Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

My love for VE Schwab's books runs deep. I've always adored the way her writing makes me look over my shoulder and say "but what if magic is real?" And this is no exception. lesbians. vampires. angst. anger. love. death. I inhaled it all.

Mine has a sticker for signed edition but it is NOT signed.

Well written. Hard to put down. Loved the vampire story line and the different centuries they lived in. Highly recommend.

The book really disappointed me. I had so enjoyed the Addie Marie book. This book spends too much time on charactes that are not the least sympathetic. I considered quitting a couple of times, but finished it anyway. I guess then end was somewhat satisfying.

Not my kind of read; the review was misleading with no mention ofblood 'sucking' etc.

A page turner-get ready to be absorbed.

I have yet to be disappointed by V.E. Schwab. If you liked The Invisible Life of Addie Larue and you can get down with a multiple timeline sapphire vampire theme then you will love this book.

A few years back I discovered V.E. Schwab by reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I, like many others, fell in love with Schwab’s beautiful prose. She wove an intricate story told over hundreds of years, pulling in elements of romance, historical novels, supernatural fare, and fantasy. While I read it, I certainly enjoyed it, but there was…maybe a little subdued…a little depressed -- which makes sense given the nature of Addie’s story. A woman who became invisible for generations, cursed to travel through life, but never fully participate in it.Here though, in Schwab’s latest, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, the gloves are truly off. Reading it felt visceral. Primal. Almost like Schwab was tapping into something deep within herself to tell this story.In some ways there are a lot of similarities with Addie LaRue. In both books, we have female lead characters who traverse centuries. Time is a central character in this book, as the reader sees the ways that women have been allowed to navigate society from the 16th century to modern-day. The hurt that happens in the 1500s is central to the plot of the book, but also comes from a key part of the women’s experience at a time when they weren’t considered citizens, had little in terms of individual rights and were better known for their relationship to the men in their lives.OK…we’re far enough into the review, that I’ll mention what this book is all about. In fact…I went in virtually blind. I hadn’t read any reviews and as you can see above, the synopsis is pretty bare bones as well. As I was reading, I found myself wondering a bit when the fantasy elements would come into play, but then they show up and stick around for good about twenty percent into the novel. I do hesitate to say what the core of the book is, because Schwab herself only uses the word 4 TIMES in the course of the book. What’s the word? (SPOILERS -- TURN BACK IF YOU WANT TO GO IN BLIND…)Vampires.Or, more specifically, lesbian vampires.Or, more more specifically, traumatized lesbian vampires.Fine -- Toxic Lesbian Vampires.There are definitely comparisons to be made here between this and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, in particular Lestat (played by Tom Cruise in the movie of the same name). Lestat carries with him the trauma of his past and inflicts that on those he chooses to harm and those that he tries not to. In Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, the Lestat comparison goes to the character of Sabine. She is our throughline in the book from early 16th century Spain to Victorian England and modern day America.And Schwab really paints a picture of how the trauma just keeps compiling from one century to the next and the terror that comes at the end of the book is really more due to unresolved issues than the actual fangs in her mouth.I really enjoyed Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. As always I’ll be thrilled to pick up her next book, whether she’s writing for adults or teens. Her voice is a needed one even more than ever in this world and I’m glad girls like my daughter have an author like her writing needed and necessary books.

This book was incredible. Schwab does not miss. The characters have so many levels and depth to them and the heartbreak was so real and profound. I love it.

Read this book for its class politicsRead this book for the sexism commentary.Read this book for the predator commentary.Read this book for an in depth look at how hurt people can hurt people.Read this book for a palpable and immersive reflection of intimate abuse/grooming.Read this book for its powerful wordsmithing.Read/listen this book for its wonderful narrators.Read this book for the vampire lore.Read this book for the sapphic romance plot.Read this book for the subcommentary (I think) on feminism that is exclusionary.Whatever you do---read this book!

I like the Shades of Magic series, but frankly hated this book. The characters were so self-absorbed that I never became invested in their stories. I had to force myself to finish this book, and was grateful there wasn't an epilogue. It's meant to reflect on the characters quests for freedom and self-determination, but it came across as egocentric. I do not recommend this book.

It sucked and not in the good vampire way.Save yourself the cash - very disappointed.

Certain writers like to give you all kinds of backstory on every character. That is so unnecessary when telling a story. I found the pages and pages of backstory and what people were thinking distracting and useless waste of my time. Buy it if you want, read it if you want and form your own opinion, but I’m sorry I was wasted my money.

