Every new V.E. Schwab book is genuinely a blessing bestowed upon the book community. She just never misses - even those of her books that aren’t my own personal favourites are still absolutely stellar examples of fantastic writing and craft. Everything she touches turns to gold, and she is absolutely one of the best authors of our generation.

Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil is one for the Addie LaRue appreciators. A long, slow, winding narrative that spans centuries and really delves into what effects such a life would have on a person. This is a vampire book - but it’s so much more than that. It’s about rage, desire, regret, identity, selfishness and selflessness, and what it means to be free.

I personally adore the slow, lyrical writing that is featured in this book, but the three different timelines helps to keep the pace moving forward. All of the three main characters are riveting and exciting to read from, but I have to admit I have a soft spot for Charlotte. One of the most interesting, truly morally-complex characters that I’ve read about.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab is, quite simply, a masterpiece.
That’s it. That’s the review.
(I joke… mostly.)

It genuinely took me a few days to gather my thoughts into something remotely coherent because this book left me completely undone. You can feel how much of Schwab herself is woven into these pages.

I’m relatively new to Schwab’s work having only read Addie La Rue (which I loved), so when I heard this had a similar vibe but grittier and darker, I knew I was in for something special.

Spanning centuries and continents, this is a story of hunger, love, rage, and the power of wanting more. We follow Sabine in 1500s Spain, Charlotte in 1800s London, and Alice in present-day Boston - three women bound by blood, longing, and the cost of freedom.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a vampire novel (yes, I was that teen, sue me), but I fear nothing else will live up to this now. It transcends genre, blending historical fiction, fantasy, romance, and gothic horror into something utterly fresh and captivating.

The way Schwab weaves these cross-century timelines is masterful. What could’ve felt disjointed is instead fluid, deliberate and beautifully layered. At first, I was worried it was going to be Sabine-heavy, but every POV earns its place with each woman’s arc being distinct and intentional.

And the characters?! Every single one is sexy, flawed, complex, and fully realised. They all sit in that delicious grey space where I genuinely didn’t know whether I wanted to love them, hate them, or be them (probably all three, let’s not lie). Schwab writes people, not archetypes, and it shows.

At its heart, this is a story about how life ends, how it begins, and all the beautifully brutal things that shape us in between.

Loved it. Im a latecomer to V E Schwab but her works are rapidly becoming some of my favourites. This is yet another fine example of her writing.

4.5 ⭐️

Mesmerising. Captivating. Beautifully haunting.

This isn’t a love story. It’s a story about love. But also a story of betrayal, life, humanity, hunger, passion, pain, jealousy, rebirth, loneliness, and death.

It’s a story about toxic lesbian vampires told like no other, weaving together 3 separate stories across time.

My second VE Schwab book ever and it was everything I wanted and more.

Thank you Tor for an ARC of this book.

I also had to buy the audiobook for this and experience the story as an immersive read because the narrators are incredible!

“Death is a kind of freedom, after all.”

“Bury our bones in the midnight soil” came to prove V.E. Schwab is the queen of fantasy!

We are immersed in a beautifully written narrative that crosses centuries as we see our characters grow and evolve. It starts with a slow pace in Spain, but it will move across Europe and time. It is a narrative centred on women, women who become strong when being planted in the midnight soil.

“But Maria has known, all her life, that she is not meant for common paths, for humble houses and modest men. If she must walk a woman’s road, then it will take her somewhere new.”

I would love to be able to do a full review spoiler-free, but I can’t, so here we go. Read the rest at your own risk.

V. E. Schwab has become one of my must-read authors, so as soon as I saw the new book on NetGalley, I asked for it without reading any synopsis. The vampire plot line caught me by surprise, and I was instantly hooked on this book. The three different narratives make it richer, as we are constantly eager to know what happens next.

Alice’s narrative was the one that felt further away from the other two, but it all makes sense in the end. I felt the pacing was perfect to be fully immersed in the narrative, really showing how time can pass so differently for our characters.

