Bookshops & Bonedust is a prequel that takes place 20 years before Legends & Lattes. In this book, we meet a much younger Viv who has just started her career as an adventurer.

Viv's mercenary career is put on hold when she's injured hunting a necromancer. She's left by her company in a small village called Murk to recuperate, and she hates sitting there doing nothing even when the surgeon states her wounded leg demands it. Viv finds herself returning again and again to a little bookshop.

I loved reading about Viv and her discovery of books. I'm hoping that there will be many more books set in this world.

I think cozy fantasy is just not for me. I can absolutely see why people love this series and love this genre, but I think I need some stakes. I gave up at @35%.

“ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪꜱ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴍɪʀʀᴏʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴᴛᴏ ɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴇᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟꜱᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ʙᴀᴄᴋ.”

Another feel good cozy fantasy in the world of the Legends & Lattes series. This is a prequel focusing on the main character, Viv… and you know I love an orc character no matter the genre. I just love the low stakes, warm writing, and character relationships that are developed in these books. This time we are in a small town with Viv as she recovers from a battle injury, and she makes friends with a local bookshop owner and town baker.

I love how the author creates/invents things in the story that put a smile to your face as you recognize what they are. During the story, they work to clean up the bookshop and discuss what to do with inventory. It is suggested what if we wrap up these books like surprises and write words on them (aka blind date with a book). Viv also finds her love of reading, and I can’t help but smirk as she is given a romance book to read.

This was such a charming read with quirky characters, and I can’t wait to see if there is more in store with this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and @netgalley for this arc.

LITERALLY SUCH A COZY READ.

I am in my fantasy cozy era thanks to this. I loved it so much. If you liked the first book - youre 1000000% going to LOVE and devour this one. Highly highly recommend.

I had a really good time with this one. I enjoyed the characters and thought they were really sweet. Reading about the bookshop and the bakery and the adorable relationships these characters developed was a nice cozy time.

Somehow I didn't find myself bored at all and was very entertained by Satchel. I think Fern swore a little too much for me, it is funny in doses but I think it was slightly overdone. But overall I really liked all the main characters and think they were great friends.

I'm a little surprised there was as much action as there was, I wasn't expecting much at all but I really enjoyed the small sections we got of combat and adventure. I think there is a good balance between action and cozy slice of life going on to make this an easy read for anyone, even those who may not be very familiar with fantasy.

This prequel to Legends and Lattes continues to hit all the right spots. In this volume we learn a bit about Viv's backstory as a young mercenary as she recuperates from a wound in the quiet town of Murk. Baldree does a great job of letting us see Viv grow into the character that we meet in Legends and Lattes as she befriends another fascinating array of characters (hopefully we will meet them again in whatever sequels appear).

What makes this book (and the series) great is that while there is some action and the feel of a medieval fantasy world is there the focus is instead on the characters. How they meet, how they learn to accept their differences, what they learn from each other.

Strangely I feel like this one was written more for the masses than L&L. B&B had more of an over-arching plot and more fighting and mystery than I really found in L&L which was more just... vibes. That being said, I did really enjoy this book, it just wasn't the super cozy book I was expecting.

Part of it too may have been that as this is a prequel we know where Viv ends up and so there wasn't a lot of mystery to the whole thing of how things were going to go. I did really enjoy the story and I liked a couple of the new characters. Some of the new characters though, just didn't really hit with me.

So, while not a new favorite like L&L, still a really solid and enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you loved Legends & Lattes, I can almost certainly guarantee that you will love this book. It has all the coziness of L&L, but substitute a coffee shop for a bookstore, and add just a touch more action and adventure (this is, after all, a prequel set before Viv retires from her mercenary days). There's even a little summer romance that's very cute, even if (spoiler if you haven't read Legends & Lattes) you know it isn't made to last. And the underlying theme that books are mirrors and there is a book out there for everyone? That made my little librarian heart so happy.

Also, could someone make a plushie of Potroast for me, please? Because I would very much like to buy one.

Absolutely delightful.
A story about an orc who has to spend some time healing from a war wound, it’s really about discovering books and a love for reading (& and a very sweet summer fling). It’s thoughtful and sweet and yet paced quickly enough to keep my attention through a stomach bug outbreak among my kids (a few late nights and tired days).

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

I wasn't sure how a prequel would feel after FINALLY getting my hands on Legends & Lattes; the original work feels so complete as a story about Viv that it was a little hard to imagine enjoying a younger her. My imagination was weak, because Bookshops & Bonedust was every bit as beautiful and possibly even more touching than its predecessor! The humor was brilliant, the characters complex and lovely, and the story was the sort of curl-up-with-something-warm level of cozy I hadn't expected it could reach. I will say, I think this would be best enjoyed as a series to get all the impact of the emotional moments, but there is plenty of joy in this book on its own that I wouldn't think it would be hard to love even without the context.

I have not read Legends & Lattes, but now I'm rushing out to get a copy! I've never been much of a fantasy reader because my imagination struggles to wrap it's lack of creativity around the descriptive creatures and worlds most fantasy stories conjure, but I think I could become a fan of the "cozy fantasy". I appreciated that, honestly, not much happened in this story. That sounds like an insult, but it's not. So many fantasy stories have fast-moving action and elaborate fight scenes, and I struggle to keep up because I just can't picture it all. The cozy fantasy, however, gets you used to fantastical creatures and characters without the complicated plot. Bookshops & Bonedust is a fun story of an orc who finds friendship when she's doing the exact opposite of looking for it. Laid up in a strange town with a leg injury, Viv is forced to slow down and smell the roses, so to speak. She befriends a local bookstore owner and a bag of bones (not kidding), and finds a smidge of romance with the cute baker in town. But the fight that left Viv injured is threatening to show up on her temporary doorstep, endangering those she's come to care for. This sounds more suspenseful than it really is, but once again I was totally fine with that. The lack of a ton of mystical action left my brain free to focus on imagining each character as they interacted with one another as Viv figured out what friendship felt like. There's plenty of humor, heartwarming relationships, and a smidge of action to keep the pages turning. I just may need to give another "cozy fantasy" a try...

