Nov 25

Nov 25 Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes, #0)

Author: Travis Baldree
Publisher: Tor
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

Click above to buy this book from my Bookshop.org shop, which supports independent bookstores (not Amazon). You can also find it via your favorite indie bookstore here.

Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, New York Times bestselling author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.

What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

My Review

I had such a good time with this book! I liked it even better than Legends & Lattes, which was cute but a little too cozy to really fall into the “love” category for me. Sure, I adored the characters, and who doesn’t swoon over a cute story about found family and pastries? But I do tend to like a little more substance to my reads.

Bookshops & Bonedust has the best of both worlds. It’s a prequel, taking place while Viv is still making a name for herself with Rackam’s crew. But don’t worry, there isn’t a bunch of orc sword fights here; Viv is injured and recovers in a cute little seaside town. I do think this book still feels like it belongs in the cozy category, but it’s more novel-length (versus novella) and has a more substantive plot and a bigger bad guy. Still lots of found family vibes and plenty of pastries, and this time, also a bookstore!! So what’s not to love?

If you liked Legends & Lattes, even if it wasn’t a favorite, I think you’ll like this one. Give it a shot.