Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
E. Schwab’s newest novel explores vampire myth and legend through three different women: from late medieval Spain, Regency England and contemporary Scotland and Boston. The novel is a wonderful homage to Interview with a Vampire, as the story unfurls through separate narrative arcs before colliding spectacularly in contemporary Boston. The seductive young bride Sabine, the rebellious debutante Charlotte and the angry young student Alice explore their new lives as vampires attempting to navigate the restrictions and the opportunities that their new situations provide. Sabine is driven by hunger and her need for more; more power, more control, and a desperate need to survive. Charlotte is driven by her longing for love, year after year while Alice is driven by her anger, at the unwanted situation she finds herself in, and the reason why she has left Scotland behind for a fresh start in Boston.
Using many similar tropes to the Anne Rice classic, Schwab’s story turns the love story of Louis and Lestat into a powerful love story between women, with characters that are as vivid and vicious as Rice’s own. This stand-alone historical fantasy is dark, witty, and twisty and perfect not only for lovers of Anne Rice, but ideal for fans of Laini Taylor, Ava Reid, Erin Morgenstern, and Deborah Harkness.
