This was a perfect listen for a cold, wintery day with a warm cup of coffee and a cozy video game to play - that's just Travis Baldree's vibe! I LOVED Legends and Lattes for this reason, and had high expectations of something similar with Bookshops and Bonedust. His narration is truly enthralling and brilliantly immersive. I loved the prequel idea of this book, getting to learn more about how our loves of L&L came to be, but I think it still missed the mark on being the new favorite of the two.

The one stronger criticism I had of L&L was it's lack of climax - the pinnacle conflict of the story was so easily defeated and, if you had more "plot-driven" expectations, this could prove unsatisfactory. I think B&B corrected this, but I'm not sure it was in a more savory way for my tastes. As a non-fantasy reader, I find it challenging sometimes to delve headfirst into complicated worlds with non-human characters, names, and story arcs - it's not the most accessible reading for the less creative-brained peeps. I struggled to follow the storylines and character dynamics of this read. Although it got a bit of an eyeroll at first, I came to appreciate the lack of plot of L&L. B&B was ultimately not better than it's sister book, but I'll definitely still pick up another if Baldree graces us with it.

3.5 stars from me.

Bookshops and Bonedust is a brilliant prequel! I loved the focus on Viv and her journey as she falls in love with reading. The plot was well paced, and this is just as cozy as I was anticipating.

There's something inherently magical about books about bookshops. When Orc Viv is injured in battle while pursuing a powerful necromancer and left in the backwater town of Murk to recover, she is restless and grumpy. While exploring the town, she stumbles upon a rundown bookshop run by a rattkin named Fern.
Fern, as any good bookshop owner/librarian does, found a book perfectly suited to Viv. As Viv discovers the joy of reading, she decides to make herself useful by helping to spruce the store up.

Viv's peaceful recuperation is not to last, however, as soon a body turns up along with a mysterious satchel of bones. It seems the necromancer's reach may be further than anticipated. This book is filled with wonderful characters, adventure, and a good mystery. Travis Baldree reads his own work and captures the joy that is present on every page. This is a wonderful story that will leave you sighing with contentment.

I received a copy of this book from the pubisher

Travis Baldree is one of the best in the game. This will forever be a comfort series for me. Congrats on another amazing release!

Bookshops & Bonedust
by Travis Baldree
Narrated by Travis Baldree

I’m a huge fan of Travis Baldtree’s writing and this one was even better than the first! I loved the audio narration as well - great voice acting that really made the characters come alive!

I loved the narration of this prequel. It was so lovely getting to see the events leading up to book 1. Such a cozy winter read.

Bookshops & Bonedust is a prequel that takes place 20 years before Legends & Lattes. In this book, we meet a much younger Viv who has just started her career as an adventurer. Her career gets waylaid (and potentially derailed) by an injury, and she's left behind in a small seaside village to recover. As Viv regains her strength and starts to move around town, we get to know the town and its inhabitants along with her. I fell in love with the place.

Like Legends & Lattes, this cozy, low-stakes fantasy pulled me in right from the very beginning. I love the great circle of friends Viv gathered around her in this book. That "found family," and a bit of mystery and romance kept me engaged: I literally could not put this book down once I started. It's a fun, feel-good story that not only put a smile on my face, but also brought a tear or two to my eyes. It's another fantastic story by a fantastic author and narrator. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

Travis Baldree's narration is excellent as always. He gives each character a distinct and easily recognized voice and personality. His narration really brought this story and its characters to life.

First of all, the audio book was fantastic. If you loved Legends and Lattes, I think this is a great companion to that story/world. To me, it felt similar in tone to the first book. The main character is Viv, from Legends, but she's much younger without much of the experience that makes her Viv, in Legends but I'd say her core character is the same. This is the story of how Viv, a mercenary orc by trade, developed her love of books that we see in Legends.

This is cozy due to Viv being left behind to heal up in a small town where there is little to do that is entertaining for a mercenary Orc who is itching to get back out there and make a name for herself. So, to keep herself busy, and from going mad, she visits some of the few shops, tries to make amends for some mishaps, makes some friends, uncovers a kind of mystery plot, a magical book, and discovers her love of reading.

