A character study with twists worth of a thespian tragedy. VE Schwab has done it again.
It is magical how her writing can differ so much between books but Bones takes us back to the beloved inward looking worlds that we found in Addie, while being completely and utterly different. Slow and lyrical, this book is just perfect.

This book is so wildly, outrageously toxic it should come with a safety label. ‘Consume if you want to get the hots for toxic lesbian vampires’ I mean I’d drink it every day of the week.

BOBITMS spans across decades and follows the lives of 3 women, our ‘feral roses’. Told through their 3 separate POVs, it perfectly encapsulates the essence and beauty of womanhood and also the lamentable nature of growing up as a woman in certain eras. You instantly find yourself cheering for our first fmc, Maria, we come across. Her feral, head strong mind and heart makes for an excellent introduction to the feral women in this story.

The writing is phenomenal. Unmatched In their prose, Schwab delivers yet another unforgettable and unforgiving storyline. The female rage and feral-ness cannot be beaten. The depth of the characters and the way their stories intertwine with one another. The emotive language. The originality of the story alone.

It is undeniable that BoB’s carries a lot of personal weight and emotion, I see myself in each of the characters individually and I truly believe this was one that was written from the heart!

Schwab has successfully resurrected Vampire fiction and I am NOT mad.

Ve schwab is a master at storytelling being able to interweave 3 different characters stories from 3 different eras of time for them to all converge together and have this sort of domino butterfly effect in each other is incredible! Sabines transition from human to vampire in a bid for freedom, but ultimately becoming the one taking others freedom as the book progresses. I loved following her character through the centuries, and how slowly you see her soul rot from corruption through the longer she lives. We also follow in tandem Alice in the modern day, who deals with being turned into a vampire in her own way in comparison to Sabine, and are hinted at an introduction to our third and final female protagonist, Lottie, a sort of mystery that haunts the shadows of the narrative until her story interweaves with our other two characters ! I really honestly loved following the different povs and how lyrically poetic the phrasing and explanation of vampiric terms/ descriptions were
“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”
One of my only complaints was the ending, after the buildup over the last 20 percent I was expecting something greater with the penultimate few chapters, and I feel like it was somewhat anticlimactic in my opinion ! But other than that I throughly enjoyed the entire book ! And i definitely will be reading more from Ve schwab in the future !!
Thank you to Pan Macmillian and Net galley for this early e-arc copy ! This will definitely be the vampire read of the summer !

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is beautifully eerie in that classic V.E. Schwab way. The writing is absolutely gorgeous — poetic, haunting, and full of that soft, aching kind of magic she does so well.

I did have some issues with the pacing; this is a very character driven story and as much as I enjoyed this, the plot doesn't really kick in until we are about 2/3 of the way through the book so at times it felt a bit slow going. Once the plot kicked in, it felt a bit rushed and I didn't love the ending,

If you love V E Schwab's writing, you will probably enjoy this book - nobody writes characters quite how she does

SAPPHIC??? VAMPIRES??? This was everything I needed and more. V.E Schwab hit it out of the park yet again. Auto buy author for sure

I couldn’t believe my luck when I was accepted for this ARC. I have read so many VE Schwab books, and they have all been sublime. Within a few pages I knew that this would be no different. What a completely beautiful piece of work.

So many interweaving stories fail because links are made so obvious, but these were subtle at first. The way the experience of the characters was depicted felt so real - each moment of joy or suffering almost tangible. I don’t know how the author does it - each story is so unique, so touching.

Request it now and read it immediately:

Toxic lesbian vampires?? I'm in! This was my first Schwab book, and my god, what an introduction. A lavish, magnetic novel with poetic prose and charming, complex characters, Bury Our Bones is a story to sink your teeth into.

What an incredible, angry, heartbreaking book. An astounding addition to the vampire genre and an all-time favourite read for me.

The standout part of this book is its writing, which I think might be V.E.Schwab's best yet. The Gothic atmosphere, the visceral descriptions, the slow build-up of the three POVs before they collide and culminate in tragedy. It's all so good. As soon as you start reading this, you are completely transported into a world of vampires, queerness, horror, and female rage. The POVs are so well-paced and used so effectively. Schwab always chooses the best character at the best point in the story and isn't afraid to linger in one character's head or abandon a character when necessary.

