Oh, my bookish friends, let me tell you, this one's an absolute treat! Travis Baldree's narration (yes, you heard that right) takes the characters to a whole new level of awesomeness. Cozy vibes of friendship, family, and bookstores, are all packed into this delightful prequel to Legends and Lattes. And guess what? I'm secretly glad I haven't read the latter yet!

Follow Viv on this quirky adventure, but hold on tight, because her character arc isn't reaching its final destination just yet, and that might give you a bit of a rollercoaster ride in the relationship department. But let me assure you, I was totally invested and adored the entire cast of characters. It's all about youth and big dreams, and boy, does it take you back to that nostalgic spot in your own life!

And hey, brace yourselves, because the world-building here is more surprising than a secret book stash in your grandma's attic. It leans harder into the fantasy realm than you might expect, but don't worry, it's an enchanting shift that I embraced with open arms.

Now, let's talk about the audio, my dear audiobook enthusiasts. It's an absolute delight to follow along and trust me, you'll be thoroughly engaged and invested. The narration is like a warm hug on a rainy day—easy to get into and brings those characters and their magical story to life.

So, in a nutshell, this book is like a steaming cup of cocoa, cuddled up with your favorite bookish blanket, and losing yourself in a world of enchantment and heartwarming moments. Take the plunge and get ready for an adventure that will leave you smiling and longing for more!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Viv has just landed herself in a quaint little town after being injured during her latest mercenary job. As a very large orc, she stands out in a crowd...literally. Despite being a stranger, this small town takes her in and makes her temporary home a haven... except maybe for the necromancer that's still on the loose out there somewhere. Will Viv ever get better, will she get her target, and maybe most importantly, will she find love?

Baldree's Legends & Lattes was a favorite of mine last year, so I was stoked to get my hands on this. It did not disappoint! Fun, funny, poignant, and emotional, plus add in Baldree's fantastic writing (and narrating!), and you have the recipe for the perfect story. This was a charming and fast read, filled with all the best things that books can be. I will read every Baldree book he releases! 4.5 rounded up to a 5.

This has all the cozy fantasy feels. As the reader, you’ll get the adventure, the humor and new found friendships within this read. You are introduced to Viv, who finds herself defending those she grows to care about while still sorting out her path in life. The end will spoil Legends & Lattes a bit for you but it is a rather sweet ending.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC.

4 out of 5 Stars

It wasn't as good as Legends and Lattes but was still a really enjoyable read and very cozy.

4.5./5

Travis Baldree really has cracked the formula for a cozy read. Set long before "Legends and Lattes," this prequel offers a glimpse into a brief chapter of Viv's life. After suffering a terrible injury, she is ordered to recover in the small town of Murk. To pass the time, she takes up reading under the tutelage of a small rodent bookseller called Fern. She is soon enveloped in the town's community and encounters a delightful cast of characters very much reminiscent of LL. She even develops a small crush on a goblin. Her routine is disturbed by the arrival (and subsequent death) of a suspicious man, and joins forces with her new friends to solve the mystery. The book ends with a touching epilogue set a few years after LL, hinting at a new story to come. I found "Bookshops & Bonedust" to be just as good as LL. The elements are the same (albeit with slightly higher stakes) and especially celebrates the joy of reading. There was some hilarious dialogue (I loved Viv's first experience reading a steamy romance) and some cute nods to the book world (author visits, blind-date-with-a-book displays). I also respect a man who knows pacing and when to end a story. This was a very quick read and felt appropriate given the genre. It was a treat listening to this on audio knowing Baldree is a professional audiobook narrator. It felt like I was absorbing the story exactly how he intended it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this audio ARC!

First and foremost I must say that Travis Baldree is a fantastic narrator. I thoroughly enjoyed the cadence of his voice and he gave the characters such great voices. I would highly recommend audio as a format for this book.

