I love this author. I love his characters and imagination. I did love book 1 more but it was fun to journey along with Viv in the prequel. I love all the side characters so much. Thank you

When I learned that Bookshops & Bonedust would be a prequel featuring Viv early in a life and career that, as Baldree described in in Legends & Lattes, was more often than not "strength and violence and a sudden, sharp end," I was intrigued but not especially hopeful that he could pull it off.

He pulled it off.

More than a prequel or a follow-on of a successful stand-alone hit, Bookshops & Bonedust equals the charm and emotional heft of Legends & Lattes AND honors the first book in a way that's both surprising and fresh. Everything about Baldree's work is innovative and -- I don't want to use this word because of its connotations with the trivial and contrived -- wholesome. Wholesome in a way that's heartfelt and honest, a celebration of decency and community, in choosing to see people in all their complexity and to look for the good wherever it happens to be.

I have yet to read Legends and Lattes, but this book stood alone just fine. A feel-good read with a fantasy core different than any other feel-good reads I've read before. Definitely great for anyone needing a sweet little break away from the real world.

Bookshops & Bonedust, the eagerly awaited prequel to the charming Legends & Lattes, reunites readers with Viv the Orc. Viv only understands combat as her purpose or at least she did until she's sidelined. Spending an undefined amount of time in a sleepy town doesn't excite this action-oriented Orc, but she becomes interested in a local bookshop. Not only does the world of books provide an escape from the tedium of healing, but it opens Viv to new relationships she would've never considered before. It's not all books and scones though as an evil entity lurks in the shadows.

Baldree is really onto something with his cozy fantasy novels. In fact, I'd probably like this one even more if it leaned into the relaxing atmosphere of the first novel just a little bit more. I understand the author is trying to find that balance of excitement vs slice-of-life pleasures, but some of my favorite moments of the first novel come from making new recipes and reading about the joys these characters are facing. Some of that continues in Bookshops & Bonedust, but it feels like more emphasis was put into creating a menacing foe this time around.

Something that I loved about this novel is the new characters that Baldree introduced. I thought for sure that I'd be too attached to the previous novels' characters to let these new ones in, but I think I'll miss these characters just as much. So while Bookshops & Bonedust isn't the exciting breath of fresh air of the first title, it is another wonderful story with Viv the Orc and her friends. I hope there are many more adventures for Viv to come.

Let’s start with the most important things, shall we? I absolutely adored the heck out of Legends & Lattes. It took me far too long to actually get my hands on it, but once I did, I inhaled it–never wanting it to end. It provided precisely what I wish every single “cozy fantasy” book would. It’s low-stakes perfection and ideal for coffee-loving fantasy readers both young and old (and everything in between).

So naturally, when it comes to the books that I love with all my heart, it can be a little bit nerve-wracking picking up a sequel, prequel, spin-off, and the like. Once you’ve put that initial book on a pedestal, you don’t want anything related to it to fall flat…
…let me reassure you right this very second that Bookshops & Bonedust lived up to every single expectation I set for it (and then some). It was precisely what I hoped a prequel to Legends & Lattes would be!

In my opinion, these books should be read in publication order rather than chronologically. My first reason for that has to do with the fact that this is a younger Viv than we meet in Legends & Lattes, and so she isn’t the same, mature character who wants a life of peace, calm, and coffee.

She has growing up to do and she does a lot of it in Bookshops & Bonedust–but I only appreciated the character development because I’d already read Legends & Lattes. My second reason is due to the epilogue, which actually made me get a little weepy! That final chapter wouldn’t hit the same way if you haven’t read the first book, but it’s so incredibly precious if you have.

While the first book felt like it was written with coffeeholics in mind, this book was definitely written for the bookworms. My, oh my, the quotes about books, reading, and escapism got me in my feels (in the best way possible). I found myself highlighting and making notes like crazy in my Kindle copy!

A few reasons why you should pick up Bookshops & Bonedust:
• It’s so funny! I can’t count the number of times that I laughed aloud at Viv’s sarcasm, Fern’s surprising potty-mouth, Satchel’s stoicism, Potroast’s… well, just Potroast himself… and all of the bizarre scenarios the whole gang found themself in.
• It’s filled with so much warmth! Travis Baldree is an expert at the found family trope, that’s for sure. There were moments that really made my heart swell with happiness and I may or may not have had to wipe a stray tear once or twice.
• I don’t care if you already think you love books, it is possible to love them more and you will find yourself doing just that by at least the halfway point in this book.
• It has ALL the cozy vibes you could possibly ask for. Reading this was like getting a big hug, having a warm cup of coffee, and sitting by a beach campfire all at once. It was just completely wonderful.

