V. E Schwabs The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue WAS my favourite book of all time. To say I have many copies of it would be an understatement. You notice the word WAS. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is simply incredible.. This is now my favourite book ever.. I have read many vampire books in my time but this far surpasses any of them.
It sweeps over centuries (Like Addie) but every character is there for a reason and I really could not put it down.
The main three characters interweave as the story progresses and I would love to see spin offs of this book. V. E. Schwab has written a true masterpiece. I thought Addie was unbeatable how wrong I was. Brave seriously the BEST vampire books EVER written. No correction one of the best books EVER written

First, one of the coolest blurbs ever. Even though it tells you barely anything about what the book is actually about.
The book is quite a ride and not really a happy book, maybe a tragedy? Without wanting to spoil it, I really cant describe this book. I was hooked the whole time and while some turns could be predicted, I did not see the end coming.

All main couples are gay, actually barely any hetero couples mentioned.
Would recommend to anybody that likes complex characters that blurr the lines of good and bad

The insights we gain of the characters, from their own perspective and from others, is so conflicting at times and so eye opening. You feel for them and understand even their mistakes and their trauma and you want to forgive them (mostly) but then a different light is shown on them and you just cant. You love the characters and you hate them, you root for them but also wish for their end.

Thanks to netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review

I can absolutely see why so many people have given this 5 stars. Absolutely loved it!

I love a gothic fantasy, and I really enjoyed this one. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, I'd love to read this in audiobook format too!

TLDR: This book was beautifully crafted, the prose was on point as ever, the story had so much potential but the ending was just not for me this time.

I so so wanted to love BOBItMS and I was well on my way to loving every moment of this book. It had everything i wanted, a woman who turned societal expectations on its head and got what she wanted. A woman from my fave historical era to read romance from. Angry women. Women loving each other to death. Honestly the whole shebang.

The prose was as gorgeous as ever from V Schwab. The poetry. The imagery. All beautiful and lush and so so vivid. So what was it that I didn't love?

The ending.

That ending felt so abrupt. What do you mean that she was tricked by something as simple as a shower with a baby vampire?! I guess the assumption here is that Sabine was so used to living in a world that couldn't harm her because she made sure it couldn't... so how was she so thoughtless as to not check for the murder weapon? Not to assume that this young woman who was very obviously pissed at being turned into a vamp would try something. Anything! Also Alice's backstory was just so... Lacklustre. We could have been so invested in all of it with far less info about Catty. We spent so much time reading about Catty I thought she was bound to be a vampire that Sabine had turned. But no.

I just couldn't get behind the decisions made at the last moment of this book and it disappointed me so much.

I'm always down for a vampire novel, and including gay main characters seemed to gel even better. If I'm honest, I struggled with Alice's POV as the flashbacks were so frequent and often quite jarring. Maria's perspective was the most interesting to me.

When I fell in love with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, it cemented V.E. Schwab as one of my all time favourite authors. The trouble with that is that you have huge expectations for any future books that author releases.

When I heard the synopsis of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, I was intrigued – toxic lesbian vampires, it sounded exactly my cup of tea. However, I was a little apprehensive in case my expectations were too high. But from the very first chapter I was hooked. I was excited every time I picked it up and thought about it when I wasn’t able to read (work can be so inconvenient when you’re in the middle of a great book!). Sometimes you don’t realise you’ve been in a bit of a reading slump until a book really grabs you, heart and soul. The physical book is 560 pages, but it felt like half of that as I flew through it, I was just so engrossed.

As with Addie LaRue, BOBITMS has the author’s signature poetic writing style, where you know she has considered every single word. She has said that she intended never to put as much of herself into a book as she did with Addie, but then she put everything she loved, everything she wanted and everything she feared into this one. And I think you can definitely tell how personal it is for her. This makes for an amazing reading experience as the emotions feel almost visceral.

I do not want to give too much of the plot away as I think you are best going into it knowing very little. It follows three very different young women, born hundreds of years apart, and their stories that tangle together. As well as a captivating queer love story, this book has so much depth and covers many serious topics.

I am already looking forward to rereading this book once my physical copy arrives, so I can savour every word, rather than having to rush through it because I was so desperate to know what happened!

I don't even know where to start with this book!
I was sold on toxic lesbian vampires but that does not even come close to covering the multitudes that this book contains.
I honestly thought that V E Schwab could not surpass Addie La Rue in its greatness but Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil does exactly that and as well as being a sold five star read it has joined the ranks of my favourite books of all time and something I already cannot wait to read again.

A vampire storyline which intertwines the stories of three women, individual but bonded across time. I loved the historical theme, unique character building and overall flow of this book

A new take on a classic genre.

I’ve read a few of this author’s novels and this has been my favourite by far, I’m not sure what I was expecting going into a vampire novel in 2025 but I was pleasantly surprised.

