Loved this. It was so heart warming and cosy. Loved seeing a younger Viv and you can really see different sides of her personality. I love the new characters we met. Fern owns the bookshop and loves to recommend great books that the reader would have never of picked up. There’s a beautiful relationship between Fern and Viv. A baker, a carpenter and a doctor add to the fun cast of characters. The descriptions of Murk make you feel like you’re really there. I also listened to the fabulous audio that really bought the book to life. If you loved Legends & Lattes then you’ll love this. I need more books in this world please.

Yet another dose of cosy fantasy from Travis Baldree. Thank you to the Publisher for letting me read this. It was very atmospheric and was a great autumnal read.

It was lovely to see Viv in a different setting, and meet a new host of characters. However. I have to say that since this was a prequel, as with any popular first instalment of a series, we already knew that Viv wouldn't stay with the cohort, so I found it a bit harder to connect with these characters, knowing where Viv ends up in 'Legends and Lattes'.

For that reason, it didn't quite deliver what the first book did, but I enjoyed it all the same.

4.75/5

This was amazing! I cannot properly express how much I adored, adored, adored this book!
I enjoyed Bookshops & Bonedust even more than Legends & Lattes (which I also loved so, so much)! The characters, the town of Murk, the bookshop, the pure comfort this story exudes. Everything was phenomenal and so delightfully atmospheric!

Our beloved orc, Viv, gets injured whilst her and the other mercenaries are pursuing a powerful necromancer. Unable to fight on her injured leg, she resides for a while in the seaside town of Murk so that she can have a (supposedly) peaceful recovery. Here we meet a loving and lively cast of characters, all with their own interesting lives and stories.

Viv is younger in this book (as it is a prequel to Legends & Lattes) and I liked seeing a more reckless and youthful side of her, but she is still very much the Viv we know and love. This story adds so much to Legends & Lattes and to what we know lies in Viv's future. It attaches a fascinating history to her as each person she comes across in Murk changes her, some only in little ways, others in big ones.
(Fern and Potroast, the gryphet, quickly became favourites of mine!)

This book perfectly balances the cosiness and the adventure. It definitely has higher stakes and more conflict than in L&L yet it never loses that great sense of comfort that both books nurture. That is the one thing I could say over and over and over again about this book; it is astoundingly comforting. I loved all the community of Murk, every single character brought such life to it. And, for me, a bookshop is the ultimate place of comfort. There could have been no better setting for this story. Travis Baldree is the master of making his books feel like a warm hug.

I adored how storytelling was used in this book, I loved how many bibliophiles there were in it. It's very simply a story for those who love books. It's a story about connections and growth and the hopeful yet sorrowful echoes of what is yet to come. It's about finding a home and knowing that you'll have to leave it. It's about having the knowledge that leaving, that closing the book, doesn't mean that the story is over. Endings are not always the end. Your story goes on.

This was such a wholesome and sweet book. I was hooked all throughout, I never wanted to put it down. It's the type of story you simultaneously want to devour and want to make last forever. If I could be enveloped in this story for all my days, I would be! It's as simple as that.
Please let my praises stir you so that you go and pick up a copy in November when it's out! It's worth it a million times over.
Please never stop writing, Travis Baldree!

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Yet another wonderful slice of cosy fantasy from Baldree, since it’s predecessor ’Legends and Lattes’! An amazing autumnal read that wraps ups in a blanket with every turn of the page. It was a pleasure to be reunited with Viv, and meet the new cohort she surrounds herself with in this venture.

I throughly enjoyed my time reading Bookshops & Bonedust!

I really enjoyed finding more about Viv's life and how she navigated through her quite empathetic side whilst continuing her journey bounty hunting. I found the side characters in this book just as loveable as the first, especially Fern and Satchel. I found this book to be slower than the first one in the middle, and it took me overall much longer to read. I also didn't find myself binging it like I did the first book, but this did not detract from how much I enjoyed the story.

I would give this book a 4/5 🌟 and I cannot wait to see what other adventures are in store for Viv.

Great cosy autumn read for this time of the year. This series is like a big warm hug and a comforting read.

We got the same wonderful charm of Legends & Lattes, but with a little less emotional attachment. I still loved my time with these new characters but due to it being a prequel I knew Viv wasn't staying and therefore was less invested in the people she was meeting.
I saw another review suggest that moving the epilogue to a prologue would have helped with this, and I have to agree.

The daily activities of the bookstore were just wonderful to read about but I did appreciate a more substantial plot to this story while still keeping the cozy vibe.

And to the climax of the story, it was hilariously perfect! To have the the big bad defeated in that way was a genius idea in a book about books and readers.

bittersweeeet. i was so happy to be reunited with viv - and to see her pre 'retirement' but i have to say, this didn't rope me in as much as legends & lattes did.

again, incredibly cozy and fairly low-stakes but perhaps a bit more mysterious than it's predecessor, this story felt like it went on just a bit too long. all the charatcers were marvelous but we could have seen more of them, and their personalities without it coming across as though they each had their one thing and that was the extent of their character.

it did't grip me, and i wasn't in any rush to finish this one compared to legends and lattes but i still enjoyed reading this. it offers a nice break from life for a few hours.

