3.5

Legends & Lattes took the publishing world by storm last year and I think this was a lovely follow up to that story. Technically a prequel, Bookshops & Bonedust follows Viv at the beginning of her time as a mercenary, when she finds herself stuck in a sleepy beach town called Murk to recuperate.

This has so much of the charm that I loved from Legends & Lattes, and I think if you were a fan of that you will also enjoy this. I love that in both books we’re following Viv in the quiet moments between adventures. That being said, I found myself a little more disconnected from the story than I expected to be, potentially because we’ve seen where Viv’s future lies in Legends & Lattes. I did love the epilogue tie-in though! And I loved that this seemed to be an ode to booksellers and book lovers.

Baldree narrates the audiobook himself, and as usual does an excellent job. I look forward to relistening to this often after it’s release as I love this series as a cozy day reread.

This book is a warm hug, but with a bit more peril and action than Baldree's first book Legends and Lattes. Bookshops and Bonedust, still maintains the cozy fantasy vibe of the first book, and as with the first, offers a soft landing.

I enjoyed the depictions of friendship and collaboration within the community. The world building and character building is excellent - very immersive. I find the interpersonal relationship building very thoughtful and creative. Highly recommend this series to any fantasy lover that just wants a bit of a gentle read. The world is still vibrant and interesting, but not sexist or hateful - there are misunderstandings, and very clear villains and heroes - in a way that can be very comforting, especially when done well, as it is in this book.

Travis Baldree started out as an audiobook narrator, so the narration quality is absolutely excellent - he really brings his characters to life.

Thanks to Macmillian Audio for advanced access via Netgalley.

{4.5 stars}

My issue with Legends and Lattes was that there was not a lot of action or strife. I loved the characters but cozies can get a bit snoozy for me. So this one was right up my alley. We learn more about Viv's past as a soldier and what gave her the idea for her bookshop as she rests from an injury and meets a lovely cast of unusual characters. As in book one, we see her as a doer and a caring heart who wants happiness and fulfillment for those around her. My favorite character in this one was Satchel, he was so unique and the darkness that created him was so awesome to dive into. There are fight scenes, moments that come full circle from a character development perspective and of course allusion to spice but nothing that will make you uncomfortable.

Thanks to Macmillian Audio for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

A quirky, cozy, fantasy story about an underestimated orc who discovers the joys of books, love, and just ... other people (or beings really since the story is populated with gnomes, elves, dwarves, etc). The audio is read by the author and he does a smashing job -- great voices, perfect pace. A little slow paced in terms of action, but fully fleshed out with the fun oddness of interactions between different beings who all have lesson for us about being human.

I know you all have heard it before, but I am here to say that this is a hug of a book. There is just something so lovely about cozying up to these low stakes fantasies that just fill me up with complete joy,

This one is a prequel, we see Viv as she is recovering from an injury and she ends up in a cozy little bookshop working to save it from being closed down. The characters are wonderful, my favorite being Pot Roast the cutest not dog but dog character around.

I just loved all of this, I loved the idea of stories continuing past the final page and what our past brings to our present/future selves. I will read anything by Travis Baldree and this one was just so heartwarming. ❤️❤️

I read this one on audio and in ebook form but this audio is read by the author and I found it to be absolutely wonderful!

5/5 stars! Read this one!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copies in exchange for an honest review!

Travis, you masterful storyteller and stealer of hearts!!

After falling head over heels for Viv in Legends & Lattes, I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy to this prequel story. In Bookshops & Bonedust, we get to learn more about Viv's days as a mercenary orc and the injury that landed her in a small seaside town where she meets eclectic characters, including local Bookseller named Fern who changes Viv's life trajectory. Fern is such.an.amazing.character. and book enthusiast extrordinare, but her bookstore is a hot mess. Viv (with some town help) start to refresh the space with success while spreading the joy of reading to the community. Ultimately, as Viv's time is limited in this town, this story is about the different paths we can take and different people we meet along the journey of our lives. I was once again charmed by Baldree's atmospheric settings and insightfully unique characters. And the Epilogue; BLESS you Travis for that glimpse of L&L Viv and the hint at what is to come in the next book of the series. It was so joyful to hear you narrate your own story as well.

