As I have already reviewed the book I will just give feedback purely on the narrator.
I always love to hear the author's own narrative of their books. And Travis as an experienced fantasy audiobook reader is an absolute delight in this book. The excitement in his voice is contagious as he tells the listener exactly how he wants his story told.
Travis's voice is very easy on the ears and I loved it.

I saw so many wonderful reviews for Legends and Lattes which convinced me that this might be a trip into fantasy which would impress even a non- fantasy reader like me.
The narrator was perfect. I always enjoy an author narration. He brought out voices and characters beautifully.
The book was full of great characters and some lively dialogue and humour which the narration amplified.
As a non fantasy reader I think I would have been better reading this rather than listening - there was just too much in this for me to assimilate within an unfamiliar genre and I got well and truly lost and found myself unable to reconnect. I have no doubt that fantasy lovers will adore this.

With many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan UK Audio for my digital copy of this book.

Bookshops and bonedust is my most anticipated book of the year, i was lucky enough to get this book early and have already devoured this book twice. And upon reread realised that this is in my top 5 books of all time.
This prequel is even better than Legends and lattes, Baldrees writing has gotten better since his first debut, with delightful characters, and such a cosy world. I want to work in Fern’s bookshop so badly.
Our favourite Orc Viv gets injured and is made to stay in Murk, a small town, where she finds herself working at the local bookshop, taking her time to recover from a serious injury. I loved seeing this side of viv, the one that longs for adventure, over Legends and Lattes viv who is ready to settle down into a quiet life.
This story adds so much to the original story, with Fern and potroast the Gryphet quickly becoming lifelong favourite characters.
This book has the perfect balance of cosy and excitement, the mystery in this novel contains high stakes that kept the book fast paced and interesting. Every character adds to the overall stakes, and with this added conflict it makes the story even more astounding and fun to read, while being the cosiest book ive ever read.

"Then why does this have to be the end of it?"
"Because I'm headed down the hill, and you're headed up it. I'm just glad we chanced to meet on the way."

This book is a love letter to the reader, for every bibliophile that read this book feels like they are getting a hug from the author. Its all about finding your home, about the right people at the wrong time, and about growth. That some people will impact your life forever in the best way, even if you have to leave them behind.

Endings are not always the ending.

Please please please never stop writing Travis Baldree, you have truly written a masterpiece.


See you in the story past the story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

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

After being injured in the hunt for a necromancer and without her notorious mercenary company, Viv ends up in the charming town of Murk, where she befriends multiple sweet characters and reads many books while healing. Adventure is never too far away, and with a homunculus, multiple skeletons and a necromancer thrown in the mix, things might not be as peaceful as they seem.

Someone needs to add Bookshops & Bonedust as the example under the definition of the word 'cosy' in the dictionary. This was just a warm hug in book form, and even though I missed the famous 'bean water with milk', we still had a lot of familiarity with the mouth-watering description of pastries, adorable secondary characters and our heroine Viv.

I was skeptical about reading the prequel of a series that only had one book out, but I was pleasantly surprised. This prequel provided some important information on how Viv ended up wanting to open the famous Legends & Latte shop, why she quit the mercenary lifestyle, how she became an avid reader, and how she ended up becoming the sweet yet insecure ogre we all know and love in book 1.

As was the case in book 1 as well, the secondary characters were delightful, with bookshop owner and certified potty-mouthed bibliophile Fern, Maylee, the adorable ratkin baker and even the homunculus Satchel, who read books at a speed I envy. There were a lot of hilarious moments, especially from our part-time comedian Fern, and I will never refer to smut books as anything other than 'moist books.' from now on. I was so happy to get a glimpse of Viv's love life pre-Tandri, and the ending tied together very nicely with the events from Legends & Latte.

Cannot wait to see what other cosy adventure will come next!!

Thank you so much to Macmillan UK Audio and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy for an honest review!

