DNF @ 37%.

I am so sad that I don't like "Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil", but I am absolutely convinced this is going to be a hit when it is released next year.

The premise of the book is very interesting - it tells the story of vampires through the lives of three women. I greatly enjoyed Maria's story and setting. The sapphic notes throughout her story (and the rest of the book) were very well done.

It falls apart for me when we get to Alice's POV. The shift in the writing style is jarring and not as well done as Maria's POV. It's very disappointing that the writing style does not stay consistent cause I was interested in the multiple POVs and seeing how they ended up connecting. It may be a spoiler, but I didn't even make it to our third character. I kept getting bogged down by Alice that I just do not want to continue to pick this book back up.

Projected rating 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

Appropriately, I devoured this book. I love how ruthless it was, yet so full of hope.

It follows three women in similar situations across different centuries in different continents. These women handle their situation in very different ways, yet I found both the flaws and strengths of each of the main characters so relatable.

I stayed up for hours to finish it, I needed to see how these characters would connect and how the story would end.

I can't recommend this book enough and must insist it be read listening to Florence + the Machine as they pair exceptionally well.

VE Schwab, as always, does not disappoint.

When I found out the vibes of this book were toxic lesbian vampires with a side of Florence + the Machine, I knew immediately I had to have it.

And wow did V.E. Schwab deliver.

BOBITMS is the story of three women (Alex, Charlotte, and Sabine) in three different times, connected by the midnight soil.

This was such a rich and real story. Setting aside the supernatural issues, so many things the girls go through are real life struggles and I saw myself reflected in so many of them. The way Schwab writes the inner dialogue of each girl is spectacular, each has their own distinct voice and story to tell.

The historical settings were so descriptive and beautiful. You really feel like you are walking the streets of Paris or Rome alongside them. I loved watching their stories move throughout history and maybe it’s because I’m a history nerd but I found it so interesting to see where the story took us next.

The supernatural aspect was so interesting and felt refreshing and new even though vampire stories have been around for ages. Schwab didn’t re-invent the vampire story but gave it an update that I really enjoyed while staying true to the legends.

I honestly felt like I never knew what was going to happen next and that made me love it even more. There were so many twists that I didn’t see coming but looking back I realized just how connected their stories were.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. I will start off by saying V.E. Schwab is an excellent writer and her love of words and prose remains undiminished in this book. I also believe that readers who enjoyed Addie LaRue will gravitate towards this one.

I am usually a V.E. Schwab superfan but Bones fell short for me. The reason there is no book jacket description is because there's no real story to preview.

Sabine, Lottie, and Alice are three women across different eras (1500s, 1800s, and 2000s) who are caught in the toxic web of a sapphic huntress. However, not all women are given equal narrative time or plot depth. I love a "how are these 3 women connected?!" historical plot and even more when sapphic chaos is involved, but Bones is more about relationship toxicity and murder than lesbians and weaving the web. I wanted to like these characters but it's hard to cheer for the brittle, cruel huntress, the 100-year old naiveté of an abused lover, or the underdeveloped grieving youth who is randomly caught between them. The author missed the opportunity to cultivate meaningful relationships between the women, and so it just felt depressing and long instead (and I love a yearning sapphic story).

Schwab deals in monsters, this we know. But this is the first time I've felt like I was reading about real monsters - ones who don't think very hard about human life because they have become so isolated from them. All three women also die before 20 which makes me think some of their shortcomings are in fact from their youth and not their vampiric age. Where the moral complexities - and character development - shines is when Sabine, Lottie, or Alice encounter other undead characters like Ezra, Antonia, Matteo, or the OG Sabine. But those moments are short-lived and so, too, is the character building beyond it. The three women are almost exclusively explored in relationship to one another, but rarely through dialogue and moment building and rather in brief time lapses (1970-79) or "100 years later" anniversaries that don't endear them to the reader, or offer a true window into their lives.

While the prose is beautiful, the book is also slow and long at 560 pages or ~8.5 hours. Static observations of a long life plot does not make. While the Darker Shade of Magic series are also quite large and dense, they leverage great character work, dialogue, and plot point weaving to deliver a BANG! of an ending. I have a theory that as authors become more famous and their readers more consistent, book editors decide to become less aggressive in cutting. I would argue this book could have easily cut 100-150 pages to improve the pacing, or trade some of those pages to develop a more compelling story for Alice. Alternatively, I would have recommended the structure of the book be altered so that Alice finds Lottie faster and at the beginning, and then "who is Sabine/Lottie/Alice" is introduced as more of the middle. Covering 400 years in decade+ chunks is long and boring, especially when there's not much in the character to like. Which, ultimately, is a shame because I think all 3 women have really interesting origin stories: Sabine fiercely craved independence in a time where only widows had it; Lottie wanted to be queer and compassionate in the Regency era; and Alice wanted to know who she could be after a loved one's death. Those are all beautiful starting points, and I wish that we had seen these characters grow and change first like in Addie LaRue, as opposed to remain static until unravelling.