I finished this book last week and I am still reeling—it might just be my favorite book of the year. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is most of all a story of hunger and sapphic yearning. Following three women across centuries, V.E. Schwab spins a vampiric tale that explores the lines between love and hate, of life and death, of beginnings and endings. It is hard to pin down exactly what this book is—drawing on magical realism, horror, and romance, it keeps you captivated until the very end. This book is also just very queer in a way that goes far beyond the romantic relationships, something we always need more of. Moreover, I really felt this book. The anger, the passion, the desire, all of it jumps off of the page and buries itself into your chest. I will be raving about this book forever, so of course everyone should read it. More specifically, if you loved Schwab’s other work The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, I think will devour this one.

DNFed at 32%.I love Shades of Magic and was excited for a new unique world by Schwab, so this was such a let down. No likeable characters and no discernable plot other than bodies piling up and endless talk of hunger. I enjoy a good vampire story -but we have to care about the vampires for the premise to work, otherwise it's just describing a mass murderer who is never brought to justice, and I did not care about any of them. I felt for the victims more keenly than I did the mc. The one intrigueing character dies early, and it was down hill after that. Schwab's lyrical writing is, as usual, beautiful, but in this case it was too many words, and not enough said.

I read a lot, but I only get this totally engrossed feeling maybe once or twice a year if I'm lucky. I read somewhere that the author stated she put so much of herself into this novel and it shows. I felt it. I lived it.I've also read the author's other novel, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I had the same exact experience. Which is crazy because neither of these are really my usual genre. However, I LOVED the historical genre aspect of both.

Oh my! I’ve read a few of V. E. Schwab’s books, but Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is by far my favorite."Bury my bones in the midnight soil, plant the shallow and water the deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth."Who knew that this would bring back memories of how much I used to love vampire books. I thought the vampire genre was over, but Victoria brought it back with a bang. At least for me!This book tells the tale of three women in three different eras, Maria in Santo Domingo de la Calzada in 1532, Charlotte in London in 1827, and Alice in Boston in 2019. This is a sapphic romance with some common vampire lore and some completely new to me lore. It had the feel of Interview with a Vampire, which I loved so much and read several times, rather than the shiny YA vampires of Twilight.And that end…!! I’m still in shock! I immediately ordered a trophy copy of this book for my library.

Amazing! The audiobook was incredibly done! All the stars!!

➺ this book reads like a slow, strange dream. it’s quiet, a little messy, sometimes beautiful, and definitely hard to forget. it builds slowly, and before you realize it, it’s sitting heavy in your chest. (the perfect autumn read)➺ the atmosphere is what grabbed me first. it's damp, cold, and unsettling, like stepping into a forgotten room where the air hasn’t moved in years. the world is shadowed and still, and the characters feel more haunted than alive. nothing is ever loud in this book.➺ schwab’s writing focuses a lot on emotion and tone. it’s poetic, yes, but sometimes it felt too much. there were moments i needed more clarity, more structure. i lost track of the plot more than once, but i kept going anyway because i really do love her writing."Is it life, if there is never death to balance it? Or is its brevity what makes it beautiful?"“Some people keep their heart tucked so deep they hardly know it's there. But you have always worn it like skin. It will make your life harder. But it will also make it beautiful.”➺ this is a book built on mood. there’s a lot of pain, a lot of ache, and while the pacing dragged in places, by the last third i was fully pulled in. the story follows three women - maría, charlotte, and alice - across different timelines... and at first their lives feel disconnected, but eventually the pieces start coming together in a way that makes the slowness of the earlier chapters worth it."Life is messy. People, too. And you can tie yourself in knots, trying to make yourself feel better, or you can face the truth." "Which is?" "No one should play God. Least of all us."➺ if you like stories that don’t rush to explain themselves, that live in gray areas, and that leave you feeling a little hollow when they end, then this might be for you. just don’t enter with expectations. some books don’t need to wrap things up neatly, they’re meant to be felt. it’s a story that stays with you, not because of what it explains, but because of how it makes you feel...➺ tropes & themes:– multiple timelines / interwoven lives– morally gray characters– toxic relationships– lovers to enemies– cat × mouse dynamic– feminine rage– forbidden love– desperate bargains– historical fiction elements– coming of age through pain– tragic beauty– quiet horror / gothic vibes

Just got my copy and let me tell you I was so shocked that it was a signed copy.