Many people who have rated this book 3 stars have called it a disappointment, whereas I disagree. This book is slightly less cozy than Baldree's previous book, Legends and Lattes, as the stakes are higher. The scene of the bookshop really worked well for me, and I grew to love Fern. I think this atmosphere felt warmer and fuller than the coffee shop in L&L. The plot, however, was a bit darker, with a necromancer involved. I find it interesting that the plot of L&L bored me because there wasn't enough, but the plot in B&B bothered me because it was too much - I wanted more bookshop. I also struggled with this being a prequel, knowing that most of these characters were left behind before I even started the book.

This book is written well, and I felt warm and cozy reading it. I do understand the appeal, I am just not fully enamoured with this world like others are. If you liked L&L, you will likely like this one just as much.

I absolutely loved getting a little backstory of Vic and a piece of her life before Legends & Lattes. But what sealed it for was the fantastic epilogue!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Travis narrate this book. He did a fantastic giving voice to his characters. I seriously just wanted to go hang out with Fern at her bookstore.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for a copy of this audiobook. This is my honest voluntary review.

You know what you’re getting into with another cozy fantasy from Travis Baldree. I recommend reading Legends & Lattes prior to this prequel because the epilogue has spoilers for L&L. The eARC I received was the audiobook, which I was excited to learn is narrated by Baldree himself. I love when authors are talented enough to narrate their own books and do it well.

These books aren’t necessarily must-reads, but they really are fun, relaxing palette cleansers with lovable characters and proverbial “low stakes” fantasy elements. Viv is still in her mercenary days in this story, albeit sidelined by an injury. The story is similar to L&L in terms of friendship- and business-building, but by no means is it a copy and paste.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the eARC; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Just as charming as Legends and Lattes! I am not sure what there is about a cozy fantasy, it just puts me in a good mood while I am listening to it or reading it.
I was fortunate enough to revive an ARC of the audio version and as Travis Baldree is the narrator it is of course read in just the way it is intended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

All the feels of Legends & Lattes! Heartfelt and fun adventures, found family, real and funny characters. An autobuy author for me.

What a warm hug of feel good this was! We're treated to all of the cozy vibes of friendship, family, and bookstores. Now this is the prequel to Legends and Lattes and I'm almost glad I haven't read that one yet? Following Viv, it's clear based on L&Ls blurb that this isn't the final destination in her character arc so sometimes it can be a bit disjointed when it comes to being invested in character relationships.

With that being said, I was invested and loved the entire cast of characters. and a heartwarming plot. Themes of youth and having big dreams played a role in this and it brings you right back to that spot in your own life. The world building was almost surprisingly more than I expected and leaned harder into the fantasy aspects than I was anticipating. It wasn't a bad thing, I just had to shift what I had expected the book to be a bit.

The audio of this was an absolute delight to follow along with and kept me thoroughly engaged and invested. The narration was easy to get into and brought the characters and story to life.

I absolutely loved this prequel to Legends and Lattes (but definitely read Legends first). It was everything I hoped for and more after I heard the title.

This story stars Viv at the beginning of her career. we get to know her when she was a little more brash, a lot less worldly, and see how she became the person she grew to be (well, at least a little).

The overarching story was entertaining and kept me captivated. But, it was the setting and the characters that really made this special. They were extremely loveable…who doesn’t want to read about a Griffin named Potluck?

This is a hug in a book, something I know I will read and reread, and imho was a gift to all the book nerds out there who ever dreamed of working in a bookshop.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an arc of this audiobook. I apologize if misspelled any names or locations, I read this via the audio narration. Thanks to the author for a spectacular job bringing his characters to life via the audio. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
I enjoyed the first book about building a coffee shop community. In this second/prequel, we encounter a bookshop community. Viv is recovering from an injury in the small town of Murk where a whole new world opens for her with books and the cast of characters at the bookshop. It will be interesting to see if there’s more crossover when book #2 is released!
*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this advance audiobook copy for review

If Travis Baldree writes it, I am ONE THOUSAND percent going to read it! If he narrates it, it's basically a given that it's on my shelf.