The story follows three women who seem very different from the outset but who in reality are trying to be independent and find joy however they can (and to varying degrees of acceptability). Maria’s storyline and the evocative descriptions of Europe through the ages was a particular highlight.

The book was not without issue, the ending was far to swift and neat and the American-isms for a character that is Scottish was a little jarring at points.

Would recommend reading in the autumn when you can cosy up and get lost in it.

I was hugely looking forward to this book. Vampires have been my favourite sub-genre for decades, and I was so excited to see what VE Schwab did with them.

It almost physically hurts me to say that this is a DNF.

I didn't like any of the characters; several actively infuriated me. The only one that I liked because I was curious about their backstory turned out to be an NPC who died pretty early on for no reason at all. All of the vampire tropes that I detest because they've been done to death are here. I found myself getting more and more frustrated until my lack of enjoyment just said 'put the book aside'.

I know I'm in the minority and that most readers will enjoy this. I guess I'm the exception, and I'm so very disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley for approving my request and nearly giving me a heart attack! I never thought I'd get to read this book early! My opinions are my own.

So this is for sure my favourite book of the year and it's only March. It might even be on my all-time favourites list!

I loved Addie LaRue by the same author and this had a similar poetic vibe - she has really honed her writing style with these novels into such a romantic and mysterious tone.

I loved the timeline jumps and seeing all the powerful/toxic/beautiful women jump out of the page at me. They were so distinct but also so hurt by the world around them, and you really feel it in their voices.

Interestingly, Lottie reminded me of the main character of Claire North's Touch, how much love she had in her for everyone and how little control she had over falling head over heels. She felt so endearing and so frustrating at the same time.

I don't want to spoil anything in this novel, because I think it all needs to be experienced firsthand - but it's absolutely amazing, and THAT ENDING. VE Schwab always blows me away with her endings, I have absolutely nothing negative to say at all.

my first v.e. schwab and i was not disappointed - this is a glorious book. twisty and dark, and dripping with interesting, conflicted characters. delicious.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.

This book was a beast I must admit it took me awhile to get into the story as the book is a long one with a dense plot spanning multiple points of view.

I appreciate the plot being well flushed out and in usual V E Schwab style it is beautifully crafted and written.

We're there some elements of the story I could have done without to make it shorter probably bits of Sabines timeline maybe while interesting I am not sure if it all was needed.

Overall though I did really enjoy the story once I was more invested about 2/3rds of the way in. V E Schwab is always great at crafting these stories and making you feel like you're there experiencing it as reading.

A different newer take on vampires that was really well done.

when I thought I couldn't love Schwab anymore I have been proved wrong. Schwab excels at telling a story. She had me right at the start, and I mean, toxic lesbian vampires? sign me up.
I was immersed in the story, the evocative writing, and omg my heart was feeling everything.
I need to sit on this one and pull my thoughts together! This is one of the easiest 5 stars I've ever given.

’Sabine has walked the earth long enough to know that not all flowers grow well in the garden.
Some thrive, and others wither.
And a wretched few must be dug up before they ruin everything.’

Beautiful and haunting; harrowing and hypnotic: Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil’ is the type of book that swiftly sinks its teeth into you and refuses to let go throughout. Its prose is made to mesmerise whilst its characters are fascinating in a way that’s impossible to pull yourself away from. Admittedly it was a little different than I imagined but its left me utterly besotted regardless of that fact. If you want a new favourite featuring vampires to add to your shelves then look no further.

This book opens up with Maria’s perspective, casting a spell over you from its very first line. Her point of view is fascinating to find yourself engulfed within, beginning all the way back in 1521.Hers is a journey that spans a multitude of years and locations; it’s one that will accustom you to the lore and world of Schwab’s vampires. It’s a narrative with hints of a darker streak from early on although I won’t say more than that. Needless to say she made a fascinating figure to follow though and I utterly adored unravelling her tale. Something about her sections reminded me of ‘Interview With The Vampire’ (the film, not the book as I somehow still need to read it). It’s something in the grand scope and scale of it all; something about the unusual perspective and seeing the bloodshed involved through one of the perpetrator’s eyes. There’s just something about the overall feel of her chapters that I utterly adored.

Alice, meanwhile, is the modern perspective and her story is intertwined with so much longing, grief and complexities. The anxiety portrayal within her first chapter was superb although it did take me slightly longer to connect with her story overall. Looking back I think that’s because it’s spaced out more so than Maria’s story however and once the vampire elements became apparent within her narrative I was utterly hooked upon that too.

Lottie’s perspective features less but is vital to bringing all three threads together. It’s also quite possibly my favourite tale of the lot. I adored all of the narratives but oh how the dynamics involved here called to me. The ties; the obsession; the push and pull of her own nature. Plus the initial setting (after all, who doesn’t love a look at the glamour and trappings of a London Season?). Needless to say I was besotted.