Speaking of the characters, they are all so complex and interesting, and I loved them all to death. Sabine in particular, in all her dark, hungry glory, is one of my new favourite characters in all of fiction, and Alice's story with her sister also had such a strong emotional impact on me. The transformation all three undergo, both literally in becoming vampires, but also in terms of how they change throughout the story, is so powerful, and the way it relates to queerness and immortality is fascinating.

This book has a little bit of everything: vampires, lesbians, homicidal exes, sisterhood, female rage, and centuries' worth of character development and history. All that wrapped up in exquisite writing and fascinating characters make this a book I'll be thinking about for a long time. I did wish the action at the end had been drawn out a bit more, but the emotional impact of the ending makes it impossible for me to take away a star. I would highly recommend this to absolutely anyone, but especially if you like your books very dark, very gay, and very feral.

Thank you so much the publisher and the author for sending me this ARC in return for my honest review!

3.5

This book is described as genre-defying and I have to agree that it ably straddles historic fiction, fantasy, paranormal and contemporary fiction. And due to Schwab’s lyrical skill it also dips its toe into literary fiction with its beautiful writing. This is a story worth reading based on the synopsis alone.

I went into this story relatively ignorant of the book’s story and I think that was a good thing. It made the historical fiction side of the opening more potent and when the twist came and stepped into the paranormal it was a nice surprise.

The story focuses on Maria, who we meet in 1520s Spain, Alice who we meet in 2019 and Charlotte in 1830s London. These three main characters all have their POVs, although we don’t properly meet the third til about half way through and the only voice we have throughout is Alice and I felt like her voice was the least compelling of the threes When we get that third character we then lose the POV of our first character and I think the book is lesser for it as we have spent so long in Maria’s head and seen her journey that to have her final acts reported to us left me feeling like I’d missed something.

Maria and Charlotte’s stories were my favourite. I loved reading about their lives and how they learn to be what they are. I have to be honest, I struggled with Alice and I’m not sure if I ever really connected with her and as a result her story and journey left me unfazed. I think it took away from the impact of the ending for me. It’s for this reason and the fact that I felt a lot was lost by cutting off Marias POV that I would give this 3.5 stars. However, I would also add that all the glorious elements we’ve come to expect from Schwab’’s writing are all here. The beautiful writing, the atmosphere, the toying with time and rich characters.

Well, when Victoria said that toxic lesbian vampires were coming, she wasn’t kidding! Except they’re not really called vampires per se, they’re thorny roses of the midnight soil and that’s such a Schwab way to describe it.
It’s all in there; the rage, the passion and the hunger for more. The need to be seen, heard and understood. Even grief has its place. It’s dark and yet, a bit too real at times. Morally grey doesn’t begin to cover it.
The timelines, the povs, they’re all intertwined. You’re quickly drawn to the story and intrigued by what’s happening. I would say the pacing felt a bit strange at times but fitted the story somehow. After all, that’s the whole vibe!
As for characters, they all had something relatable, something touching. Sabine with her resilience. Lottie with her conscience, her emotions. Also, I loved Alice’s evolution. As for the ending, I found it quite satisfying.

If you loved Interview with a vampire and A Dowry of Blood, then this book is definitely for you. Even more if you love Florence + The Machine on top of it.

I am in AWE. Schwab has cemented herself as one of my auto-buy authors.

”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.”
I’m absolutely certain that this poem, of which the novel shapes itself around, will haunt me for the rest of my life.

This was such an INCREDIBLE novel. The prose was beautifully written, I love her style so much! It’s the kind of storytelling ability that grips you and never lets go.

The story, heartbreaking and breathtaking, as can be expected from Schwab. I knew this book was going to wreck me just a few pages in, and it did.

The characters are dark and complex and I love the way their stories, much like the characters in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, unravel and intertwine.

You can bet I will now be collecting multiple editions of this book.

