Bookshops & Bonedust

I was not expecting this to be a prequel, and I'm not generally a huge fan of those, but I enjoyed getting some history/lore on the main character. It was adorable seeing her learn to love books. Personally, I couldn't get invested in the gay romance because I'm fully team Tandri, but overall love the found-family vibes.

I generally don’t like prequels as much as the original book, because knowing how things turn out makes me less invested in the story, but I did enjoy this book overall. As a bookseller, I really liked the celebration of bookstores and the people who run them, and the joy of connecting someone with the right book. I would be lying if I said the ending didn’t make me a little choked up, either.
Overall, I was less engrossed by the story in this one than in Legends and Lattes, but it was nice to revisit this world and enjoy the vibes, especially during such a stressful time. Also, I really hope someone picks up these books for an animated series or something; the groundwork is all there for a really charming animation. 

Legends & Lattes & now Bookshops & Bonedust will forever hold a special place in my heart 🤍 This was such a sweet book with an adorable backstory to an already adorable story! I loved every character & personality & absolutely loved the call back too Legends & Lattes in the epilogue!

My boyfriend picked this up as a surprise for me and handed it over to me saying „This reminded me of you, I had to get it“.

He’s not wrong though.

This book was the wholesome read I didn’t know I needed and I couldn’t put it down. Viv as the main character grew pretty fast on me and the book was full of wonderful moments and interactions about how friendship sometimes finds you when you least expect it.

It’s not a full 5 star read for me, even if I’d really want to give that rating, because it would’ve needed a bit more depth for that. There would have been much more room for character development and insights. I also wasn’t a big fan of the ending and the solution to the main plot.

If you want to escape reality for some time, this is a perfect choice.

I didn't love this like legends and lattes,.it was nowhere near as good or cozy and although I still enjoyed it I was bored a lot of the time and found myself skimming.

Saying that I still did enjoy it and loved the ending epilogue.

I loved the whole book park and seaside setting. Still love viv and all the new side characters but I loved tje first a lot more.

this series genuinely heals me, its the second time travis baldree has dragged me out of a reading slump. perfect mix of cozy and action. the perfect fantasy book, lets go lesbians:D

My frickin heart. This series is positively precious. Highly recommend if you like fantasy or if you just need a little pick-me-up

This was such a a perfect prequel to Legends & Lattes. The characters, the setting of Murk, and the story were just great! The beach town itself was very well written and I wish I could visit it just to buy some of Maylee's buns and enjoy a new book. I think, to put it best, this book was very immersive. It was so easy to get lost in and imagine the tastes & smells of the bakery & bookstore. And, I must admit, the epilogue nearly had me tearing up.

I love the characters, new & old. I like the new take on Viv. Once wanting to put down her sword & be seen as more than a brutish warrior, now Viv is younger and restless & hungry for battle. Fern was very relatable, stuck in a comfortable yet disadvantageous routine, needing the help of an unbiased outsider to nudge her into action. Maylee was so great, able to relate to Viv's mercenary mentality but contrasting it with her now settled lifestyle.

Although I'd still say that I liked legends and lattes more, this one lived up to it pretty well! Slightly less cozy and more action-y, with the characters getting caught up in something larger rather than having something happen to them. I still loved the times in the bookshop the best, and Satchel was a surprisingly delightful character. I did cry at the end, especially when I realized Gallina was mentioned in L&L. I would definitely recommend this book and read it again.

Just as charming as the first one

Absolutely loved this story and characters. I loved the premise that this laid out and getting to see Viv as she was before Legends and Lattes. This had more action and mystery than L&L, but I enjoyed L&L just a little bit more. The ending and epilogue to this one got me in the heart, though.

A lovely prequel to Legends & Lattes, similar cozy vibes and adventure but I didn’t find it as captivating as the first. Enjoyable nonetheless!

Another fun cozy read, I think if I read this before Legends & Lattes I would have enjoyed it more. Not for the fact that it is a prequel but in terms of character it didn't feel like Viv was taken back to younger years. She hits the same beats as in Legends & Lattes, but this time it isn't her shop. The epilogue though seems like it is setting up another cozy story.

When I heard that Legends and Lattes was getting a Prequal I was extremely excited to be reunited with Viv and to be back in an awesome cosy fantasy, which has become a favourite genre of mine & this one was no difference although knowing what comes after this one, I found this one a little long winded in places but that did not detract from my overall enjoinment.

Bookshops & Bonedust follows a younger Viv when she's forced to rest in a small town after a leg injury sustained in battle. While there she befriends the owner of the local book shop, helps the struggling store improve, has a summer romance with a dwarf who runs a bakery, and gets into a bit of trouble.

Once again, this book contains a small, cute family town that is full of adorable characters; There is a dab of romance and a cosy mystery that kept the story going and with this one being mostly set in and around a bookshop it made me very excited, and it was lovely to see Viv find her love of reading!

Whilst I can say that for me this one was missing that magic of Legends & Lattes; I really enjoyed this and hope we get more stories in this world! I love the idea of these quieter tales found in-between the adventures.

This is a fantastic companion to Legend's & Latte's! Getting to know Viv's back story and how she became who she did is satisfying, while meeting the new characters and learning about their lives is heartwarming. Fern and Potroast are some of my new favorite characters. I would definitely recommend if you like cozy fantasy, and need an easy, lighthearted read.

another fun, cozy read perfect for the fall and the changing weather! very low stakes with the slightest bit of drama. i loved the story to this one and how it was an intro to Viv but still felt like we already knew her from the last. i really enjoyed the conflict in this one compared to the first book because it felt more suspenseful. thank you Tor and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one early!