There are lots of other individuals introduced over the course of the novel and no matter how big or small someone’s role they truly sparked with life. There were so many characters that I longed to learn more about; so many personalities or backstories I’d have happily devoured. It’s pretty incredible, in truth, just how real each and every person within this novel felt.

One thing worth noting about this novel – which is also why my review is focusing mostly upon its characters – is that it’s ultimately more character than plot driven. Generally I’d say I’m the kind of reader that priorities plot over characters yet I adored this so please don’t let this fact deter you. There is a storyline woven throughout and it’s riveting to follow in; it’s just one that’s very dependent upon its characters and focuses upon their lives. Particularly some of the toxic ties between some of them...

Similarly there’s a lot of emotional depth to unpack and you can truly feel the passion that the authors poured into this one. There’s longing, love, obsession, grief, anxiety, identity and even a touch of a ‘me too’ side of things at times. All beautifully intertwined around the vampire tale at this books core and depicted in the authors usual gorgeous prose.

Needless to say I wholeheartedly recommend ’Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil’ and simply cannot wait to treat myself to a copy of it. The prose is utterly divine, the characters fascinating, the narrative enthralling and the vampires beautifully depicted. I imagine it will come as a surprise to no one if I admit that I’m hoping for more set within this world one day.

I think it is very difficult to write a multi-timeline novel with different characters and tie the different stories together in a way that doesn't feel forced. I was already a little sceptical of the concept of this book because of this, and sadly it was no exception. This book was just ok - it was definitely very character driven, but I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. Moreover, I was expecting the three POVs to be equal, whereas the whole book felt like the story of one character with the other two slotted in to tie everything together at the end. Charlotte's POV was dull and uninspired, whereas Alice's POV had so many flashbacks it should've been a separate coming of age book. Maria definitely had the most interesting storyline of the three, but even that felt largely uninventive and repetitive - a woman in the 1500s being oppressed by society etc. etc. The author had nothing new to contribute to vampire literature so again the whole story felt quite mundane. I still gave it 3 stars because there were parts I did enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil portrays a story over 500 years of women taking up space, something that was ignored when the story begins. The three characters followed within this story, each carving out a space for themselves despite being told they don't deserve it. They do everything that is right for them, instead of following what is right for the world. To call these women toxic is their birth right, as how could they be any other way in a world that they had to bend to be seen? They care only about their hunger and how they can satiate it. It's mesmerising to behold and empowering to read.

The characters are all toxic in their varying individual ways. They each use that toxicity to carve and crave and grow and crumble.

The writing, as always, is gorgeous. Each word carries a weight and is proportionately balanced by the next. There is poetry to the way Schwab writes, that I will never be exhausted by. My appreciation and awe constantly grows with each novel I read.

This is a novel that will leave you hungry to read again and again. It is not meant to be devoured and digested, but it's beauty, it's journey is best savoured and appreciated again and again, drawing something new for each life it contains. Because it contains many different lives, and just as each left these women hungrier for the next, each read will leave you hungry to enter these pages again.

I have been waiting so long for this book! I remember Schwab talking about writing it years ago at an Addie book signing in Yorkshire, so I was so excited to finally be able to read it! And as always with everything Scwab writes, it was incredible. The atmosphere, character builds and pacing of the book was perfect. Would recommend this the buyers for sure!

V.E. Schwab is one of my favourite authors so when I heard her next book was "Toxic Lesbian Vampires" I couldn't wait to read it - I devoured it in just a couple sittings!

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is so many things at once: an exploration of complex women; a treatise on how grief shapes lives; a love letter to sapphic love throughout the ages; a commentary of patriarchy; and a thrilling tale of vicious vampires. Whilst some books feel empty without a central 'plot' to follow, Schwab's women are so intricately created that simply following their stories and discovering who they truly are is more engaging than any mystery or battle.

I adored how each of the women were entirely unique, whilst still connected by their hunger. The unveiling of their stories was so perfectly timed that I was simultaneously happy to jump to another timeline while wishing I never had to leave the perspective I was in. What I loved the most was that these were not all 'good' women - their morals were questionable, their actions at times inexcusable, and their thirst impossible to satiate. Schwab has sited the queer undertones of Interview with the Vampire (and the recent TV adaption in particular) as an inspiration, and I can confirm that the twisted relationships found here are truly the lesbian answer to Louis and Lestat.

Vampires are having an incredible 'comeback' at the moment and Bury Our Bones should be at the top of everyone's lists.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is very much the darkest sister to Addie and I loved her.

Each of the main characters was a delight, but I think my favourite has to be Maria. I loved our time in Venice and I do kind of wish as we approached the end that we would have stayed with her more, but Alice, and Lottie were great too.

Lottie's story, in particular, and her ending really resonated.

Perhaps, the thing about this book that was best for me is that it ends leaving you hungry for more and for a book that spends so much time showing you that you can drink your fill, but you'll always be hungry, I have to admire that.