Ultimately, Bones is what I would call a "window book" - a glimpse into unremarkable lives, lacking a plot drive to keep me invested or deliver a kick at the end. There are plenty of these out there who garner good audiences like "City of Girls" or "Happy Place" but this kind of book simply isn't for me, as I want to be dropped in the middle of the action and deeply satisfied with the final reveals/resolutions. I'll look forward to the adventures in Book #2 in Threads of Power and hope this novel finds its audience.

It's also worth calling out that this book deals with: emotional/physical abuse, stalking, child death, parent death, and toxic relationships.

An intricate masterpiece of a book that had a hold on me from the very first page. The historical story is sweeping and far-reaching, completely transforming, and compelling in its anger. The contemporary plot meshes seamlessly and serves as a pacey, page-turning meditation on what it means to keep living after death, in so many different ways. I was utterly captivated - this will go down in the classic cannon of vampire fiction, I'm sure of it.

4.5

Sapphic vampires, what is there not to like?

Such an amazing book! Writing was so compelling, I loved all of the different time periods and stories, and the characters are all written so beautifully.

The style of how the story was told kinda gave me seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes with there being a present day POV and it telling the story through different flashbacks throughout history so if you enjoyed that, you’ll enjoy this one too!

Thank you TOR and NetGalley for this ARC!

To be a rose with sharp white teeth. 🖤

This book very much gave me Addie LaRue vibes in the best of ways. Women on their own, alone even in company, going through time & trying to find their way.

We span centuries discovering and following three women as they navigate family, love, loss, revenge, and what it means to be of the midnight soil.

Sapphic vampires. Morally grey FMC. Trauma. Feminine rage.

VE Schwab gave us a beautiful melancholy tale in this one and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world!

Thank you to TOR & NetGalley for the eARC!

This is one of my most anticipated reads and it did not disappoint. I love the road this book took. VE Schwab can spin a compelling story like no one else.

Sexy, broken, emotional, and emotionless. 
If you thought the world did not need another vampire story, you were absolutely wrong.
V.E. Schwab has created characters so complex, yet so relatable, they make you believe they are real.
Three women connected over many centuries, their stories at once tragic and courageous, innocent and evil.
I could not stop reading this book until it was done, and I craved more. I spent the better part of an afternoon at work to finish it. V.E. Schwab is one of my favorite authors, and this is absolutely one of her best.
Thanks to the publisher, Tor, and Netgalley for the ARC version of this book.

4.25⭐️

This book was such a surprise hit! Not surprising that I enjoyed it because I do love V.E Schwab, but more based on the fact that I knew so little going into it. You know that song “me and the devil…walking side by side”, well that is the vibe of this book. I honestly was hooked from the start, and while this book follows the interconnected stories of three women who become vampires, my favourite was definitely Maria’s. There’s just something about a morally grey woman that I eat up every time, and the feminine rage that this book captured was just so good. If you want a toxic sapphic vampire book- this is the one!!!

What a GREAT and epic story. This story rivals V E Schwab's Invisible Life of Addie LaRue in terms of good storytelling across several centuries. I have to admit that in the first few chapters, I was wondering if the book would be the first one of her titles that I DNF'd. Just when I was considering that, it started getting interesting. From that point onward, I was HOOKED! Without a spoiler.... I have to say that during the last chapter, I thought I had everything figured out in terms of where the story was going and yet... there was a twist that I didn't see coming.
Thank you for the digital copy NetGalley and Tor Publishing!

three and a half stars!

You are the kind of bloom that thrives in any soil.

Bury Our Bones is in the same alley as Addie LaRue, and I love the book even more because of it. I typically steer away the book trope of "women who are connect between time somehow" due to the fact that is very tough to get right. Schwab surprised me. Three women coming to terms with their new bodies, their new way of living, the love they feel for the same sex, all came together for a well written story. I enjoyed seeing one characters travels, going to and from small villages, beautiful waterfront villas, to finally reaching Victorian era England just in time for the Season.

Only negative, I wish for a tiny bit more of Alice's narrative, but that was the feeling I got from Addie LaRue as well. I do enjoy an open ended story, things don't always have to wrap up with a bow.

Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and Schwab for the early access!

