Thank you to Tor Books for providing me with an ARC.

Bottom line, if you liked Legends & Lattes, you’ll like Bookshops & Bonedust. I loved getting a Viv prequel and can absolutely see a sequel on the way…. This book had me feeling warm, fuzzy, cozy and loved. I can’t wait to see what else Travis comes up with!

The cozy fantasy is back! This time, we get a prequel to Legends & Lattes.
Viv is sidelined in Murk with an injury while still in her sword fighting, battling days. As she heals, she finds unexpected solace in a bookstore and its owner, Fern, who starts recommending books to Viv, who never imagined the power of reading and healing working together. With this side journey, comes new friendships and some familiar faces from the first novel, as well as a bit of adventure when an old foe makes their way to the village.
This is great for fans of fantasy and those new to the genre, when you’re in need of a feel-good read.
Thank you to Tor Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This comes out 11/7!

The coziest most wonderful slice of life book 😍😍

I'm also obsessed with Pot Roast.

I adored Legends and lattes and so I was a little bit apprehensive about how this prequel was going to match up but it was exceptional. I also really appreciated the perspective it gave because one thing that I struggled with with Legends and lattes was that I genuinely believed it would have been better as a QPR. I really read Viv as arospec and while that is important I think that this prequel clears more things up and leaves me more satisfied with the ending of Legends and lattes. It becomes more clear that Viv has just been through some shit and wasn't quite ready to embrace or acknowledge her romantic attraction and I needed to see that.

So if you have already read Legends and lattes I highly recommend that you will also pick this one up. The narration is wonderful it's read by the author just as the first is and enjoy this coziest of cozy books. Also there's a dog / Griffin/pug pet character named Pot Roast and I would die for Pot Roast.

I absolutely adored this book. If you are looking for a cozy fantasy, complete with fantastic character development, phenomenal worldbuilding, and low stakes adventure, this book is for you. Travis Baldree is a master at giving each character their own little story, their own little quirks, and their own little personality. I felt like I knew every single one of them personally and I loved them like they were my own friends. This is the perfect book to read on a rainy day, curled up with your favorite pet and your favorite warm beverage.

The only reason I gave this one four stars instead of five is because I loved Legends and Lattes even more than this one. I was a little sad that this went backward instead of foreword. I cannot wait to see what comes next though.

Viv is new to fighting with Rackham’s Ravens and eager to prove herself hunting for a necromancer, which makes her too eager to blaze ahead. Fortunately her injury isn’t life-threatening, but she is forced to convalesce in the sleepy seaside town of Murk. With nothing better to do she hobbles into town and stumbles into a bookstore owned by Fern.

In a shocking turn of events (for Viv), she discovers her love of reading while falling in love with the town’s baker, and making friends a friend feisty gnome. But the tow isn’t as sleepy as t seems, and a grey-cloaked stranger brings death with him, and his boss won’t be far behind.

This prequel to Legends & Lattes was a fun and sweet read of kind strangers, first love, and adventure.

Getting more of Liv and back into a DnD adjacent world curtesy of Balder was phenomenal. His first book in this world was a delight and his second absolutely delivers. I will continue to pick up his books and I can't wait for more!

This book felt like a comforting return to a world I already adored, with a twist of youthful excitement and the intrigue of first encounters. In this charming prequel to Legends & Lattes, we meet a younger, more impulsive Viv, and her battle-hungry personality felt like an unexpected but delightful revelation. Wounded and restless, her forced retreat to Murk reveals a side of her we never quite saw before.

One aspect I truly loved was the juxtaposition between Viv's intense nature and the languid, sleepy town of Murk. It brought a fresh dynamism to the narrative, one that kept me engaged and eager to follow her every step. Although the stakes felt lower, knowing Viv's future path, the relationships she forms, and the connections she makes were still deeply rewarding to witness. The awkward and adorable dating with Maylee was a highlight for me. The new characters were so fun (ever see a ratkin curse before? Gosh I love her pottymouth).

The bookshop element was a bibliophile's dream, adding texture and a literary flavor that resonated with me. It served as both a refuge for Viv and a catalyst for growth, blending seamlessly with the unfolding adventure. Plus, when's the last time you read about a fantasy bookstore?

What strikes me most is the author's ability to balance fun with depth, adventure with introspection. Viv's journey from a wounded warrior to someone who starts to see life beyond battles is both inspiring and engaging. This book is a lovingly crafted tale of self-discovery, unexpected friendships, and the joy of finding treasures in the most unlikely places. Whether it's a dusty tome in a beleaguered bookshop or a moment of genuine connection in a faraway town, Baldree's story reminds us that sometimes what we need is not what we seek, but what we find along the way.

A read that's as refreshing as it is profound, Bookshops & Bonedust has easily become one of my favorites of the year, and I suspect it might enchant you just as it has me.

Plus - the EPILOGUE!!! We get a mini-sequel to Legends and Lattes that made my heart flutter!!!

I quite enjoyed this! It hewed a bit closer to the original in spirit and action then I think I would have preferred but I completely adored the seaside book shop setting. A warm, comforting read

So incredibly cozy and cute. I loved all the new characters, and loved that it was mainly in a bookshop. I loved watching Viv fall for reading!! I loved Satchel! This was a lovely prequel and I am so looking forward to more books by Travis Baldress

This is a wholesome cozy read. Although I did enjoy Legends and Lattes better. It’s an enjoyable story with good narration on the audio version.

Bookshops and Bonedust returns us to the world of Legends and Lattes, but takes us back in time. Before Viv retires from her mercenary ways and opens a coffee shop, she finds herself wounded and alone in the town of Murk. But while she's healing from a not insignificant injury, she slowly begins to build friendships with the various inhabitants of Murk, finding a spot for herself at the local bookstore and gradually falling for the town baker. Her mercenary training comes in handy when a talking skeleton shows up and a necromancer threatens the town.

