Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

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

I really wanted to love this book, I've really loved most everything else I've read by VE Schwab, but on this one I've landed in the 'maybe it just wasn't for me' camp. That said, it wasn't an unenjoyable read, and there's some really beautiful prose. It's just so similar in tone to some of her earlier works (particularly Addie La Rue), and the plot and characters just don't hold up in the inevitable comparison.

This is a somewhat classic story of an older vampire turning a younger one and the two become an item through the centuries with a somewhat unequal power dynamic. I was hoping for a new take on the trope, or on vampires in general, because I think Schwab can be very good at monsters that lurk in the dark. This fell a little bit short of that hope. BUT if you like that old tried-and-true vampire story, this is a prime example of it by a writer who certainly has a way with words and knows how to create an atmosphere.

I did enjoy the way the story is told in that we are learning along with our POV character who is looking for information. While it does contribute to some of the length and meandering into unnecessary threads at times, it was effective for making some of the characters more elusive and mysterious.

I could probably say a lot more, but we'd get into spoiler territory and the gist would be more of the same. It's beautifully written, with a tangible atmosphere that Schwab is so very good at. And at the same time for me at least, it was a disappointing vampire story that felt like it was trying to be another Addie La Rue.