A great adventure.


I hadn’t been able to read the first book yet, but was able to follow along.

"Bookshops and Bonedust" delivers all of the cozy charm of its predecessor, and fans of "Legends and Lattes" will find themselves similarly swept up in the comforting world that Baldree has created.

As a prequel, "Bookshops and Bonedust" looks at Viv's earlier adventures as a battle-ready orc. The story begins with a serious injury she incurs while on the hunt for a dangerous necromancer. In need of an extended recuperation, Viv is stationed in small-town Murk, far from the action. There, she finds herself drawn to spending time in the local bookshop, making friends with the owner, a charmingly foul-mouthed rattkin. She also begins to spark a new relationship with another visitor who arrives in town, a gnome.

While I found this to have the same wholesome, heartwarming charm, I also found myself lulled by the coziness so much that I almost didn't notice the plot progressing without me. One of Baldree's strengths, and no doubt part of the appeal of these books, is his ability to take very everyday occurrences and set them in a fantasy world. We can recognize daily life that's similar to our own and yet appreciate the added sparkle it gets when wrapped up in a magical setting. While I think that's a large part of what gives this a cozy feel, that "ordinaryness" also left me feeling the book was a bit flat. 3.5 stars rounded up, out of recognition that I'm simply not the intended audience for his books.

[2.5/5 stars] I’m glad for more time with this author’s works, even if I enjoyed Legends & Lattes a bit more.

My biggest draw to Bookshops & Bonedust was the opportunity to settle in with the delightfully mundane aspects of running a business that was so prominent in the first book. And the business was a bookshop!! What could be more ideal?

As it turns out, more bookshop stuff, less necromancy.

We didn’t get that same level of commitment to focus on the business as we did with L&L. It tried to bring in too many other elements and sort of forgot what made this type of story special in the first place. I can read about necromancers and magic swords anywhere. What I can’t get is book organizing, quirky customer service, and sales reports (I need it). I wanted to see them get their hands dirty turning the store around, of which it provided only glimpses.

I did like the chronology of the tale – set in the pre-L&L days where it provided insight as to how a battling orc would even consider becoming a coffee shop owner. Overall it was a great enrichment to the saga as a whole, even if it didn’t land quite the same way. The parts I liked, I REALLY liked. I just wish there had been more of them.

Recommendations: Pick this up as a fun snack between other books, but don’t expect it to move you like the first one.

Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller

The story continues or more like starts with how Viv was injured and forced to stay behind to heal from her battle wounds. With nothing to do she was encouraged to start reading the books provided by the local bookshop.

THIS BOOK WAS SO FLIPPIN’ CUTE

I didn’t think this prequel was going to outshine Legends & Lattes but in my opinion it totally does.

Still following the same cozy fantasy vibes as L&L, we get a little bit of an inside look at what life was like for Viv before she decided to settle into a quieter life. As someone who obviously loves books and reading, following the journey of revamping a bookstore and the family Viv finds along the way was just fantastic.

I absolutely adored Fern and Pot Roast so much. Like without a doubt my fav characters in this book!

The epilogue made me CRY. (happy tears ofc) and we get the tiniest bit of what life is like after L&L which was such a treat. I absolutely loved this book.

I had the pleasure of listening to this book in audio format and to my pleasant surprise it was narrated by Travis Baldree himself and he did a phenomenal job. I was so impressed. I highly suggest getting the audiobook for this title

Such a great prequel to Legends and Lattes. Although I did miss a lot of the characters from Legends, this book really had the same feel and I liked reading the story along with everyone.

I love a good prequel moment and after the world was taken by storm by Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust is now on the scene. And it's even more charming than before. For fans, this has the same charm and whimsy that readers will be expecting. I was so excited for this as well as being able to listen to the audio which is read by the author. And Baldree is a phenomenal narrator. Immediately Bookshops & Bonedust begins with the power of fiction to transport us. I know we can all relate to that!

Your favorite orc barista takes us on another adventure in this prequel to Legends & Lattes. Viv is injured in a fight and is forced by her company to stay and rest in the nearby town until they come back around. The tiny town offers little entertainment, and Viv ends up stumbling across a bookshop where the sassy owner makes it her mission to make Viv read all of her favorite books. The story follows Viv and a new band of friends as they tackle obstacles big and small.

