It may only be Travis Baldree’s second book, but his name is becoming synonymous with “cozy fantasy” and I find that very comforting. Whenever I need a dose of… well, this, I can rest assured that a Travis Baldree book will do the job. So lean back, relax, and take a trip down memory lane as we explore Viv’s past, long before she opened that adorable café and got us all hyped up about an entire sub-genre.
BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST
by Travis Baldree
narrated by Travis Baldree
Published: Tor, 2023
ebook: 339 pages
Audiobook: 8 hours
Series: Legends & Lattes #0
My rating: 7/10
Opening line: “Eighteen!” bellowed Viv, bringing her saber around in a flat curve that battered the wight’s skull off its spine. She laughed and rammed her shoulder through its body before it could begin to fall, shattering bones in all directions.
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.
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.
We first met Viv as a seasoned warrior who literally just wants to hang up her sword and settle down as the owner of an adorable coffee shop. But this story takes place many years before that and so also presents us with a much different version of Viv herself. Still very much into Orc-ing around, fighting epic battles and going from bloody field to even bloodier campaign, Viv is still hungry for adventure and eager for glory. Which makes the injury that leaves her in the sleepy town of Murk even harder to bear. She can’t fight, she can’t slaughter monsters, can’t win treasure… hell, she can’t even exercise properly. And Murk has very little to offer in terms of entertainment, at least as far as Vivi knows.
But of course, with nothing else to do, Viv does eventually find certain parts of the town that offer their own kind of appeal. Viv discovers her side quest at a small bookshop whose Ratkin proprietor Fern just looooves swearing and happens to own one of the cutest, most adorable pets you could imagine. Take a look at the book cover (US version) and check out that pug that’s also somehow an owl and whose name is pure perfection: Potroast.
Sure, none of that has anything to do with plot, but it’s those small details that make Travis Baldree’s world so cozy and fun, even if there isn’t a lot happening.
Although I have to say, compared to Legends & Lattes, there is quite a bit going on here. Not only does Viv start to read the books Fern throws at her (unwillingly, at first, then with a little more gusto), but she also decides to help spruce up that old bookshop and drive some customers to it so Fern can make a living; but there’s also a bit of romance and, of course, the “bonedust” part mentioned in the title. I will not say a lot about that (because spoilers) but it was one of my favorite bits in the entire novel.
Watching Viv grow slowly from her young and impulsive self into a slightly more mature person who understands that there is value in things other than fighting was so lovely. The book does have that Damocles sword of Viv only being in Murk temporarily hanging over it, which lends a note of bittersweet sorrow to every friendship she makes, every kiss she might steal, every book Fern recommends and Viv ends up enjoying. But this wouldn’t be a cozy fantasy if that sadness was overwhelming. Overall, the positive and hopeful tone stands firm and leaves readers with a satisfied smile on their faces. At least if you’re into this sort of thing.
At this point, I simply must mention the audiobook narration, which is done by Travis Baldree himself. He was a narrator before he was an author and the professionalism shows. First of all, he’s damn good at simply narrating the story, but I was also very taken with the voices he did for certain characters, especially the ones that are further removed from human than others. I read the first book as an ebook, but now that I’ve heard how Baldree narrates his own stories, I think I might just stick with the audiobooks for whatever comes next. And I certainly hope we get more cozy fantasies from this author, whether they involve Viv or a side character we’ve already met, or another world entirely. I’m happy this subgenre is currently so well loved because, even if I read darker or more challenging books, it’s wonderful to know there’s a place (or an author) you can rely on to make you feel good.
MY RATING: 7/10 – Very good
SFF Book Reviews 
I really enjoyed this too! I haven’t read Legends and Lattes yet, but will definitely go back and catch up at some point 😁
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