COZY! i really enjoyed legends and lattes and this is the perfectly autumnal cozy prequel <3

urban fantasies with so little worldbuilding but also rich characters and a small world kinda setting are my fave to get stuck into!

The absolute epitome of getting the biggest cuddliest hug from a book. I honestly think I prefer this to its predecessor and that was all kinds of perfect too! Joyous!!

This book is fun and heartwarming. The fantasy genre is utilised so well by the author. You are transported into a world of vivid characters and creatures. The cozy vibes, mild peril and low stakes action mix together magically. The book is like a love letter to reading. What I really liked was the exploration of how connections with others can change our paths in life.
Read this when you are sad, stressed, lonely or happy - basically the perfect read for anytime and any emotion.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars.

Bookshops and Bonedust provides more of what you’d expect if you’ve read Legends and Lattes - a warm, slice of life fantasy that is very cosy and not too serious.

While I enjoyed this book, I found the characters Viv meets in this story less interesting than those from Legends and Lattes, and therefore found this instalment less enjoyable overall. While still fun, I feel a whole new story with new characters (and perhaps a Viv cameo) would have been a better way to explore the world further than just a Viv prequel.

That being said, I look forward to reading what Travis Baldree publishes next!

Having only recently read Legends and Lattes I was intrigued by the prequel. I both listened to the audiobook of this one whilst reading along on an ebook. I love Viv as a character and the introduction of a love interest for her was really nice. Travis also did a fantastic job of narrating his book.

This is purely a personal thing but I don’t think ‘cozy’ fantasy is for me. I spent the whole book waiting for something more to happen.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc to review.

A most enjoyable read. Very interesting to learn more about Viv's backstory. I think I might have enjoyed this even more than Legends & Lattes which has become one of my favourite reads of the last several years.

Having never read the infamous Legends & Lattes, I was hesitant to pick this prequel up. I am not a typical cozy fantasy person (grimdark, violence, bloodshed? Much more my jam!). However, I'm happy to report that I have no regrets. Bookshops & Bonedust is a quick read that keeps you smiling the entire time.

We are set in a small coastal town where nothing much really happens. There is a dusty bookshop nobody really visits. A sandy beach where no one really goes to.

But... there is also a bustling bakery where a single bite of a pastry is bliss, potential-friends and friends-in-the-making, a mystery to be cracked, and the most adorable skeleton I have ever encountered.

I can't say too much more about that last bit.

However, what I can say is this: low stakes doesn't mean no fun. Low stakes means you get all the action, plot, relationships, and joy without worrying your favourite sidekick is about to be sacrificed for the protagonist's character development.

And doesn't everyone, at some point, need that?

Well thanks to Netgalley for gifting me an early arc, I am now, a couple of months before publication, hoping and praying for a third book in this fantasy world. This is big hearted writing with another cast of wonderful characters- a totally refreshing combination.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC.

*4.5 Wow this encapsulates everything I loved about the first one but a step to the left. Instead of autumnal coffee shop vibes bookshops and bonedust wisks you away to a wet summer seaside town, and I absolutely adored it. The friendships were amazing and Viv was just as much of a joy as she was in Legends and lattes. If you were a fan of the original you are sure to adore this one 😊

I absolutely ADORED this book. I had read Legends and Lattes and found it to be just so comforting and magical and I have to say this book surpassed the first in terms of my enjoyment of it. Both books are excellent but this one was my favourite. Its a prequel to Legends and Lattes and it centres around Viv having injured herself when on a hunt for a necromancer. She is landed against her will in a town called Murk to recuperate. There she meets a series of characters and finds herself involved in some adventures of her own.

I devoured this book and Travis Baldree is going to be a must buy author for me. I have already ordered my hardback of this book and will be recommending this to everyone and buying as gifts for Christmas. its the perfect cosy read.

4.75 Stars!

Synopsis: Viv is a young Orc working as a mercenary but when she is injured she ends up stuck in Murk while she heals. Murk is quiet, but when Viv stumbles across an old bookshop, a cute baker, and a mysterious man things get more interesting.

CW/TW: Violence/Blood/Injury

Rep: Sapphic (Lesbian) MC | Sapphic relationship.

Previous Mini Book Review: Legends & Lattes, by Travis Baldree

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree is another brilliantly cozy high fantasy with low stakes and slight dangerous streak.

In Legends & Lattes we settle down with Viv as she retires from her mercenary work. This time, however, we get to see a younger Viv working with renowned mercenaries. Viv, however, having the ambitious, swing first think later attitude ends up injured and resting in a little town.

