I'm really sorry to say that I found this book so boring. I love the narrator I love this author I love the warm hug that this book portrays but Viv in this one was really boring so were all the side characters the actual mission was so boring I would give this a two stars. I didn't hate it I just lost interest and I don't think I can even recommend it. Especially compared to the first one Legends and lattes is amazing and this one just didn't hit the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the ALC

POTROAST!!!!

If you haven’t checked out this series, do so. It is a charming combination of sweetness with just a touch of action. Even if you aren’t a big fantasy buff, the lovable characters, supportive friendships and loving romances are a nice balm in a reality that feels, well unreal.

This is a prequel to Legends and Lattes, but can be read in either order without any real story ruining revelations. The characters could just as easily not be orcs and rats and griffins and the story would stand, the addition of these fantasy elements just make it a little richer. I do have to say that I want a tiny griffin that sounds more like a bird/pug combo running around my house, and naming him Potroast was just perfect.

So, if you need a little break and want a story with real friends helping each other out, journeys of self discovery, adorable pets, talking skeletons obsessed with order, bookstores, delicious pastries, sapphic romance, and steaming mugs of tea with a dash of danger, here you go! It’s kind of like the book equivalent of petting a cat, most of the time it is warm, purring, delight with a little bit of claw every once in a while.

Thank you to Netgalley and Travis for the arc audio of this book in exchange for honest review.
My husband and I have been listening to this in the car. I wasn't sure how he'd feel about it since Legends and Lattes was more cozy. But this story did not disappoint!
We live getting this backstory to Viv and all the action! Definitely plan to read it again in cooler months.
It does still feel cozy but has action and high stakes. It's so well balanced.
Travis voice fits well with the characters for the audio.

I was SO EXCITED to read this book! I loved legends and lattes so much, it was my first read of the year and I can't toot it's horn enough.
Bookshops and Bonedust by @travis_baldree was a very cute and cozy read! I will say that I don't think it is a read-in-100-degree-swealtering-sweaty-summer read, so definitely save it for fall or winter if you're a mood reader. I think I wasn't in the headspace to read this one as much as the first one but it was still super adorable and I loved it so much! Viv is stuck in a tiny town after being injured waiting for her team to come back through, and she meets the lovely townsfolk and helps out at a local bookstore where they get into all sorts of mischievous trouble. My FAVORITE character is obviously Satchel.
Definitely give it a read but wait until it releases in October because it definitely fits that time of year better!!

I think I'll always read Travis' work, also love love love that he narrated himself. So genuine

First I'd like to thank Travis Baldree MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the review audiobook copy I received!

I'm going to admit that Legends and Lattes wasn't necessarily my favorite read. It was well written and definitely a cozy fantasy as advertised, but I felt that it was a little lacking in character development and needed a bit more "something" to push the plot.

Bookshops and Bonedust had everything that I found lacking in Legends and Lattes! It wasn't super high stakes, but it was definitely higher stakes than L&L. There was just the perfect amount of conflict, action, and character development. I absolutely enjoyed that we got to see a younger, mercenary Viv who hadn't yet decided to settle down and sell cinnamon rolls and coffee. The looming threat of a necromancer, and resulting final conflict, was a perfect back drop to the relationship building the book focused on.

Having now read Bookshops and Bonedust, and getting a much better feel for Viv and why she feels the way she does, I think if I were to reread L&L it would be much more satisfying.

And with that said, the only thing that I feel I should mention to a reader... Or listener... avoid if you don't like the word MOIST. Travis used it quite often, and now my view of spicy books is forever changed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me a copy of this audio arc in exchange for a honest review.
I really enjoyed this novel. A great continuation of Viv’s story, giving readers insights to her life before opening Legends & Lattes. Providing once again that bounty hunting is a job to her, but not all she is.
This novel has much more bounty hunting and overall adventure than L&L. I would not necessarily consider this solely a cozy fantasy. I think it is a good mix between traditional fantasy and cozy fantasy.

