Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab

This book is a fever dream of vampires, blood, and toxicity, and I loved it. I devoured it as quickly as my schedule would allow. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is my second V. E. Schwab book (first was The Invisible Life of Addie Larue), and the one that has cemented me as a fan. Schwab’s writing is magnetic and her books are hard to put down.
 
This story is about three vampires from different time periods. All three are young, beautiful, sapphic women, and even though they all end up afflicted with the same curse, they each approach their fate differently. First, we have Maria from 1532, who always hungers for more. Second comes Lottie from 1827, who wears her heart on her sleeve. Finally, we have Alice from 2019, desperate to break out of her shell. These three women come together in a whirlwind of blood, lust, and love that spans centuries.
 
Schwab tells these women’s stories through rotating viewpoints. Each woman’s voice is distinct and interesting, but my favourite was Maria. Of the three, she is the most dynamic and fascinating. While Lottie and Alice have complicated relationships with their vampiric life, Maria embraces it wholeheartedly, almost desperately. She is a fascinating monster, and I wish I had more of her point of view.
 
The worldbuilding and vampiric lore are sound. Schwab balances traditional vampire tropes with fresh new angles. For example, rather than being unable to enter a church, the vampires react strongly to grave dirt. As well, instead of bursting into flames immediately, the sun makes them ill. I enjoyed how she gave vampires a new spin, but without changing them too drastically.
 
But the real heart of the story is in the relationships and exploration of what it means to be human or a monster. These three women are impossibly intertwined as lovers and as enemies, and the book makes it very complicated to know who to root for. In interviews, Schwab has stated that Lottie is perhaps the most evil of the three women, and I’m not sure I agree. This book is full of “evil” creatures clinging to their last shreds of humanity as they murder through time. I’d argue that Lottie is the most dishonest of the characters, but most evil? That’s a complex subject worthy of its own discussion.

This book is so rich with story, character, and life that there are endless points to discuss. I suggest you pick up a copy for yourself to see. Even the parts of the book that are weaker are still worthy of examination and enjoyable. If you are also a fan of V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, I believe you will enjoy this one. It follows the tone and vibe of Addie (and even takes place in the same universe), but dives even deeper into the toxicity and complicated nature of having a relationship with an eternal monster.

 

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