I adored "Legends and Lattes" and I guess it's rather a "me" problem and the book's fault, but there is only a specific amount of "cosy fantasy" that my system can tolerate, and it was saturated with the first installment. I really enjoyed the coffee shop redecoration and coming up with different marketing strategies from the first book, and this "cosy" element is somehow lacking for me in "Bookshops & Bonedust" since, as a bookie, I was expecting more talk about running a bookshop itself, not only reading. Also, it's hard to be hooked on Viv's new relationship when you know it's a prequel, so it cannot last. I don't think it was bad, simply dully mediocre, and I guess I set my standards too high for Baldree's writing after his first smash hit. Nevertheless, the dialogues were funny, I snorted a couple of times and I liked the concept of a reclusive harlequin-like book writer.

The absolute perfect prequel to Legends and Lattes! I loved being back in a world with Viv and the cosy vibes were just perfection! As per usual, travis’s voice was incredible and just perfect for this genre!!! Love so much! Cannot wait to see where he goes next!

I enjoyed the author’s reading of this audiobook, I thought he did a great job making the voices evocative of character. I was a fan of the first book in the series, Legends and Lattes, and while Bookshops and Bonedust has a slightly different, less cosy autumnal vibe, it still has many of the ingredients I liked in that first book: funny, interesting characters (and creatures) that build a community; a gentle sense of mystery and intrigue; and a little world that’s a pleasure to spend time in.

This was another cosy fantasy read that is a prequel to the brilliant Legends & Lattes.

In this instalment we follow Viv as she is recovering from a pretty serious battle injury in the seemingly quiet seaside town of Murk. As she isn't fit enough to go anywhere, but is not one for relaxing, she befriends bookshop owner Fern and helps her out in the shop. But there is more going on in this quaint little town and Viv may just be in the right place at the right time...

This was a great addition to the series and although I don't thinkThimble could be replaced as a favourite character for mine, Satchel is certainly up there!

A lovely story - I really enjoyed listening to Viv's adventures.

I'm always a bit cautious when an author narrates their own work, while it works for non-fiction it can be a bit hit and miss for fiction. But i'm happy to say Travis did a great job!

Off to see if he has any other books to listen to ...

This was an absolute charmer of a book. I loved getting to know Viv. Great cozy vibes of family and friends. I really enjoyed this and the audio book was wonderful! I can't wait to read more from this author in the future!

The 2nd installment of this series is jsut as good as the first. Such a captivating comforting cosy read that warms your bones. I loved it.

This is the prequel to Legends and Lattes

✨Fantasy
✨YA
✨Adventure
✨Magical creatures and objects
✨Friendship
✨Unexpected choices
✨The power of good bookshops

This was a fun cosy fantasy read with a little smidge of romance.

There was a lot of detailed world building and imagery. I could clearly picture the world and characters that Travis was describing. The story brings together magical creatures and objects and they fall into an adventure together.

The main character is Viv the orc. She is a bounty hunter and after she is seriously injured in battle she is forced to recover in the sleepy seaside town of Murk. She becomes friends with Fern and helps her out with her bookshop.

The bookshop itself is a treasure trove and Fern the owner has a real calling and talent, finding the right book for each visitor.

Travis talks about a story within a story and there were lots of strands to the events happening in the small seaside town of Murk. There’s the stranger dressed in grey, a gnome with attitude, innocent summer love, skeletons and a mysterious and impending danger that they need to survive.

I loved the strong friendships that developed in the story and when it was time for Viv to leave I could feel the sadness. As a romance reader the ending was different to how I expected, but it’s clear that there’s more in the future for each character and this adventure sets them up to go out on their own and make their own stories.

Travis did a great job with the audio and it really gave an insight into how he as the author saw the characters.

A fun cosy book perfect for autumn! I loved the combination of cosy, heartwarming moments along with the action!

So, full disclosure, I haven’t read Legends & Lattes (I definitely will now) before listening to Bookshops & Bonedust, so I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, but I’m kind of glad I didn’t. This book has the perfect cosiness to adventure ratio. It lets you relax in between facing danger, and I appreciated that a lot as I was listening to it in between my October horror reads. Bookshops & Bonedust is a story of friendship, finding your people and, most importantly, the love for books (maybe not most importantly, but you know what I mean). It’s also a book about not being in the right place in life… yet, and letting go of things in order to find that right spot for one’s self. And then there’s also an evil necromancer (aren’t they all?). So overall, the book was a delight.
 And additionally, I loved Travis Baldree’s narration, and how he gave every character their own distinct voice.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree Spoiler Free Review:

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan UK Audio for an audiobook copy of Bookshops & Bonedust in exchange for an honest review.