This is the sequel to Legends & Lattes, a cozy fantasy book I enjoyed immensely - although really, its a prequel. I was hoping for a direct sequel, but still found myself completely charmed and drawn in by a young Viv's backstory. There are great new friendships, a good romantic subplot (that's a little more in the foreground than the prior book!), comical and sympathetic side characters... what more could one want? The first book was heavier on the baked goods and cozy factor, whil this one is a little lighter on pastries (but they're still there!) and has a little more emphasis on plot with stakes/action. But all the bones of the first book are still there, and anyone who enjoyed the first will also be delighted by Bookshops & Bonedust.

Oh, and Travis Baldree is a very capable audibook narrator, which cannot be said of all authors.

Thank you NetGalley , Tor, Macmillian audio, and Travis Baldree for an audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

In this prequel Viv gets hurt fighting a necromancer and is laid up with an injured leg in a small seaside town. While recovering she makes a few friends, like the ratkin Fern who owns the bookshop and she reads some books and helps Fern remodel and get customers in the shop. Theres also the baker, and a dwarf that wants to join the adventuring gang and a skeleton.
Fern is really excellent at readers advisory, they also do blind date with a book, get a local author to come visit, and start a bookclub.
Seeing a younger Viv and knowing her better was so great, we even get to see how she acquired her great sword.

And that epilogue is just EVERYTHING! <3 <3

I cant wait for when my pre-order of the physical copy comes in and I will reread both books!

Have you ever wondered what younger Viv was like? Wonder no more with this follow up to Legends and Lattes. Bookends and Bonedust of course has the same wonderful coziness and wonderful characters. Ferns sailor mouth made me chuckle so much. Pot Roast is just an adorable griffith and satchel. I loved the little romance that we get too. The fact that most take place on a bookstore is just bonus. Oh man that epilogue!!
Thank you so much to Net Galley, Travis Baldree and Macmillan Audio for this audio Arc of Bookends and Bonedust.

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

If you loved Legends & Lattes, I think you’ll love this one too! If anyone knows their audience, it’s Travis Baldree. This is a prequel, following our beloved Viv as she recovers from a battle injury in a small town. Best of all, the bookshop! And we get to follow along with more sassy friendships and watch as Viv becomes a reader. Again, he knows his audience. There’s a conflict, of course, but just like Legends & Lattes, it feels low stakes and you know it will all work out while adding some excitement to the book. I love a found family, and the epilogue warmed my heart.

Nothing like getting out of a book slump by reading a cozy fantasy about an orc discovering her love of reading. Seriously though, if you liked the first book & love books then you need to pick this one up asap. As much as I love cafes and lattes, something about this being about a bookshop and books makes it 10x better. Also this book has given me a newfound courage to ask authors out of the blue for a signing event at my store. If it's as Viv makes it to be then hey Travis Baldree, want to check out Indianapolis for an evening and sign some books?

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio!
I absolutely love legends and lattes and think a prequel was a fantastic idea to learn more about the characters. Viv was fantastic, and the first story and amazing in this one. Definitely lives up to the hype of the first book, and I enjoyed getting to see a deeper look at Viv's back story. Unfortunately, I don't love the narrator and wish that there was a different narrator.

Bookshops and Bonedust was absolutely amazing, and I was worried it wouldn’t be comparable to Legends and Lattes. You get the same cozy low stakes adventure vibes as Legends and Lattes with the adorable orc Viv as our main character in this one as well. I go into books blind so all I knew was that this was in the same series as Legends and Lattes and Viv was again the main character. I had hoped and assumed Bookshops and Bonedust would take place after the first books and was a bit sad to learn it was a prequel.
I know now that it doesn’t matter, the characters in this book are just as fun and lovable and I am so happy we got this but of background. I am hoping for more books that aren’t just prequels but I absolutely have loved both books we have been given.

Such a fun cozy read! Bookshops and Bonedust is a book you’ll want to read next to the fire drinking hot chocolate. It definitely has a very calm, low stakes vibe just as Legends and Lattes. I’m happy we got to see a lot more of Viv’s life and the characters in Bookshops and Bonedust seemed a lot more complex and had a lot more backstory than they did in Legends and Lattes. So overall if you enjoyed Legends and Lattes I definitely recommend picking this one up!

I’m pretty skeptical on a sequel living up to the original story, maybe even more so for prequels.

