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ezwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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 was so excited to get back in to this book universe and learn more about Viv! I was also once again so incredibly hungry while reading all of the descriptions of the delicious food stuffs. The stakes aren't quite as low as in Legends in Lattes, but it's still a relaxed read, befitting of a small town. This book is bittersweet, but not in any way that you aren't aware of from the beginning and the epilogue had me tearing up.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Cursing, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty
ezwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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 was so excited to get back in to this book universe and learn more about Viv! I was also once again so incredibly hungry while reading all of the descriptions of the delicious food stuffs. The stakes aren't quite as low as in Legends in Lattes, but it's still a relaxed read, befitting of a small town. This book is bittersweet, but not in any way that you aren't aware of from the beginning and the epilogue had me tearing up.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty
caseythereader's review against another edition
- 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
- What a joy to be back with Viv! Look, if you liked LEGENDS & LATTES, you're gonna like BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST as this prequel is simply more of that, which is exactly what I wanted.
- I think I actually liked the mystery in this book better than the one in LEGENDS. Or maybe that's just because it had to do with a necromancer and I could imagine a Gideon the Ninth crossover.
- Anyway, this book is made for reading with a fuzzy blanket and a warm coffee. And pastries, you will need pastries while reading this, trust me.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
fanboyriot's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cursing, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Torture, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
indieandajean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
In Bookshops & Bonedust we meet young Viv, an orc merc with a love of bashing skulls, in what at first seems like the lowest moment of her career. Injured and feeling abandoned, Viv is healing from a stab wound in the sleepy seaside town of Murk while her associates in Rackam's Ravens are off trying to hunt down a dangerous necromancer. As luck would have it, Viv's uncanny ability to make friends puts her firmly in the middle of a cozy business restoration (readers of Legends and Lattes will find this familiar, but no less charming) as well as in the crosshairs of trouble.
The book brings all the cozy fantasy energy that Legends and Lattes was praised for, with a more adventurous and involved plot. The bookshop elements up the cozy and familiar factor for readers in the best possible way, and with the lovable characters that fill the shops walls, it's easy to cheer for the inevitable happily ever after.
Travis Baldree's ability to create a fantasy world that feels believable without getting lost in the weeds of unnecessary/ excessive world-building is commendable and makes it easy for any reader to enjoy the novel without feeling out of depth. Readers need not enter into the book with a vast knowledge of fantasy creatures and tropes, as while the inclusions are fun for those familiar, it is primarily set dressing for the warm story of interpersonal dynamics.
This is the perfect prequel to Legends and Lattes and can be read before or after the cozy coffeeshop fantasy. I highly recommend this read to anyone looking for a read that will make them feel warm and well cared for. This book, much like Legends and Lattes, is the literary equivalent of a blanket and cozy fireplace on a cold winters' night.
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
uranaishi's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Cursing and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
krisalexcole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Violence, and Medical content
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Blood, and Alcohol