Baldtree is a great author who creates an imaginative world with weight to it.

This was my first experience with a cozy fantasy book. I was not familiar with the earlier book in the series by the author. I found it to be an easy and enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed the friendship between Viv and Fern. I liked how Fern got Viv interested in reading. We all need a friend like that, Viv has a difficult time relaxing enough to recover from her wound she received when trying to defeat the wizard. Through her friendship with Fern and Maylee she finds a new side of herself and a little romance. Overall I found it interesting and might have discovered a new genre I can enjoy.

This was a fun story! It took a bit for me to get into it, as I found it a little slow moving, but the narrator was pleasant to listen to so I was eager to turn it back on during my daily commutes. The characters were unique and multi-dimensional. I loved the bookshop's transformation as it paralleled Viv's. I'm excited to read the next book, Legends and Lattes to see where Viv and her friends ended up.

Fans of Travis Baldree's delightful debut, LEGENDS AND LATTES, will find more to love in this equally-charming prequel, which does a wonderful job with balancing fantasy domesticity and adventure. This was one of my most-anticipated books of the year, and it definitely didn't disappoint; we acquired some extremely charming new characters (Fern and Satchel especially!), got to hang out in a sleepy seaside town, and had some adventures along the way. I do wish that some of the side characters had felt just a little more developed, and I felt like any real sense of suspense or uncertainty as to how the plot would turn out was deflated a bit by the fact that the book was a prequel, but they were overall pretty minor concerns, and I had a wonderful time reading.

I read this partially via a physical copy I bought, and partially via an advance listening copy of the audio version. If you're an audiobook person, I definitely recommend picking up that version; it's narrated by the author himself, who does a wonderful job!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. This is not really the type of story I usually go for. I liked it though. The character building was pretty great.

2.5 stars.
Honestly, pretty mediocre.
The first book he wrote was so stellar that he beat the odds by only writing something mid instead of terrible.

I enjoyed this prequel a lot. While I didn't get the same cozy feel from the first book, I grew attached to the characters, especially Fern the bookshop owner, Gallina, and little Potroast. I found I couldn't get invested in Viv's relationship with Maylee though because I knew it wouldn't last.
Fern picking out books for Viv was probably the funniest part though, because you never knew what she would pick next, or what Viv would think of it. Especially when they had the author visit.

✨Book Thoughts✨
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

I was so excited for this prequel to Legends and Lattes! I received the audiobook version from Net Galley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review. I honestly couldn’t get into the audiobook. I didn’t really love the narration and DNF it at 66% through my listening. I wasn’t getting the same cozy vibes I got from Legends and Lattes. I thought the bookshops, pastries, and Viv would be enough but I couldn’t get into it. I guess I’m more of a coffee shop girl (jk I’m totally a bookshop girl but when it comes to Baldree I like coffee more). I do believe I will give the book a chance but the audiobook wasn’t for me.

I absolutely L O V E D listening to the audio for this book! Just like Legends and Lattes, we're taken on a journey in a cozy fantasy setting. The low stakes vibes fill me with warm and cozies, and the way Bookshops & Bonedust was narrated made it even better!

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree was delightful! I loved listening to the author read aloud the world he had created! Sometimes you want a fantasy you can sink into and this one delivers!

Could this be any more perfect? Not likely! Baldree makes my whole heart feel cozy with Bookshops & Bonedust and I cannot wait to read more from this universe.

5/5 Stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with access to this audio-arc.

I quite enjoyed the audiobook of this book. Usually, if I’m listening to a book and the narration is not good, I will not be able to enjoy the storyline. However, the narrator, Travis Baldree, who is also the author of the book, did an amazing job narrating the story. Both the story and its narration kept my interest, and I will definitely be picking up the book to read.

Thank you to the publisher here on NetGalley for the copy of the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I adore this series and the introduction into cozy fantasy . Theres a little bit of action and romance while keeping it fun, light, and low stakes . Perfect for if you dont want a traditional fantasy book with a lot of world building and large cast . Sequels can be difficult to live up to the first book but I found this was just as good as the first, and carried on the story really well, while offering a fresh new take on the continuation of the story.