This was reviewed on All the Books, the Book Riot podcast. Here are my notes:

This is a prequel to Legends & Lattes, which I adored. It's a cozy fantasy novel with low stakes and impeccable vibes. Let me skip the conclusion of this review: if you liked the first book, I can't imagine you won't also like this one. And if you didn't like Legends & Lattes, why would you be picking this one up?
There are a lot of the same beats as the first book. While in that one, Viv retired from adventuring, in this one she's temporarily laid up with an injury. Until her leg heals, she has to wait it out in a village. She's only been with her adventuring group a couple of months, so she's antsy to return and nervous of being left behind. Still, she has no choice: for the next few weeks, she has to take it easy.
In book one, we saw Viv build and run a coffee shop with the help of some new friends. In this one, she continues the theme of accidentally collecting friends despite her gruffness, but this time, she's helping to fix up a bookstore! Viv isn't a reader, but being barred from strenuous exercise drives her to visiting a rundown bookstore looking for escape. Fern, the rattkin bookseller, manages to make her a reluctant bibliophile. Along the way, Viv helps her to try to save her failing business, starting with a redesign.
One fun difference in the format of this volume is that we get excerpts from the book she's reading! Fern sensibly starts her with an adventure novel, and then convinces her to try a romance. The excerpted books have their own writing styles, and most of them are sapphic, too.
Speaking of sapphic, I was curious about how the romance element in this prequel would go. I was invested in the romance I knew unfolded later in Viv's life, so how much could I enjoy a doomed relationship in years prior? That turned out not to be an issue. Both Viv and her love interest know she's only in town for a few weeks, and they're both going into this knowing it's temporary. That doesn't necessarily make it easy, but there are no hard feelings. Also, I really liked the love interest, who I won't name because I had fun trying to figure out who it would be. I'll just say I can see why Viv was interested.
At a glance, this can look like just a retread of the first book: a ragtag group of new friends help to renovate a small fantasy business in a cozy, low-stakes setting. Just swap the coffee shop for a bookstore. In some ways, that's true—this might have a little more plot and one higher-stakes chapter, but it's still very cozy and has many of the same elements as the first book. I don't know what to say other than that it works. Like a cozy mystery series, the repeating elements are a feature, not a drawback. It had exactly the cozy, comforting feeling I was looking for, and I'd honestly read ten more books in the series just like it.
Besides, Bookshops & Bonedust has a big advantage over Legends & Lattes: Potroast the gryphet. (He's the pug/owl little guy on the cover.) Also, I love that Fern and Viv end up accidentally adopting an animated skeleton.
If you're a cozy fantasy fan, you have to pick up this series. I think you can read them in either order. In fact, I'm not sure I know which one would be better to start with. Either way, I will be eagerly awaiting the next book set in this world, and I'll keep these two ready for whenever I need a comforting reread.

“Every book is a little mirror, and sometimes you look into it and see someone else looking back.”

Where to even start with this review. If you know anything about me, you probably know how much I adore Legends & Lattes. I have several copies of it and it's one of the first books I always recommend to people. So when the details of Bookshops & Bonedust came out, I couldn't wait to read it!

I just loved everything about Bookshops & Bonedust! The characters, the cute town of Murk, the bookshop, POTROAST! Everything about this story was a big, warm hug just like the first one. I liked how there were higher stakes in this book versus the first one but it was still cozy overall!

I am not an emotional person when I read but that ending and epilogue had me bawling. My heart was bursting and I am not ashamed.

“Never trust a writer who doesn’t have too many books to read. Or a reader, for that matter.”

Lastly, I just want to say that Travis is one of the sweetest and most generous authors and humans I have ever met. I have had the pleasure of hosting him three times now at my job and I am extremely honored by that. I hope to be able to continue to support his career forever and enjoy all of his books in the future.

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A wonderfully charming cozy fantasy prequel to the hit Legends & Lattes. I enjoyed it just as much, so if you also loved the first one, you'll find this hits the spot too. I wasn't as invested in the character relationships, knowing what I do about Viv's life to come, but it's still a perfect cozy fall and winter read. Really setting up to be an amazing series, excited for more books to come!

I loved Legends and Lattes so much, when I found out I got an ARC for Bookshops and Bonedust, you could imagine my excitement! This one is just as cozy and heart warming as the previous book. It’s a prequel where Viv is injured in battle and spends some time healing in a seaside town. She spends time at the bookshop and makes friends along the way. I loved this one so much, I love the characters and the low stakes fantasy vibes. Cozy fantasy is a new favorite genre of mine! 5 stars!

