I really really loved this book so much!!! I loved the mix between cozy and low stakes, and the more tense moments with the necromancer!!! I really loved getting to experience Viv fall in love with books and reading!!! This was an incredibly joyful, wholesome and easy read, and I hope to read more books like it!!!

lovely warm and cosy fantasy, really enjoyed the character developments and the introduction of more characters and towns in this fantasy realm.

I really enjoyed this one despite having not read the previous book! Thank you for the opportunity to read the arc!

Thank you NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Tor for providing access to the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I must start by pointing out that I read Legends & Lattes only a few months ago, having found it a pretty disappointing read. So when the prequel was announced, a part of me got incredibly curious, needing to see if the issues I had with the original persisted in this prequel.

And in a way, they did. Until about 70% of the book, I found it incredibly hard to immerse myself in the story. The characters still didn't resonate with me, even though I found Viv to be a compelling protagonist still. However now, looking back at the content of the book, the development of the author is incredibly clear - not only compared to L&L, but also compared to the beginning of the book. The writing style has evolved a lot, getting more advanced and enjoyable with every page, and the cast of characters felt much much lovable at the end of this book than L&L's overall cast ever did. Even the plot felt better, and maybe it's because this book actually had higher stakes and action between its pages - but regardless, it was a more enjoyable experience.

In summary, the author's growth is for sure something I'd love to follow in the future more, since the potential to deliver even greater work is there. But as it stands, I'm not feeling the same love a lot of the community has shown.

First I would like to say thanks to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book prior to release.

Travis Baldree has done it again with this fabulous cosy fantasy. I loved getting to know Viv more, learning her back story and where she came from. Also her ending up in a bookstore just gave this book immaculate cosy vibes.

From legends and lattes I think I wanted more and this was the perfect addition to that novel, but this one did feel like a short quick read even though a lot packed in - couldn’t recommend highly enough!

Another winner by this author. Hopefully, there will be more to come. I'm not usually into prequels but this was so good. It made me appreciate legends and lattes even more.

as an avid fantasy reader, this book will undoubtedly be a perfect sequel to a phenomenal first book (legends & lattes). I recently picked up the US copy of legends and lattes on my trip to the US, and am very much looking forward to reading it, followed by this enchanting sequel. I have heard nothing but rave reviews for both books, so I know I will not be disappointed by this lovely low stakes, fantasy, cosy series.

Another cosy instalment from Travis Baldree, this time with a much younger version of Viv the Orc.

I wasn't sure how to feel after finishing Legends and Lattes before this one and seeing Viv's determination to put down her sword and retire - I didn't know if I wanted to then go backwards to a younger Viv or if I'd get the same cosy vibes as Legends.

Well the cosy vibes were there, pretty much the same. As was the cute small town, the lovable cast of characters - ratkins, gnomes, and whatever the hell Pot Roast was. So that part felt familiar.

As for whether we needed to go back to explore the time before that Viv laid to rest - happily, I might add - in Legends...I'm less sure on that one. It almost took something away from Legends for me. I think we might have been better served for the second book to be the same world but a completely different set of characters to fall in love with.

Still, it was a cute read and I rated it a cosy 3 stars.

Set in the same world as Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's second book, Bookshops & Bonedust, is a cosy fantasy novel that tells the story of Viv. A soldier of fortune who is forced to recuperate in a small beach town after she gets injured during a hunt. While spending time at a struggling bookshop, Viv meets some interesting characters, and unexpected adventures ensue.

The story is a prequel to the popular fantasy novel, filled with cosy cafes, bookshops and loveable characters.

Travis Baldree absolutely smashed this one!
I didn’t think it was going to stand up against Legends & Lattes but it definitely did!

I went into this book expecting to love it, based on how much I had enjoyed reading Legends and Lattes. I was right to be excited! Baldree nails the cosy fantasy genre, bringing more depth of character to Viv and fleshing out her backstory whilst also maintaining enough adventure to keep the reader interested.

As a lover of any books featuring a bookshop, this was always going to be a win for me, and this was a pretty good example of the genre. I'm not generally a lover of anything featuring romance, but what romance there was was never a main feature, so it was enjoyable for me to read.

If you like fantasy, adventure and cosiness, I would recommend this book to you!

A really sweet prequel to Legends & Latte!
It has everything you want : a bookshop by the sea, moving relationships and a hint of tension and mystery.

this was a nice prequel. i enjoyed getting to see viv’s origin story. how she got the sword and her love for books. i liked the characters she met and i loved how it was tied together in the epilogue, set after the end of the first book.
simple, easy-read.

