I give this 3.5 stars

Full disclosure I haven’t read Legends and Lattes yet but saying that you definitely don’t need to read L&L in order to read this. I listened to an Advance Audiobook Reader Copy of this through Netagalley.

Pot roast and Satchel are my favorite! There was a moment of interaction with the two that was hilarious and happened so fast if you missed it, you missed it. The author’s attention to detail and how the characters interact with each other really brought the characters to life.

Fern is the heart and soul of this book the way she watches Viv read her books and the joy it brings her is how I feel when I recommend a book to anyone and see them enjoy it 💗

I love that the author reads for his own audiobook. I do listen on a little faster than normal speed but I really enjoyed the quality of the audio and the different voices the author as for each character.

The reason I didn’t give this more stars was because it did seem slow for the first half and there wasn’t much action but that did allow you to really get to know each character. Also the epilogue was very confusing … maybe it would make more sense if I read L&L?

Yup, he can do it twice. I wasn't sure if this would be able to stand up to the warm, comfort, coziness of Legends and Lattes. That was such a high bar. And this clears it. My only knock of L&L was that romance felt like and afterthought, here Viv's dating feels perfectly in line with the goings-on. I love this calm, kindness filled quest of of group of friends trying to save the neighborhood bookstore. Just the right balance of mystery to solve, great characters, and the cozy hug that continues to by Baldree's writing.

What a lovely story!

This book was exactly what I wished for in a prequel to Legends and Lattes. It has the same warm, interesting cast of characters; the same cosy feel; and the same wonderful ambiance that the first book has.

I hope Baldree keeps writing these for years to come!

If you enjoy stories about bookshops, friendships, healing, found family, and simple pleasures, you will love this cozy fantasy. Bookshops & Bonedust is the prequel to Legends & Lattes.

After an injury puts a hold on her career, Viv is forced to slow down and enjoy the softer side of life. Settling in the town of Murk, Viv stumbles upon a bookshop in need of sprucing up. While rehabilitating the bookshop and her health, Viv makes many meaningful friendships along the way. Bookshops & Bonedust features orcs, gnomes, dwarves, skeletons, and more!

I loved this cozy fantasy so much- it was so cute and comforting, with a full cast of memorable characters. The audiobook, narrated by the author was so wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Bookshops & Bonedust, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun PNR audiobook! The fight scenes were detailed and interesting to listen to and visualize. The characters were relatable with great personalities and unique characteristics! The world building made a terrific setting for the story. There were instances and references to the LBGT nature of the characters throughout the book. The story itself was well written and well narrated by the author. It was an interesting story about a warrior who discovers books while recuperating from battlewounds and then proceeds to help the bookshop owner/friend revamp and renovate the bookshop. However, the author takes the interesting friendship that deveops from this meeting and develops it - showing how it affects the rest of the character’s lives and their lifelong choices. Though it is not in the normal category I usually read,I really enjoyed this story!

This was a really fantastic read! I really enjoyed Legends & Lattes, so I was looking forward to another low stakes fantasy novel, and that's exactly what I got, when Viv was pretty new to the mercenary gig, but got injured, and was just hanging out in this town until she healed, and the band swung back around.

It's a bit bittersweet, honestly. Because this is set before Legends & Lattes, I'm fairly certain none of these characters that we meet just in this book were mentioned there. And Viv really had collected a great group of found family around her, and it's sad that in the space between this book and that one, they probably weren't anymore.

The fact that Viv gets caught up into reading like she does in this book was just adorable. To be given books that were tailored to her interests, and progressively brought her out of her comfort zone of fighting, was just really great!

And oh, the plot with the bonedust, that was really entertaining as well! That this threat and mystery, all tied up together, while Viv is trying to heal, while she's also connecting with all of these town shop keepers with such vibrant personalities, yeah, it was all a delight to read!

This was a fantastic read, and if we get more books set in this world, I'll definitely read them!

Bookshops & Bonedust will be highly sought after by readers/listeners who loved Legends & Lattes, the first book in this series. This kind of story has been described as “cozy fantasy” and I think that’s a pretty accurate description. This time the story takes place several years before the action in Legends & Lattes, so this is a prequel. We meet Viv as she is injured badly in a battle, in the hunt for a powerful necromancer. She is taken to a small seaside town, Murk, to recover. There she meets and makes friends with several “people” who live and work there. People is in quotes because Viv is an Orc and the bookstore owner is a Rattkin, the bakeshop owner is a Dwarf and so on. There is a good amount of action close to the end of the book, but most of the story is pretty “cozy.” The bookstore owner, Fern, recommends books to Viv, who has never been much of a reader, to help her pass the time while she convalesces from her leg injury, and Viv turns into a voracious reader.

The author does the audiobook narration and he does a fine job. I just didn’t find the plot very exciting or interesting.

Also - if you haven’t read Legends & Lattes yet, you might want to skip the Epilogue because there’s a spoiler in it for L&L.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Genre: cozy fantasy

Years before Viv opened her coffee shop, when she was still an active mercenary fighter, she was sidelined for a few months in the town of Murk with a bad injury. Forced inactivity isn’t great for a fighter, and it isn’t long before Viv is stir crazy. She discovers a bookshop in town, though, and the proprietress becomes a friend as Viv works to improve the space and bring in more business. But even in the cozy town, unexpected darker forces are still at play, and Viv’s respite isn’t quite as quiet as the doctor called for.

