A prequel to Legends and Lattes which was all the rage last fall, Bookshops & Bonedust gave us a glimps of Viv's origin story. It was every bit as cozy as Legends with some endearing characters that you just had to root for.

3.5/5

This was a delightful fantasy book. I thoroughly enjoyed all the different characters.
Viv is an orc who is injured in battle and ends up in Murk. Here she meets Fern, a ratkin, who owns a bookshop; Maylee, the baker; and a slew of other characters.

I found the story easy to read and very enjoyable. I listened to the audio version, read by the author, and he did a superb job. He made the story come alive, and some parts were laugh-out-loud funny. I especially enjoyed Satchel, the homunculus. You do not have to have read “Legends & Lattes” in order to enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

*3.75 stars*

This was another cozy slice of life fantasy. Fun, adventurous and full of found family just like the first book. Nothing revolutionary but you know exactly what you’re getting. I enjoyed getting to see more of Viv’s start but I am especially looking forward to continuing the story of Legends and Lattes.

The audiobook is again narrated by Travis Baldree who I think does a good job bringing the characters to life, even if I do find myself speeding up the playback speed more than usual.

If you liked Legends and Lattes you’ll definitely like this prequel

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

When I first saw this one announced I thought it was going to be a sequel with another orc opening a bookshop near Viv's coffee shop. I think I would have liked that story, too, but I did enjoy getting to learn about Viv's life as a young mercenary and what set her on the path of what she was like in Legends & Lattes.

We first encounter Viv in this story when she is a young, impetuous mercenary more likely to get herself killed than anything else. When her rash actions get her severely injured, her company leaves her behind in a small, quiet town to recuperate while they continue the job they've been hired to do. Viv isn't one to sit still and once she heals enough to move around more, she finds projects around town to help with (and friends attached to those projects). This cozy novel is a wonderful read for when you need a book about finding a love of reading and developing new friendships.

The audio version (narrated by the author) is really engaging. Many authors don't have voice acting skills. Travis Baldree is multitalented.

Initial Thoughts
Viv is staying in the town of Murk after being injured. During her recovery, she stumbles upon a little bookshop that is barely hanging on. She soon discovers a love of reading and some new friends and they work together to breathe new life into the bookstore. Things get a little more serious when danger comes to town and Viv must work with her new friends to save the day. This book was just a lot of fun with plenty of humor and action to keep things interesting. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the author, who narrates the book, did a great job of bringing the story to life through his narration.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Full review to be posted soon.

Legends & Lattes - 5 Stars
Bookshops & Bonedust - 5 Stars

I wasn't sure that cozy fantasy stories would be my thing, but oh my goodness how I was wrong.

I started with Legends & Lattes a few days ago, and finished Bookshops & Bonedust right after. The first book was a love, but Bookshops & Bonedust is a must read.

Set in a cozy bookshop, the new characters are nothing short of brilliant and relatable. I had a hard time figuring out who was my favorite. The relationships are heartwarming and sincere.

I hope to go on many more adventures with Viv. <3

Whether you've read the first one or not, you will love Bookshops & Bonedust!

I have a confession. I know TikTok branded this series as the top tier cozy fantasy, but it falls a little short for me. I had higher hopes for this second book, and while I throughly enjoyed it, even more than the first! I still think it’s just a little lack luster. I’m not sure what about it doesn’t hit home for me! I found myself spacing out during the action sequences and honestly had a few moments where I wasn’t sure how we got to where we were at.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ALC of this.

Like a warm hug and a D&D adventure at the same time! Really enjoyed reading this and getting out of my own head for a while! Loved the audio narration!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this book early!

This was a great companion to the hit debut Legends and Lattes. Baldree does an amazing job at creating a world that make the reader want to never leave. This prequel was just as good as the first book in terms of characters, atmosphere and plot. I’m happy to have returned to Viv as a character and see where she came from. Centering this story in a bookshop was perfect for the cozy fantasy genre and makes it an excellent companion for a coffee shop book. I am very excited to see what else Baldree writes.

Additionally, for the audiobook Baldree himself reads the story and does a fantastic job at it. He embodies his characters in a beautiful way.

