"High Fantasy. First Loves. Second-Hand Books."

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree is another cosy fantasy that you could almost fall asleep to! Almost...

This novel is a prequel to Legends & Lattes, taking a peek at Orc Viv's life before opening a coffee shop in Thune. Following a battle, Viv is injured and ends up in the seaside town of Murk, where she makes friends with Fern, owner of a rundown bookshop, and her furry pet Potroast. Between reading books recommended by Fern, she has a summer fling with the gnome owner of the nearby bakery, Maylee, clashes with the town doctor Highlark and Gatewarden Iridia, gets into a fight, which lands her a night in jail and battles not once but twice with a necromaner.

I borrowed a copy of this book from Taunton Library and listened to it on cloudLibrary. As with his first novel, Travis Baldree was the audiobook narrator, which I appreciated. I read this for the 52 Book Club Summer Reading Challenge 2024, for prompt 21, team football/soccer, double letter word in the title.

Excellent book. Very chill read with just enough conflict to be interesting. It is a prequel to Legends and Lattes but it is not required reading outside of the epilogue. 

Enjoyable prequel to L&L, with loveable characters I'd like to see more of. That said, I almost wish there were fewer so we could explore a few relationships more deeply.
This book is not as strong as the other in terms of having a cozy setting, I would say. The nature of Viv being there to recuperate means that she cannot build a hearth and home. The

looming threat once she gains the sword

also makes it difficult to settle into the cozier scenes in the latter half.
As always, the narration by Baldree is well done, and helps to immerse with the world.

Cozy prequel to “Legends and Lattes”. Having to rest up at a sleepy seaside town after being wounded in battle, Viv slowly gets to know some of the citizens of Murk. She finds new friends, a new love of reading, and a bit of a short fling. 

It was a good read. Very feel-good with minimal action, which is refreshing. I don’t think I need to be held in anxious suspense for chapters on end with every book that I read. This book was sweet and I don’t feel any let-down having read it. The story the author was telling feels finished and I appreciate that. Admittedly, I read this book before reading Legends & Lattes, so I’m sure my perspective is different from most other readers.

I could not put this down!  The story draws you in and you cannot help but read another chapter - and then another.  It’s about life choices, love and discovering what matters.  With loveable characters, battle scenes and a little romance along the way.