As charming as the first book, Legends & Lattes. Low angst, cozy fantasy is relaxing and satisfying. I do tend to prefer a little more conflict in my fantasy novels, but I love the charming and quaint feel of these books, and the softness of the story. The peek at Viv’s backstory is a delight, and everything about the book just feels gentle.

Travis Baldree narrates the audiobook. I don’t always love an author narrating, but he does a marvelous job bringing his own characters to life. Honestly, this one feels even cozier as a listen!

Reading Legends & Lattes first isn't required, as the only character in both is Viv, but this feels like it's meant to be read as a prequel after having read book one.

Thank you to @Macmillan.audio @torbooks and NetGalley for the ALC for review. Bookshops & Bonedust is out 11/7/23!

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

As someone who hasn’t read Legends & Lattes yet (the book this is set as a prequel to), it was great to get to know Viv from the turning point in her life of being left to heal in the little town of Murk, and all the wonderful people she meets along the way who shape her in ways she never anticipated. Fern, the bookstore owner, is the perfect person to try and really read Viv and discover a new side of her. Fern just wants to keep her failing bookstore alive and well, and her journey working with Viv and Fern to get it from barely surviving to properly thriving is everything I needed it to be.

I adore every single character in this novel, but honestly, it’s the side characters that really bring everything together for me. I love Maylee the baker, who knows that the romance she’s cooking up is a temporary thing but doesn’t value it any less because of that. Potroast, the griffin? A true scene-stealer every little mention he gets. And honestly, my favorite character of the entire novel may be Satchel, who is the least likely one to have the most wholesome interactions throughout this cozy fantasy.

Of course, it isn’t all comfy and cozy. There’s a bit of fighting, the looming threat of lingering dangers both inside the town and out, and moments of mistrust that keep the plot moving forward, at a slower pace than I would’ve liked personally. I know it’s a cozy fantasy, but I wish there was a little more of the side-plot of the necromancer!

This book has a little bit of everything - heaviest on the developing friendships and romance over the action and intrigue - and I think fans of the fantasy genre will really enjoy this addition!

Bookshops and Bonedust, the prequel to Legends and Lattes and my 1st book by this author and I loved it.
This story was well-written and gave us fascinating characters ( Orcs, dwarves, a graphed, a rattkin, a homunculus....)who were diverse and quirky in their own way and I loved them all.

After being wounded in battle against a necromancer army, Viv is left behind in a small town to recover from the injury. Being headstrong and not knowing how to relax, she sets about exploring the town.
She makes some unique friendships with the locals in the town and when danger comes to their doorstep she does all she can to protect her friends.

The story gave us adventure, danger, humor, friendship, found family, witty banter and so much more. The plot was easy to follow and there was never a dull moment. This was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by the author which was everything. He brought the story to life giving each character their own voice and personality and made the story so captivating I couldn't put it down. It was a pleasure listening to him narrate this story.
Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review.

Have you ever finished a book and then just sat there and smiled and hugged it? Yeah, that's this book. Oftentimes when an author puts out a first book that is successful and well loved, there is fear that the second book won't live up to the hype. Even though this book is a prequel to Legends & Lattes it's Travis' second book in this series and it definitely lives up to the hype of the first.

There are so many fun/quirky characters in this book that you will find it hard not to fall in love with all of them. There are orcs, a foul mouthed Ratkin, an Elf healer a dwarf, a gnome and more. But my favorite character is a lovely Gryphet (sp? as I only listened to the audio version) named Pot Roast! Pot Roast?!?! What's not to love.

Cozy fantasy, mystery and all around fun. And that Epilogue? Chef's kiss. I am (not so) patiently waiting for a third installment from Travis.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillian Audio and Travis Baldree for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great prequel. I loved learning about how Viv got her sword Black Blood and when she first became a mercenary.

Read by the author he really brought his story to life. Since I read Legends and Lattes in Book form it was interesting to see his take on his characters and it was just as entertaining. This is another book that is like a big hug.

Viv can't help but gather people around her. Her true nature always shines through as she helps a bookseller update her store, a skeleton trapped in the service of a necromancer and a gnome that wants to be a mercenary. Just as fun as Legends and Lattes this is well worth grabbing.

Bookshops and Bonedust was a warm, wholesome, fast paced cozy fantasy. If you liked Legends and Lattes, you'll love getting to know Viv and her backstory. Travis Baldree is one of the authors we often think of when we think of the category cozy fantasy, a genre I consider to follow "cozy mystery rules". Stakes are not super high and someone might die but it won't be a central character and it will just be to move the story forward. I've heard others describe this genre as "low trigger" and I'd agree. I'm new to the fantasy and to Dungeons and Dragons-like plots but this delivers, with a central goal interrupted by side quests along the way.
In a nut shell, a young and reckless Viv gets herself seriously injured on a mission and her crew leaves her behind in a small town to recover and promise to return to pick her up on their way back. While she doesn't consider herself a reader, Viv happens into a used bookstore and befriends the owner. After a spooky stranger passes through and unnerves them, they begin to investigate. In true Viv fashion, she begins to accumulate a motley but sweet crew and hijinks ensue.