The audiobook was fantastic. Having an author read their book always lends a certain intimacy, and you could hear the care and pride in Baldree's voice throughout. Bookshops & Bonedust is captivating, emotional, and spirited. This is truly a book for readers and is a wonderful addition to the Viv universe. I enjoyed L&L, but B&B is definitely my favorite of the two. The pace was just right, with enough detail in the interpersonal relationships to make them realistic, but also fast-paced action scenes that kept you hooked.

4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to this absolutely fantastic alc!!

5 million/5 stars

Y'all. This is the absolute best book I've read/listened to in AGES. I love this story and these characters with my ENTIRE HEART. This is such a perfect, easy, cozy story, and I honestly enjoyed it LEAPS AND BOUNDS MORE than Legends and Lattes! Now, being both a bookseller and a lifelong book lover I may be a little biased, but this really read as a love letter to the bookworm in all of us, whether it is our living or our hobby (or both!).

I loved Viv's youthful energy in this book, even though it got her into a very less than ideal situation for her hahaha!

Fern is just lovely. I want to be her friend and work in her store, muttering foul language together over what's happening in our books.

I won't say anything too specific bc spoilers, but P was an adorable delight, and S was such surprise happy addition to this I wasn't at all expecting and I LOVE THEM DEARLY.

THAT. EPILOGUE. TEARS. TEARS EVERYWHERE.

I adored this. Favourite book of the year by far.

And the audio!!! Travis Baldree is already an audiobook narrator, so I knew this was going to be good, but DAMN, MAN. He brought so much life into each and every one of his own characters, I'm so glad he was the one to narrate this!! IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!

I never even knew that cozy fantasy was a genre, but I am here for it! Bookshops & Bonedust is the prequel to Legends & Lattes. While I haven’t read Legends and Lattes yet, I’ve heard a ton of great reviews about it, and was so excited to dive into the series.

This book was just a joy to read, or in my case, listen to. Not only do we learn about how Viv came to love books and eventually to owning a bookshop; but I loved the overall message that you’re never too old to find new loves, hobbies, and your overall place in the world. Just about every character we meet is adorable, especially Pot Roast, and this small town charmed the pants off me. Even though this book released after book #1 in the series, I’m 100% glad I read this before getting into to Legends & Lattes. Many comments of other reviews mention that the ‘adventure’ didn’t feel as high stakes when reading Bookshops & Bonedust, since they had already read Legends & Lattes and knew what was to come 2 decades later. I tend to lose interest if I know the future of characters, so my recommendation would be to read the prequel first!

Travis Baldree is a voice actor and was the narrator for his own books. He was excellent and I could have listened to this book & his voice for another few hours at least. I was entirely too sad to say goodbye to Viv and the gang, but I’m stoked for the sequels to come out and to dive into Legends and Lattes! 4.5 stars rounded down to 4!


Bookshops & Bonedust comes out November 7, 2023. Huge thank you to Tor and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

Cozy fantasy isn't something I've read much of. And I didn't read Legends & Lattes - although now I need to!

Viv is out with a crew on an adventure when she gets injured. They decide to leave her in Merk to recouperate and will pick her up on their return trip. She isn't happy about it.

She starts to meet others in this small town, which was quite a cast of characters. She befriends the bookstore owner and before you know it she's part of the town.

The audiobook was amazing! And I will definitely be continuing on with this series. So fun!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

4.75 ⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC before the official release date of “Bookshops and Bonedust”.

The audiobook narrator did a great job at telling this story with engaging inflection and tone and also varying voices for characters.

I originally read “Legends and Lattes” one year ago and it was a book that helped me get back into reading. I love low-stakes fantasy so when I learned that “Bookshops and Bonedust” was coming out- I was ecstatic. Legends and Lattes was one of my favorite fantasy novels form the past year and so I had high expectations for this prequel and was pleasantly surprised that it met all ands even exceeded my expectations.

It was well-written and had a plot that was cohesive and well-strung together. The characters were interesting and unique to this novel, and also charmingly memorable. I loved seeing Viv fall in love with a slower life and see her love for reading blossom.

You can strongly feel the influence of the first book with the heavy descriptions of food and the entire cottage-core vibe of the book.

