I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

YAASS travis baldee does it again in this prequel to Legends and Lattes, immediately you are sucked back into the cosy story of Orc retirement, witnessing Viv begin her eventual ascent to cafe owner from a nice vacation in a bookish town and the one before Tandri. What is next? Folklore and fetes? Chimaeras and Cul-de-sacs?

Legend & Lattes was kind of a phenomenon last year. It didn’t invent the cosy fantasy genre, but it certainly popularised it to a large group of people. So of course this prequel has garnered a lot of attention and I suppose the main thing you’ll want to know is if it’s as good.

Yes, it is.

Taking place at an earlier point in Viv’s life when she’s laid up recovering from an injury, this novel features a new crew of fantasy creatures, this time centred around the titular bookshop. I won’t spoil how the bonedust comes in. Also baked goods.

The stakes are higher this time which I personally enjoyed, and the character work is more assured. It feels like Travis Baldree is getting into his stride as an author, which is nice to see.

If you like your fantasy with a dollop of romance, this will also serve you - though of course, being a prequel, we already know it will be bittersweet.

Overall, a highly satisfying follow up that’s sure to please fans of the original.

Travis Baldree has a knack for writing the most wholesome and lighthearted fantasy books out there.

I don’t usually love prequels, but after reading Legends and Lattes I knew I would read anything else even remotely related to this series.

The characters, the story, the atmosphere - what’s not to love?

In Bookshops & Bonedust we meet a younger Viv, starting out her career and desperate to prove herself to legendary band of mercenaries Rackam’s Ravens.

Unfortunately, things don’t quite go to plan. While fighting a necromancer’s skeletal army Viv makes a rookie mistake and her leg is wounded. Being of no use on a hunt in her state, the group leave her (against her will, I might add) in the sleepy seaside town of Murk to recover, and so begins Viv’s journey to healing.

She is so far from any action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it, but after visiting Murk’s struggling secondhand bookshop and its surprisingly foul-mouthed owner, Viv realised that despite her injury she is able to immerse herself in different kinds of adventure - both through books and in life - and that Murk may not be quite as sleepy as it seems…

My thoughts:

Bookshops & Bonedust is not just a prequel to Legends & Lattes but a testament to the power of good friendships and - perhaps more importantly - good bookshops.

I adored Legends & Lattes and all the things I loved about it (The unlikely friendships! The celebrations of little wins! Charming ratkins!) are there in abundance. I didn’t devour this one in the same way as I did with L&L, but it still felt like a warm hug from an old friend. I very much enjoyed getting to know more about an earlier Viv, as well as meeting the new friends she makes along the way, and seeing books used as a form of escape was totally relatable.

Bookshops & Bonedust is the perfect choice for any fellow cosy fantasy fans looking for a low stakes comfort read to curl up with this autumn. The book is out now - a huge thank you to @netgalley and @torbooks for the e_ARC.

A fun, cosy fantasy with a little bit of everything: action, adventure, romance, foul-mouthed booksellers, mercenaries turned bakers and the cutest gryphlets around.

“Every book is a little mirror, and sometimes you look into it and see someone else looking back.”

3.25⭐️

In my review of Legends and Lattes I said that even though it was low stakes, there was enough of a plot to drive the book. This was sort of the opposite, and I’m disappointed because I wanted to love it the same amount.

It was still cosy and had the small town setting, and the cast of characters were cute. But because it was a prequel and we know Viv will leave, it took the tension out of the story. Also, Viv’s character at this point is not as interesting as in the future.

The world is still nice so if the author would write more books in this world I would be interested in reading it.

This was just the perfect autumn read

Was such a love of legend and latte and this did not disappoint
It was so cosy and a mix of books and adventure and friendship and really just what I needed 🥹😍

After the enormous success of his smash-hit debut novel, Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree immediately returns to the life of his orc barbarian protagonist, Viv, in a prequel set twenty years before the events of that first novel. Bookshops & Bonedust sees Viv injured in a battle and sent off to a seaside town to heal.

Here, Viv is young and headstrong, rushing into battle without a second’s thought, and she pays the price. Now, nestled in the nowhere town of Murk, she has nothing to do until she stumbles upon a local bookshop. The proprietor, a rattkin called Fern, manages to spark in Viv an interest in literature. From here, Viv helps to renovate the shop and sell books.

If you liked the first book you are going to love this one.

