Baldree just keeps getting better and better!

Bookshops & Bonedust follows our favorite orc Viv in the early days of her mercenary career, when she's dropped off in the small town of Murk to recover from an injury. But Murk isn't so sleepy once Viv comes to town. There's a bookstore in desperate need of revival owned by a foul-mouthed Ratkin; a bakery to put Thimble to shame (gasp!); a familiar gnome with something to prove; and traces of a necromancer Viv's company was hunting down...

If Legends & Lattes tickled your fancy at all, you'll love Bookshops & Bonedust!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

This was a sweet prequel to the highly entertaining "Legends & Lattes". Vivian, our orc protagonist, has been temporarily sidelined with an injury from her over-enthusiastic work as a mercenary. While recuperating in a small seaside town, she befriends a few of the locals, in particular a ratkin bookstore owner who opens her eyes to the joys of reading. Viv also learns that she can get great enjoyment out of helping others, even without the use of her combat skills. This one does have a little bit more violence than the previous book, but most of this book is spent in Viv learning how to enjoy the non-violent moments in life. And books. And "moist" books.

We can only hope that the author will be able to give us more books in this world that they've created..

At first glance, Bookshops & Bonedust looks like more of the (admittedly excellent) same - Liv, flush with cash from bounty hunting, puts her effort into a small business. There's a taciturn craftsman, a passionate woman who works with Liv, and tasty treats (note: if the cinnamon buns get a recipe in the paperback I will happily make them for anyone who wants, as an excuse to eat them myself). Delving deeper, though, brings a love letter to books and those who sell them, am ambitious adventure plot, and a Liv just starting to find her feet as a mercenary. Fern, the foulmouthed ratkin bookseller, is a glorious creation and my runaway favorite of the series. If the sequel brings Fern to Liv's coffee shop I'll buy it in every edition made. Liv's romance with Maylee feels sweet without undermining Liv's relationship with Tandri. There is more action here than in the first book, with a necromancer threat that is menacing but not overwhelming. I'm sure I'll see this title on award lists next year, and it's destined to be as big a seller as the first (but especially if the recipe is included [I'll buy three]).

A cozy prequel of sorts that shows us the start of Viv's journey from an intense and headstrong young warrior to the more battle weary person reader came to know and love in Legends and Lattes. With strong characters (shoutouts to Fern), a compelling story that somehow manages to be both very chill and also very tense and upsetting at times, this book is a must for people who loved the first book and wanted more opportunities to explore the wonderful fantasy world that Baldree has successfully created here.

Well worth a read for anyone interested in cozy romance or low stakes fantasy worlds, and it is probably best to read Legends and Lattes before starting Bookshops and Bonedust, though it certainly isn't required.

Overall I enjoyed this book quite a bit! I love a cozy fantasy and Bookshops & Bonedust was most certainly that! I thought the epilogue was fantastic and tied all of the characters together in a lovely way. I will say this one dragged on a bit for me. It wasn’t as easy of a read as Legends & Lattes, but it was still a good time.

This book was a treasure. There’s not much more to say. There is actually, but I can’t say all of it. I love Viv and I loved reading the adventure that put her on the path to become who we know her to be in Legends & Lattes. Truly a treat to read.
I can't wait to share this with my fantasy reader patrons

Thank you to Tor Books for providing me with an ARC.

Bottom line, if you liked Legends & Lattes, you’ll like Bookshops & Bonedust. I loved getting a Viv prequel and can absolutely see a sequel on the way…. This book had me feeling warm, fuzzy, cozy and loved. I can’t wait to see what else Travis comes up with!

The cozy fantasy is back! This time, we get a prequel to Legends & Lattes.
Viv is sidelined in Murk with an injury while still in her sword fighting, battling days. As she heals, she finds unexpected solace in a bookstore and its owner, Fern, who starts recommending books to Viv, who never imagined the power of reading and healing working together. With this side journey, comes new friendships and some familiar faces from the first novel, as well as a bit of adventure when an old foe makes their way to the village.
This is great for fans of fantasy and those new to the genre, when you’re in need of a feel-good read.
Thank you to Tor Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This comes out 11/7!

The coziest most wonderful slice of life book 😍😍

I'm also obsessed with Pot Roast.

I adored Legends and lattes and so I was a little bit apprehensive about how this prequel was going to match up but it was exceptional. I also really appreciated the perspective it gave because one thing that I struggled with with Legends and lattes was that I genuinely believed it would have been better as a QPR. I really read Viv as arospec and while that is important I think that this prequel clears more things up and leaves me more satisfied with the ending of Legends and lattes. It becomes more clear that Viv has just been through some shit and wasn't quite ready to embrace or acknowledge her romantic attraction and I needed to see that.

So if you have already read Legends and lattes I highly recommend that you will also pick this one up. The narration is wonderful it's read by the author just as the first is and enjoy this coziest of cozy books. Also there's a dog / Griffin/pug pet character named Pot Roast and I would die for Pot Roast.

I absolutely adored this book. If you are looking for a cozy fantasy, complete with fantastic character development, phenomenal worldbuilding, and low stakes adventure, this book is for you. Travis Baldree is a master at giving each character their own little story, their own little quirks, and their own little personality. I felt like I knew every single one of them personally and I loved them like they were my own friends. This is the perfect book to read on a rainy day, curled up with your favorite pet and your favorite warm beverage.

The only reason I gave this one four stars instead of five is because I loved Legends and Lattes even more than this one. I was a little sad that this went backward instead of foreword. I cannot wait to see what comes next though.