While I still love Legends and Lattes more, I loved this glimpse into Viv's life before Tandri and her coffeeshop. As a lover of books and bookshops, watching Viv fall in love with reading made my heart so happy. Because I don't read blurbs before I start reading, it took me a hot minute to realize this was a prequel, but once I figured that out, I fell headfirst into the story. The side characters, like the side characters in Legends and Lattes, MADE the story. Fern and Gallina and Satchel and Maylee and Pitts and Potroast are all so colorful and unforgettable. And it's easy to see how Viv's experiences in Murk prepared her for the life she would ultimately have with Tandri down the road.

Travis Baldree has cornered the market on cozy fantasy. Bookshops and Bonedust is a low stakes fantasy novella, which fleshes out Viv and her history. My favorite part was probably at the very end where Baldree ties it back in to Viv's present day, when Fern reaches out to Viv and plans to come visit. (Oops, spoiler.) We get to see a glimpse of Viv and Tandri happily married and thriving in Thune.

Thank you so much to Tor and Netgalley for my advance review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A prequel to Legends and Lattes, this story follows Viv as she starts out her career as a Mercenary. Things don’t go quite as planned and Viv ends up stuck in a little nearby town where she gets to know the local shop owners. However, the little town is not as quiet as it seems.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and the second one, in my opinion, was better than the first. The way everything was connected, from the big themes to the small delightful details, made this feel like such a large world in such a tiny space.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes action and adventures, plays D&D, or likes romance.

This was just as cozy and comforting as the first novel in many places, though it has a heartbreaking edge that, weirdly, is comforting in its own way if you've read Legends and Lattes. Readers with that experience will know that hard decisions -- the kind that cause pain even as they allow for freedom -- don't have to haunt your life forever. That giving up something good that appeared at the wrong time still has value and doesn't harm your future. That maybe, sometimes, a bit of heartbreak makes you a better person.

This was such a good prequel to Legends & Lattes. I was so excited to get to see more of Viv's backstory and her character growth. I want there to be more stories, even if they are short ones instead of more books, regarding Viv's backstory. As well as the different characters we meet both in Bookshops & Bonedust and Legends & Lattes. I want to hear all about Maylee's life before she settled as a bakery owner. I will forever continue to read everything that Travis Baldree writes!

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”



Beautiful & amazing✨💖💗✨

What a warm hug of feel good this was! We're treated to all of the cozy vibes of friendship, family, and bookstores. Now this is the prequel to Legends and Lattes and I'm almost glad I haven't read that one yet? Following Viv, it's clear based on L&Ls blurb that this isn't the final destination in her character arc so sometimes it can be a bit disjointed when it comes to being invested in character relationships.

With that being said, I was invested and loved the entire cast of characters. and a heartwarming plot. Themes of youth and having big dreams played a role in this and it brings you right back to that spot in your own life. The world building was almost surprisingly more than I expected and leaned harder into the fantasy aspects than I was anticipating. It wasn't a bad thing, I just had to shift what I had expected the book to be a bit.

If Travis Baldree writes it, I am ONE THOUSAND percent going to read it!

Bookshops & Bonedust is the prequel to Baldree's beloved novel, Legends and Lattes. Readers are transported into Viv's mindset, a saber killer who has recently had a setback and needs to hangout in beach town Murk. Not only is this town the opposite of what Viv is used to, she's also sidelined by a devastating leg injury. What else can she do but walk the city and come friends with the owner of a bookstore, spending hours reading books she wouldn't have imagined doing so. Adventure is out there for Viv to take, she just doesn't realize it yet.

Reading my well loved copy of Bookshops & Bonedust immediately made me want to pick up and return to Legends and Lattes. Baldree's writing style allows the reader to vividly put themselves in the world he writes and feel like they are on a journey alongside the characters. I adored the little town of Murk and all of the creatures that Viv ran into! Cozy fantasy lovers will LOVE this prequel and others looking for a nice read beside the fire will as well!

Bookshops & Bonedust is a low stakes high fantasy novel, with the vibes of a gay book-loving nervous-beginner's Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The characters are vivid and easy to get to know. The setting is descriptive, yet not overbearing. The plot is entertaining, as well as heartwarming. It serves wonderfully as a precursor to Legends and Lattes, and will satisfy and cozy fantasy fan.

While I did really enjoy this one, I liked the first one a little better, so I had to give it a 4 as I gave the first one 4.5.
We got the same cozy vibes as the first book, which I just really loved. We also get a bookstore in this one, which I know so many people will love. The new characters are fun. It was great to see Viv forced to interact on a cozier level that she is used to while she heals, and how that leads into her personality in Legends & Lattes.
The cozy vibes flowed through most of the book, but we did get a few actions scenes which broke up that flow nicely. I was a little bit more invested in the first one, I'm not sure if it was just the immediate decision to run a coffee shop and that just caught my attention, but my interest lacked just a tiny bit from the first one. Maybe it was because I knew Viv would be leaving at the end, but the epilogue was cute and tied the two together.
Even though this book doesn't come out for another 4 months, I already want more books in this cozy world!

Bookshops and Bonedust exceeded every single one of my expectations.

It is sensitive, genuine, understanding and bittersweet. It’s about finding the line of holding on and letting go and about the adaptability of moving through a world you never excepted to end up in. It’s about finding the positives and holding on to hope and love through all the negatives.

I will be honest. Legends and Lattes is (rightfully) beloved. But Bookshops and Bonedust is packed with so much more emotion and heart.