Thank you Tor books and NetGalley for the e-arc!
From the moment I saw the announcement for this book, I knew it was going to be top read. The unbelieve writing ability of V.E. Schwab combined with sapphic vampires, heavily morally complex characters, and an exploration into the toxicity of immortality. This is slow and methodical story that takes great care to set each character up as we watch their descent into the midnight soil. This is my second V.E. Schwab book after Addie LaRue and this has officially cemented her as an auto-read author going forward. This is a story of cold passion, wild hunger, and darker rotting aspect of our souls.

the characters
We follow 3 main storylines/perspectives. Alice is a freshman at Harvard when she meets Lottie at a party and is dragged into a twisting and toxic plot centuries in the making through different cities and eras. As we follow the tale, we are primarily showed Maria's story and the choices that set the whole book in action. This is truly like a boulder rolling down a hill; once it starts, it is hard to see it ending any other way. Maria is truly a force; sharp, wild, and cunning with the desire for everything and the will to see it through. Lottie with her initial docile nature that grows into a hidden edge. And Alice, who was trying to start fresh and stumbled upon something far more dangerous and twisted than she could have guessed. Alice who's humanity and strength is threatened and tested. The convergence of these three women and their warring natures results in a warped story of love and morality. Every single character in this story has a point, including all the side characters. There is no wasted words or characters and EVERYTHING is intentional and posed to teach us something.

the world/the vampires
the vampirism is one of best and most refreshing tales hunger and unquenchable desire that I have seen in a while. The bottom less well that results from eternity puts the price of forever into perspective. Each character is planted into the same midnight soil but who grows strong and blossoms and who withers is entirely up to them; while being a vampire may require blood, it is their choices that lead them to it. This truly is a exploration into the vicious hunger of humanity and the want, not need, to be predator.

the plot
the connections! I cannot begin to describe how unbelievable the connections and intersections are for this story. If you are expecting a quick and fast story, that is not this. The plot/story is a extremely slow build up focused on exploring the history of each perspective first and then the connections. It is intentional and honestly, the best possible way to do this story. It does take a bit for the plot to pick up which isn't a negative but it is worthy of not as if you go into this looking for a quick plot focused book, you will be disappointed. This is VERY character driven and is very focused on the complexities of each story.

Three women seeking independence and control over their own lives find it through monstrous means, with some having more say in the matter than others. Set over 500 years, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil follows the stories of Maria, Charlotte, and Alice. Maria is a young wife who wants more, and rejects how society denies her the freedom she desires. Charlotte is a debutante who has been thrown from a place of comfort and possibility into a world that only sees her as a prize. Alice is a college student wracked with insecurity who is also trying to deal with a great personal tragedy. All three women find themselves on the bloody path of vampirism, and their stories intertwine in ways that are bold, triumphant, and horrifying.

V.E. Schwab tells this tale beautifully, bringing forth both a vampiric mythos of her own and a deeply moving story of people struggling to deal with grief, betrayal, and the hunger of wanting to know and be known to other people, no matter the cost. This is a must have for any collection.

I'm such a huge fan of Schwab! Right away from the first few chapters, I knew it would be a five-star read for me. I loved the character development and premise. I didn't realize I could love a book more than I adored Addie, but this one takes top shelf. The story telling was amazing, and I absolutely will be getting a physical copy when it comes out.

This highly anticipated read will delight fans of V.E. Schwab’s potent, dark, feminine narrative, telling the story of women navigating relationships and their place in the world over many years trying to determine what it means to truly live. A sapphic vampire story I didn’t know I needed, one that kept me wildly turning pages until its conclusion. Told in bursts of drama and passion, this is a must read for anyone who envisions a literary mash-up of Twilight and Addie La Rue.

So, if you enjoyed Addie this is in the same vein (terrible pun alert), but that is hardly surprising and, in any case, isn't what you need to know. I guess I just...go in free from the burden of any expectation - there is beauty here, undeniably, but also despair and, to some extent, a low lying casual disdain that...niggles.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab is a hauntingly atmospheric novel that blends dark fantasy with deeply human emotion. Set in a world where the boundaries between life and death are fragile, the story follows a group of characters drawn together by a mysterious force that calls them to confront their pasts. Schwab’s lyrical writing creates an immersive, eerie tone, and her vivid world-building is both captivating and unsettling. The novel’s exploration of grief, redemption, and the unbreakable ties that bind us to those we love is deeply moving. Though the pacing may be slower than expected for some, Schwab's talent for creating complex, multifaceted characters ensures that Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is an evocative and thought-provoking read for fans of gothic fantasy.

While not connected to Addie Larue, I will say that this book also flexes V.E. Schwab's writing skills. If you like her other books, I would highly recommend this,

Schwab has done it again! 'Bury Our Bones' is a triumph of gothic writing - at once sumptuous and propulsive. Each time I was asked about my current read, I found myself comparing it to a rich cup of hot chocolate - rich, dark, and smooth like burgundy velvet with a bitter bite. I was enthralled from the first page with V's languid prose on full display. Each chapter a new intrigue, then a frantic race to the end (in the best way) that made a beautiful bow of all the story threads. Our three lead vampire ladies were delightfully multi-faceted, a product of the eras they were born into, fighting with every tooth and claw to maintain their independence and find some scrap of joy amidst the misogyny. But when you live that long, you're not likely to escape without becoming a bit of a monster (literally and figuratively) yourself... #ToxicLesbianVampires (be mindful of domestic abuse and stalking content, among other violence)