Viv is new to fighting with Rackham’s Ravens and eager to prove herself hunting for a necromancer, which makes her too eager to blaze ahead. Fortunately her injury isn’t life-threatening, but she is forced to convalesce in the sleepy seaside town of Murk. With nothing better to do she hobbles into town and stumbles into a bookstore owned by Fern.

In a shocking turn of events (for Viv), she discovers her love of reading while falling in love with the town’s baker, and making friends a friend feisty gnome. But the tow isn’t as sleepy as t seems, and a grey-cloaked stranger brings death with him, and his boss won’t be far behind.

This prequel to Legends & Lattes was a fun and sweet read of kind strangers, first love, and adventure.

Getting more of Liv and back into a DnD adjacent world curtesy of Balder was phenomenal. His first book in this world was a delight and his second absolutely delivers. I will continue to pick up his books and I can't wait for more!

This book felt like a comforting return to a world I already adored, with a twist of youthful excitement and the intrigue of first encounters. In this charming prequel to Legends & Lattes, we meet a younger, more impulsive Viv, and her battle-hungry personality felt like an unexpected but delightful revelation. Wounded and restless, her forced retreat to Murk reveals a side of her we never quite saw before.

One aspect I truly loved was the juxtaposition between Viv's intense nature and the languid, sleepy town of Murk. It brought a fresh dynamism to the narrative, one that kept me engaged and eager to follow her every step. Although the stakes felt lower, knowing Viv's future path, the relationships she forms, and the connections she makes were still deeply rewarding to witness. The awkward and adorable dating with Maylee was a highlight for me. The new characters were so fun (ever see a ratkin curse before? Gosh I love her pottymouth).

The bookshop element was a bibliophile's dream, adding texture and a literary flavor that resonated with me. It served as both a refuge for Viv and a catalyst for growth, blending seamlessly with the unfolding adventure. Plus, when's the last time you read about a fantasy bookstore?

What strikes me most is the author's ability to balance fun with depth, adventure with introspection. Viv's journey from a wounded warrior to someone who starts to see life beyond battles is both inspiring and engaging. This book is a lovingly crafted tale of self-discovery, unexpected friendships, and the joy of finding treasures in the most unlikely places. Whether it's a dusty tome in a beleaguered bookshop or a moment of genuine connection in a faraway town, Baldree's story reminds us that sometimes what we need is not what we seek, but what we find along the way.

A read that's as refreshing as it is profound, Bookshops & Bonedust has easily become one of my favorites of the year, and I suspect it might enchant you just as it has me.

Plus - the EPILOGUE!!! We get a mini-sequel to Legends and Lattes that made my heart flutter!!!

I quite enjoyed this! It hewed a bit closer to the original in spirit and action then I think I would have preferred but I completely adored the seaside book shop setting. A warm, comforting read

So incredibly cozy and cute. I loved all the new characters, and loved that it was mainly in a bookshop. I loved watching Viv fall for reading!! I loved Satchel! This was a lovely prequel and I am so looking forward to more books by Travis Baldress

This is a wholesome cozy read. Although I did enjoy Legends and Lattes better. It’s an enjoyable story with good narration on the audio version.

Bookshops and Bonedust returns us to the world of Legends and Lattes, but takes us back in time. Before Viv retires from her mercenary ways and opens a coffee shop, she finds herself wounded and alone in the town of Murk. But while she's healing from a not insignificant injury, she slowly begins to build friendships with the various inhabitants of Murk, finding a spot for herself at the local bookstore and gradually falling for the town baker. Her mercenary training comes in handy when a talking skeleton shows up and a necromancer threatens the town.

While I still love Legends and Lattes more, I loved this glimpse into Viv's life before Tandri and her coffeeshop. As a lover of books and bookshops, watching Viv fall in love with reading made my heart so happy. Because I don't read blurbs before I start reading, it took me a hot minute to realize this was a prequel, but once I figured that out, I fell headfirst into the story. The side characters, like the side characters in Legends and Lattes, MADE the story. Fern and Gallina and Satchel and Maylee and Pitts and Potroast are all so colorful and unforgettable. And it's easy to see how Viv's experiences in Murk prepared her for the life she would ultimately have with Tandri down the road.

Travis Baldree has cornered the market on cozy fantasy. Bookshops and Bonedust is a low stakes fantasy novella, which fleshes out Viv and her history. My favorite part was probably at the very end where Baldree ties it back in to Viv's present day, when Fern reaches out to Viv and plans to come visit. (Oops, spoiler.) We get to see a glimpse of Viv and Tandri happily married and thriving in Thune.

Thank you so much to Tor and Netgalley for my advance review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A prequel to Legends and Lattes, this story follows Viv as she starts out her career as a Mercenary. Things don’t go quite as planned and Viv ends up stuck in a little nearby town where she gets to know the local shop owners. However, the little town is not as quiet as it seems.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and the second one, in my opinion, was better than the first. The way everything was connected, from the big themes to the small delightful details, made this feel like such a large world in such a tiny space.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes action and adventures, plays D&D, or likes romance.

This was just as cozy and comforting as the first novel in many places, though it has a heartbreaking edge that, weirdly, is comforting in its own way if you've read Legends and Lattes. Readers with that experience will know that hard decisions -- the kind that cause pain even as they allow for freedom -- don't have to haunt your life forever. That giving up something good that appeared at the wrong time still has value and doesn't harm your future. That maybe, sometimes, a bit of heartbreak makes you a better person.

This was such a good prequel to Legends & Lattes. I was so excited to get to see more of Viv's backstory and her character growth. I want there to be more stories, even if they are short ones instead of more books, regarding Viv's backstory. As well as the different characters we meet both in Bookshops & Bonedust and Legends & Lattes. I want to hear all about Maylee's life before she settled as a bakery owner. I will forever continue to read everything that Travis Baldree writes!