Thank you so much to TOR publishers and MacMillan Audio for my e-arc and alc in exchange for my review.
I will be posting to my social accounts closer to release day!

This book was so cute! Mostly vibes but I fell in love with the characters and by the end I was so stressed they wouldn’t be best friends forever. Was also thrilled to see that you don’t have to have read Legends and Lattes to enjoy this one.

I received this audiobook through Netgally for early review.

Let me start by saying I loved Legends & Lattes, but Loved Bookshops and Bonedust even more.
I don't want to give too much away, but I'll just say the bookshop owner and Potroast are the best (in my opinion!). It was a fun read and kept you guessing what was going to happen until the very end. I listened to the audiobook, but will also be buying the hard copy when it comes out for my library and myself!
I can't suggest this book enough if you love fantasy and LGBTQ representation! (Which we always need much more of in books, be it fantasy or not!)

This book just made me happy. I empathize with Viv as the main character not knowing how to take a breathe and just relax but this book helped me do just that. This book has the perfect amount of depth in the storylines so that you’re not bored reading it but you’re also not dealing with super high stakes drama. There was just enough of a romance but not too much to make it a story only about romance. It’s the perfect balance.

If you loved Legends & Lattes, read this. If you haven’t read Legends & Lattes, read this and then read L&L. Perfect for cozy fantasy lovers!

Delightful and cozy low stakes fantasy! Perfectly narrated by author Travis Baldree. I enjoyed this look into Viv’s earlier life, and I may have liked this story more than the first!
Really excited to see where this series goes next.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this so much. I actually think I may love this book a little bit more than Legends and Lattes because of the epilogue which was amazing. Viv ends up getting hurt during a job so she needs rest and relaxation so she ends up staying in a cozy, little seaside town. There she discovers a lovely book store owned by a sweet Ratkin with a filthy mouth named Fern, a lovely dwarf baker and a battle ready gnome. The town of Murk is super cute and Viv falling in love with books was everything. Read this as soon as it comes out.

Travis Baldree once again narrated and he is a great narrator.

This is absolutely delightful! I didn't think Legends and Latte's could be topped but Travis Baldree has done it. What could be more appealing and cozy to book lovers than a coffee shop? Why and old bookstore of course! Here we find a young Viv, forced to convalesce in a small town after taking a good bit of damage in one of her early adventures. With little to do she befriends Fern, the owner of an old and failing bookstore, and in the process not only finds for herself the joy of reading and adventuring in other worlds, but also helps her new friend make the bookshop more appealing to the public. Personally, I enjoyed this one even more than the first. It's everything you would expect from a cozy fantasy; humorous banter, a lovable cast of characters, problems to be solved, a bit of romance, some heartwarming scenes, a few high stakes battles, and of course, tea.

I was thrilled to see that Baldree is also the narrator on the audiobook. It definitely added to the experience to hear him read the story and bring all of the characters to life. I would highly recommend doing so if you are able.

Thanks to Netgalley, Pan MacMillian and Macmillan audio for access to an eACR and audiobook in exchange for a fair review.

I loved this book, though not as much as the first one.

Which is a bit confusing because this is the zero-th one, I understand how prequels work just not necessarily the surrounding grammar.

In any case, it was lovely to see where our heroines went in this installment and I am hopeful there will be more, this time sequels because I want to know where they are going and I missed the coffee shop in this book!

The characters are well written and their adventures are interesting and fun to follow, all around it was another good romp in this world, though darker than the last one.

I listened to this on audio and the narrator was (of course) exceptional, he is also the author which I LOVE. If you don't know, Travis was a narrator first and I low key LOVE that he transitioned from narrator to author so seamlessly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Legends & Lattes, so I was excited to read this prequel! It was also good, BUT I will say that I had a harder time staying focused on the story in this book. It moved a lot more slowly than Legends & Lattes, but still was cozy and adventurous and fun.

I absolutely adored Legends & Lattes, but I didn't like Bookshops & Bonedust as much.
I am not a fan of prequels, so seeing Viv young was not something that excited me. I enjoyed the book, but found it a little slow at times. I did not connect to the characters as strongly as I did in the first book.
Overall, a solid read, just not as good as the first, but those are big shoes to fill.

No surprise, I absolutely adored this book!! I was lucky enough to get the audiobook arc through Netgalley and I really loved it. This was another excellent cozy fantasy with a little more of the adventure aspects. I'm really hoping we get more of this series. The epilogue feels like it opened that door.

