Bookshops & Bonedust
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4.6 • 176 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
An Instant #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Indie Bestseller
A Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023
An Amazon Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Book of 2023
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.
Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and secondhand 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.
“Take a break from epic battles and saving the world. This is a low-stakes fantasy that delivers exactly what's advertised: a wholesome, cozy novel that feels like a warm hug. This is my new comfort read.”—Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart, on Legends & Lattes
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this prequel to Travis Baldree’s breakout cozy fantasy debut Legends & Lattes, a wounded orc makes new friends while recuperating in a small beach town. Viv is a young, rash orc who charged too far ahead when battling a necromancer’s army and got herself stabbed in the leg for her trouble. Left to heal in a tiny coastal town, lonely and desperately bored Viv builds a friendship with a failing local bookstore’s owner, as well as a tentative romance with the flirtatious town baker. She absolutely intends to rejoin her crew once she’s healed, but what will happen to the town then, especially if necromancer Varine the Pale returns? This sweetly snuggly book is perfect for sword-and-sorcery fans seeking a warmer, fuzzier form of escapism.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Baldree's cozy standalone sequel to Legends & Lattes shows that even a battle-hungry orc can find happiness in life's simple pleasures. Orc Viv devotes herself to the mercenary team she works with, Rackam's Ravens. While hunting a powerful necromancer, she's gravely injured in battle and is forced to stay in a nearby small town to recuperate. The quaint village of Murk is initially far too quiet for her—until, while exploring, Viv stumbles upon a run-down bookshop overseen by a loud, foulmouthed rattkin (a mix of a human and a rat) named Fern. Fern grew up in the bookshop and hasn't noticed how dilapidated it's become, but does have a gift for matching books and customers. After Fern picks the perfect book for Viv, she falls in love with it and the bookshop—and possibly Fern as well. She offers to help make the shop more presentable, finding unexpected contentment and purpose in doing handiwork. The peace doesn't last, however; the necromancer's reach extends into the town after the discovery of a mysterious body and a satchel full of bones. The innocent joy of Viv and Fern's love is delightful and Baldree's formula of placing low-stakes stories in high-fantasy settings remains good fun. Series fans will eat this up.
Customer Reviews
Because real life is grimdark enough
To be clear, I’ve enjoyed the hell out of some dark fantasy (Abercrombie, Lawrence, Tchaikovsky, et al.), but in an era where cruelty, stupidity, and avarice are increasingly treated as virtues, it’s such a profound relief to read some books that are cozy without being saccharine, humane without being preachy, and gentle without being vapid. On the off chance Mr. Baldtree makes the (probably unhealthy) choice to read these reviews, I’d like to say thanks for making a horrible time just a little bit better.
A fun adventure
The cast of characters are fun, authentic, and easy to like. The fantasy, food, and bookstores are all perfect ingredients for a cozy fun book.
Sooooo gooood!
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
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