The author did a splendid job narrating his own story. Serving as a prequel to Legends & Lattes, we follow Viv, a wounded soldier who is forced to recover in a small town. She later finds a job in a struggling bookshop and meets an intriguing bunch of characters in a place she never expected.

The writing is really well done, although there were times where it felt a bit slow-paced.

The characters are entertaining.

Perfect for fans of:
*New Adult Fantasy
*LGBTQIA
*Fantasy romance
*Fantastical creatures
*Bookshop settings
*Cozy fantasies
*Strong female protagonists
*Great side characters
*Audiobooks narrated by the author

A great addition to the series!
And yes, I say series expecting and hoping for more!

Satchel is my new Thimble.
Of course I won’t choose between the two but Baldree manages to write some great characters once again.

A prequel to Legends and Lattes, bookshops and bonedust is another cosy fantasy tale perfect to cuddle up with.
Where the core relationship in L&L was romantic this time there's more of a focus on friendship and its told in a beautiful way. I'm a big fan of fantasy so it's no surprise how much I enjoy this (especially as a season d&d dungeon master)
I enjoyed this as much as the first book even though the stakes were a bit higher in this one.i recommend it to anyone looking for a cosy read.

I love Travis Baldree books sooo much! They feel like a warm hug by a loved one 💖
If you've read Legends and Lattes and fell in love with the cozy fantasy genre, then this book is a must-read, and if you haven't, get ready to be introduced to a world that's as heartwarming as it is captivating.

“Never trust a writer who doesn’t have too many books to read. Or a reader, for that matter.”

Travis Baldree has a true knack for crafting wholesome and cozy fantasy novels, and Bookshops and Bonedust is no exception. While the fantasy genre often leans towards the serious, grim, or dark, sometimes you just need a break, and this book offers the perfect escape.

This is a prequel to Legends and Lattes and we follow Viv, who got wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, and is now recovering in the sleepy beach town of Murk. Her unexpected companionship with a foul-mouthed bookshop owner sets the stage for a heartwarming journey of self-discovery, friendship, and the joy of reading. The premise alone drew me in, and as I delved into the pages, I was captivated by the charm of Viv's younger days.

The beauty of Bookshops and Bonedust is that it works both as a standalone novel and as a companion to Legends and Lattes. If you've read the latter, you'll appreciate the subtle ties and references, but even if you haven't, the story stands on its own, offering a fresh perspective on the cozy fantasy world Baldree has created.

Viv's transformation from a battle-hardened warrior to a book-loving dreamer is a testament to the power of finding joy in the simple things in life. The scenes set in the second-hand bookshop are a bibliophile's dream, and the relationships Viv builds with Fern, Potroast, Maylee, and Gallina are heartwarming. It's evident that reading and camaraderie have the power to heal and inspire, and this book beautifully conveys that message.

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

I love how Travis shows passion through his characters. Fern was so passionate about her bookshop and the books inside. Maylee was so passionate about the food she made. I love how these characters would put their soul into these things because of how much they loved them. 💕
And witnessing Viv's newfound passion for reading and her appreciation for delicious foods brought a smile to my face and left me craving more of those cozy, everyday moments.

In essence, Bookshops and Bonedust operates like a charming and comfortable cottage, inviting readers to take a break from the chaos of life. The characters are full of heart and personality, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their journeys, just as in Legends and Lattes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan UK Audio, and Travis Baldree for an ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Travis Baldree managed to write a story that feels like a warm hug on a piece of paper. I personally prefered the first book, I found the bakery more interesting but Bookshops and Bonedust manages to have higher stakes and is therefore a little more gripping. I really enjoyed the necromancer plotline and I loved the characters! Unfortunately the setting wasn't my favourite I found the whole 'fixing up the bookshop' bit a little boring. Still a very loveable book though and perfect if you need a break from the usual fantasy drama.

A lovely prequel to Legends & Lattes. I very much enjoyed this series with its cozy vibe, and it manages to have just enough plot to not make it boring while remaining cozy and enjoyable.