It’s just such a cosy fantasy read. Just as cosy and legends & lattes but has more plot

Highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Returning to the cosy, high fantasy world first introduced in the D&D coffee shop hit, Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree once again follows the adventures of idealistic orc Vin in this familiar and charming prequel.

B&B follows a cocky and inexperienced Viv, early in her career, being deposited in a sleepy seaside town following a severe injury. Here she finds friendship, something like love and a passion for reading. (Also Potroast the rambunctious owl-dog, bless him forever.)

The novel definitely leans more heavily on the character dynamics and interplay than a coherent narrative and there were times during my read that I felt the absence of L&L’s comparatively clearer premise. (Whereas the journey of Viv’s coffee shop making iterative improvements offered a pleasing rhythm to L&L’s story, the orc’s sabbatical adventure tends to stop and start at random.) However, B&B makes up for its less intuitive pacing by significantly improving on the crafting of fully-rounded characters and this does mitigate the slower story.


Another improvement on its predecessor is in the attention and imagination paid by B&B to the queer identities and relationships of its characters. In some sense, this is the story of four queer women building their own futures in a sex-positive way while centring queerness and body diversity. Baldree’s novel rarely plays out in that exact fashion but it’s nice to see this aspect of Viv’s character be explored more meaningfully after the slightly slapdash romantic treatment in L&L.

Overall, Bookshops & Bonedust is an enjoyable romp with familiar characters and heartening morals, although if I had to choose between Viv’s adventures I suspect I’d read for Legends & Lattes every time.

Once again, Travis Baldree managed to write a book that is simply comforting.
Bookshops & Bonedust had just a tiny bit more action than Legends & Lattes, but it worked perfectly given the fact that Viv is still very much into adventuring and is forced to take a break due to her injury.
It was great seeing a slightly younger, more stubborn version of Viv and witnessing her character development, trying out new things and recognising that fighting is not all there is in life.
The relationships and dynamics of the different characters were very much in the same vibe as in Legends & Lattes, in a recognisable Baldree style.
I absolutely loved revisiting this world and am more than ready for this era of cozy Fantasy we are moving into!
While Legends & Lattes felt like an Autumn / Winter book, Bookshops & Bonedust felt more fitting for Spring / Summer - perhaps thanks to the novel being set in a seaside town. Fantasy escapism is my favourite kind, and this is just perfect for a cozy reading weekend - with nice drinks and a hoard of snacks.

I loved this even more than Legends & Lattes, and I think the primary reason is that this just has that bit more plot and action than its predecessor. Bookshops and Bonedust is a prequel, following Viv during her prime as a mercenary recovering from a sword wound to the leg. Dropped off in a little seaside town called Murk, she's forced to adopt a slower pace in life and meet and help the residents as they face a looming threat. The cast of secondary character are so wonderful, so we'll described and genuine that you can't help but fall in love with them. From Gallina the dwarf to Maylee the baker and Fern the bookshop owner, all of them shape Viv into who she is and change her opinion on small town life.

There's something really comforting about Baldree's writing. It's lyrical to a degree, with rich descriptions of this little town and all its foibles. I'd quite happily read about Viv browsing books and eating her tea by the fire forever. However, I do find that the world building is sometimes a little lacking. We don't know much about the world outside of Viv's bubble, catching only a glimpse of the various monsters she fights and the magic that's present and I would have really liked to see this expanded on.

I hope Travis Baldree continues to give us more stories in this world, because he's so good at writing richly complex characters, and the setting has so much potential for endless adventures.

Bookshops and Bone Dust by Travis Baldree is the prequel story to Legends and Lattes. Another cosy addition to the series. This story takes place several years before Legends and Lattes. When we meet Viv who is injured badly in a battle, in the hunt for a powerful necromancer. She is taken to a small seaside town, Murk, to recover. As you would imagine, Viv starts to recover,

She makes friends etc. and starts to work and live in Murk. Viv starts to be involved in helping Fern out in the Bookshop and everything becomes very cozy. Baldree is good at creating that cosy atmosphere, reading about books, coffee and pastries, all hit the spot, a nice slice of nostalgic life. Ultimately, Viv moves on from these characters as this is a prequel. That was the main difference, yes there is plenty of danger and conspiracy. More so in this story than in Legends. However, something was taken away, because if you've read Legends we know everything is fine at the start. Although it was an enjoyable reading experience I would have preferred this to have been the first book published rather than the other way around. However, if you love fantasy, cosy, nostalgic feelings this is the book for you. My thanks to the publisher Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for access to this e-ARC, all views are my own.