I'm always a little nervous picking up sequels (or in this case, a prequel) to very beloved books. I listened to the entire audiobook of "Legends & Lattes" on my drive to visit family last year for the holidays, so I have a strong nostalgic fondness for the first book. But I'm happy to report that "Bookshops & Bonedust" continues the cozy hype!

We follow Viv while she's in her adventuring prime, many years before her coffee escapades. After a serious injury, Viv ends up in the quiet seaside town of Murk to heal. While waiting for her crew to return, Viv learns how to enjoy the slower pace of small-town life.

Baldree delivers coziness in every way - a bookshop setting, delicious baked goods, sweet romance, friendship, and an adorable animal companion named Potroast. What's not to love?

I appreciated being able to see Viv in a different stage of her life, full of energy and sometimes naivety, as well as the little sparks of inspiration that lead her down the path we know in "Legends & Lattes." I felt like the pacing was even better in this book. It had a nice balance between slow coziness and action and intrigue with the mystery portion of the plot. And Satchel. Satchel is perfection in every way. I will forever be a "side characters are better" kind of reader, and Satchel is just that.

A perfect cozy fantasy read for the fall.

An enormous thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and of course, Travis Baldree for providing me with an eARC of this novel. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

This is one of those worlds I get so sucked into and just want to forever live among the pages. The world is so beautifully written and there's constantly room for expansion and I love that. When I realized this was a prequel, I read Legends & Lattes first and absolutely fell in love with Viv, so reading this was the cherry on top. This interconnected the books so well and made parts of each that much more enjoyable. I love our orc friend and would forever read anything else about her and her story.

I adored all the characters in this one too- Fern, Potroast, and Satchel were such fascinating additions and I loved them all. Fern's habit of cussing even in the most untimely of situations had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion.

I will forever read anything else Baldree writes, especially if it ends up connected to these books in any way. The perfect cozy fantasy books, I will forever recommend them and have them on my shelves.

Baldree does it again. A perfect follow up to Legends and Lattes. He manages to provide a compelling story, in a full world with low stakes. The characters are fun and interesting. If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes you will definitely enjoy this one!

Bookshops and Bonedust follows Viv as she tries to take it slow and heal from a wounded leg in a small beach side town. She begrudgingly befriends the owner of a rundown bookstore and some other residents and her recuperation evolves into helping bring the bookstore back to life (haha) while also keeping an eye out for the necromancer that injured her.

I was so excited to get back in to this book universe and learn more about Viv! I was also once again so incredibly hungry while reading all of the descriptions of the delicious food stuffs. The stakes aren't quite as low as in Legends in Lattes, but it's still a relaxed read, befitting of a small town. This book is bittersweet, but not in any way that you aren't aware of from the beginning and the epilogue had me tearing up.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

This is the prequel of Legends and Lattes which tells such a wonderful story. I have not read Legends and Lattes but I know of the hype of the books and decided to start off with the prequel. I really enjoyed Balder’s writing. I was promised the cozy fantasy story and that’s exactly what I got. This book was very well written with a wonderful storyline that kept me hooked onto the story. The characters were greatly written and as I haven’t read the first book, I’m not sure if these characters are the same as the first one but we can say that they are. The characters were well introduced and I didn’t feel like I had to know of them prior. I did have a few connection problems with the characters but overall they were well developed. There’s a bit of romance in this book but for me, I don’t think it was the best romance I have seen. It was okay and the story part was for sure better. Overall this book was great and it was such a cute read. I will for sure be reading the first book because I know it will be great.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

True to form, this is my latest favorite cozy fantasy.

I love how Travis Baldree writes. I loved Legends & Lattes and this was just as wonderful. It is definitely less cozy vibes and a bit more epic, but still, the perfect balance and story.

Truly. This is on my perfect list.

Viv continues to be amazing, just proving she always has been. And it was great to get to know the other characters who made her - her.

Truly delightful. A million stars.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this arc. I loved this book as much as I loved the first book. I adore Viv, and I loved seeing what happened in her life before Legend and Lattes. This takes place 20 years before Legends & Lattes. If you love cozy fantasy vibes, you will love this book. I have never played Dungeon's and Dragons and these are two of my favorite books, so I would recommend them to anyone. The first book takes place in a coffee shop, and keeping with the cozy vibes this one takes place in a bookstore, my two favorite places. I feel like the stakes were even lower in this book because it is a prequel, but I loved that. I hope that everyone will read both books, and I hope that more come out in this series.

