly and then all wrapped up quickly at the end. I found I was invested in where it went and felt the ending made sense.

However in terms of the romance, the love, I was left somewhat wanting and unsatisfied. This is more of a tragedy with no truly loveable or likeable characters. It is a retelling of vampire lore, it keeps the familiar and introduces some new lore to it.

If you enjoy a sapphic dark novel, a complete albeit brief story, then I’d definitely recommend.

I had really high hopes for this one and although i did devour and binge it, this one didn’t make me obsessed. I loved elements of it but then some bits just felt rushed and almost weren’t enough. Very little plot but I prefer books about the characters and I much preferred the first half when we’re getting to know the characters more. If it was better paced and had more of a climax i think i would have loved it so much- Very good for the vibes in the first half

3.5 rounded up to a 4

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

When I first heard of this books concept—sapphic vampires—I was immediately intrigued. What I didn’t expect was just how much I would love Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. V.E. Schwab crafts a haunting, lyrical tale that spans centuries, centered on three women whose lives—and undeaths—intertwine and affect each other.

Each of the protagonists offers a distinct perspective on vampirism and immortality. None of them is perfect, yet all are deeply human in their flaws and longings. I appreciated how Schwab let the characters’ choices speak for themselves, since their emotional arcs are where this novel truly shines. Schwab has a gift for blending dark fantasy with profound emotional depth, and this book is no exception.

Highly recommended for fans of atmospheric, character-driven stories that linger in your bones.

V.E. Schwab is an auto buy author for me and this book did not disappoint! Toxic female vampires? I love when women thrive in a male dominated field. A refreshing twist on the classic vampire story that we all know. Fully flushed out characters, that while they may be toxic, you kinda get it and see where it comes from. Schwab's writing was beautiful and atmospheric (I'd expect nothing less at this point). Each time and location though history felt so rich.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for sending me this ARC!

Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil is one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and V.E Schwab did not disappoint.

I was gripped throughout, and some of the parts shocked me - Giada!!! All of the characters felt complex and complete, and the prose was, as always, perfection. Sabine was the perfect villain, and so was Lottie in her own way.

One of the easiest 5 stars I have given this year.

Oh I loved this! The toxicity, the destruction and the blood! The relationships and character development spanning centuries of vampiric immortal lives made this book what it was. Sabine, Lottie and Alice - what an amazing trio of lesbian vampires. I was enthralled by Sabine’s story over the centuries and she is just brutal at times. Then Lottie came along and created some wonderful drama. And badass Alice - loved her too. If you love V. E. Schwab’s previous work and vampires, then you’ll love this. Overall, 4.5 ⭐️ for me!

First I want to say a huge thank you to Pan Macmillan for the eARC!

This book felt like reading a Florence and the Machine song, in the best way. Poetic writing, stunning metaphors and raw feminine rage.

This is definitely a character driven book, as opposed to a plot driven one so it can feel slow in places, but the prose is so gripping you can’t help but want to keep reading.

Some of my fave quotes:

"Why does Charlotte stay?
That is like asking—why stay inside a house on fire?
Easy to say when you are standing on the street, a safe distance from the flames.
Harder when you are still inside, convinced you can douse the blaze before it spreads, or rushing room to room, trying to save what you love before it burns"

"Death comes, and sometimes it is kind, and often it is cruel, and very rarely it is welcome. But it comes, all the same"

"There is no trace of fear around him, and it rankles her. That despite the look of her, he is so certain of his safety, convinced she is the damsel, not the danger"

ohoohoh I absolutely loved Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. This hauntingly beautiful book reached deep into my soul and tore me apart in the best way possible. It’s the kind of story that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page.

To be honest, I didn’t even have to read it to know I’d love it. V.E. Schwab has never let me down, but this one feels like it was written just for me. Every moment resonated in a way that felt deeply personal.

This one’s going to stay with me for a while.

A dark, atmospheric novel. Schwab pulls off a fantastic twist on the vampire trope, intertwining three different characters in three different settings and three different time periods. Similarly to Schwab's Addie Larue, the prose is stunning and evocative. Highly enjoyed this one!