A lovely book, I really enjoyed reading about Viv's adventures. Definitely looking for more from this author.

This is such a cute, cosy and wholesome book, with a little humour and some light romance.

I loved the atmosphere, with most of the story taking place in a bookshop.

It did seem very slow to start though, and I had to put it down a few times because it just seemed a little too boring. Eventually though, once I became familiar with the characters, it was lovely to spend an evening with them.

This is the Prequel to the 2022 sensation "Legends and Lattes" book.

✨I was totally bowled over by legends and Lattes when I read it earlier this year so Bookshops and Bonedust has been my most anticipated read this year

The story is a prequel to Legends and Lattes. The story follows the gorgeous Ogre Viv back in time when she was injured in battle and has to lay low in recovery in a sleepy village called Murk...

💭The positives in this prequal are we are introduced to a new and equally charming and unique cast of characters (including a Gryphet called Potroast!). Also the setting of the village of Murk is delicious, quaint, coastal and quiet.

The attempt to capture the gorgeously cosy ambience of Legends and Lattes was a little off the mark. I felt their was a little too much necromancy action and not enough attention to detail about the improvement of the bookshop and the bakery.. I imagine the author didn't want to completely replicate the style of L&L but by shifting the story to include more adventure it ended up losing much of the cosy atmospheric magic which I was desperately hoping for.

All in all a good read but not in the same league as it's predecessor

Thank you very much to @netgalley @panmacmillan for the ARC of this book

I rated the first book four stars and am doing so again for the second one :-).

Bookshops & Bonedust is just as cozy as Legends & Lattes was, except we get a little more action and mystery in my opinion. It was a very easy and fluent read with a ton of fantasy while still being cute and warm. Just like in the first book, you quickly love to grow the characters. I absolutely loved Viv (of course), Fern, Gallina, Potroast (!), Maylee and Satchel. That last one being one of my favourites. I did not really love Maylee, I think because we didn't get to see that much of her and I felt like she was more of a side-character even though she was meant as a main character. Either way, if you enjoyed the coziness of Legends & Lattes, you'll definitely enjoy this prequel as well!

*3.5

Whilst I still enjoyed Bookshops & Bonedust, it didn’t have the same charm as Legends & Lattes. I felt quite disconnected from this story. Even though it was wholesome and cute, knowing what happens in L&L just made me feel like this was a bit of a waste of time. You know that Viv just wants to get back to her crew and will probably never see these characters again. I was a bit more intrigued by what was alluded to in the epilogue - I think that could’ve been a better story for me. Also, the pacing was a little off for me. I was expecting mostly no plot just vibes, but the plot that we did get was a bit rushed in the end. I know that that’s not the point of these books, but still.

I still love the cozy vibes, but Legends & Lattes was a fave, and this was a bit of a let down in comparison.

I know I’m not the only one around here who adored Legends & Lattes for all its low-stakes cosy fantasy goodness, so when the prequel became available I jumped at the chance to read it. I wanted more Viv, but mostly I wanted more of the warm fuzzy feeling reading the first book gave me.

You'll be pleased to hear this one doesn't disappoint. There is something about these books that evokes a sense of wrapping up on a chilly weekend when you have nowhere to be. They feel safe, and leisurely, and like the best kind of escape from reality. There's more of the wry Pratchett-esque fantasy-comedy in this book, and a cast of characters who all delight in their variety and quirks.

Baldree is doing something special with these books, something I don't think anyone else is doing at the moment, and I can't recommend this one enough.

It’s hard to articulate how much I loved this book. It manages to be fun, comforting, and profound all at once. The way it shows love for books and the power they have to effect us meant so much to me. Viv’s relationship with the books she reads was powerful: seeing her find escapism, joy, understanding, and connection through the stories she read. With the importance of sharing books, and booksellers taking such a prominent space in the novel.

All of the characters were crafted excellently. I felt connected to all of them and didn’t want the book to end so I could spend more time with them. The book deftly deals with complex emotions of belonging, guilt, friendship, and love; while simultaneously being an excellent cosy fantasy story full of warmth.

Ultimately, this book is full of hope that we can be changing and complex people, but also find places that we belong. Truly, reading this reaffirmed to me why I love books, and I would happily recommend it to anyone.