This books was amazing. I can say I love it just as much as I love Legends & Lattes! So if you are looking for a comfort read, this is the book for you! This charming, heartwarming and wholesome story had my little black heart skipping beats with delight.

Viv is one of my all time favorite characters and I loved reading her story pre Legends & Lattes. This is on my top ten of 2023 and can't wait to see that Travis Baldree writes next. Whatever it is, this world, new world, I'm here for it!

The audio version of this magical and cozy story is narrated by the author and it's absolutely fantastic! Can't recommend it enough.

Having (surprisingly) liked Legends & Lattes, I looked forward to listening to Bookshops & Bonedust and enjoyed it more than the first novel.

This is a prequel to L & L and features Viv, an orc, as she recovers from a battle injury. While recuperating in a little beach town, she befriends several local merchants, including the 'colorful' owner of a bookstore. As she spends time in the bookshop, Viv suggests small changes to make it more comfortable for her which, of course, makes it more inviting for other customers. It was fun to read about the implementation of things that we take for granted in great bookstores (comfortable seating, book recommendations, blind date with a book, etc.).

Since I'm not a fantasy reader, my mind skimmed over the sections about the conflicts Viv was battling (which is primarily where the Bonedust details appear). I also focused on the personalities of the characters rather than envisioning the types of fantastical beings they were.

I'm not a coffee drinker so I felt several steps removed from the central theme of Legends & Lattes, but I love bookshops with all my heart so I felt more connected to the plot of Bookshops & Bonedust. I highly recommend listening to these titles as they are narrated by the author, a professional audiobook narrator.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for access to the audiobook. I'm eager to learn if there will be more novels in this series.

The audio narration was fantastic, just as in Legends and Lattes. We still had the cozy, low stakes atmosphere and I enjoyed listening to the book in the back ground of my daily chores.

I LOVE TRAVIS BALDREE and his writing style, his story building, and his characters.
My mom and I were able to go to a local author talk with him and he was a delight. As a note for the audiobook - the author (who is also the narrator) sounds the very same when he is reading his book in front of an audience as he does when reading for the audiobook. The power of having a professional audiobook narrator turned author is palpable.
So it is safe to say that I have also bought a physical copy of the title. This was also my bookclub's pick in November so getting to compare our notes between this title & Legends and Lattes was a joy.

If you love fantasy but want something with less stakes and less political intrigue this is your book. If you are new to fantasy but liked the Dungeons and Dragons movie this is also your book. If you love Becky Chambers and her character driven sci-fi titles then this is the fantasy novel for you. I'm in love with this book & good news, Baldree said he is contracted for two or three more titles with TOR! (I can't remember if B&B counts as one of the titles or not)

I absolutely adored this book! I loved the first one and obviously couldn’t wait for this once it was announced!

Thank you, Travis Baldree, for the cozy sapphic fantasy stories that my younger self would have gobbled right up, (much like 31 year old me has)


Can’t wait for the next one!

Unfortunately I could not get into the story in this one. I can’t quite tell what the me off it but I was unable to finish the book. I won’t be doing a review given this is just personal preferences on my part and not about the author or his writing. Thank you for the opportunity!

I absolutely adored Legends & Lattes, so I was very excited when I was approved for this audio arc. Especially with Travis Baldree doing his own narration!

While Bookshops & Bonedust was a fun time, I did not enjoy it as much as the first book. There were some very interesting characters, but since I knew Viv was leaving I did not have as much a connection as I originally hoped. The conflict fell a bit short for me and felt slightly forced at times. I did really enjoy one of the side characters and I hope we see them again in the future.

The author did a good setting up for the next book... so maybe a trilogy?

Travis Baldree is a brilliant audiobook narrator and I would highly recommend the experience!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

When Viv is injured in battle, she has to convalesce in a small town that appears tranquil and…boring. She stumbles upon a dusty old book shop, and does not expect the owner’s knack for suggesting the kinds of stories Viv can’t put down. Getting to know the people in the town gives Viv a different perspective on what a fulfilling life could look like, and raises the stakes when trouble comes into town.

I loved that we could see the seeds being planted for the Viv we meet in Legends and Lattes. It has the same cozy and warm vibes, a great ensemble cast of characters, and just enough action to keep you wanting more. Add in characters discovering a love for reading, and a little book shop given new life? It’s a hug in book form, and I truly enjoyed every minute of it! Expertly narrated by Travis Baldree himself, the audiobook is immersive and unputdownable, and I hope to enter Viv's world again soon.

I would love to play a game of D&D with Travis Baldree as the DM!

I loved this book more than the first! It gave the backstory and also showed that Baldree can deliver with action scenes while still being cozy!

On top of that, he’s just as good of a narrator as he is a writer!

This was a delightful audiobook. Travis Baldree did an excellent job giving the characters distinct voices without any sounding cartoonish or over the top (though one did make me think of TOS Chekov). I loved sweary little Fern who is so different from Thimble. The little snippets of books that Viv reads were fantastic; there's a part of me that would like to see one or two of them explored further. I definitely recommend the audiobook and I've already bought a hard copy for my bookshelves.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I was a big fan of Legends & Lattes so I was thrilled to receive this review copy for the audiobook. I’ve heard so many good things about Travis Baldree as a narrator and got to meet him this year as well so it was time for me to finally try something he’s narrated. And what better than his own book?