If I had to think of one word to describe this book, it would be “precious.” When I set it down after spending an entire weekend wrapped in its embrace, I was (understandably) sad to return to reality, but I also found myself sporting the cheesiest grin because it just made me so dang happy the whole time I was reading it! There’s simply no way you could possibly regret reading Bookshops & Bonedust, so do yourself a favor and dive into this world as soon as you can!

[CW: (major) Cursing, (moderate) Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Violence, (minor) Animal cruelty and Gore]

After Legends & Lattes, it had to be difficult in the extreme for Travis Baldree to beat the book that was a Tiktok Cinderella story.

So it is with great exclamation and intentional verbosity that I tell you…

He did it!

After the third try from the acknowledgments at the end of the book…which btw, Travis? If you’re reading this, I want that first attempt! It sounded amazing!

Back to this one though. How do you write a story of which everyone already knows the ending? I can never seem to get into a prequel, there’s just not enough suspense, not as much riding on the next word.

But cozy fantasy seems to be just the right genre for a prequel. Viv is young and inexperienced and Travis doesn’t hero worship her, he shows all her flaws, and that makes her even more real. And Fern? Fern with her tiny stature and foul mouth had me convinced that perhaps Travis follows me on tiktok and wrote her just for me. (He doesn’t and he didn’t, but shouldn’t a good book make us all feel that way?!)

I will say that I did miss his mouth watering food descriptions (just an idea Travis- but you could absolutely ghost write cook books on the side!!!) and there’s a bit of that here, but this book is about a book shop and not a coffee shop, alas my sweet cinnamon rolls.

But this is a book I would read and read again, and just further cements Travis onto my auto-buy author list.

With his impeccable atmospheres and lively characters, Travis Baldree has not only done it again, but done it beautifully -- this time finding the beauty in the temporary stories we live and the impact they carry through our lives in ways we might never imagine.

BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST stands tall on its own, but pairs even better with LEGENDS & LATTES by strengthening Viv's character and adding a new layer of depth to her story. There's a nugget in BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST about how we all see the world (and, really, each other) through "little-bitty" windows, and what B&B does is take the little-bitty window that readers got to peer through in L&L and expand it unexpectedly, adding context and perspective that makes the first story and its heart even stronger. I hope one day to see even more of these characters -- "in the story after the story".

I really do love this series and every character in it. While it wasn’t quite as good as Legends & Lattes, this still captured a lot of the essence of what made L&L so charmingly adorable. I’ll never be able to engage as successfully with a prequel knowing that things won’t last, but it was absolutely still worth the read.

A thoroughly enjoyable prequel to Legends & Lattes! I actually ended up liking this one a bit better than the first book. Travis continues to do a great job of creating interesting and lovable characters in this series. Where I found the first book to be a bit more plot driven, this book is more of a mix of plot & character driven. So even though this is still Vic’s story, I felt like I got to know all the characters better in this one. While this book definitely still has the cozy fantasy vibes, this has more adventure elements so the plot is a little more exciting. I really enjoyed getting to see this younger, more brash Viv. My favorite part of the book was watching Viv fall in love with books. It’s such a beautiful thing that I think will touch the heart of every reader, because it’s something we all have a personal connection to. Fans of this series will not be disappointed with this book. I also think it’s a great entrance to this world for anyone new to the series.

Thank you Tor Books & NetGalley for the ARC!

This was really cute. I actually liked it better than Legends and Lattes. The plot was smooth and the pacing quick for it being a fantasy slice of life story. If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, this is a "don't miss" part of the series/

A charming feel good prequel to the equally charming feel good Legends & Lattes. It is the story of how Viv , whilst injured, takes a break from being a hero to discover her love of reading and how to be a good friend along with a little romance. Honestly never thought a romantic scene between an orc and a dwarf could bring me to tears. Ultimately Viv has to take the mantle of hero back on to fight a necromancer and save her new friends.
Lovely way to spend time reading! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I'm not sure what to say about Bookshops & Bonedust that hasn't already been said. It is wonderfully cozy, full of interesting characters and a heartwarming plot.

Some people might not like this book because of the lack of "High stakes" but I think it holds up really well to the first one. It isn't a copy. Although Travis has recycled a few themes (Instead of opening a Coffee shop, we are helping save a bookshop, found family and communities coming together) I didn't mind this, because they weren't the same. Instead, these themes played out more as Travis' style that he is finding/developing, and cresting a comfort read for those that love the genre.

