Perfectly cozy yet again! The thing I love about this series is the “main threat” lingers in the background while we focus on the mundane life that truly enriches the story. It’s the little things during these moments that make this book wonderful. The characters are continually learning about themselves and others while building deep and meaningful connections in a way that just glides effortlessly through the storyline. There’s minimal drama but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t engaging or doesn’t keep your interest, if you love banter and character development then this is must read for cozy fantasy.

Some things I’d like to note that I found truly made me happy was the body doubling that Fern displays, which is something I can relate to heavily. ‘Thistleburr’ is the main hangout, an over stuffed shabby bookstore, that shows a readers true passion for reading and sharing the experience of talking about books we love or seeing someone enjoy recommendations. It was just so relatable as a reader with an active bookish community.

There’s a sweet and delicate sapphic situationship that was so honest and pure, ugh my heart! It showed minimal drama when faced with problems, handled with maturity that was a breath of fresh air. A true example of two passing ships that aren’t in the same place in their lives to be together.

It was also witty and made me laugh quite a bit, it’s the type of humor that fit the characters so well and was very relatable. Even going as far as to interpret current topics into a fantasy setting that made it more enjoyable.

Just as delightful as the first one! I loved seeing the start to Viv’s adventures. The characters were quirky and memorable. All in all, it was a good addition to the world, and I would definitely recommend it for fans of the first book,

I ADORED this follow-up to Legends and Lattes! While this is the second book following Viv's adventures, the setting and story take place before the events in L&L -- when Viv was still at the height of her mercenary career. While I was initially sad to get so little of the characters I had already grown to love, I was quickly enamored with all the new characters (and old friends) revealed in Bookshops and Bonedust. Much like how the previous book was an ode to the cozy, delicious warmth of a coffee shop, we shift to a new context that is equally well-loved: the bookstore!

Travis Baldree is a fantastic writer and narrator. Highly recommend this one for anyone who already enjoyed Baldree's first. I can't wait for more from him and could luxuriate in this world forever!!!

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my review!

SEQUEL!! Can I just say how excited I am that this series exists? And that I hope it goes on forever! Seriously these books are so fun and full of the most enjoyable characters and adventures. I really can;t wait to read more from Travis Baldree.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

2.5 stars.
Honestly, pretty mediocre.
The first book he wrote was so stellar that he beat the odds by only writing something mid instead of terrible.

This book was everything. I was a little hesitant because I loved Legends & Lattes and usually other books in a series don't live up to the hype, and I knew this one was more adventure focused than fully cozy. Still, this worked and it was everything I wanted and so much more. Baldree is a master at creating interesting, well rounded characters and I loved learning about Viv's backstory!

Bookshops and Bonedust takes us back in time before the events of legends and lattes so we of course have a little reversal of character growth for MC Viv. But Viv is still Viv and B&B shows us the pivotal steps she takes to get to L&L.
I loved the side characters and the setting. It was a very slow read for me but a savor your soup slow.

I loved this book. This was the perfect prequel to Legends and Lattes. I love Viv and all the characters she encounters. This one is a bit more “adventurey” then Legends but still completely cozy. Give me more Travis Baldree!

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree is a prequel to Legends and Lattes, set early in narrator Viv's career as a mercenary. When she's sidelined in a small town by a leg wound, boredom leads her to make new friends and try new experiences in a way that will influence her later in life, after she retires and opens a coffee shop. So, basically, it's very similar to Legends and Lattes, and if you liked that one, you will very likely enjoy this one as well. I actually liked it a bit better because of the deft commentary on genre books and reading and what those things do for us as people. It was soothing and hopeful. Recommended.

In short, I loved this book. It opens with an action sequence that is completely relatable to anyone who has experienced a tabletop RPG session. The rise, fall, and consequence of that brief action-packed moment sets the stage for the rest of the story. At first glance, I thought I was getting myself into a Robert-Asprin-esque humorous action-comedy-fantasy novel. Instead, the tale that unfolds contained wonderous blend of high-fantasy creatures and settings with scenes reminiscent of New England in the fading summer time.

In truth, as I was reading this title, I felt as though I was actually reading two separate tales told in tandem. And I mean that in a completely positive way. There is love, newfound friendships, personal growth, and self-discovery combined with Half-Orcs, Ratlings, Gnomes, and Necromancers. Smooth-paced story beats between characters and growing connections is occasionally supplanted with ever-accelerating action and adventure to culminate into a single consummate denouement.

I fell in love with the characters, the subplots, and the setting. I loved the author’s voice and writing style, simultaneously faithful to established fantasy lore and geek culture and completely accessible to anyone new to such storytelling devices. The use of high-fantasy to tell a fulfilling story of a very human experience is done rather masterfully in this book.

For my own personal taste, I found the action sequences spaced a tad too far apart to keep the pulse of the story at a cadence that felt right. Perhaps the intent was to have these scenes jar the reader into a heightened state of awareness after a lengthy period of peace, but I found the sequences to be so spaced apart that they almost became orphaned (and were certainly dwarfed) by the more mundane and common-place events that bookended the conflict. I would also say that (without any spoilers) I found the conclusion to the conflict with the “big bad” to be a bit lackluster, a touch simplistic.

However, with those criticisms firmly in tow, I still love Bookshops & Bonedust. Between the author’s warm and compelling voice and the ease of identifiability with otherwise inhuman actors throughout the tale, I found myself utterly intoxicated by the ebb and flow of this story. It is a masterful thing Travis Baldree has done to take unearthly (and in some cases monstrous) characters and portray a deeply meaningful and sympathetic human experience.

