If you loved the first book, you'll continue to love this series. It's the perfect cozy fantasy with warm feelings, just enough suspense, and more of all that makes you love Baldree's writing.

This book was really cute! I will say it wasnt as good as Legends and Lattes in my opinion, but that EPILOGUE! that epilogue made everything worth it. I thought Fern was adorable, and I wanted much more of Viv and Maylee's relationship. I was also expecting more either violence or romance or.... something. It was a little disappointing but overall fun and cute! Definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a super cozy and cute novel

A prequel to his bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's cozy fantasy Bookshops & Bonedust seemed just like my brand of nerdy catnip. When warrior orc Viv is injured in battle, she must recuperate in a small town where she befriends the cantankerous owner of a bookshop. It's got books, a gigantic cat-like creature, and some mild fantasy adventuring -- all of which are elements I usually love.

Unfortunately, it didn't really come together for me in this book. I do love how Viv resisted reading at first, until she discovered the joys of steamy sex scenes in action-packed adventure stories. I found that adorable, especially with how Viv's reluctance to admit liking the books went head-to-head with her desire to read more titles. 

But other than that, I found myself bored. Viv's romance with a baker was sweet, but it's hard to really feel invested in a relationship we know won't really last till the next book. The subplot about the eager beaver adventurer who wants to prove her worth in joining Viv's gang is mildly amusing, but honestly not all that compelling. The main conflict, so to speak, about a skeleton golem (the 'bonedust' in the title) longing for a quiet life but beholden to an evil mistress, definitely has promise. But it took so long for that plot to ramp up that by the time it did, I no longer really cared.

I get this is a cozy fantasy, so it really isn't meant to be action-packed. And at first I thought maybe the genre just isn't as much for me as I thought it would be. 

But then I happened to find Travis' first book, Legends & Lattes, at the library, and decided to give it a go. And I found it magical. I devoured that book within a week. I absolutely adored how Baldree turned things as ordinary as lattes and cinnamon rolls into things that are new and wondrous to behold. Cafe experiences are all new to Viv and crew, and Baldree did an excellent job at delivering them anew as well to us real-world readers.

Yet that magic didn't quite translate into Bookshops. Perhaps it's because experiencing books for the first time isn't quite as sensory nor sensual as experiencing coffee and pastries? While Legends made me drool in imagining the deliciousness of cinnamon rolls, and made me crave for a steaming mug of coffee and (oat) milk, reading about Viv and other characters getting excited about reading just didn't hit as hard.

Overall, Bookshops is...okay. And once the fantasy adventure element kicks into high gear, it becomes interesting. But it took me more than three months to finish this book, and if I hadn't happened to read and love Legends & Lattes during that time, I may very well have marked this DNF. 

Verdict: read Legends & Lattes instead.

+

Thanks to Raincoast Books for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun and cozy read! I enjoyed his first book and I’m not surprised that I enjoyed the second one!

<i>First, a thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

What can I say? I’m a fan of cozy fantasy. Baldree spins a tale that feels like a warm hug, and you find yourself viewing the cast of characters as your friends, and you get to spend a delightful afternoon (or two, or three) with them.

I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I hope one day there will be another story from Baldree that I can sit with, for a while.

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)

Super cute, I love a cozy fantasy. I immediately bought 2 copies, for the school (HS librarian!) and for myself. Will be putting this on the 'to reread' shelf when looking for a comfort read.

I loved the first book with its cozy fantasy vibes so I was so excited to get an ARC of this one! Sadly, I was not as invested in the story knowing it was a prequel and that Viv would be leaving at some point to start the storyline in book 2. As a book lovers I do enjoy any books set in a bookish setting so I enjoyed the bookstore feels, but I did not connect with this prequel as much as I hoped to. Overall, the writing style was still fun, quick, and cozy so lovers of the original will enjoy this one!

Thanks Netgally and Tor Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored Legends & Lattes, so I was very excited when I was approved,

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 audiobook experience!

Oh man how I loved this one. I so enjoyed getting to know Viv more and the plot of this one was very fun. The supporting characters were lovely and interesting. I would read any book set in this world. An amazing prequel novel!

I have to thank Netgalley for sending this to me to read, because I loved the first one (Legends and Lattes) so much! It was awesome to get to see more of Viv, especially early on in her more adventurous years. I loved Fern so much, and as a librarian it was nice to see a bookshop owner who was in it for the love of books and not really for the money. I absolutely adored Potroast, and Satchel (who is my new favorite), and it was really interesting to see more of the world than just the city that Viv ends up starting her business in. I did have a harder time jumping into this one, and I'm not sure why, but it felt almost like I had to work just to keep myself engaged as much as I was when reading the first. That's not to say that I wouldn't absolutely go feral for another book in the series (I want Fern and Viv to be new business partners! Is Potroast still around?!) so be warned that I will fight someone to get more stories. But like maybe not with swords (pie baking fight maybe?)