Second (Sophmore) books for an author can be really tricky, as Travis explains in his Author's note/acknowledgments. I personally didn't like this prequel as much as I liked Legends & Lattes, however there isn't anything to call out why. The story captures what it's like to be young, to have dreams and wonder if they should be followed. It plays on second guessing yourself and having a "for now" plan. I think these are all amazing paths to explore, but I definitely connected more with Older Viv. (Maybe because I am older too?)

Special call out to the supporting characters in this book. Fern is perfection, and I want more of her story.

Cozy fantasy adventure! Seriously a perfect prequel to Legends & Lattes! I absolutely loved it! Atmospheric and such well developed characters.

3.5 Stars

Cozy fantasy returns in this prequel to Legends & Lattes! This is more of a small beach town, library type of coziness versus the coffee shop/gourmand coziness of L&L and this book was written for book lovers! I appreciated the nods to the book community in this book, some were quite funny! This book did have a bit more adventure than the first as well. The only element I wasn’t crazy about here was the romance, as given that this was a prequel, I already knew it wasn’t going to last beyond the end of this book. I really loved the epilogue at the end and hope it signals a sequel in the works!

Travis is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. This book was another giant warm big hug of a book. The characters are heart-warming.

This is a prequel story to the hit cozy fantasy book Legends & Lattes from last year. We meet Viv at a younger stage in life, still selling her sword for a living. An injury sidelines her in a small coastal town, and the inactivity frustrates her to no end. True to Viv, she winds up backing her way into friendships and changing the lives of those around her. There's so much to love in this book. It was my wind-down before bed book and I was so sorry to finish it. The epilogue brought a sweet surprise that does contain a spoiler for Legends & Lattes, so I recommend reading this book second.

Highly recommended to everyone looking for a low-stakes, warm read in an otherwise exhausting world.

Travis Baldree did it again and, boy, was it a delight! It was so nice to pop back into this world for a little while and I absolutely loved the new characters we met along the way. The story felt fresh, grounded, and filled with so much love. The found family was spot on and gave the book plenty of warmth. The stakes were higher than Legends & Lattes, but it didn't affect the overall coziness level. If anything, the plot enhanced the connection to these characters and made me care deeply about their outcomes. The moment that took it over the top for me was the ending and epilogue. I was in tears and it made me fall in love even more with Legends & Lattes because we now know how far Viv has come and what led her to that coffee shop. It was beautiful and kind, endearing and daring. Can't suggest this duology enough! 5 stars!!

NetGalley ARC | I cannot even begin to imagine the immense pressure that Baldree felt after how viral Legends & Lattes went on social media (but hey, maybe he was just fine).

However, I was personally worried that a prequel - I don't usually love prequels - might destroy my appreciation for this just-getting-started series.

Spoiler: I loved Bookshops & Bonedust just as much.

We follow Viv in her earlier days as she recovers from a battle injury in a small seaside town.

There are even more great friendships, queer romance, and - this time - a bookshop in need of some TLC.

If you love books about reading and already required more green orcs in your life, Bookshops & Bonedust won't disappoint.

Plus, the ending hinted at what we can expect from a third novel, and I am here for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Tor Publishing Group, for a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

You can see our complete review here on The Uncorked Librarian: https://www.theuncorkedlibrarian.com/new-book-releases-2023/

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree is a wonderful prequel to Legends & Lattes. As an avid reader who likes making reading books a major part of my personality, I found this one to be an absolute must-read.

I loved learning about Viv's past, reading about her apprehension of reading, and finding her future path. Viv's involvement in the bookstore had the same flavor of her coffee shop but we know that that would be in the future and not in this book. The adventure that surrounds the town is exciting and the introduction of some very interesting characters really set this book apart from the other book. Like Legends and Lattes, this was a safe and comfortable book. The relationships between the characters were sweet and I couldn't put it down so I could see how it was all going to end, and it did not disappoint.

I love this series Travis Baldree! Please keep it coming with more Viv stories!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free and give my honest feedback and review.

Bookshops and Bonedust was everything I wanted and more. I went in expecting a cozy, fun read and I did get that. However, I also got Viv’s first experience that shaped her love for life outside of being a warrior. This story felt incredibly special and heartwarming.
This book had the cutest characters, a quaint bookstore and bake shop, a mystery book sale, magical skeletons, and life-long friends. This cozy fantasy was different enough from the first book, Legend and Lattes, but gave more context into why Viv made the choices she did in Legends and Lattes.
I’m hoping there’s another book in this series because I would like more cozy adventures with Viv and friends.
This book ended with the quote, “Viv was grateful for all the wrong times that had led to this right one”. And I feel like this is the best outlook to have in life. Even when things don’t go the way you want or go “wrong” you still never know what the future holds and how each of those moments could lead to something even your wildest dreams couldn’t think of. I loved this book and would recommend it to everyone!