3.5

This prequel kept the same level of cosy as Legends and Lattes which I fell straight back into and I loved the concept of this one and particularly enjoyed seeing Viv’s initial development and the romance she experienced at this part in her life.

I just unfortunately didn’t love this one as much as Legends and Lattes. I struggled with the plot, I just didn’t feel like the darker elements aligned with the cosy atmosphere - maybe I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind at the time but it seems slightly disjointed. I liked both sides of the plots separately but not necessarily together - it was just trying to be ultra cosy while also quite dark at the same time which threw me off.

Saying that I loved all of the characters we were introduced to, they were all so unique and fun, and I especially loved the setting. I still enjoyed my time with this one but as previously mentioned, I think Legends and Lattes is the better novel.

TW: violence, murder, kidnapping, enslavement, blood/gore

The prequel to Legends and Lattes we are following Viv's career with the renowned mercenaries. Rackham's Ravens. After being wounded on a job, Viv is left in a sleepy beach town to recuperate. Fighting boredom Viv finds herself at a failing bookshop will she be able to save the shop and will trouble follow her there?

After loving legends and Lattes I couldn't miss out on this instalment of Viv's adventures. An injured Viv, a bookshop and a cast of weird and wonderful characters gave me cosy, comforting fantasy vibes and I loved it. I both read and listened to the audiobook and loved both media. Having Travis Baldree read the novel was great and his narration is wonderful.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic follow up to Legends and Lattes. It's a prequel so you don't need to have read the first one (but you really should as it's brilliant) but there are references to it that you'd miss.

The plot is lovely and it's like reading a nice warm hug. I just love the authors stories so much.

Fresh off writing the fantasy of being gay and running a coffeeshop, Travis Baldree has decided to write the only thing better than that- being gay and running a bookstore. That’s right, Viv is living is YOUR dream of living in a sleepy seaside town, running a bookstore, and being gay.

Bookshops & Bonedust serves as a prequel to Legends & Lattes, following a younger Viv during her first forays into adventuring. After sustaining an injury, Viv is forced to recuperate in the small seaside town of Murk, where she befriends local bookstore owner Fern. Viv discovers the joy of reading (and the joy of smut) and helps Fern restore her rundown shop back into a thriving community business.

This is every bit as cosy as I though it was going to be, with just enough sprinkles of mystery and drama to keep me engaged. I preferred it to Legends & Lattes, as I think the plot was a little tighter, and I also just love bookstores with my whole soul.

The book is funny and warm, like a slice-of-life anime, with gently profound ruminations on love and life - on knowing what your purpose is, and the bittersweet experience of meeting someone when you know you will leave. It captures the transient nature of some relationships and how they are impactful even when we know they will end.

The cast is full of strong, colourful characters, that rightfully exude the playful energy of a DnD game. Galina the gnome is a personal favourite, with her little knives and spiky hair. Viv herself is familiar in her heart, strength and industriousness, but there is a recklessness of youth about her that sets her apart from her older, more wisened self in Legends and Lattes.

The bookstore plot has the vibe of a cosy time management game. Viv and Fern must sell books to locals, matching each customer with their perfect novel, allowing them to unlock new books, new shelves and new decor for their store.

Cosy, gay and magical, this is if your Baldur’s Gate 3 characters were in Starwdew valley instead of the Underdark.

I was so disappointed with this, I couldn't finish it.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Legends and Lattes, but this prequel was basically the same except with a bookshop. Now I love me a bookshop, but here this followed the same plot as L & L, and to some extent contradicted L & L by having similar things happen that seemed new in the book set later. Surely if this had happened before Viv would have remembered some of it in L & L? So disappointed.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

A big thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan, Tor for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a prequel to Legends & Lattes so we get to know Viv a little better.

Viv is out on a hunt and gets injured. So bad that she has to take a break from the Rackams Ravens. She is dropped off at a small town called Murk to rest and heal.

While she is resting she is making new friends in the town. She hangs out in the local bookstore, helps the owner and gets introduced to the magic of books.

What is supposed to be a quiet time, taking it easy and mending her injuries is soon forgotten. She soon finds herself in the middle of an adventure with her new friends.


Just like Legends & Lattes, this is a cozy fantasy. I liked it a lot although I loved Legends & Lattes more. I am glad I got to know Viv a little better and I hope there are more books coming out.

This is cute and cosy - I didn't enjoy it quite a much as Legends and Lattes, but it's still a good, comforting read to snuggle up with, alongside a hot drink and sugary snack, of course!