- What a joy to be back with Viv! Look, if you liked LEGENDS & LATTES, you're gonna like BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST as this prequel is simply more of that, which is exactly what I wanted.
- I think I actually liked the mystery in this book better than the one in LEGENDS. Or maybe that's just because it had to do with a necromancer and I could imagine a Gideon the Ninth crossover.
- Anyway, this book is made for reading with a fuzzy blanket and a warm coffee. And pastries, you will need pastries while reading this, trust me.

🌟4 stars🌟

Bookshops and Bonedust was such a fantastic cozy read for the month of October. Baldree does an amazing job of capturing the magic and fun of fantasy with the comforting light action plot.

The book follows Viv earlier in life when she is forced to settle down in a small town after an injury prevents her from continuing in battle. Viv has to find something to occupy her days, leading her to meet the local book shop owner who she ends up striking a sort-of deal with. The story is fun and you are always entertained.

If you loved Legends and Lattes, you’ll thoroughly enjoy Bookshops and Bonedust.

✨Thank you to Tor Publishing, Travis Baldree, and Netgalley for the eARC in return for my honest review!✨

I didn’t read the first one before this. After reading this I have to go back!!

It was so cozy and homey. I loved the vibes and the story even more. Viv is just so loveable that I can’t believe I haven’t read the first one. I love having gotten to know her from before.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Travis Baldree did it again with Bookshops & Bonedust! Reading about our favorite female orc warrior semi-resting and recovering from being stabbed by a wight brought back to not-so-life by a necromancer was such a great immersive and cozy ending to October.
The vibes from Legends & Lattes were definitely present in its prequel, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Viv more in her battle era. The story wasn’t battle-heavy but focused more on her yearning for the fight while a threat looms, the relationships formed, and the skills/experience acquired during her downtime in Murk. I’m always a sucker for books about books, so having Viv help out in a bookstore and find her love for reading was so fun.
The cast of characters were great in this prequel as well! I was obsessed with Satchel, and I would love to learn more about the adventures he went on.

I hope that Travis Baldree is planning on giving us more of this world, because I am 100% invested in it.

🦴📖🛡️

So much fun! This prequel to Legends & Lattes has swordfights, necromancers, and skeletons... but more importantly, delicious baked goods and a dusty old bookstore! It's cozy, adventurous, and always entertaining.

The prequel to Legends and Lattes that we didn't know we needed! This is basically Viv's origin story and it takes place in a little town called Murk. Viv was wounded badly in the fight against an evil necromancer, so she must recuperate before her mercenary friends come back for her. She makes friends with a foul-mouthed bookshop proprietor, has a summer fling with the baker, and basically saves the town and all its adorable inhabitants. I clearly need this series to go on forever. Who knew orcs could be so darn awesome?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this e-arc.*

I absolutely loved this book! As much as, if not more than Legends and Lattes. It was so much fun to see Viv in Murk making friends and having a cute summer romance. I loved the bookstore, the bakery, and all the characters we met along the way. Both books in this series made me feel like I've just been given a warm hug and I can't wait to see what's coming next!

This book is just as good as Legends and Lattes, if not better! Viv is just as fun to read about, and you can tell that her coffee shop in the first book wasn't the first time she dabbled in cozy endeavors. I loved reading some of her backstory. It was so soft and gentle and sweet and even the fighting parts were not jarring. I highly recommend!

This wasn't a bad story, but it was nothing different from Legends & Lattes. It's a cozy fantasy and we still go through Viv adjusting to her new life and meeting new people but instead of a coffee shop, it's a bookshop this time. However, unlike in Legends & Lattes, I found it hard to have a particular interest in the characters. It was difficult for me to get into the plot, especially since I know what happens after this book. It's also interesting that this was written as a prequel though because the epilogue takes place after Legends & Lattes. I have mixed feelings about this; it gives away a lot that was fun to figure out in the other book so I don't necessarily think this was the most interesting to read as a prequel. I'm not sure what the author wants in regards to the reading order of this series, but I feel like knowing what I do know about book 1, this made Bookshops & Bonedust less interesting. The stakes aren't as high, despite there being a little more action in this book. This was a decent prequel but I feel like if you read Legends & Lattes first, this might pale in comparison.