But when I saw the audio of Bookshops and Bonedust up on NetGalley I smashed that request button quick as can be.

I almost hesitate to say it but I think this may be even better than the Legends and Lattes.

Travis Baldree narrates the book himself so you know you are getting every tone and inflection as intended, he absolutely delivers an enjoyable experience.

Without getting into spoilers. This tale goes back to a younger and more impulsive Viv, but when an injury leaves her unable to campaign with her party she is forced to slow down. She discovers the joys of reading and slowing down once in a while.

Honestly the way he was able to craft her character into a completely different person, but keep her someone that could grow into her role in Legends and Lattes was impressive writing.

The epilogue ties it in really nicely to the first book as well and hints of maybe a sequel in the future without being a cliffhanger.

The pacing is slightly off from the first book but with Viv’s character being younger I feel like it made since for the story and given her convalescence I think the mix of cozy with sporadic action really worked.

If you loved Legends and Lattes, I expect you’ll enjoy this as well..


Big thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a chance to get in on this book early. I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

A very solid prequel to Viv's story. While this book did still have the cozy vibes, it had quite a bit more action than Legends and Lattes. I would be very interested to see more of Fern and Satchel in a sequel to Legends and Lattes from where this book left off.

Travis Baldree has done it again! Fans of Legends & Lattes will be thrilled to read Bookshops & Bonedust. Baldree has a way of choosing words and writing descriptions in a way that makes ordinary things seem extraordinary. This book is a prequel to Legends & Lattes, so the story actually takes place before the story fans are familiar with (something that was originally difficult for me to keep in mind). However, this backstory really helps round out Viv's character so that can understand her motivations better.

One thing that I found especially impressive about the audiobook was how Baldree (who also narrates the book) did the voices for the characters. I found that the differences in character voices helped draw me into the story even more.

Overall, I think that Baldree did an excellent job with this book! I'm excited to get my physical copy when it's officially released and I will absolutely be rereading Legends & Lattes when I do my reread of Bookshops & Bonedust.

This book made me feel things I did not know I could feel. If sitting on a cozy couch while drinking a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold day was a book, it would be this one. Yet again, Travis Baldree delights us with a low-ish stake cozy fantasy. I listened to the audiobook version and the characters, performance, and pacing seemed perfect for this form of media. Since it is read by Baldree, you get to know the characters on a deeper level than on print and so I recommend taking a listen while you read. Baldree includes LGBT+ characters in a realistic, authentic way, making it refreshing to see. I recommend reading the first book even though this is a prequel, because it does contain spoilers for legends and lattes at the end but could be read first if you wanted to. This would make an excellent book club read, beach read, or cozy winter read.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree is a fun, fantasy adventure. Like his first book, Baldree filled this novel with warmth, love, and sweet cozy moments. I listened to the audio version of this story because Baldree reads it himself. An experienced audiobook narrator, Baldree’s performance of his book brought the perfect touch of heart and whimsy to his story.

When Vivian, an injured orc is forced to recuperate in a small town, she falls in love with reading. I’m pretty sure we can all get behind this story. What’s cozier than a bookshop, you ask?

Here’s where it gets sticky.

Baldree wrote Legends & Lattes as a cozy fantasy. The stakes are low (Will Viv’s coffee shop be successful?), the action is minimal, and the point is watching the sweet story unfold. In contrast, Bookshops & Bonedust is a sword and sorcery fantasy. The stakes are extremely high, the novel is full of action, and at times, the situation the characters face is dire. While it has cozy moments, it does not provide the same type of reading experience.

Despite this criticism, I adored Bookshops & Bonedust. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audio ARC of this book. I’d already preordered my copy, but now I look forward to reading it again!

A lovely follow up/prequel to the first book with the same cosy fantasy vibes. In this book, we see a younger and more blood-thirsty Viv arrive at another town injured and in need of time to recuperate. Similar to Legends and Lattes, she wins people over with her kindness and genuine desire to help. Viv befriends the local bookshop owner and helps her restyle the place to make it more modern and appealing. While there, she also finds romance and uncovers a mystery that leads to dark necromantic forces converging on the town. This sequel had everything that made the first book great, and the epilogue was a fantastic way to tie to the two books together.