Travis Baldtree once again knocked it out of the park. Legends & Lattes was a book that I read that just hit a feel that I didn't know I wanted. I'm a massive D&D fan and L&L was a great story that reminded me of many different aspects of it.

When I heard Bookshops & Bonedust was coming out, I was...hesitant. It was a prequel. Something I wasn't sure I would want since I thought Viv got her happy ever after. She had her coffee shop and so many things going for her in retirement. However, Baldtree caught my attention with his voice and writing from the get go. He brought forth a story that I will be willing to listen to over and over again (and possibly include in my next d&d campaign!).

Viv meets so many characters that help to bring her full circle to L&L. Getting injured is something no adventurer wants, especially to be dropped off by her friends and party in a small town. Being told, we'll come back for you, especially with that party going after a strong necromancer who could potentially kill them. Not knowing what happens to your group that you've spent time with is hard.

As the owner of the bookshop that Viv has decided to help out with, Fern makes this story come alive even more. Potroast is the cutest thing ever and I really want a plushie made of him. Satchel is by far the best character in this whole story and I want a blue eyed skeletal homunculus as well.

One of my favorite bits about this story is Baldtree's imagination. As a person with 'no minds-eye' he creates a descriptive narrative that allows me to feel the scene instead of seeing it. He doesn't go on and on in a descriptive faction like most fantasy books do on what the coast looks like, etc. He brings a feeling to it that I appreciate and can't wait to see what happens.

“Watching you read what I give you, putting a book in your hands and seeing what happens to you once you put it back down . . . I can’t make you understand how that gives me something I didn’t know I had to have.”

If you’ve read Legends & Lattes, you’re going to want to pick this book up and read about a brief time in Viv’s life before coming to Thune. If you haven’t read Legends & Lattes and you enjoy cozy SFF, Dungeons and Dragons, small town romance, the found family trope, and/or low stakes character-driven stories… then what are you waiting for?

This prequel has all of the cozy, small town vibes of L&L, along with fabulous side characters, delectable baked goods, and a nefarious villain to overcome. We also have the added benefit of getting to know Viv before her battle-weariness. An appreciation for the written word absolutely permeates the entire story, as well as found family, first love, forging paths to follow one’s dreams.

The epilogue included a scene from the L&L time period, and it may have made me a little misty! Overall, I quite enjoyed lovely this addition to Viv’s story.

I’d also like to add that, similarly to L&L, the author narrates the audio edition of the book. It’s clear that Baldree has put his heart not only into the writing, but also the reading, of both books.

Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.

What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.
___
Thank you netgallery and Travis Baldree for allowing me to listen to this amazing book.

If you read Legends & Lattes and loved it then you must read boneshops & bookdust. The prequal story of Vi and how she became a bookseller. It is an amazing story for fans of D&D and cozy stories. I love Vi the LBGTQ Orc.
This is a story of Viv and Rackam in an battle against a necromancer’s skeleton army. With an injured leg, Viv finds herself in small seaside town called murk. She ends up exploring the small town and meeting with the locals, and finds many different kind of adventures while she waits for Rackam to come back for her.

My favorite part of this book is this book also talks about how there will never be an age limit on figuring out things you want to do in life.

I honestly can't wait for more stories about Viv.

I am a huge Lattes & Legends fan, so I am so thankful to have had an opportunity to receive an ARC of the audio book through Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley and TOR.

This prequel to Legends & Lattes follows Viv's journey to how she came to open the coffee shop. Viv suffers a battle injury in her leg and is dropped off in a quaint village to recover. There she discovers found family in the form of a bookstore where she discovers an interest in reading.

This has a more battling and action then seen in L&L, but it suited the story and provided a bit of action not seen in the previous book. It still holds the heartwarming qualities of a charming cozy fantasy that left me with the warm and fuzzies. The bookkeeper conveys the joy of watching someone fall in love with reading in such fantastic splendor while Viv discovers the business and marketing side of herself that really comes forth in L&L.

An extra bonus chapter transports us to after the events of L&L which does give spoilers to L&L, so take caution if reading the prequel before indulging in Legends & Lattes.