This book, set prior to the events of Legends and Lattes, is a fun and cozy fantasy about Viv's early life as an adventurer. Viv is injured and stuck in a small beach town with not much more than an inn, a bakery, and a run-down bookshop to its name. Viv isn't sure how she's going to keep busy while she heals... but she is soon drawn in by the towsnpeople. It's a cozy and sweet read with a memorable cast of characters. At this point I would read Travis Baldree's grocery list.

I was expecting this to be another delightful story following Viv and her exploits, but I didn't anticipate just how much I would love every minute of it! The found family aspect that I enjoyed so much in Legends and Lattes was here once again and the friendship between Viv, Fern and Maylee was beautiful. I loved the expansion of the world we saw here and although the main thrust of the story is the found family, there is more plot involved in this prequel, which I really appreciated. The bookshop was adorable and Potroast was a delight, as was Satchel. Overall, this was one of those books that just wraps you up in a big warm hug and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a really impressive follow-up to an already really impressive book! Sequels - and, to a rarer extent, prequels - always seem especially difficult to pull off, and with how much of a runaway success LEGENDS & LATTES became, the bar was pretty high. But BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST really nailed the voice and the personality and the heart that made LEGENDS special, and so this book was just as much of a delight to read as the first one.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what else Travis Baldree does in this universe!

I wanted to love this so badly. I enjoyed Legends and Lattes when it came out but after weeks of trying to read this a little at a time, I just wasn't invested. I love his narration and I love how cozy these books are, but this one just wasn't for me.

Bookshops and Bonedusts isn’t only a love letter to reading but to the experience of running a bookstore. Baldree perfectly captures the plight of a bookseller. As someone who’s worked in a bookstore for almost seven years, everything rang true to my experience. The questions surrounding what to stock, how to get people in the door and how to stay open even with a long-standing business were so accurate to the industry. I’ve heard the same from other booksellers as well. All of the sweet, silly, sometimes messy elements are perfect for book lovers and booksellers alike.

This book was as much of a delight at Legends and Lattes. It was fun seeing Viv as this young adventurer who's a little too fool-hardy and brash for her own good, which led to a clever way for her to have a cozy adventure, meet new friends, and learn new things about herself. I loved meeting new characters like Fern, Maylee, and Satchel and getting to see more of some faves from L&L (I would love a whole book going into some of the backstory of said fave because she is fantastically fun). The stakes in this book felt a bit higher than L&L, just because the baddie was much more of a scary baddie this go around, but it was still done in a way that didn't break the cozy spell of the book as a whole. And I want a thousand more books like this one with all the fun fantasy elements plus a heaping helping of coziness and warmth. So please, Travis, write them (other authors, too! I'll take all the cozy fantasy I can get).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I can't express how excited I was when I saw it pop up on NetGalley.

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.

I didn't realize this book was going to be a prequel when I requested it from NetGalley. Usually, prequels are not as good as the first book. And that was still true for this book but it was darn close.
Viv has been injured in battle and is stuck in a sea town until she heals. At first, she is bored out of her mind but she finds a bookshop where the rattkin owner forces a book on her. And, to her surprise, Viv enjoys the book (which we also see on page.) And the next one.
But the reason Viv is stuck in Murk is going to come back to haunt her. A man in gray appears and brings two things of great value with him which will lead great evil to the town. Viv knows she isn't going to stay, but she values the people she's met and wants to help them live.

Four stars
This book comes out November 7, 2023
Follows Legends & Lattes
ARC kindly provided by Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley

I was so thrilled to receive an ARC of Bookshops & Bonedust via NetGalley. Many, many thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this delightful read. Now,

This is a mini-review because I don't have too terribly much to say about Bookshops & Bonedust except that I loved it. I admit I was a little hesitant on this one because I'm not usually much of a prequel fan. It feels hard to get invested in a story when you already know what happens to the characters in their future, as if the story doesn't matter. But Baldree managed to make it matter, which I appreciated.

In this book, we meet a younger Viv, back in her adventuring days. She's forced to take a break from adventuring when she takes an arrow to the knee (okay, just kidding, but she does injure her leg). Because the version of Viv we met in Legends & Lattes was ready to retire and lead a quiet life, it was fascinating to see her back when she was still thirsty for adventure. I felt like it really did add depth to her character and show us more about her.

There were plenty of cozy vibes in this one with the bookstore and the bakery and the sleepy small town. That said, I personally felt the stakes were a little higher here, so it was a bit less of a "high fantasy, low stakes" sort of vibe. At times, I was even a little stressed out wondering what was going to happen!

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the cast of characters we meet here and the way we both see how Viv becomes someone who wants to run a coffee shop but also how she spent so much of her younger years adventuring.

Overall, this is a great read for fans of fantasy, especially stuff that's on the cozier side. A perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day.