Fans of Legends and Lattes should read this as soon as they can!

This is a tricky one to review. On one hand, I did enjoy BOOKSHIOPS & BONEDUST and eagerly awaited any story featuring Viv. But is this a book I will reach for over and over again? I'm not quite sure.
I am a massive fan of Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes, which falls later in the timeline to Bookshops & Bonedust, and was thrilled to get an advanced copy to review. It was a delight listening to Travis Baldree read his latest installment in Viv's story, but (for me) so much of the cozy simplicity that made Legends & Lattes sparkle was lost in this prequel. Rather than the cozy, low-stakes fantasy Legends & Lattes established, the plot in Bookshops & Bonedust has much higher stakes, with a couple of big bads casting long shadows over Viv's existence in this small, seaside town. And I think that is what made the narrative feel a bit unbalanced - the cozy bookshop setting, the friendly baker with her incredible-sounding delicacies, and the terrifying necromancer and the violence that surrounds them, ultimately making it hard to sink into the warmth of the lower-stakes storyline Baldree weaves. The writing has also shifted from the easy simplicity we saw in Legends & Lattes to something more overwrought, with longer passages of descriptive narrative which was lovely but tonally much different and bordering on distracting.
I'm still invested in Viv's (hopefully) ongoing epic and very much hope we see more of Viv and the characters we know and love from both Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust again in future books. I know I won't be able to stop myself from sinking into the pages.

A delightful rollick through Viv's adventure days that gives insight into how Viv became the orc we all fell in love with in Legends and Lattes.
In Bookshops & Bonedust, we see Viv through her stay in Murk while she heals after getting injured in battle. While healing in Murk she makes some friends, has a (lite) romance, helps save a bookshop, and has a bit of an adventure (leading her to finding her legendary sword!)

While there was a bit more fighting and action in this book compared to Legends & Lattes, it somehow still felt like a gentle, slice of life fantasy. I'm sure knowing what comes next for Viv because I've read Legends and Lattes comes into that. Travis Baldree has created a wonderful fantasy world to be explored through stories, and his narrating is also fantastic. He is a lively and fun narrator. I enjoy his voices for the characters and his passion and energy come through in his narration. As a lover of both books and coffee, I enjoyed how Legends and Lattes felt like a love letter to coffee, and Bookshops and Bonedust felt like a love letter to stories and the power the right book can have on a person at the right time.

It was wonderful to be back with Viv again, and understand the factors that made her the orc that she is in Legends & Lattes, although I must admit that I missed the crew. This was narrated by the author, who did a fantastic job with all of the characters.

I didn't quite have the same attachment to the characters in this story, mainly because I knew that they'd be transitory in Viv's life. But I did like learning the story behind Black blood and getting to learn the back story of Viv herself.

When injured in a battle, Viv recuperates and spends some time in Murk. While she heals, she makes some friends, has a romantic entanglement, helps to save a struggling bookshop, and gets into some trouble. But the pace of this book is nice and easy, making this the perfect, fluffy, cozy fantasy to read in between heavier books.

A huge thanks to Macmillan Audio and Travis Baldree for gracing me with the audiobook ARC of Bookshops & Bonedust in exchange for an honest review.

Bookshops & Bonedust gives the exact same feel as Legends & Lattes, with less on the romance and more on the adventure. It just feels like a cozy fall afternoon read, with relatively low stakes and high fun. If you loved Legends & Lattes, you will love this too. It was so great to be back with Viv, this time before she settles down to create her wildly successful coffee shop.

If L&L is about the impact a cup of coffee has on being able to bring people together and forge community, Bookshops & Bonedust felt like a love letter to reading and the magic of getting lost in a story. I loved every part of the journey of fixing up the bookstore and Viv getting lost in the book recommendations.

Because I'm a romance reader, I thought the story between Viv and Maylee was a little light. I wanted MORE. It was sweet, but it almost felt like an afterthought, and I hated the goodbye. :( I also understand why Travis wanted to narrate his own book, and I think he is a great narrator; however, I would have preferred the story to be narrated by a woman, as this is a story about a female's perspective.

Overall, if you loved the first you'll love the prequel. Lovely afternoon read.