I loved the first book with its cozy fantasy vibes so I was so excited to get an ARC of this one! Sadly, I was not as invested in the story knowing it was a prequel and that Viv would be leaving at some point to start the storyline in book 2. As a book lovers I do enjoy any books set in a bookish setting so I enjoyed the bookstore feels, but I did not connect with this prequel as much as I hoped to. Overall, the writing style was still fun, quick, and cozy so lovers of the original will enjoy this one!

Thanks Netgally and Tor Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored Legends & Lattes, so I was very excited when I was approved,

While Bookshops & Bonedust was a fun time, I did not enjoy it as much as the first book. There were some very interesting characters, but since I knew Viv was leaving I did not have as much a connection as I originally hoped. The conflict fell a bit short for me and felt slightly forced at times. I did really enjoy one of the side characters and I hope we see them again in the future.

The author did a good setting up for the next book... so maybe a trilogy?

Travis Baldree is a brilliant audiobook narrator and I would highly recommend the audiobook experience!

Oh man how I loved this one. I so enjoyed getting to know Viv more and the plot of this one was very fun. The supporting characters were lovely and interesting. I would read any book set in this world. An amazing prequel novel!

I have to thank Netgalley for sending this to me to read, because I loved the first one (Legends and Lattes) so much! It was awesome to get to see more of Viv, especially early on in her more adventurous years. I loved Fern so much, and as a librarian it was nice to see a bookshop owner who was in it for the love of books and not really for the money. I absolutely adored Potroast, and Satchel (who is my new favorite), and it was really interesting to see more of the world than just the city that Viv ends up starting her business in. I did have a harder time jumping into this one, and I'm not sure why, but it felt almost like I had to work just to keep myself engaged as much as I was when reading the first. That's not to say that I wouldn't absolutely go feral for another book in the series (I want Fern and Viv to be new business partners! Is Potroast still around?!) so be warned that I will fight someone to get more stories. But like maybe not with swords (pie baking fight maybe?)

This book, set prior to the events of Legends and Lattes, is a fun and cozy fantasy about Viv's early life as an adventurer. Viv is injured and stuck in a small beach town with not much more than an inn, a bakery, and a run-down bookshop to its name. Viv isn't sure how she's going to keep busy while she heals... but she is soon drawn in by the towsnpeople. It's a cozy and sweet read with a memorable cast of characters. At this point I would read Travis Baldree's grocery list.

I was expecting this to be another delightful story following Viv and her exploits, but I didn't anticipate just how much I would love every minute of it! The found family aspect that I enjoyed so much in Legends and Lattes was here once again and the friendship between Viv, Fern and Maylee was beautiful. I loved the expansion of the world we saw here and although the main thrust of the story is the found family, there is more plot involved in this prequel, which I really appreciated. The bookshop was adorable and Potroast was a delight, as was Satchel. Overall, this was one of those books that just wraps you up in a big warm hug and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a really impressive follow-up to an already really impressive book! Sequels - and, to a rarer extent, prequels - always seem especially difficult to pull off, and with how much of a runaway success LEGENDS & LATTES became, the bar was pretty high. But BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST really nailed the voice and the personality and the heart that made LEGENDS special, and so this book was just as much of a delight to read as the first one.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what else Travis Baldree does in this universe!

I wanted to love this so badly. I enjoyed Legends and Lattes when it came out but after weeks of trying to read this a little at a time, I just wasn't invested. I love his narration and I love how cozy these books are, but this one just wasn't for me.

Bookshops and Bonedusts isn’t only a love letter to reading but to the experience of running a bookstore. Baldree perfectly captures the plight of a bookseller. As someone who’s worked in a bookstore for almost seven years, everything rang true to my experience. The questions surrounding what to stock, how to get people in the door and how to stay open even with a long-standing business were so accurate to the industry. I’ve heard the same from other booksellers as well. All of the sweet, silly, sometimes messy elements are perfect for book lovers and booksellers alike.

This book was as much of a delight at Legends and Lattes. It was fun seeing Viv as this young adventurer who's a little too fool-hardy and brash for her own good, which led to a clever way for her to have a cozy adventure, meet new friends, and learn new things about herself. I loved meeting new characters like Fern, Maylee, and Satchel and getting to see more of some faves from L&L (I would love a whole book going into some of the backstory of said fave because she is fantastically fun). The stakes in this book felt a bit higher than L&L, just because the baddie was much more of a scary baddie this go around, but it was still done in a way that didn't break the cozy spell of the book as a whole. And I want a thousand more books like this one with all the fun fantasy elements plus a heaping helping of coziness and warmth. So please, Travis, write them (other authors, too! I'll take all the cozy fantasy I can get).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I can't express how excited I was when I saw it pop up on NetGalley.

Another exceptional cozy fantasy by Baldree that I could not put down. I felt so emotionally connected to these adorable fictional characters. This story was truly a perfect escape, and I loved my time with the younger Viv. I think most people who loved Legends & Latte's will go strongly to one side being they either loved one or the other more. For me, I still loved L&L more because of the high stakes BUT that doesnt mean I didnt love my time with little Viv and her adventures! I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a cozy fantasy world of coffee and bookshops to get lost in.

