Bookshops & Bonedust: A Heart-warming Cosy Fantasy

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This is not a nail-biter of a book: the reader never truly worries that she will end up homeless and destitute—the stakes are never quite that high. Rather, the challenge is whether she will give up on her dream and whether she is willing to continue trusting herself and the path that she has chosen and, more importantly, whether she is willing to ask for help—or, more critically, accept when others offer the help she so willingly and unquestioningly gives to strangers. 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 really fancied a chilled, comfortable read. This series has been described as being high fantasy, good company, low stakes. This is exactly what I needed.

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]While I do regret holding out so long on reading LEGENDS & LATTES, the silver lining is I was still riding that 5 Star High from finishing it so recently and getting to start the next one - the one I thought was a sequel, but when I got it in my hands, I realized that it's a prequel. We didn’t get that same level of commitment to focus on the business as we did with L&L. It tried to bring in too many other elements and sort of forgot what made this type of story special in the first place. I can read about necromancers and magic swords anywhere. What I can’t get is book organizing, quirky customer service, and sales reports (I need it). I wanted to see them get their hands dirty turning the store around, of which it provided only glimpses. There was a wee romance arc with the baker Maylee . Maylee was an ex warrior and instantly was intrigued by Viv. I liked their relationship and how they bonded over a shared past despite being in different phases in their lives. Because I'm headed down the hill, and you're headed up it. I'm just glad we chanced to meet on the way." 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.

Bookshops & Bonedust will resonate with anyone who has ever conflated their worth with their productivity, who has ever worried about being left behind if they take a moment to breathe, who has ever allowed a book to save them from a bad day. Beautifully humane, it is a loving reminder that the best parts of life are what happens between the big moments." - Cassandra Khaw I enjoyed Bookshops & Bonedust even more than Legends & Lattes (which I also loved so, so much)! The characters, the town of Murk, the bookshop, the pure comfort this story exudes. Everything was phenomenal and so delightfully atmospheric! I will admit, seeing "prequel" gave me trepidation because I wanted to move forward from the events that transpired in Baldree's first book. What if I didn't like Viv before she was ready to retire and open a coffee shop? Then there's the elephant in the room - my favorite character is Thimble - so I knew straight away that I wouldn't be seeing him. 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. His gaze sketched over her, brows rising as he spied the saber, then returned to the mug he was polishing.Bookshop was an exceptional read. We got to see another part of Viv's life, how she got started on her road to the character we know and love. How the friends she made made her. This charming outing will please anyone who’s ever wished to spend time in a fantasy world without all the quests and battles."— Publishers Weekly My biggest draw to Bookshops & Bonedust was the opportunity to settle in with the delightfully mundane aspects of running a business that was so prominent in the first book. And the business was a bookshop!! What could be more ideal? One thing I want to mention, we need to meet and talk and share the books we read. This is an important theme in the book and I want to make sure I mention it. Reading should not be something you do solely by yourself.