Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes)

Product Information

Before I say anything else about the book, I need to say that I love love loved Potroast more than I have loved any other character in a long time. Potroast is a sort of cross between a pug and an owl and I love him. 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.

Bookshops & Bonedust" is not as cozy a read as its predecessor, but it's more thought-provoking and has a lot of heart. Telling a story about the things that help shape characters into whom we come to love is worth telling, especially if done so with as much care as Baldree has displayed here. I didn't even get into some of the other cool things that pop up in this book, like the little bone boy who lives in a satchel and is brought to life with magic dust like a ghoulish subservient Peter Pan, or the giant scarred orc who spits poetry like a beat poet in a Coen Brothers movie. Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and secondhand books. Through meeting the right people at the right time, or maybe the right people at the wrong time, Viv will eventually realize there is more to life than just fighting and killing. And it is through the delight and escapism bestowed by reading great books that she feels this further. Yes, as the title says, many scenes in Bookshops and Bonedust will take place in a second-hand bookshop. And I loved the relationship Viv built with Fern, Potroast, Maylee, and Gallina. Gallina is a supporting character in Legends and Lattes, and I have no doubt we will see Fern, Potroast, and Maylee again in one or two future-to-be-written books in this world. Some readers can argue that writing a fantasy story about finding and savoring the joy of reading is cheating. It goes without saying that readers reading this book and Legends and Lattes will most likely be readers who love reading books. However, reading our unspoken emotions and words written by other authors eloquently, or feelings spoken by characters who feel the same passion about reading, can feel good. I actually think Bookshops and Bonedust had too many battles for a cozy fantasy novel. I wish we had more slice-of-life portions here like Legends and Lattes did. Reading Viv finding pleasure in reading for the first time put a smile on my face, and I wouldn't mind having more of her reading and eating delicious foods. Sometimes, right things happen at the wrong time. Sometimes, what we need isn't what we seek. And sometimes, we find ourselves in the stories we experience together. Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

Legends & Lattes is a uniquely beautiful book. Its cast of endearing characters have no interest at all in killing one another. There is no Great Evil, no bloody battles, and yet the pillars of great fantasy—resilience, fellowship, and a desire to make the world a better place—are all here. It’s wonderfully wholesome, and I hope heralds the rise of a 'slice-of-life' sub-genre in modern fantasy.”—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld stars] I’m glad for more time with this author’s works, even if I enjoyed Legends & Lattes a bit more.

A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing! This is a strange one to review. I went into Bookshops & Bonedust not expecting to care for it much. I didn’t think that a prequel to Legends & Lattes was a story that really needed telling. Legends & Lattes was perfect for what it was, a charming, cosy slice of life fantasy story with a unique twist. I didn’t think a prequel detailing Viv was particularly necessary; as flavourful and cosy it may be. However, I did very much enjoy what we got here, but it’s handicapped greatly by being a prequel. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree begins at the end. An orc by the name of Viv has just beaten what amounts to the Big Bad End Guy (BBEG) of her own adventure. And so… she decides to settle down and open a café in a city named Thune, where no one has heard of coffee (yet). She has a nest egg of gold that she’s saved up in her years of adventuring and a strong work ethic to make her dream a reality. It’s a far cry from her previous life, and a very different path than many of “her kind” take, as so many folks point out to her—but she’s determined to leave that past behind. What follows is the story of how the coffee shop comes into being.When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek. 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. 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.