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 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.

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)

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!