Another excellently cozy low-stakes, high-fantasy read — this time with a save-the-bookstore theme that's absolute catnip (griffit-nip?) for book lovers.

Originally a little disappointed that this was a prequel, I quickly revised my opinion. Viv is as fun to follow here as a rash young orc convalesing in the seaside town of Murk as she was in Legends & Lattes as a battle weary orc taking a chance on changing her career and building her second act. With an open-minded knack for gathering interesting characters around her, she and her diverse group of new friends fix up a rundown bookstore, win the affections of the bookshop pet, drool over amazing baked goods, and maybe save the world from a necromancer. Not too shabby for a side quest!

Also, I could read a whole book about Satchel, a skeletal Terry Pratchett-esque gentleman homunculous. More than a whole book, actullly. If he ever decides to, say, solve a series of cosy mysteries, I'm in!

As context, I haven't read Legends & Lattes, to which this Bookshops & Bonedust is a prequel. B&B's story felt fully self-contained to me and I didn't feel I was missing anything for not having read L&L.

And it was kinda fun.

Perhaps a bit simple in some ways compared to many fantasy adventure stories, but still a nice fun entertaining read about a young impetuous orcish mercenary (not nearly as animally brutish as that might sound in some fantasy worlds) and, while recuperating from the injuries of her recent impetuousness in a small town, the varied new relationships she formed, lessons learned, and unexpected threat fought.

Easy read, fun story, and enough to make me consider picking up Legends & Lattes at some point.