It was highly enjoyable living out every book nerd’s fantasy of helping to refurbish a dying bookshop and saving a small town from trouble. The book also had one of the best epilogues that I have ever read.

Highly recommend 😊

I love this world. The epitome of cozy. I love Viv's growth and Galena and Fern. Potroast! Its all so wonderful and I gooe there are plenty more stories to come

Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes, #0)
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You know, I specifically read this because of Legends and Lattes, for the hope that I'd fall for the comfort, the warmth, the utterly delightful idea that something can be built that can last.

Sure, it's a fantasy, but that's just an element to amuse. A little necromancy, a splash of blood, but that's nothing.

The good stuff is BOOKS. Books and bonedust and teasing companionship and MAKING FRIENDS.

God. This book was just as good as the other.

Should we want ALL that Travis Baldree has to offer? Yes. I think we should ALL want an unlimited amount of feel-good fantasy X 2 thrillers as we can possibly support.

READ IT.

This delivers what it promises. It’s a cozy read and I love that she finds a love of reading. Very low stakes and slower paced. I personally prefer high fantasy, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

Bookshops and Bonedust is an excellent prequel to Legends and Lattes. I would recommend reading L&L first, but I think you could follow this easily without doing so. In this book, we get some of Viv's backstory from before opening a coffee shop in a small magical community that has never heard of the divine beverage.

Viv's mercenary career is not going well and after a significant injury, she has to lie low at a bookshop. While there, she makes new friends but adventure doesn't stay away just like Viv's desire for it continues despite a broken leg. This story is full of fun, quirky characters, a bit of love, and a lot of adventure and found family.

The icing on the cake is the incredible audiobook narration by the author! I was shocked at his incredible vocal abilities and the range of voices he performed, especially since I read an e-book of Legends & Lattes. If low stakes fantasy is your bag, put this on your TBR.

When rookie adventurer Viv, sustains a serious leg injury in her first battle, she's forced to go to the nearest town to recuperate while the rest of her crew continues hunting down a necromancer. Viv's not one to sit still for long, so when she befriends a local bookshop owner she embarks on a personal adventure to help the store become more successful.

I thought this was just as wonderful and cozy as Legends and Lattes, and I loved that we got to the very beginning of the journey that eventually led Viv to end her time as an adventurer and open up a coffee shop. I loved the relationship between Viv and Fern, and I particularly loved how the epilogue really brought everything back together.

In this prequel to Legends + Lattes, Viv spends her time in the town of Murk while recovering from a battle injury. Travis Baldree again creates an interesting world full of unique characters. I’m doing so, he shows us Viv’s early life and how her motivations will later play out in Thune.

I really appreciated the dialogue of this creative cast of characters. The found family theme is a favorite of mine and it definitely added to the cozy vibe of the book. Similar to Legends + Lattes, food plays a pivotal role in this story as well. My grievance with the audiobook was that the descriptions of the characters/scenes were confusing at times. The story was a bit slow at points, but the ending was strong. The epilogue brought the story full circle to tie into Legends + Lattes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4/5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed <i>Bookshops & Bonedust</i> as much as <i>Legends & Lattes</i>, perhaps even more! I definitely definitely definitely recommend reading <i>Legends & Lattes</i> first for reasons that would be a minor spoiler, but <i>Bookshops</i> still holds up well on its own. There's a lot of nice flavor for a reader who has read the original, for sure, and allows for super heartfelt moments that call back to themes and ideas from <i>Legends & Lattes</i>. The ending in particular...... ahh!!! I was worried this book would let me down knowing that Viv, our protagonist, doesn't stay in this cozy seaside town for long. However, Travis Baldree wrapped it up so nicely and satisfactory for Viv.

Also, this was my first time listening to Baldree in audio form. WOW is he good. I highly recommend the audio for audiobook listeners. I shouldn't be surprised given his experience with VO work, but WOW!

<i>Bookshops</i> in general had more plot elements driving it forward than its predecessor and I could really feel Baldree coming into his own as an author.

I feel like with a cozy fantasy book like this it definitely takes a special kind of voice to narrate and I wasn't a huge fan of this voice for this story. I would like to read this book without narration and see if I liked it better that way.