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earlgreyjedi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I adored Legends and Lattes, so when I heard this book was coming out, of course I had to get it (multiple copies of it). However, I waited to read it until the time felt right. And it was. I didn’t know I needed a prequel to this story so badly, didn’t know that I needed this exact story so much, and I am so grateful for it. All the characters are so rich and provide lovely foils for Viv to grow, and that growth was such a joy to read. The story after the story has me tearing up. I am so happy and hope there is more to come about Viv, Tandri, and hopefully Fern’s stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Slavery, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Solid. Delivers more of the world in little snippets that feel natural rather than lore dumping.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
chelly_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
chainsawmochi's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
"Bookshops & Bonedust" unfortunately suffers from the sequel (or in this case, prequel) syndrome of being good but not as good as the original. While I did enjoy getting to know a younger version of the main character, Viv, I felt like she was much flatter in her characterization than she was in "Legends & Lattes." The cast of supporting characters were loveable, but not as loveable as those found in the previous book.
As for the plot, it was solid; I was entertained and enjoyed myself while reading. I enjoyed the slow and steady pace. There was some action in areas to break up the easy feeling--to keep one on one's toes, I suppose you might say. The growing danger of the villain was a nice touch. The moments of reading a book within a book were nice as well, giving the reader a good look into the literature of Viv's world. I really enjoyed that bit as it is something you don't normally see in a fantasy novel.
That's really what makes this series, as a whole, wonderful--author Travis Baldree is able to weave and create a world around the characters without being too abrasive about it. The world building is gentle, easy. It feels so natural to learn about the universe held within the series by just taking in small things like town names, the literature, the food, the drinks, and the small shops that Viv visits and eventually owns.
Second come the characters. As I mentioned, in this book, Viv is a little lackluster compared to the older version of herself that comes later. The Viv we have in "Bookshops & Bonedust" is still fresh to the world, so it's understandable that she comes across as a blank slate. She doesn't really know who she is yet, either. Joining her this go around is a cast of characters that are memorable. That being said, I don't feel like they stick in the same way the characters in "Legends & Lattes" do. They are still interesting, but they just don't scratch the itch the same way.
If you are going to read this book, please do yourself a favor and read it before you take a gander at "Legends & Lattes." For those readers that have already read the aforementioned book, maybe skip this one unless you really, really love Viv.
As for the plot, it was solid; I was entertained and enjoyed myself while reading. I enjoyed the slow and steady pace. There was some action in areas to break up the easy feeling--to keep one on one's toes, I suppose you might say. The growing danger of the villain was a nice touch. The moments of reading a book within a book were nice as well, giving the reader a good look into the literature of Viv's world. I really enjoyed that bit as it is something you don't normally see in a fantasy novel.
That's really what makes this series, as a whole, wonderful--author Travis Baldree is able to weave and create a world around the characters without being too abrasive about it. The world building is gentle, easy. It feels so natural to learn about the universe held within the series by just taking in small things like town names, the literature, the food, the drinks, and the small shops that Viv visits and eventually owns.
Second come the characters. As I mentioned, in this book, Viv is a little lackluster compared to the older version of herself that comes later. The Viv we have in "Bookshops & Bonedust" is still fresh to the world, so it's understandable that she comes across as a blank slate. She doesn't really know who she is yet, either. Joining her this go around is a cast of characters that are memorable. That being said, I don't feel like they stick in the same way the characters in "Legends & Lattes" do. They are still interesting, but they just don't scratch the itch the same way.
If you are going to read this book, please do yourself a favor and read it before you take a gander at "Legends & Lattes." For those readers that have already read the aforementioned book, maybe skip this one unless you really, really love Viv.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Blood, and Alcohol
caprivoyant's review against another edition
IMHO?
Bookshops & Bonedust >>> Legends & Lattes.
The food allergy dismissal in L&L made the *cozy* vibes decidedly less welcoming to me, so I almost didn't pick this sequel up... I'm very glad I did, though. I think this book was, to me, what L&L was for people who don't have to worry about their food restrictions being believed; and it was very sweet to feel like there would be a place for me in this magical cozy world and I really want Fern to give me a personalized book recommendation now.
Bookshops & Bonedust >>> Legends & Lattes.
The food allergy dismissal in L&L made the *cozy* vibes decidedly less welcoming to me, so I almost didn't pick this sequel up... I'm very glad I did, though. I think this book was, to me, what L&L was for people who don't have to worry about their food restrictions being believed; and it was very sweet to feel like there would be a place for me in this magical cozy world and I really want Fern to give me a personalized book recommendation now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Gore and Blood
birdie_is_here's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
It was a decent book, but honestly, didn't add a whole lot to the original story. Some parts of it had me wondering why Viv struggled so much with opening her own business in Legends & Lattes, since a lot of the required skills came decently easy to her in this prequel.
The first act was good, but the pacing and tension suffered heavily in the later second and third acts for me. There was also minimal buildup to the final encounter with the Big Bad, which made the climax feel... kind of hollow. It's hard to have great pay off if the setup is lax. I also couldn't pinpoint a 'Dark Night of the Soul' plot beat, which may have been part of the problem? I'm not really sure.
One of the main relationships that makes up the emotional core of the book--Maylee and Viv --felt underdeveloped and almost contrived, and the gut-punch that the ending was supposed to have between them felt more like a slap on the wrist.
In the acknowledgements, Baldree admits they struggled with finding the story; despite this, the timeline of writing the book was less than six months. In the nicest way possible, it shows. Given a few more drafts, maybe some (more?) developmental editing, and less of a time crunch, this could have been a pretty good book. But, personally, it just didn't hit right.
The first act was good, but the pacing and tension suffered heavily in the later second and third acts for me. There was also minimal buildup to the final encounter with the Big Bad, which made the climax feel... kind of hollow. It's hard to have great pay off if the setup is lax. I also couldn't pinpoint a 'Dark Night of the Soul' plot beat, which may have been part of the problem? I'm not really sure.
One of the main relationships that makes up the emotional core of the book--
In the acknowledgements, Baldree admits they struggled with finding the story; despite this, the timeline of writing the book was less than six months. In the nicest way possible, it shows. Given a few more drafts, maybe some (more?) developmental editing, and less of a time crunch, this could have been a pretty good book. But, personally, it just didn't hit right.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Gore
riverofhorton's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
As with Legends & Lattes, I absolutely loved this book. Over 300 pages and the only thing I can find to fault it on was the technicality of poisonous toads, so much of it was good. I particularly liked Satchel, which seems weird with only a basic explanation of the character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I can even believe it… I loved this book even more than the first. It was just perfection. That ending had me oohing and awwwing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
laurao's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing and Abandonment
Minor: Confinement, Death, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
It has less violence/gore than the average D&D campaign, but it is still central to the plot.vorpaldormouse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood