The concept of the novel was fun and light-hearted with less action than I was expecting. Typically I expect high fantasy novels to be fast-paced with high intensity action, so it was interesting to read a slow high fantasy that allowed the characters to develop in a deeper way. The idea of Viv who is made for battle and is helping rebuild a book shop was a fascinating take on the stereotypical warrior trope.

I enjoyed Fern and Viv's growing friendship and attempts to re-vamp the book shop, this dynamic was well-written and in my opinion was the back-bone to the novel. I think the romantic relationship between Viv and Maylee was weak and lacked moments of emotional intimacy and I couldn't understand their connection. However, the characters individually were interesting to read about.

The novel's action with Varine was clever and her defeat leading to becoming trapped within a book was a clever nod to reading and characters written within books are therefore always trapped. However, the action was too quick and I didn't feel there was lead-up or realisation to the reader at how much of a danger this one villain was to Viv and co. I liked Satchel and his character of initially seeming evil but in reality a light-hearted individual.

I understand this novel is a prequel to 'Legends and Lattes' and I haven't read this series so I was unsure about this fantasy world and how the magic operated. I didn't know if the different species of characters were prejudiced by other characters or a hierarchy. So this made it difficult to understand how the characters sat within this world, but that being said not having this knowledge didn't greatly impact the plot or character development. The last half of the novel slowed down in pace, which made the reading a little difficult.

The prequel to Legends and Lattes comes with a new setting, a new cast of characters and a whole helping of cosy vibes. Viv the orc has just started on her career of adventuring when a fight goes wrong and she ends up badly injured. Needing to recover, she finds herself left in a town called Murk by her team, desperately awaiting their return so she can continue fighting her way around the map for money! I loved this book so much, it’s got the same warm, cosy background with wonderful new characters including a foul mouthed rattkin, another orc with a poetic side and a new (old technically!) love interest for Viv. I love that although there is an evil necromancer protagonist, there is also plenty of time building the world, developing these new characters and pushing the story along little by little. It doesn’t feel like there’s any filler to the story-it’s slow paced yes, but that suits cosy fantasy down to a tee. Right now I’m going to start my reread of Legends & Lattes to link the two stories together in my mind better while waiting for whatever Travis comes out with next.

Found this one slow to get going, I was intrigued by the blur but it wasn't my cup of tea. A well written book however

Thank you to Pan MacMillan, Tor and NetGalley for the arc of Books and Bonedust by Travis Baldree in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Books and Bonedust is the prequel story to Legends and Lattes which, despite being one of my most beautiful books, I have still yet to read. This didn’t stop me from starting B&B and I can truthfully say didn’t detract from my enjoyment and love of Viv’s prequel story.

The world building is wonderful, delivering cosy fantasy vibes, set in the town of Murk and focusing on a forlorn book shop owned by a character called Fern and her adorable pet - Potroast and the resulting impact of Viv’s arrival! Murk is a reasonably calm and quiet, small port town, with the occasional influx of visitors and nothing more to ruffle the residents and their local warden, until Viv arrives.

We meet our protagonist Viv at the start of the story as she is felled with a terribly serious injury to her leg, which results in her being left behind in Murk to recover and await the return of her gang, as they continue to search for their bounty. killing time until her bandit pals return from their latest adventure.

The relationship between Fern and Viv is an absolute delight, each in their own way triggers a positive reaction in the other, including a revival of enthusiasm and joy in one’s life and a sparking the joy and escape of reading, particularly the ‘moist’ variety. 😂

Of course there is much more to this story than a friendship between a bookseller and a bandit, and there are other key and significant characters including Gallina, who is desperate to join Viv’s crew, the baker Maylee, and ex-bounty hunter/bandit and of course Satchel, of whom I am inordinately and utterly fond of.

I could talk so much more about this story but, would be at risk of spoiling the serious joy that you will find within its pages.,I will say, it’s an utter delight, crammed to the brim, with books, beasties, friendship, romance, adventure and more, and you should pre-order a copy now or just get hold of a copy asap! I’m off to do catch up now, and start readingLegends and Lattes. I’ve obviously waited far too long!

Bookshops and Bonedust sends us back into Vivs world and let’s us get to know her even better as we follow her younger and more adventurous days.

Finding herself needing to rest off an injury Viv befriends a local bookseller and learns how much a good book can make a world of difference.

Bookshops and Bonedust continues to set a cosy scene in the world we already know and this time instead of coffee we are given books. It’s loveable and playful and we can appreciate even more Vivs character in LAL given we get to know her younger self.

Whilst living up to the cosy fantasy hype, Bookshops and Bonedust does give us more action some more focused plot than LAL. There is a war happening and Viv is in the middle of it but never do we feel afraid for her life or threatened considering we know she lives to try coffee and Thimblets.

Whilst LAL gives itself more to cosy living, BAB does offer us peace whilst also allowing us to see Viv the warrior in action before her inevitable retirement and one last adventure.

A great follow up to the original!

Bookshops & Bonedust
A Heartwarming Cosy Fantasy and TikTok Sensation
by Travis Baldree
Pub Date 09 Nov 2023 | Archive Date 09 Nov 2023
Pan Macmillan, Tor
General Fiction (Adult) | Sci Fi & Fantasy

Bookshops &Bonedust is a prequel to Legends & Lattes.

In B&B we follow Viv an orc who is injured in battle and must stay behind to heal as her crew of mercenaries continue on their time sensitive quest without her.

Of course Viv is far from happy but soon realizes Murk might just be the place she needs to be. Soon she befriends a bookseller rattkin named Fern and a dwarf baker named Maylee. I would make a bun joke here but Maylee is more than just eye-candy. Between helping Fern with the bookshop, dates with Maylee and training a gnome by the name of Gillian, Viv is pretty much rushed off her good foot. You would probable think it wouldn't leave room for anything else to be on Viv's mind but there is.
She can't stop thinking about the Raven crew she should be with and if their quest had gone or was going well. The longer they were gone the more worried she became. All too soon Viv has as much blood, guts and fighting as she can handle.

There were a lot of topics covered in this book. The obvious being, right, wrong, good and evil, friendship and relationships. But it also covered others, injury and temporary disability, the differences between people being as common as if we were different but yet being all tied together. Abuse that can be inflicted on a person as shown by Satchels suffering. Corruption and greed as we saw when Viv took the Blackblood. Baldree is to be commended on writing a female same sex couple without turning it into some fetish smut. Too many writers fall into this gap.



Unfortunately I did battle with this book. After putting it down I would ach to know what happened to the characters but I felt physical pain when sitting down to read. One of the biggest problems was probably that I was reading an e-book and not a physical copy.

That being said there were some problems with the writing for me.
Firstly, the book seemed to mash both Old English and American English together. Which made some passages disjointed for me.
Second the over use of some words such as Companionable.
Then there was the fact that Baldree seemed to be sacrificing flow in order to add flowery prose.
If any battle sense needed more it was definitely the last one, it felt rushed and way to easy. And that is saying something when I felt over all the book dragged.

I say all of that in the clear knowledge that the book did get quite a few things right.
.The descriptions of both characters and places left me in no doubt of where I was or what I was seeing. How the characters felt or how I should feel.
As I said I spent the day thinking about the characters and wanting to know what was going to happen to them. Even barely mentioned side characters had my attention.

Currently caught between wanting to read Legends and Lattes and dreading it.. If I do decided to read it I will make sure to get a physical copy and I am sure Fern would approve of that. The pressing interest is to see if Potroast made it. to the next book.

The last thing I will say is, if you love magic, other beings, battles, quests, food and friendship, seasoned with some literary prose, this is for you. Maybe get the paperback though.

Books and Bonedust is a prequel story to Legends and Lattes which I absolutely adored. I had high hopes for Books and Bonedust and I was not disappointed.

It has the same perfect, cosy fantasy vibes as Legends and Lattes, but this time largely centered around a book shop (first coffee, now books - Travis certainly knows the way to this gal's heart).

Viv is recovering from a serious leg injury in Murk, killing time until her bandit pals return from their latest adventure. Murk is a relatively quiet and peaceful town until Viv arrives.

I loved being with Viv as she discovers the joy of reading. I adored the grumpy, sweaty bookshop owner, Fern, and her amazing talent for putting the right books into the right hands.

But it's too much to expect Viv to retreat to a quiet, peaceful, bookish life. She gets herself embroiled in a mystery involving a necromancer and dead body. The mildly irritating Gallina, wants a spot with Viv's crew and is following her around trying to make a good impression, but mostly being annoying. She also discovers Satchel, who you need to discover for yourself to truly appreciate; he swiftly became my favourite.

Viv also finds herself helping Fern to upgrade her bookshop business and flirting with Maylee, the baker (whose baked goods sounded so delicious I wanted to reach into the pages and eat them all).

Viv is starting to love her peaceful life in Murk, and the group of friends she has found there, but she is also restless and ready for adventure, which leads to her making some difficult decisions.

I absolutely loved this book, especially the way the ending linked it to Legends and Lattes in a brilliant way.

If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, you will love this one.

Baldree’s reputation is built on cosy, plus gorgeous food descriptions: you’ll get it here. The rest of the prose is fairly matter-of-fact - it’s simple and easy to read, not wildly lyrical, but the characters are simply delightful. Plus, the cutest animal companions and lots of humour. Did you never think you could identify with an orc barbarian warrior? Enjoy being proved wrong as you savour delicious foods and delicious books with Viv. But also, anyone who’s suffered from boredom, or loneliness, or an illness or hurt they couldn’t shake, will find this strikes a core note with them too.

Prepare for whimsical language like:
“thunder growled like potatoes down a washboard”

“The chapter was titled “In Which I Dismember a Man.””

I also appreciated this;

“She’d enjoyed the hells out of it, honestly, but . . . she wasn’t sure how to put that into words. “Well. I liked it,” she tried lamely.”

Viv is all of us trying to write a book review. Also, Fern is all of us who need the motivation to tidy our rooms/ book stacks but just can’t seem to get the motivation to do so - without, maybe, a bit of help from a friend.

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

Another delicious, heart warming serving from Travis - you’ll love it.

Did you love legends and Lattes, you’re gonna love this then. Similar vibes, but in a book shop!! It’s good to see young viv, and see how she became who is in Legends and Lattes, but that also means this can be read a standalone too which I love. Young Viv is a bit headstrong, still needs to grow, but that makes it more charming. I really resonate with Viv struggling to let books go. All the characters are just as wonderful as in Legends and Lattes, and I would die for Potroast. Honestly, I was worried nothing could live up to those adorable cosy vibes of legends and Lattes, but this does and more. A fantasy that makes you feel good about yourself and the world, and leaves you just that bit warmer inside.

Seeing viv fall in love with reading is gorgeous - baldree sums up what getting lost in our first book feels like. And what joy reading can bring us all. He makes it sound cosy and poetic and epic all at once. Outstanding

This is a prequel to Legends & Lattes, and if you enjoyed that then you'll enjoy this. If you like books about bookshops, then this is also for you! Viv is an orc mercenary, young, enthusiastic and injured after making a rookie error. Left to recover in Murk, she gets involved in helping bring the local bookshop, run by the delightfully sweary Fern, back to life. There's also a fantastic sounding local bakery, a gnome who also wants to be a mercenary, some local difficulties and a necromancer.

It's a gentle read, so it's not fast paced but there is action and plenty of character development. Viv and Gallina developing a love of reading is great, and I really enjoyed the epilogue at the end.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for review.

A warm blanket and a delight to read. I haven't indulged in the first of this book series, but if this book is any indication, I'm in for a treat. The biggest complaint I saw of the first was the lack of fantasy elements, but this book is not short of that. It's still very cosy, and I loved every moment of it. This fully deserves to go into the 'open your own bookshop' fodder section of any shelf.

This book takes us 20 years before Legend and Lattes to a much younger and impulsive Viv. Viv gets injured acting recklessly and while bored in recovery, finds herself helping to restore a failing bookshop to the business it deserves to be. The characters are great fun and I was sad to see her leave the town to join back her with her band but it was a sweet story. The plot of the book was fun, and the epilogue begs for a sequel.