I didn't realize this book was going to be a prequel when I requested it from NetGalley. Usually, prequels are not as good as the first book. And that was still true for this book but it was darn close.
Viv has been injured in battle and is stuck in a sea town until she heals. At first, she is bored out of her mind but she finds a bookshop where the rattkin owner forces a book on her. And, to her surprise, Viv enjoys the book (which we also see on page.) And the next one.
But the reason Viv is stuck in Murk is going to come back to haunt her. A man in gray appears and brings two things of great value with him which will lead great evil to the town. Viv knows she isn't going to stay, but she values the people she's met and wants to help them live.

Four stars
This book comes out November 7, 2023
Follows Legends & Lattes
ARC kindly provided by Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley

I was so thrilled to receive an ARC of Bookshops & Bonedust via NetGalley. Many, many thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this delightful read. Now,

This is a mini-review because I don't have too terribly much to say about Bookshops & Bonedust except that I loved it. I admit I was a little hesitant on this one because I'm not usually much of a prequel fan. It feels hard to get invested in a story when you already know what happens to the characters in their future, as if the story doesn't matter. But Baldree managed to make it matter, which I appreciated.

In this book, we meet a younger Viv, back in her adventuring days. She's forced to take a break from adventuring when she takes an arrow to the knee (okay, just kidding, but she does injure her leg). Because the version of Viv we met in Legends & Lattes was ready to retire and lead a quiet life, it was fascinating to see her back when she was still thirsty for adventure. I felt like it really did add depth to her character and show us more about her.

There were plenty of cozy vibes in this one with the bookstore and the bakery and the sleepy small town. That said, I personally felt the stakes were a little higher here, so it was a bit less of a "high fantasy, low stakes" sort of vibe. At times, I was even a little stressed out wondering what was going to happen!

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the cast of characters we meet here and the way we both see how Viv becomes someone who wants to run a coffee shop but also how she spent so much of her younger years adventuring.

Overall, this is a great read for fans of fantasy, especially stuff that's on the cozier side. A perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day.

I loved this book! I devoured it in only a few sittings and wish there was more to read. The story line was paced very well and the characters were easy to love!

✨ Review ✨ Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree; Narrated by author.

The prequel to Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust brings us back into the world of our beloved Viv. After an injury in her first battle as part of the gang, she's left to convalesce in a small town where she befriends a delightful cast of characters (shout out to Potroast and Satchel who were the stars of this story).

Yet again, Baldree brings this "cozy fantasy" genre to life where you live and breathe the coziness of building a business, making repairs, sprucing things up, finding new recipes, etc. etc., all while protecting the ones you love. The "adventure" plot I think could have had a bit more oomph to it, but overall this book was a total delight -- perfect for a slow winter day!

Baldree's narration was excellent - he brought the characters to life, and I binged this in two sittings!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: cozy fantasy
Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
Pub Date: out now!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ books and baked goods
⭕️ found family
⭕️ fantasy with a bit of fighting and adventure but lots of coziness
⭕️ the Legends & Lattes world

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Tor and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I loved this prequel to Legends & Lattes! I liked that the danger was a little higher stakes, but the getting to meet a younger, more reckless Viv and a place that helped shape her was magnificent. The characters were lovely and the epilogue left me smiling ear-to-ear. It was interesting to read a love story that you knew couldn't end with the two people together. It was done very well and an example of not every relationship needing to be "happily ever after" to be good and meaningful. I can't wait to see what Travis Baldree does next!

This was not the prequel I imagined it would be. However, I was not disappointed in this at all. I love the way the author makes the characters so lovable and their emotions fly off the page in vivid colors and creativity. I did enjoy learning more about the world and Viv. The story is well told and makes you feel like you’re inside the book with the characters. But, I did enjoy Legends a bit more.

Travis Baldree returns to the world of Legends & Lattes (paper) with the tale of how the orc Viv got her magic sword. It is a tale of Bookshops & Bonedust (paper from TOR). VVivv was wounded working for Rackam's Ravens who had been fighting a necromancer. Viv bides her time helping a local bookseller, and befriends a baker. Then a magical book falls into her hands and she and her friends have to find a way to stop the necromancer who wants her book back. Lots of fun and filled with nice people trying to make their lives better

I was skeptical about the hype surrounding this author and this cozy fantasy series. I didn’t read Legends and Lattes because I’m just not interested in coffee shop stories, but I do love to read about anything involving books. I don’t normally read high fantasy, but because of the hype and the subject matter (and the cute pug-bird on the cover) I gave Bookshops and Bonedust a chance.

I am so glad I did because it lived up to the hype! There were many wonderful characters, each with a special personality that made my heart warm. I loved and related to Fern’s passion finding the right book for the right reader. Seeing Viv fall in love with books made me so happy. And I felt for the frustration Viv felt about not being at the right place in her life for something or someone. Satchel and his development was the most interesting.

The cozy vibes involving the bookshop were perfect, especially the parts at the end.

I didn’t really care much about the great evil sorceress plot, I was just here for the cozy vibes.

I loved the addition of a bookshop to this already super cozy world. The ending left me smiling and excited to see where the next installment can take us.