"Bookshops & Bonedust" is a highly anticipated treat for fans of "Legends & Lattes." In this charming prequel, listeners are transported to a quaint seaside town called Murk, set several years before the events of the beloved series. This tale falls neatly into the realm of cozy fantasy, a fitting descriptor for the heartwarming narrative that unfolds.

It begins with Viv, a valiant Orc warrior, gravely wounded during a perilous pursuit of a necromancer. Seeking refuge and recovery, she finds herself in the picturesque embrace of Murk. Here, Viv not only heals her battle-worn body but also forges unexpected friendships with the town's diverse mix of magical creatures.

The author's narrative prowess, which shines throughout the book. The storytelling is seamless, captivating readers with its enchanting blend of fantasy and camaraderie.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to review this!

YES! A terrific follow-up (though stands alone well) to Baldree's Legends & Lattes. Baldree wrote and narrated this book set early in Viv's life. I thoroughly enjoyed it and give it 4* out of 5*

I received an e-audio copy of this book compliments of NetGalley and the publisher.

I really enjoyed going back to this world and see the beginning of Viv’s adventure. It was just was cozy as legends and lattes but with a little more mystery and action which I appreciated. Having read the other book though I feel it took away from some of the relationships since I knew were everything was going so I wish this was published first, but I still enjoyed it and made the epilogue all the sweeter.

I really enjoyed this book! Had so many twists and turns and adventures!! This is a must read! Pick this book up today!!

“Bookshops and Bonedust” is a cozy fantasy that reads a lot more like a small town romance than the supernatural against good and evil that it technically is. It follows Viv, an Orce mercenary who is left behind by her troop while she heels from a leg injury. She is at first resentful to her time there, but eventually she befriends some of the quirky townsfolk and finds herself enjoying the quiet life of a small town. She splits her time between helping a local bookshop owner named Fern renovate her shop, enjoying baked goods (and a lil romance) with the baker, and lowkey crime fighting against a necromancer.

While this particular story felt a bit uneventful and monotonous, I see why this series has so many fans. It’s a quiet and peaceful read that really breaks up the nonstop apocalyptic dispare we usually find in fantasy. It’s wonderfully written and is a cute summer romance. It was particularly refreshing that this story had almost exclusively female characters and highlighted female relationships: romantic and platonic.

I recommend this book to fans of “Wheel of Time.”

I received this audiobook as an ARC. Thank you tl NetGalley and the publishers.

Loved, loved loved this audiobook!! Just like Legends & Lattes, it has loveable characters and will make for a perfect cozy fantasy during the chillier months. I loved the banter between Viv and her new friends while she recovers in Murk.

Bookshops & Bonedust was an excellent addition to Baldree's cozy fantasy world. The characters are loveable and Baldree's narration brings them so much warmth and life. A highly recommended title for anyone looking for fun, light, and cozy fantasy vibes.

An incredibly fun, warm-hearted, and entertaining cozy fantasy, reading Bookshops & Bonedust is like being wrapped under a blanket in front of a crackling fireplace on a rainy day.

The novel is about friendship and learning that, sometimes, what seems like a terrible situation can end up being life-changing. It’s like experiencing someone else’s life for a bit without the trauma of contemporary fiction and/or the murder and assault of thrillers. It's also not a comedy, though there are some funny moments, and it's not a Romance, despite a small subplot in that vein.

I love fantasy that doesn’t presuppose you need “medieval” ideas (or what we take to be medieval ideas, as there’s a lot we don’t know about the Dark Ages, socially) to be fantasy. By this, I mean sexism, racism, and homophobia - this book is very queernormative and the opposite of a sausage fest. I love to see women working and being friends together.

The writing is very engaging - it moves at a fast pace, the descriptions are detailed but not excessive, there are the odd lyrical bits of prose, and the dialogue is snappy.

The characters were excellent and very loveable. Everyone is small-town quirky, but they’re a mix of random fantasy races. Viv, the orc, has an unsurprising arc, but it’s one that gets out of the way really quickly, leaving us with the characters playing off one another in ways that are just delightful.

Back to the characters, I liked all of them, though, of course, there are two that I adored. The first is on the cover, a little critter called a Griffit named Pot Roast (who reminded me of my pug, Denny). My other favourite character comes in a little later (Satchel!). There was also a cute sapphic romance, a necromancer, and a small, adorable character (Fern) who swears a lot and is super feisty. I loved the accent Baldree gave the character Galina, and that most of it took place in a run-down bookshop.

It’s safe to say that I adored this book!

This book felt like a hug to my soul!!! If you loved the cozy vibes of Legends and Lattes but just wanted a little bit more plot, you are going to adore Bookshops and Bonedust. This new prequel follows the battle hungry Orc, Viv, twenty years before she decides to retire to open her coffee shop. When Viv suffers a serious leg injury, she settles down for a little while in the quaint town of Murc and befriends a sassy bookshop owner in dire need of help with her bookstore. While in the town, she falls in love with reading, has a summer fling with the bakery owner, and makes it her mission to renovate the local bookshop. I think I loved this one even more than Legends and Lattes!

This one is for the booklovers because it focuses so much on the power that books have to shape people’s lives. It was so endearing watching Viv fall in love with reading and how books were such a comfort for her during a tumultuous moment in her career. I just loved how bookish this one was!

Bookshops and Bonedust is a departure from Legends in Lattes because, between renovating the bookstore, Viv is trying to defend the town against a necromancer wrecking havoc. There’s a lot more action, plotting, and fight scenes than the first book. Although the heavier plot elements might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I personally found that Travis Baldree perfectly balanced the low stakes coziness with an action plot. Although I adored Legends and Lattes, I typically need a little bit more to my stories other than cozy vibes and Bookshops and Bonedust delivered magnificently.

In terms of the audiobook, it was perfect. Travis Baldree, who is both the author and narrator of the audiobook, is so talented and did an amazing job on the narration. Listening to the audiobook added to the cozy vibes and I highly recommend picking it up to read solo or alongside the physical copy.

This is a story that is going to stay with me for a long time. It was heartwarming, comforting, and charming. I cannot wait to see what Travis Baldree comes up with next. I hope this is just a taste of what is coming in this cozy world he has created. I would love to follow Viv on more adventures or follow the stories of people she has meet on her adventures.

Also, even though this is a prequel, I do think it is okay to pick this one up before Legends and Lattes if it sounds more interesting to you. There's a small epilogue at the end that you probably won't understand, but other than that I think they can be read in any order!

Thank you Tor and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the audiobook!

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.