Book Review: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab
Title: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
Release Date: 10th June 2025
Publisher: Tor UK
RRP: $34.99
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Synopsis:
This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.
This is a story about love.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.
This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.
Review:
There is something so electrifying about this story and Schwab’s writing. There is a dark and wayward feeling about the narrative that is both raw and unflinching. It makes you want to turn your attention away but at the same time it grabs your focus with both hands so you’ll not want to stop reading. It’s spellbinding and alluring and sensual. Schwab writes with a gentle sharpness that will make you crave for more.
There is a feral wanting that’s palpable in the three women we follow in the story - each leading different lives yet so similar in more ways than one. I don’t think any book has given me such a visceral reaction before. The pain and hunger of it all - I feel it to my bones and it’s quite unnerving how much of an impact this story has on me. The whole story feels like a huge chase. There is SO much detail you don’t want to miss. Much like the girls, you are hungry for more. You’ll want the thrill of what’s going to happen next, the constant aching and starvation for it all.
The way the three women’s lives all intertwined with one another was SO cleverly done. The fact that you’ve followed them their whole lives makes it feel all the more satisfying! V. E. Schwab brilliantly weaves together a soft yet powerful tale of longing, power, rage, and freedom in this intricate and complex story that goes as deep as its roots. THIS is the kind of story that leaves a mark on you, the kind that latches on and never lets go. What a ride! Thank you SO much to Pan Mac for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review! 🌹
