From V. E. Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: a new genre-defying novel about immortality and hunger.

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.

This is a story about life—
how it ends, and how it starts.

Can I just say that in my opinion, V.E. Schwab just doesn’t miss? She knows how to create characters that feel like real people and then wreck your emotions in the best possible way. Her writing is rich without being showy. Emotional without tipping into melodrama. And with this book, she blends gothic horror with queer identity, rage, love, and survival in a way that is shocking and beautiful. It has an “Interview With the Vampire” vibe and I loved it.

This one’s told through the lives of three women, each from a different century, but all connected in a way that isn’t shocking on the surface, but leads to an explosive final act. Each of these women—María, Charlotte, and Alice—is dealing with her own set of circumstances, but Schwab pulls them together in a way that’s as surprising as it is satisfying. I kept wondering how on earth these timelines were going to connect. I mean, we’ve got 1530s Spain, 1800s London, and present-day Boston. It felt like three separate stories… until it didn’t.

Let’s start with María. Ahe’s a beautiful, clever girl with no real agency. She’s over her boring life and the expectations her family, her husband and in-laws, and society have placed on her. She gets tangled up with a stranger who offers escape, but at a cost. Schwab leans into the lush, historical setting and gives us a character who refuses to be anyone’s pawn. Then there’s Charlotte. She’s tender and deeply romantic, but not naïve. I felt so much for her as she navigated what it meant to love another woman in a time when that could ruin your life. And finally, we have Alice, who’s dealing with modern expectations, identity, and some serious rage bubbling just beneath the surface. Her voice is the most contemporary, and it’s raw in a way that hits hard. She’s trying to find herself, but she’s also just trying to survive.

Each timeline is distinct, but they all share an undercurrent of longing and fury. These women aren’t soft. They’ve been told to be quiet, to be obedient, to be grateful, and they’re done with it. They want more, and they find it, but the “more” isn’t always easy. Schwab writes them with compassion, but she doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of their stories. There’s violence here. Blood. Betrayal. But it never feels gratuitous. Every brutal moment serves a purpose. And by the time the stories start to intertwine, things really take off.

That said, I’m not going to pretend this was a perfect read for me. The middle dragged a bit. There were points where I felt like the story was meandering a bit too much, especially in Maria’s sections. It wasn’t enough to make me put the book down, but I definitely noticed the pacing dip. I think with a little trimming, this could have been a solid five-star read. As it stands, it’s a very strong 4.5.

Also, can we talk about how perfect this would be as a limited series? It’s got the sprawling, gothic backdrops. The intimate emotional moments. The kind of eerie tension that builds slowly and makes your skin crawl in the best way. Honestly, HBO, Netflix or Hulu, if you’re listening: make this happen.

If you’re someone who needs a fast-paced book to stay engaged, this book may not be for you. But if you like stories that are moody, layered, and a little bit messy—stories that leave you with lots to think about after the last page—you’ll want to add this one to your list. Just be warned: the final chapter is a banger and it was worth the long ride. I did not see that coming. I had to sit there for a minute, staring at the page like, “Wait. Did that just happen?” It did. And I loved it.

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