While it felt a little overdramatic at the very beginning, I later realized that this actually fit the story really well in contrasts to the rest of the book and his narration. I really enjoyed his performance and definitely want to listen to more of his audiobooks because this was such a great experience.

The story itself was really fun and had me captivated. I enjoyed the mix of cozy plus action and really liked most of the characters. He included some awesome details about the books that starred within the story and I loved getting to know Viv more closely through this.

4.5
Travis Baldree returns with a prequel to see how Viv starts her mercenary career:

Viv is on one of her first quests with Rackam's Ravens and she is wanting more than anything to prove herself but things dont quite go as planned. Forging ahead of the team, leaves Viv severely wounded and forced to take rest in a sleepy sea side town of Murk. What' a mercenary to do with so much down time, well explore the town, befriend a bookshop owner and she'll soon realize that adventure is still not too far away.

You could read these books in any order as Legends and Lattes came out first and this is Viv's prequel and other the Epilogue there is nothing that would ruin Legend and Lattes if you decide to read this book first. I enjoyed getting to know Viv more in this book and see her as she was just starting out with Rackem's Ravens and her earnestness to impress. She is young and full of life and just wanting to have a sword in her arm at all times. You just get to see what a good person (Orc) that Viv is.

The thing that I realized about this book is that Viv does not need the stone in Legends and Lattes she is just a good person who draws other good people in. It makes me wonder if she lost that somewhere along the way or she just didn’t have confidence in herself in regards to it.

As much as I love Viv all the side characters are great as well, full of personality and even growth in the book as well. I think that every reader would love to visit or own Fern's bookshop.

I love that this series fits within the cute cozy mystery/fantasy read with a medieval feel to it. The storyline and world is easy to follow and just all around fun read. I enjoy all the characters and creativity that Baldree has with the type of characters in the book.

I hope that Baldree either creates more stories surround Viv or even just creates more stories in this world. I really do love it.

Enjoy!!!!!

I did not finish listening to this audiobook, but I did get a little over halfway through it. I loved the cozy bookshop vibes and atmosphere of this book, but the story pacing felt slower than I was expecting.

After reading Bookshops & Bonedust, Travis Baldree is cemented as my favorite cozy fantasy author. I fell in love (or fell in love again, in the case of Viv) with each character in this novel from start to finish, and grew attached to the story and the world in a way that I hadn’t after finishing Legends & Lattes. This prequel adds an amazing layer to Viv’s story that I believe readers are going to love.

I would first like to thank the lovely people at Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book. I loved Legends and Lattes when I read it earlier this year and when I heard about and subsequently approved for Bookshops and Bonedust, I was over the moon.

I enjoyed the backstory of Viv and all of the adventures that she went through before opening up her coffee shop. As a book lover myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the bookshop scenery. The scene where she is reading her first spicy book and when Fern watched Viv read the book seemingly knowing each time she reached a rather spicy scene, made me giggle. That in itself is why I love this book so much. It makes me smile and to be perfectly honest, the vibes are just immaculate. It is a slice-of-life story, so it does lull a bit in the middle, but I don't mind that at all. The ending was particularly lovely, it was bittersweet. I hope Travis writes another book about Viv because frankly, I can't get enough.

This world is now apart of my comfort books that I know I can come back to again and unwind in. I love Viv and think her character is hilarious. It was especially cool to see her adventure before Legends and Lattes. It just gave a whole knew insight into Viv's mind and why she behaves the way she does. Fell in love with all the characters and hope we get to see some in future books. This one is more action forward, so if that was something you were missing in the previous book, you are sure to enjoy this one. Overall, I will always love a cozy fantasy that I can just dive into and have a good time.

Another exceptional cozy fantasy by Baldree that I could not put down. I felt so emotionally connected to these adorable fictional characters. This story was truly a perfect escape, and I loved my time with the younger Viv. I think most people who loved Legends & Latte's will go strongly to one side being they either loved one or the other more. For me, I still loved L&L more because of the high stakes BUT that doesnt mean I didnt love my time with little Viv and her adventures! I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a cozy fantasy world of coffee and bookshops to get lost in.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an alc! The narrator knocked this out of the park and it was my preferred reading method!

This was a super cute cozy fantasy! Bookshops & Bonedust is the prequel to Legends & Lattes, which is still on my TBR 😬 But it was definitely still enjoyable without having read L&L!

I really loved getting to know all of the characters and seeing their relationships grow and develop. Pot roast was the star of the show though 😁 Story-wise, we all love a good book about books! I loved how Viv and Fern were able to work together to spread the joy of books to the small town of Murk.

I would definitely recommend Bookshops & Bonedust to folks looking for a fun little cozy read. I enjoyed the audiobook, but did struggle a little bit listening to it on a car ride, since the narrator’s voice was a little too soothing, I maaaaay have dozed off a little at one point 😅 (I was not driving!!)

While I think that many will resonate with this story and will recommend it, I found the story ultimately a bit lackluster when compared to it's sequel. Bookshops and Bonedust just did not quite capture the same magic as Legends and Lattes.