A delight! This one had more substance and conflict that the first book, which was a welcome change. We get a sense of the wider world outside of Viv's direct experience. This has the same cozy vibes as Legends and Lattes. Can't wait for more in the series.

I enjoyed this one more than L&L but I just think these stories aren’t for me. I find myself wanting *more* from these stories and maybe they’re just a little too cozy for me. Either way, this book is well loved for good reason and it definitely has an audience.

This prequel to Legends & Lattes is set 20 years before the events detailed in that book.
Viv is still younger full of fight but injured and this novel covers the time Viv spends in a seaside town recovering.
Yet again this is high fiction with a cozy feel to it - a tale of rest, recuperation with visits to the most delightful bookshop that Viv starts helping at. It is about the joy and community of reading and friendships that are not concerned with outer appearances or being of the „right kind".
• This was just lovely !
The way these books are written they can be read as standalones especially with this new one being a prequel there is no necessity to have read Legends & Lattes before diving into this one. Just a fun Easter egg kind of allusion to coffee that Viv hasn't discovered for herself yet.
I love these wonderfully quiet heartwarming and moodboosting books so much.
Isn't it just perfect that my favorite fantasy author Ben Aaronovitch's blurb on the cover of the UK edition calls this book „glorious" ?

If you loved the first book, you'll continue to love this series. It's the perfect cozy fantasy with warm feelings, just enough suspense, and more of all that makes you love Baldree's writing.

This book was really cute! I will say it wasnt as good as Legends and Lattes in my opinion, but that EPILOGUE! that epilogue made everything worth it. I thought Fern was adorable, and I wanted much more of Viv and Maylee's relationship. I was also expecting more either violence or romance or.... something. It was a little disappointing but overall fun and cute! Definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a super cozy and cute novel

A prequel to his bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's cozy fantasy Bookshops & Bonedust seemed just like my brand of nerdy catnip. When warrior orc Viv is injured in battle, she must recuperate in a small town where she befriends the cantankerous owner of a bookshop. It's got books, a gigantic cat-like creature, and some mild fantasy adventuring -- all of which are elements I usually love.

Unfortunately, it didn't really come together for me in this book. I do love how Viv resisted reading at first, until she discovered the joys of steamy sex scenes in action-packed adventure stories. I found that adorable, especially with how Viv's reluctance to admit liking the books went head-to-head with her desire to read more titles. 

But other than that, I found myself bored. Viv's romance with a baker was sweet, but it's hard to really feel invested in a relationship we know won't really last till the next book. The subplot about the eager beaver adventurer who wants to prove her worth in joining Viv's gang is mildly amusing, but honestly not all that compelling. The main conflict, so to speak, about a skeleton golem (the 'bonedust' in the title) longing for a quiet life but beholden to an evil mistress, definitely has promise. But it took so long for that plot to ramp up that by the time it did, I no longer really cared.

I get this is a cozy fantasy, so it really isn't meant to be action-packed. And at first I thought maybe the genre just isn't as much for me as I thought it would be. 

But then I happened to find Travis' first book, Legends & Lattes, at the library, and decided to give it a go. And I found it magical. I devoured that book within a week. I absolutely adored how Baldree turned things as ordinary as lattes and cinnamon rolls into things that are new and wondrous to behold. Cafe experiences are all new to Viv and crew, and Baldree did an excellent job at delivering them anew as well to us real-world readers.

Yet that magic didn't quite translate into Bookshops. Perhaps it's because experiencing books for the first time isn't quite as sensory nor sensual as experiencing coffee and pastries? While Legends made me drool in imagining the deliciousness of cinnamon rolls, and made me crave for a steaming mug of coffee and (oat) milk, reading about Viv and other characters getting excited about reading just didn't hit as hard.

Overall, Bookshops is...okay. And once the fantasy adventure element kicks into high gear, it becomes interesting. But it took me more than three months to finish this book, and if I hadn't happened to read and love Legends & Lattes during that time, I may very well have marked this DNF. 

Verdict: read Legends & Lattes instead.

+

Thanks to Raincoast Books for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun and cozy read! I enjoyed his first book and I’m not surprised that I enjoyed the second one!

<i>First, a thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

What can I say? I’m a fan of cozy fantasy. Baldree spins a tale that feels like a warm hug, and you find yourself viewing the cast of characters as your friends, and you get to spend a delightful afternoon (or two, or three) with them.

I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I hope one day there will be another story from Baldree that I can sit with, for a while.

I LOVE TRAVIS BALDREE and his writing style, his story building, and his characters.
My mom and I were able to go to a local author talk with him and he was a delight. As a note for the audiobook - the author (who is also the narrator) sounds the very same when he is reading his book in front of an audience as he does when reading for the audiobook. The power of having a professional audiobook narrator turned author is palpable.
So it is safe to say that I have also bought a physical copy of the title. This was also my bookclub's pick in November so getting to compare our notes between this title & Legends and Lattes was a joy.

If you love fantasy but want something with less stakes and less political intrigue this is your book. If you are new to fantasy but liked the Dungeons and Dragons movie this is also your book. If you love Becky Chambers and her character driven sci-fi titles then this is the fantasy novel for you. I'm in love with this book & good news, Baldree said he is contracted for two or three more titles with TOR! (I can't remember if B&B counts as one of the titles or not)

Super cute, I love a cozy fantasy. I immediately bought 2 copies, for the school (HS librarian!) and for myself. Will be putting this on the 'to reread' shelf when looking for a comfort read.