I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

In V. E. Schwab’s novel Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, we traverse across the centuries, following the experiences of three women: Maria, Alice, and Charlotte. Maria faces a marriage she doesn’t want, Charlotte deals with scandal inside a society she doesn’t quite fit in, and Alice struggles with starting school and with her grief. Though they are from vastly different times and places, their stories are increasingly intertwined. They have been, after all, planted in the same soil. And so, the blood will flow.

Ironically, I snacked on parmesan garlic pretzels while reading a good portion of this. Because, oh yeah, this is a vampire novel. That trend is back stronger than ever.

I’ve noticed that whenever the book is in present tense, Schwab gets lyrical and dark with her writing (just look at The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Gallant). It’s fun to be back here in this sort of style, just as it was fun to return to the Shades of Magic universe last year. I just like her writing in general, I suppose.

And this is a great novel. Juggling multiple timelines is something that Schwab has done effortlessly for years, and I still marvel at it. I never struggled to distinguish what was going on, what certain characters did and didn’t know, and the shifting back and forth always made sense thematically.

The characters are quite strong—not shocking, as Schwab seems to be making a name for herself writing tough women. Maria is by turns sympathetic and ruthless, Charlotte is relatable but also frustrating, and Alice is sweet yet with a hidden fierceness. I think the most well-characterized of the three is Maria, while Charlotte will probably be the most divisive. I still have mixed feelings about how her story played out—but unfortunately, I can’t say why. The perils of reading a book eight months before publication (not that I’m complaining; waiting sounds worse).

I will say, though, that Schwab seems to have a very limited field of vision when it comes to settings; Maria’s travels in particular are so Euro-centric, which I find to be ridiculous. She has all the time in the world, and yet doesn’t bother to venture even to Asia or Africa? Seriously? (Yes, she’s reluctant to travel long distances by ship, but that excuse only limits her somewhat.) I suspect/hope that this is more of a “write what you know” issue than intentional erasure or avoidance of these cultures—as perhaps Schwab has not personally been to those places—but it still seems to be an oversight within the plot. I would hate to be immortal, but if I were, I’d consider international travel to be a pretty decent consolation prize! Go see more places, Maria! Surely Europe gets boring after a century or so.

(In retrospect, this is a criticism that can also be applied to Addie LaRue.)

Anyway, speaking of immortality, I did enjoy how this book played with the traditional lore of vampires (at least, again, in the Western world. I don’t know about blood-drinking creatures in other cultures’ mythologies, though now I’m curious). We touched on most of the familiar traits: being in the sun, hypnotism, and so on. It was fun to see how Schwab tweaked these for her own purposes, especially since there was one revelation that meant I got to make a reference in my head to What We Do in the Shadows.

(For those curious, it was Nandor’s line “we drank the blood of some people, but the people were on drugs, and now I’m a wizard!”)

But I digress.

In the end, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a dark but fascinating tale. The historical settings feel rich in detail, and the character development is fascinating to witness. Some aspects of this novel’s scope felt far too narrow considering the immortality of the main characters, but overall, I had a good time within the world it presented. It’s not a perfect book, but it’s also well-written and entertaining. Not to constantly mention Addie LaRue, but if that book is about seizing life with both hands, Bury Our Bones is about brushing up against death and grinning at the touch. Plus, it’s about lesbian vampires!

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil will be published on June 10th, 2025!