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

Is anyone surprised that this book is just as delightful as Legends & Lattes? In his acknowledgments Baldree says it’s the prequel he never intended to write. But I’m so glad he did. It’s just as cozy, low stakes (maybe a smidge higher stakes than L&L), and delightful. The characters are perfect, the story stands alone but also intertwines so well with its predecessor, and goodness. It’s just swell. I love it, it’ll definitely be a re-read for me.

Another cozy and engaging fantasy book from Travis Baldree. I know it’s low stakes fantasy but it’s still an engaging and intriguing plot line.

I received an audio ARC and ebook ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

This was an entertaining followup to the breakout novel, Legends & Lattes.

While not as solid a story as that told in the first book, this prequel adds quite a bit of backstory to the main character of both novels, Viv.

Although as a prequel this novel is set some years before the first published book, I would recommend reading Legends & Lattes first. It serves as a better introduction to the characters and settings. Also, this book has an epilogue that is set after the events of both books.

Absolutely lives up to the hype. A recommended first purchase for collections where fantasy is popular.

This was such an excellent story to read after falling in love with Viv in Legends & Lattes! While we know Viv to be a hardened adventurer-turned-cafe-owner, it's great to follow her as a greener adventurer (and learn about how Blackblood came to be)! If this series continues, I look forward to reading the adventures of Viv and companions both past and present.

There's something very charming about going back in time to see a hero we already know being young and foolhardy. The Viv of twenty years ago is very different from the Viv we get to know in Legends & Lattes but at her heart she's just the same. There's plenty of little hints at her future and the story to come. It's a nice, cozy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Travis Baldree is a master of cozy fantasy novels. Prior to reading Legends & Lattes last year, I never would’ve guessed that was a genre of fiction I needed. Now, though, I don’t know how I can carry on without more. Thankfully, Bookshops & Bonedust, a brilliantly crafted prequel, is out today.

Viv the orc is back, and this time around we get to see her in her more wild, young adventurer years. She’s in the employ of a mercenary band called Rackham’s Ravens, hunting down the dreaded necromancer, Varine. When her recklessness gets her injured during a battle, she wakes up in the town of Murk. As its name might suggest, there’s not a lot to see about town, and her room at the local inn is claustrophobic at best. Her arrival quickly puts her at odds with the local surgeon and the head of the gate wardens, and all early encounters promise a less than engaging stay. With at least a few weeks of recovery time ahead of her, Viv reluctantly sets out to occupy her time until her fellow mercenaries come back through.

Viv quickly finds a local bookstore and makes the acquaintance of Fern, a foulmouthed ratkin who runs the shop. Not normally the reading type, Viv is hesitant to take up the recommended titles that Fern offers. After a few chapters, she’s hooked. Soon, she’s devouring the books that Fern provides just as quickly as she’s going through the local baker, Maylee’s, wares. Despite a rough start in town, Viv starts to build friendships (and maybe something more, as far as Maylee is concerned). Fern’s struggling business benefits from Viv’s new perspectives, and Viv gets the opportunity to learn more about herself than she’d previously thought possible.

Small-town living isn’t necessarily all that it’s cracked up to be, though. Viv isn’t ready to settle down from her mercenary life just yet, and the threat of Varine and her necromancy is closer than anyone is expecting. We know, since this is a prequel, that Viv will survive the experiences ahead of her. What we don’t know is just how much she’s going to change over the course of her time in Murk. The fates of her new companions are on the line, as is the success or failure of Fern’s beloved indie bookstore. Viv is going to have to learn quickly that not all of her problems can be solved with a swing of a sword.

Baldree has landed another instant winner with his sophomore effort, with no sign of the dreaded slump. I’m happy to report that he’s managed to put the romance in necromancer, and I eagerly await Viv’s next adventure, whenever it may arrive. Bookshops & Bonedust is out today. Get to it.

My utmost thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for a fair review.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/11/07/bookshops-bonedust-a-review/

*Received as a free ARC*
I finished Legends and Lattes last week and immediately needed more Viv. I was originally a little thrown by this being a prequel, but once I got into it I loved it just as much. Can't wait to see if there is more coming in this world! Perfectly fluffy to cure all your ails. A great fall cozy read.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I have to admit, it's been a while since I read Legends and Lattes, so I did have to go back and check that it was the same Viv, just twenty years in the past. Just as wee baby merc Viv is a very different person than seasoned adventurer Viv, this book is fairly different from L&L. While still relatively cozy, Bookshops & Bonedust is a reflection of its main character: it's a little wilder, has more action and adventure, and there is quite a bit of sword swinging. Viv uses this book to learn about herself and where she is in her life. She has lots of adventuring left in her, but she gets the opportunity to build friendships and relationships with people who show her what her life can be when she's ready. This book is fun and exciting, and it's filled with vibrant characters that I adored. Now that I've read this, I will be diving right into the first book all over again.