I sat with this book for hours before sitting down to write my review, and I still don't feel ready. This book wrapped a tight fist around my heart and wouldn't let go the whole way through, I still feel the lingering grip of it now.
It's no surprise that a @veschwab book has knocked it out of the park for me, I knew going in that I would love it, I just wasn't prepared for how much.
A story of life and death, empowerment and freedom juxtaposed with cages and fear.
Schwab's writing is visceral, evocative, and enveloping. I feel like I have walked through these pages with these women, felt their pain and their elation, and journeyed through the changing centuries with them.
This is a book I will be returning to as often as my fragile heart will allow me 🖤
Thank you @bookbreakuk for the absolute honour of reading this book early, and for introducing me to new feral friends 🫶🏼

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is poised to become one of the standout sapphic novels of 2025, and its exploration of romance and desire is truly exceptional. The way these themes are portrayed is sure to resonate with women, making it abundantly clear why this book is set to capture such wide acclaim.

However, speaking personally, I found myself yearning for more action and a stronger plot to keep me engaged. At times, the pacing felt sluggish, and I struggled with moments of boredom.

What I did love, though, was the ambitious concept of multiple timelines spanning centuries. This was both imaginative and interesting, and the main characters were wonderfully crafted—easy to empathise with and deeply relatable. That said, some of the side characters lacked dimension and felt a little flat in comparison.

In conclusion, while I liked Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, I didn’t quite fall in love with it. Still, I have no doubt that others will absolutely adore this book, and its success will be well-deserved.

I absolutely ate this book up.
This story starts with Mary our young rebellious girl who doesn’t want to fit to society’s norms. She marries a Viscount in order to leave her small village. Mary ends up becoming Sabine, a vampire who basically gives no fucks. Sabine kills and hunts humans with little to no care about who or what she’s hunting. We also flip to Alice, a modern day girl who is struggling to find her footing in her new uni life, usually a quiet subdue girl who is hoping to find ‘New Alice’. We follow Sabines life as a vampire and we see how she goes from witty and humour filled to a darker slightly unhinged Sabine. Bored with being alone Sabine finds Lottie. From there we learn about the relationship between Sabine and Lottie, whilst simultaneously finding Alice’s relationship with Lottie in the future.
This book has sex, sapphic vampires and just the right amount of female rage. I loved it and I would as always with Scwarb, recommend for everyone to read.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil follows three women, three timelines, and how their fates collide.

There are plenty of familiar elements of classic vampire tales but even more that keeps this story fresh. I loved the three timelines, the different settings. I really enjoy historical fiction, a particular favourite being Victorian England so I was overjoyed to read Lottie's pov with its society balls and dreary London backdrop.

It's hard to pick a favourite character, and it may change with time, but I definitely resonate with Alice most. I loved reading about an anxious character, and the flashbacks to her sister were so touching.

The pacing is one of my points of contention; where we primarily follow two of the three main characters for a very large portion of the story, the third is introduced in what can only be described as a lore dump that disrupts the flow somewhat. This is a pretty minor gripe, and I imagine it was done to build suspense about her identity.

There really isn't much to dislike about this book. The prose is absolutely wonderful, V.E. Schwab's writing painting the most beautiful landscapes and visceral depictions of vampiric hunger. There is plenty of death, and plenty of love; obsessive and otherwise.

There isn't a particular reason I can pinpoint as to why this didn't get five stars, just a gut feeling. I felt as if I knew the characters intimately and yet there was something missing by the end. Nevertheless this is an amazing story and I feel like it warrants a reread to pick up on all the quotes and themes I want to remember.

Oh how I loved this book! What a gorgeous, tragic, mesmerising read this was! I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I’m not as well versed with this author as other readers but I have read Gallant and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I’ve been so impressed thus far. However, this was the best book yet!

What an incredible exploration of vampires across time. I loved that this was completely female led and sapphic. We follow three women in this book across a period spanning centuries. We see their connections, their learning and their tragedy. We start in Spain in the 16th century with Maria, meet Charlotte in 19th century England and finally Alice in modern Boston. The skill of the author for interweaving these three timelines was just fantastic. The pacing was perfect, everything unveiling at exactly the right moment. The decision made as to when to introduce certain connections was so clever.