“The fact is, whether death takes you all at once, or steals pieces over time, in the end, there is no such thing as immortality. Some of us just die slower than the rest.”

I’m not a sucker for open endings, but this one had my heart. The possibilities! I mean, I think it deserves a sequel, as I want to see more of Alice (she was my favorite!).

“When things you learn when you have lived as long as we do, is that nothing’s permanent. Who you were isn’t who you have to be.”

Toxic lesbian vampires at their finest!

"Bury my bones in the midnight soil, plant them shallow and water them deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth"

V e. Schwab did it again!! This is why I read!! This was a BOOK. All capitals.
"BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL" just proved again why V.E. Schwab is my favorite author. I love her adult books especially, because I feel like she can let loose and doesn't hold back when it comes to emotional depth or a story's length.
This one was so special. We follow three very different women whose fates get tangled by love, obsession and... well, just chance. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I love books about immortals, seeing the world through their eyes and traveling through centuries. And V. E. Schwab delivered on that front, capturing all the beauty and pain that comes with immortality.
Maria was a true force of nature (and I think my favorite of the three protagonists), witnessing her character development was a journey to say the least.
With Lottie we get a kinder and different perspective, are taken by the hand as we accompany her to balls and navigate London's wedding Season.
And Alice? She hit different. She's the modern day protagonist and comes with so much vulnerability and trauma, we as readers can't help but root for her quest to find answers as well as her identity outside of being the introverted little sister.
What especially stood out to me in this novel were the side characters though. I honestly think all of them deserve a companion novel or short story. I'm so interested to learn more about their lives or anything V.E. Schwab gives us. All I know is that I want more Matteo, Ezra & Antonia.
As V.E. Schwab has mentioned before "BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL" wouldn't exist without "THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE". The stylistic choices are very similar, multiple points of views, seeing different time periods through an immortal character's eyes. The books are definitely in conversation with each other and if you read (and liked) one I'd highly recommend to pick up the other. But "BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL" also reminded me of Anne Rice's "VAMPIRE CHRONICLES". The way the characters were introduced, the slow pacing and deep relationships, how natural the world felt, how believable the existence of "more" hidden beyond the society and life we know. That's one of V. E. Schwab's superpowers as a writer. She always manages to make the reader believe and wonder... could this be real?
While the prose is easy to follow, it's also filled with metaphors that will conjure the most wonderful pictures in your head and make your heart clench with its meaning (I did cry).
"BURY OUR BONES IN THE MIDNIGHT SOIL" is a character study of three very different women, a book about toxic lesbian vampires, but it also grapples with questions about death and morality. What our personalities would look like, if suddenly amplified by power and immortality.
Vampires aren't immune to death, not truly. They rot from within. Dying slower than everyone else, losing bit after bit of who they were, what made them human/a person over the centuries. Until nothing much is left of who they once were. A tragic fate that V.E. Schwab explored perfectly.

If you're a fan of vampires, character driven and or slower paced books I'd definitely recommend picking this up! And if you want more toxic queer vampires after finishing this one I'd recommend: "AN EDUCATION IN MALICE" & "A DOWRY OF BLOOD" by S.T.Gibson, "THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES" by Anne Rice or "SILVER UNDER NIGHTFALL" by Rin Chupeco.

4.5 🌟

This book masterfully intertwines several ongoing storylines into a mesmerising and enchanting narrative.

The descriptions are so vivid and lively that I could almost see the story playing out in front of me. Although some sections felt slow-paced, I’m uncertain if the Kindle version influenced my reading experience more than the story itself. Nevertheless, I completely devoured the final 30% of the book. It has left me eager to read it again to explore the main character’s descent into madness.

Favourite quotes:
💬 “You are the kind of bloom that thrives in any soil”

💬 “Bury my bones in the midnight soil, plant them shallow and water them deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth.”

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.