A greta follow up to Legends and Lattes. This one is more like a prequel, we find a young Viv left in a sleepy town by to recover from a leg injury while the rest of her gang follow the trial of a necromancer. While their Viv become friends with the local bookshop owner Fern and helps her revamp the store while trying to save everyone. It full of adventure, romance and friendships. It’s a lovely story and an easy read with a feel good vibe. Well worth reading

The prequel to Legend and Lattes still retains the charm from the original book. We follow a much younger Viv and have a similar premise of helping to set up a book shop whilst there is some evil baddies plotting mischief. There are loveable characters and you can't help but enjoy reading about the renovation. The epilogue for me was a highlight in the book and I do hope the series is continued in Thune with a bigger exploration of the Madrigal. Definitely worth a read if you enjoyed the first one, not quite as good but then I think I enjoyed the other characters more.

Bookshops & Bonedust is the prequel to the wonderful Legends & Lattes. Set 20 years earlier, it follows Viv who has ended up in a sleepy beach town after being injured in battle. There she discovers a bookshop and some interesting characters who show her the town is more eventful than she thought possible. This is another great slice of 'cosy fantasy' and a great addition to this universe!

The first book started this year's cosy book only tbr. I love that we get to see young Vi and how her journey started and her love for reading.

I love how we see her growth in this book and how there are so many little nods to the vi and coffee in the other book. So happy I got to read this and can't wait to see how this series goes.

Any one want a cosy book then this is one for you

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for review.

I was so over the moon to be allowed an early copy of this book, as Legends and Lattes is one of my all time favourite reads of all time and this book cemented Baldree as one of my new favourite authors.
Bookshops and Bonedust was a delight to read from start to finish, with slightly more high stakes than the previous book following Viv and a lot more fighting scenes which I wasn't mad about!

I loved everything and everyone in the town of Murk, so much so that while I was reading the closing chapters I started sobbing because I didn't want to leave the characters and finish the book. I want this series to go on forever.

There was nothing wrong with this book, it was utter perfection.

This prequel is truly wonderful and so pleasing to read. I loved it all. The bookshop and Fern particularly, Viv was brilliant and her relationship with Mylee was so cute.

This book has everything you could want in a book, books, cake, marvellous FMC and her friends and an exceptional plot.

Travis Baldree has written another masterpiece and he is now on my favourite author list and I will be purchasing anything he publishes in the future.

Thank you so much for the opportunity of letting me read this early. It was an absolute privilege.

I stated in my review of Legends & Lattes, that I wanted more books set in this world. So when I heard about Bookshops & Bonedust , I was so excited. I have always loved cozy fantasy books and like the previous book, I really enjoyed this book. The vibes, as they say, are immaculate. It has always been my dream to either own a bookshop or work in one and through this book, I got to live my dream in a way. It was quite interesting to get a backstory to the Viv we know and find out about her past.

Again, the cozy vibes of the town setting made me want to jump into the world and live there. The eclectic cast of characters that filled the story made it even more fun to read. This is definitely one of those light-hearted fantasy books that you can read and finish in a day, because that's what I did lol.

If you enjoyed reading Legends & Lattes , then you are going to love Bookshops & Bonedust !

This was a really enjoyable book. I loved Legends and Lattes and I really enjoyed getting to know Viv’s character and understanding a bit more about what led her to wanting to change her life and live a quieter life in her cafe. Once again this book has loveable characters with just enjoying mystery and intrigue to keep the plot ticking over. I did find it a little bit slow to get into but I think that was more because I had been reading a few fast paced books prior to this one and had to adjust!
Another brilliant cozy fantasy that will be perfect for fans of the first book.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. The characters as ever were welcoming and well crafted and it was so interesting to see Viv years before Legends and Lattes. I really enjoyed watching her delve into books and the beginning was a gentle amble. It’s not a fast action book, but that’s kind of the point with cosy fantasy. I love how the author is obsessed with cake and this is apparent in both books. Highly recommended and the epilogue was perfect.