I love a vampire novel. This felt really special. There was such beauty in this novel. The vampire mythos feeling more poetic in spite of the carnage they wreak. We don’t see nice, gentle vampires here, nor do we see mindless beasts. Instead we have something not quite human, with a ravenous appetite and their flaws as humans only exacerbated by their immense strength and power. We don’t see them bursting into flames in the sun, but we do see a subtler change to their physiology, one that makes them less extravagant but something more tangible.

I was so impressed with this book. I was completely engrossed. The writing was so beautiful and I was so torn in how I felt about the characters. I had sympathy for them but we do see them changing, becoming something harder to forgive. It felt very nuanced.

Now time for me to go find everything else this author has written than I haven’t read yet!

Toxic lesbian vampires? Obsessed!!!!

This book was EVERYTHING I wanted from it and more. I love a book which takes us through somebodies life and we got that with all 3 main characters. I don't think I can do this book justice with anything that I write so PLEASE just go and read it.

'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 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩'

Rating: 4.5

as well as this book was and how it made me cry twice, i don’t feel like it’s a 5 star read and i don’t know why.
each character we follow are so different from one another but their stories are truly so intertwined. i found it fascinating how victoria was able to make me root/love a character then the more i got to know them and one other, the more i came to love the other character and see how imperfect and honestly morally reprehensible the other is.
i started off this book attached to sabine and really thought i would love her the whole book but by the time i hit the 200-something mark, i just couldn’t anymore and it made sense with the passing of time in the book being decades-centuries. alice was a character i related to immediately after meeting her but the tone and the ambiguity regarding a part of her story really made me anxious reading her pov chapters. i did really appreciate seeing her be a newly turned vampire in the modern day and seeing her deal with it whilst trying to find out how she was turned and why. charlotte was such a mystery for half of the book and then when we got to know more about her, i really came to love her. objectively i loved her the most of the three but in terms of who i was rooting for the whole time, it would have to be alice. the side characters we meet over time from all three points of views were fantastic and so different. we not only get an insight into the types of vampires these three protagonists are but also with all these side characters which really helped build the lore. if i had to pick alessandro and matteo were my favourites but ezra seemed like such a fun time.


spoiler section: i had hoped to see more of alice living more of her life after what happened with sabine and lottie, specifically in regards to ezra as he seemed close with lottie. but also these other creatures, much like the psychic we meet at his cafe. i do hope we get another stand-alone book set in the same world but maybe focusing on other characters (with a little alice cameo or her being a side character?).

If I could rate Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab higher than five stars, believe me, I would. I fear I’m nowhere near articulate to put into words how magnificent this story is, but I’ll try!

With Bury Our Bones, Schwab hasn’t just told a vampire story, they have fully immersed the reader in a timeline of events spanning entire lifetimes, centuries and beyond. Never within the space of 500 pages have I felt like I know characters so deeply as I did with this book.

The character development in this book is SO beyond next level, with characters shifting and changing so subtly before your eyes that it’s almost undetectable until the story arc is fully developed. That’s the moment you realise Schwab has been laying incredibly clever signs and hints.

With a take on vampires that’s both classic and refreshing and a cast of characters that you’ll love and hate all at once, Bury Our Bones is an epic and lyrical addition to a well loved fantasy sub genre. I absolutely adored every second and this’ll be one I reread for sure in future!

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil has been the most amazing holiday read. I saved this for Easter Break - I had a hunch I’d not be able to put it down - and I’m so glad I could give this all my time.

I grew up on Anne Rice and Lestat was always my gothic favourite, and in my opinion few in modern literature have come close to reaching the same vampiric status (Eric Northman maybe?), but now there are three (THREE!) new undead icons I’ll not forget in a hurry.

This book is a journey through time, places, spaces and cultures; twisty, immersive and highly emotive. Think Addie LaRue meets Interview With the Vampire meets Jane Eyre with a dash of Bridgerton, Gatsby, Florence + The Machine (yes, really!), love, hate and everything in between.

The playlist in my head for this book is 👌✨

I have too many thoughts and don’t want to spoil it, so no more right now. I have preordered a copy - June hurry up already - and suggest everyone does, the first editions will all be signed. I also cannot wait for the audio edition!

Many thanks netgalley for the arc. I love you. Thank you again V.E. Schwab for another simply incredible book!