Bookshops & Bonedust: A Heart-warming Cosy Fantasy

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Set in the world of BookTok sensation Legends & Lattes , Travis Baldree's Bookshops & Bonedust is a cosy fantasy about the power of good bookshops, great friends and the unexpected choices along the way. A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing! Bookshops & Bonedust" is set an indeterminate amount of time before "Legends & Lattes" taking place in a beach town called Murk, where Viv has found herself stranded for several weeks while recuperating from battle wounds. Having nothing but free time on her hands, Viv befriends a local book merchant named Fern, and helps her around the shop in exchange for free books. Fern, a giant mouse who wears a charming cape and has a gryphon puppy named Potroast, is struggling to keep her shop open due to a decline in business and passion for her trade. Thank you to Tor Books for sending me a copy of Bookshops and Bonedust in exchange for an honest review. Shall we talk about some of the other characters we’ve met at the start Nils? The three that made an impression on me were Iridia the Gatewarden, Pitts the Orc, and – surprise! – Gallina the Gnome! Firstly, I wasn’t keen on Iridia. This is the only negative I’ve experienced so far in this book; you always have to have a thorn in the protagonist’s side, but she was so obviously a thorn and for no apparent reason (or at least, I don’t accept the reasons she gives).

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. Her leg was cleanly wrapped at least, splinted so the knee wouldn’t bend. Her trouser leg had been cut away. The bandages showed some discoloration where she’d oozed through, but it was a big step up from moss and a dirty wool shirt. While the stakes may have been low, the book certainly wasn’t dull. It was really exciting and interesting. I enjoyed the storyline surrounding the bookshop. This was very much in the spirit of Legends and Lattes so it felt like a fantastic prequel. I also enjoyed Viv learning to be more than just a fearsome warrior.

But things don’t stay quiet for long, even in a sleepy town like Murk. Viv’s life takes an unexpected turn as she encounters mysterious travelers, a summer romance and a surprising number of skeletons. It turns out that running a bookshop is more of an adventure than Viv ever expected. It's sweet, beautiful and, most of all, kind. I hugely recommend this book."—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway Viv might’ve been bedbound for two days, in and out of consciousness, a muddle of circular dreams and throbbing agony. The surgeon had come and gone multiple times. Or maybe he hadn’t, and she’d just been hallucinating it over and over. She half remembered the man’s face, tangled up in a shame she couldn’t identify. I hope we see more of the Legends world. The stories don't all have to center on Viv, but should include her and her growing family.

The stairs opened into a long, rough-timbered dining area in an inn or tavern or whatever they called it around here. A big, stone hearth crouched cold along one wall, yawning like a disappointed mouth. An iron chandelier hung askew, entombed in candlewax. Glass floats and storm lanterns were strung or nailed up in the rafters, alongside netting and weathered oars with names carved into them. The handful of scarred tables were unoccupied. Spending her hours at a struggling bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted. Even though it may be exactly what she needs. Still, adventure isn't far away. A suspicious traveller in grey, 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.There was also some excitement - what food/drink would Travis Baldree describe in such ways as to make me visit the kitchen more often than usual? LEGENDS & LATTES had me consuming extra cups of coffee and cinnamon rolls - turns out BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST took a more savory approach - lots of breakfast foods and bread. As a Southern girl, I tell you that I treat bread as a dessert. ALL bread - I love it and the more butter the better!

Set in the world of BookTok sensation Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's Bookshops & Bonedust is a cosy fantasy about the power of good bookshops, great friends and the unexpected choices along the way. 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.Kira Muratova, reviewing the audiobook version in Booklist, notes that the "prequel ... answers several of its predecessor's burning questions, including how everyone's favorite coffee-loving orc learned to appreciate books. ... Read by the author, a talented and animated fantasy narrator who also voiced Legends, the book presents a colorful cast of new and familiar characters that is sure to ensorcell and delight listeners. [3] Aleksandra (Ola) Hill is a Polish-Canadian writer and the founder and publisher of khōréō, a Hugo-nominated and IGNYTE-winning magazine of speculative fiction by immigrant and diaspora writers. Her fiction has been published or is forthcoming in Analog Magazine, LeVar Burton Reads, Writer’s Digest, and others. Learn more at www.aleksandrahill.com While my beloved Thimble was not present in this story - or Cal and Tandri - Baldree introduced me to a whole new set of characters to cherish and love. I don't know how this author writes such endearing characters - but I wanted to move to this little sleepy beach town of Murk - and never leave. Well, I lie, I would want to go visit Thune. Often.