Bookshops & Bonedust is the prequel to Baldree's beloved novel, Legends and Lattes. Readers are transported into Viv's mindset, a saber killer who has recently had a setback and needs to hangout in beach town Murk. Not only is this town the opposite of what Viv is used to, she's also sidelined by a devastating leg injury. What else can she do but walk the city and come friends with the owner of a bookstore, spending hours reading books she wouldn't have imagined doing so. Adventure is out there for Viv to take, she just doesn't realize it yet.

Listening to Bookshops & Bonedust immediately made me want to pick up and relisten to Legends and Lattes. Baldree's narrations allow the author to vividly put themselves in the world he writes and feel like they are on a journey alongside the characters. I adored the little town of Murk and all of the creatures that Viv ran into, especially with Baldree's accents for them. Cozy fantasy lovers will LOVE this prequel and others looking for a nice read beside the fire will as well!

Bookshops & Bonedust is a low stakes high fantasy novel, with the vibes of a gay book-loving nervous-beginner's Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The characters are vivid and easy to get to know. The setting is descriptive, yet not overbearing. The plot is entertaining, as well as heartwarming. It serves wonderfully as a precursor to Legends and Lattes, and will satisfy and cozy fantasy fan.
I was once again impressed with Travis narrating his own work. When the author voices their characters in an audiobook, listeners are guaranteed that the dialogue and characterization is presented as the author intended, giving the story an added authenticity. His voice fits in perfectly with the fantasy setting, and made for an enjoyable read.

This book is a prequel to Legends and Lattes not a sequel. I was a bit confused at first!

That being said I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to see a younger Viv and I loved the bookshop setting.

I am sold on this universe and will read anything Trevor writes. I do want to know what happens to Viv and to coffee shop though! Maybe the next book?!?

While I did really enjoy this one, I liked the first one a little better, so I had to give it a 4 as I gave the first one 4.5.
We got the same cozy vibes as the first book, which I just really loved. We also get a bookstore in this one, which I know so many people will love. The new characters are fun. It was great to see Viv forced to interact on a cozier level that she is used to while she heals, and how that leads into her personality in Legends & Lattes.
The cozy vibes flowed through most of the book, but we did get a few actions scenes which broke up that flow nicely. I was a little bit more invested in the first one, I'm not sure if it was just the immediate decision to run a coffee shop and that just caught my attention, but my interest lacked just a tiny bit from the first one. Maybe it was because I knew Viv would be leaving at the end, but the epilogue was cute and tied the two together.
The author narrated this audiobook and he did a fantastic job. His voice is right for this kind of cozy fantasy world and I was here for it.
Even though this book doesn't come out for another 4 months, I already want more books in this cozy world!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the free ALC in exchange for my honest review. I really ebhoyed this cozy prequel to legends and lattes i loved the narrations the story was soo goood. Only small complaont is parts of it felt a bit repetitive but still enjoyable. I look forward to more books in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing, Macmillan Audio, and Travis Baldree for allowing me to review the audiobook for Bookshops and Bonedust!

If you love cozy fantasies then this book is the one for you! Viv is an orc wounded while hunting for a necromancer with a band of mercenaries where she is forced to heal in a seaside town of Murk. With her downtime she finds a bookshop to occupy her time. She meets a bunch of unique characters included a dwarf and a funky skeleton!

The narration was done by Travis Baldree! He made every character stand out in their own way and I could easily tell them apart. Even when excerpts from the books inside the story were told they were fun!

I can't recommend enough if you loved Legends and Lattes and comforting reads then snag this when it comes out!

Thanks to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the advanced readers audio copy!

This book follows Viv's story before we meet her in Legends and Lattes. After an injury sidelines her and forces her to take a load off, she starts helping out at a bookstore in Murk. Its her first taste of a low stakes and cozy life. There is some intrigue throughout the book but it's still overall a cozy blanket of a book. If you liked the first one this will definitely be enjoyable for you!