If you liked Legends and Latte’s, this one is right up your alley. If you’re new to this series pull up a chair and settle in while Travis Baldree weaves his magic about a mythical character Viv the mercenary.
While Viv is rehabbing in a lil podunk coastal town we follow her recovery not only physically but mentally as she learns to open up and trust. This prequel lays the foundation of the series masterfully!

I’m not the first to say it but if you loved Legends & Lattes, you’ll most likely love this one! Travis Baldree, once again, delivers another top tier cozy fantasy. I adored the first book and was so excited to dive back into this world. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this being a prequel and was half convinced it wouldn’t measure up to the first book, but I shouldn’t have bothered being worried because Baldree did not disappoint. I do think I would have enjoyed it slightly more if I didn’t already know where Viv ends up in Legends & Lattes. I found myself not caring quite as much about what Viv was up to because I knew she wouldn’t be staying where she was. What made this book a hit for me were the new characters, learning more about Viv’s backstory, hanging out in quaint bookshop with the characters and the overall comfy warm vibes that Baldree somehow manages to create so effortlessly. This series is the perfect comfort series to read snuggled up by a fire. I feel confident in saying that this is now an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to Tor and Macmillan Audio for providing an audio ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a super cute and easy listen. I enjoyed the slight mystery of the man in gray. The narrator did a good job with the voices. I don’t usually care for prequels but this was done well. I really like Viv

Review: "Bookshops & Bonedust" by Travis Baldree

A Delightful Journey of Self-Discovery, Adventure, and the Power of Books

"Bookshops & Bonedust," the latest offering from Travis Baldree, builds on the intriguing world first introduced in "Legends & Lattes." Set in a sleepy beach town named Murk, the story centers on Viv—a young, feisty orc soldier of Rackam's Ravens who finds herself sidelined due to an injury. What follows is an endearing journey filled with adventure, romance, and, of course, books.

Enchanting Setting & Atmosphere

One of the standout features of the book is its enchanting setting—a quaint bookshop that serves as a sanctuary for Viv. Baldree masterfully captures the inviting ambiance, the smell of old paper, and the sense of wonder that permeates a place full of stories. It's a love letter to bookshops and, by extension, to readers.

Dynamic Characters & Relationships

Baldree excels at character development, particularly with Viv, who returns once again to captivate readers with her determined spirit. The side characters are just as engaging, especially Fern, the foul-mouthed bookshop proprietor. She's not just comic relief; her wisdom and sass make her a memorable counterpart to Viv's boldness.

The Power of Books & Bonds

The narrative takes the time to delve into philosophical discussions on the themes present in various books, showing the characters bonding through literary critique. It is genuinely enchanting to see characters relate to books in a way that shapes their actions and worldviews. These scenes form the backbone of the novel and elevate it into something more than just another high-fantasy adventure.

This was so CUTE and FUN!! A fun little rough-mercenary-gets-wounded-in-battle-and-therefore-stranded-in-a-small-town-they-don’t-want-to-be-in-and-likewise-might-not-want-anything-to-do-with-them tale? AND it’s fantasy so all the characters are orcs and potty mouthed rats and elves and gnomes and dwarves??? The points hit in this story are relatively predictable but the actual events aren’t, if that makes any sense. I knew what shape things were going to eventually take but I had no clue as to how we would get there or what it would look like when we did. The main character learns to enjoy reading so there are snippets of other books within this book which I thought was neat! All the characters are lovable and silly. Big fun!! It’s a prequel to another book but I haven’t read that one yet oops

This book was a fun look into one of the many past adventures in Viv’s life, but it was not quite as good as the iconic Legends and Lattes, in my opinion.

Viv is a young orc, and after sustaining an injury, she must rest for a bit in a small town to heal. She befriends the owner of a struggling bookshop and, like she did with the coffee shop in Legends and Lattes, helps revive the bookshop and creates a sense of community in the town.

This is a cozy story full of friendship. love, and adventure. If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes then you will likely enjoy this prequel as well. Or if you’re new to this world then you could even start with this book; they can be read in either order.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Legends & Lattes, so when I saw Bookshops & Bonedust was coming out, I knew I had to try and snag a copy. Luckily, I got my hands on it and I devoured it. This had all the cozy vibes of L&L, but with the backdrop of a bookstore vs a coffee shop.

Viv has become a favorite character for me. I love the way she sees the world, love hearing her story, and I love watching things unfold around her. The new characters are wonderful, adding layers to Viv's past that make her so much more likeable than she already was.

Definitely read this after L&L!! Please don't read it first!! I keep describing it as a prequel sequel and I'll forever describe it as that.

Travis Baldree has a way with words that doesn't just flow beautifully, but also stays with you long after finishing his novels. I loved this book so much and I can't wait to reread it and get lost in this world again.