Oh I loved this! It immediately reminded me just how much I love Viv. Despite being a mercenary, Viv is an absolute sweetheart – though she initially appears gruff, she just can’t help but lend a hand to others and become enmeshed in their lives. Viv’s adventure into town leads her to meet Fern, the bookshop owner, and her companion Potroast. This initially leads to a reluctant Viv reading some books recommended by our foul-mothed but lovely Fern, but this quickly leads to her meeting a cute and flirty baker and discovering something odd happening in Murk.

Firstly, I LOVED the little bookshop and the books Viv is recommended! I so badly want a Fern to recommend me books. I also adored Viv and her slow growing connection to reading and the slow immersion she finds as she gets lost into them. Secondly, Fern makes the bookshop all the better! Her foul mouth is entertaining and her love of books and talent at recommending them, slyly too I may add, made me love her so much (and Potroast of course)!

Moreover, I thought the little first love story was adorable – it was slow burn and flirty and such a sweet addition to this cozy fantasy. Not only was the love story sweet, I also loved the little addition of the bakery and its delicious sounding goods!

Of course, this wouldn’t be a Baldree cozy fantasy without a little mystery and danger! Viv, while recovering, notices a strange visitor in Murk – who begins to give her a feeling of unease that she cannot shake – and Viv’s instincts are not wrong. However, these strange occurrences are not winning Viv any points with the local law enforcers…or one in particular that is. I really enjoyed this little dark streak, it was intriguing, mysterious and compelling.

Overall, Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree is another successful cozy high-fantasy that is absolutely immersive and charming!

*I received an eARC via Netgalley from Pan Macmillan/Tor in exchange for an honest review – thank you!!*

*Plot*
After the hype and success of its predecessor, Legends & Lattes, I was a little unsure whether Bookshops & Bonedust could reach such heights, being a prequel, but I absolutely excited to give it a read and find out.
Fortunately, my fears were unwarranted. Travis Baldree knocks it out the park again. Bookshops is easily as good as Legends, easily

Somehow Baldree has made them feel quintessentially the same, but also different enough to not feel repetitive, keeping the story interesting and the readers guessing.

Despite ultimately being a cosy book, Bookshops & Bonedust isn't with stakes, and I love how cleverly they tie into Viv's initial mission. Necromancers, wights, and assassins abound, no one can accuse this book of not having high stakes. Yet I think what keeps the book feeling grounded are the very personal stakes of the bookshop itself. The necromancer plot definitely adds an interesting layer of tension and mystery, but it's the thought of that dear little bookshop going out of business that truly puts the fear in me. It's these personal stakes that give the book its heart and its sense of 'cosy'.
On the whole, this book has the perfect balance of both plot stakes and character stakes.

*Characters*
It was so nice to be back with Viv, even though this was technically a different Viv to the one we know and love. She's younger and dumber and making reckless choices in an attempt to prove herself. Taking that arrow to the leg was the best thing to happen to her. Her recuperation time in Murk is not only an opportunity to heal but also to grow. Throughout this book, as she gets to know the locals and discovers a love of reading, she slowly becomes our Viv. Patient, helpful, kind, selfless.
She hasn't hung her sword up yet though, so we get to see Viv in action, kicking some arse.

Every relationship grew from nothing and you can really feel the development and growth. It makes Viv's departure at the end all the harder. You can't help but get attached to these characters, even knowing the trajectory of Viv's life, knowing that she'll walk away from Murk and these friends that she's made, it doesn't hinder a fondness growing for them.

*Setting*
There's something almost nostalgic about Murk for me. As a kid, my family and I used to holiday in the UK, spending long weekends in quaint, sleepy little seaside villages, visiting local shops and walking the beaches, searching for fossils. Murk reminded me so much of those cosy holidays of my childhood and gave me such warm fuzzies, it was like reading a fluffy blanket and hot cup of tea.

I love how Murk isn't necessarily painted in the most glamorous of lights, given Viv's initial feelings of the place. It's isolated, a little run down, even structurally unsound in places, but it's so utterly charming not despite its flaws, but because of them. You can't help but fall in love with the place.

Viv's most frequented places include a bookshop, and bakery, and an atmospheric pub with a warm fire. Sounds perfect. If Murk were a real place, it's exactly the kind of place I would've visited with my family as a kid.

*Writing Style*
This is a love letter to reading and books in general. If you're a book lover/collector/hoarder, then there's no way you won't at least appreciate this book. It was a joy to watch Viv fall in love with books and discover her love of reading for the first time.

As I mentioned above somewhere, Baldree finds a perfect balance regarding the stakes, but also with the pacing. There's just enough action to give the series a new flavour, but not so much that it strays too far from the cosy elements that make these books so well-loved.

The writing is high quality with fantastic descriptions that really bring Murk and its quirky inhabitants to life.

*Final Impression*
November is the perfect release date for a book like this. It screams winter cosies, curling up on a rainy day under a blanket to binge the whole thing.

The epilogue was perfect. Beautiful, Had me both tearing up and filling with hope for the future of these characters. Even if we never see them again, the ending gives me confidence that Viv and the gang will all do all right from now on and that the best is yet to come for them. And that's a rather comforting thought indeed.