Bookshops & Bonedust

Another remarkable, cozy story with lovable characters, I just couldn’t put down. Sad it’s over, I just want to be emerged in the world of Val and her adventures. I hope for more but if not, I can see myself rereading bother Bookshop & Bonedust, and Legends & Lattes <3 Up

“Bookshops & Bonedust” is the 2023 second novel by Travis Baldree, who is better known in literary circles as a full-time audiobook narrator. It’s a classic alternative world fantasy that takes place in the same world as his groundbreaking “Legends & Lattes.” It has all the trappings of a fantasy novel with swords, magic, orcs, gnomes, and many other fantasy races. However, it is a very different and refreshing novel within this genre. Like his first novel, it’s a warm and cozy read. The main character of this novel is an adventurer, a female orc known as Viv. She has been injured in battle with a necromancer’s legions, and has come to the small town of Murk to heal. She finds a bookshop run by a rat-kin known as Fern, who has an adorable gryphlet called Potroast. Fern introduces her to the worlds to be found between the covers of books, which helps Viv during her convalescence. In return, Viv helps her new friend fix up the bookshop, which she inherited from her father. She soon meets a gnome who wants to become an adventurer, and a dwarven baker who used to be one. There are obstacles to be overcome, and issues both internal and external that must be dealt with. But with the help of her new friends, Viv deals with these challenges. This is a heartwarming book, that draws you into a very different fantasy where the world doesn’t need to be saved, or the dark lord defeated. It tells the story of Viv and her friends coming together to create a special place for themselves and the people of Murk. It’s a great story! This is a tale set in the world of “Legends & Lattes” but before the events of that book. So, technically it’s a prequel. However, it seems completely free-standing, and could be read without having read the previously published novel. I highly recommend both books.