I loved this so much. I will definitely pick up the physical book once it is released.

I received this one from NetGalley for a honest review. I give this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ three stars I was hoping this would shine a little more light to the first book considering this is more of a prequel, but it didn’t hit the mark for me. I’m not saying it’s bad I’m just saying it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

This was such a fun read, a thoroughly enjoyable cozy fantasy romp. The start was a little slower than Legends and Lattes but it quickly picks and is just as good. I loved all the characters and hope they reappear in future books to come. The narration was excellent, good accents and various tones really differentiated the characters.

This book was so good. I thought Legends and Lattes was perfect, until I discovered this book. Prior to this, I wasn’t into anything cozy, but these books have opened up a new world for me and how I want cozy everything.

Bookshops & Bonedust brings us Viv, who has been hurt on a job with her group of travelling mercenaries, and left to heal in the town of Murk. While recovering she helps a local bookshop get back on its feet, and makes connections with the local town-folk, learning about them, where they come from, and why they are where they are, and discovering more about herself, and her future, in the process.
As someone who has yet to be able to make it through Legends & Lattes (not because I dislike it, just because of scheduling issues) this book made me so incredibly excited to eventually be able to pick it back up, but I also didn’t feel as though I was missing anything from not having read the book, it stood on its own incredibly well.
Viv was such a fun protagonist. It was refreshing to have a main character who knows exactly what she wants in the moment, but also be so open to experiencing something new. While this was a book about self discovery, Viv still knew who she was at her core, and didn’t let anyone take that away from her. The supporting cast was some of my all time favorites, and I hope the author once again revisits them in the future, perhaps jumping off the epilogue.
The message of this book comes through beautifully. It’s a book about beginnings and endings and how sometimes the right people come around at the wrong time and that’s okay. “Sometimes, it'll never be the right time. And sometimes, we aren't the right people yet.” I think sums it up perfectly, giving us a bittersweet ending, that is not shied away from, from the very beginning. Overall an incredible novel, and I cannot wait to read the rest that Travis Baldree has to offer.

Absolutely obsessed. Even better than the first one (later timeline). Please don't stop this wave of cozy fantasy. It's giving inspiration to cozy D&D campaigns, magazines and more. The writing was warm and sensitive as usual and I could read twenty more of these from Travis Baldree.

Adored. Honestly, even more than Legends and Lattes (also superb).

Bookshops & Bonedust felt meatier. There were slightly higher stakes that kept me invested. I appreciated its place as a prequel. It gives the reader excellent insight into Viv’s past and personal development.

Baldree is a quality writer that I am thrilled to see more from. They possess the rare skill of writing something that is both captivating and relaxing.


Plot - 5
Writing and Editing - 5
Character Development - 5
Personal Bias - 5
Final Score - 5

Thank you Travis Baldree, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my anudio advanced review copy. My opinions are my own.

Publication: November, 6th 2023

'Bookshops & Bonedust' would have been a cute, cozy novella, but it didn't have quite as much oomph as I'd like for a full-length novel. It was still an overall enjoyable read, but not enough to become a reread for me.

The story - Viv, a headstrong orc, settles in a quaint town to recover from an injury that's sidelined her from the battlefield. She meets some fun characters, include a baker she quickly falls for, but when a gray man seems to be stalking her the adventure scales up.

I should say, to start, that while I love cozy fantasy (LOVE - it's the only kind of fantasy I've been into lately), I have not read Legends & Lattes. This is the prequel to Legends & Lattes so it didn't cause any problems for me.

The world was cute and the characters were too. It was enjoyable and certainly cozy, but the problem with cozy novels is that they're *harder* to write than plot-heavy books. To make a cozy work the characters and world have to be somewhere I'd like to just hangout doing not much for xx,xxx words and this fell a little short of that.

This was also more plot-heavy than I was expecting (not a bad thing) but the problem was the stakes - I just wasn't sold on them. They felt very nothing-burger to me and I kept waiting for a reason to care.

The epilogue was a little random, just a pretty blatant setup for a third book. Surely there could be a better way to do that?

Thanks, NetGalley and Tor, for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.