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queerreaderchaos's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
Moderate: Death and Cursing
Minor: Murder
kybrary's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
As a prequel, it helps to have read Legends & Lattes first, as you can really see the change in Viv between the two books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Violence
hal00alex's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
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 think I liked this better than Legends and Lattes just due to the over arching threat/mystery plaguing the main character. Very similar vibes otherwise.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Cursing
Minor: Death and Animal cruelty
memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-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? It's complicated
3.25
this was a nice prequel. i enjoyed getting to see viv’s origin story. how she got the sword and her love for books. i liked the characters she met and i loved how it was tied together in the epilogue, set after the end of the first book.
simple, easy-read.
simple, easy-read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Alcohol, Blood, Animal cruelty, and Cursing
deedireads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
All my reviews live at https://deedireads.com/.
I had such a good time with this book! I liked it even better than Legends & Lattes, which was cute but a little too cozy to really fall into the “love” category for me. Sure, I adored the characters, and who doesn’t swoon over a cute story about found family and pastries? But I do tend to like a little more substance to my reads.
Bookshops & Bonedust has the best of both worlds. It’s a prequel, taking place while Viv is still making a name for herself with Rackam’s crew. But don’t worry, there isn’t a bunch of orc sword fights here; Viv is injured and recovers in a cute little seaside town. I do think this book still feels like it belongs in the cozy category, but it’s more novel-length (versus novella) and has a more substantive plot and a bigger bad guy. Still lots of found family vibes and plenty of pastries, and this time, also a bookstore!! So what’s not to love?
If you liked Legends & Lattes, even if it wasn’t a favorite, I think you’ll like this one. Give it a shot.
I had such a good time with this book! I liked it even better than Legends & Lattes, which was cute but a little too cozy to really fall into the “love” category for me. Sure, I adored the characters, and who doesn’t swoon over a cute story about found family and pastries? But I do tend to like a little more substance to my reads.
Bookshops & Bonedust has the best of both worlds. It’s a prequel, taking place while Viv is still making a name for herself with Rackam’s crew. But don’t worry, there isn’t a bunch of orc sword fights here; Viv is injured and recovers in a cute little seaside town. I do think this book still feels like it belongs in the cozy category, but it’s more novel-length (versus novella) and has a more substantive plot and a bigger bad guy. Still lots of found family vibes and plenty of pastries, and this time, also a bookstore!! So what’s not to love?
If you liked Legends & Lattes, even if it wasn’t a favorite, I think you’ll like this one. Give it a shot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, and Death
Minor: Alcohol
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
“Because I’m headed down the hill, and you’re headed up it. I’m just glad we chanced to meet on the way.”
➽ Bookshops and Bonedust is a prequel to Legends and Lattes, following Viv back in her adventuring days! Following a grave injury during a quest, Viv is forced to take the time to recover and rest in a small seaside town called Murk. She's not happy about it at all, growing restless and frustrated with her predicament. Viv wants to join up with her colleagues as soon as possible and to keep up with her training. The lesson here is of course that your body needs time to rest in order to properly recover. Meanwhile, Viv finds herself connecting with the townsfolk!
➽ I loved that Viv discovered her love for reading and decided to help out a struggling bookshop! She has always focused on physical exercise, but now that she has to rest, Viv finds reading to be a good way to pass the time. She was never one for books, so it was lovely to see her fall in love with stories and the escape that reading can provide! She becomes a regular at Fern's bookshop and is set on helping her attract more customers. Viv also grows closer with Maylee, a talented baker and Gallina, an aspiring adventurer pestering her for advice! I loved all the found family aspects, but also the theme of meeting at the wrong point in your life. As much as Viv loves her new friends, she's not at a point where she wants to give up her adventuring. It's the bittersweet knowledge that you have found great people, but can't stay with them. The ending was hopeful though 🥺
➽ Bookshops and Bonedust is a prequel to Legends and Lattes, following Viv back in her adventuring days! Following a grave injury during a quest, Viv is forced to take the time to recover and rest in a small seaside town called Murk. She's not happy about it at all, growing restless and frustrated with her predicament. Viv wants to join up with her colleagues as soon as possible and to keep up with her training. The lesson here is of course that your body needs time to rest in order to properly recover. Meanwhile, Viv finds herself connecting with the townsfolk!
➽ I loved that Viv discovered her love for reading and decided to help out a struggling bookshop! She has always focused on physical exercise, but now that she has to rest, Viv finds reading to be a good way to pass the time. She was never one for books, so it was lovely to see her fall in love with stories and the escape that reading can provide! She becomes a regular at Fern's bookshop and is set on helping her attract more customers. Viv also grows closer with Maylee, a talented baker and Gallina, an aspiring adventurer pestering her for advice! I loved all the found family aspects, but also the theme of meeting at the wrong point in your life. As much as Viv loves her new friends, she's not at a point where she wants to give up her adventuring. It's the bittersweet knowledge that you have found great people, but can't stay with them. The ending was hopeful though 🥺
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood and Violence
kal17's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
I really enjoyed this as a follow up to Legends and Lattes. It was nice getting to see how Viv started out. I really enjoyed the theme of sometimes the right thing can happen at the wrong time, I even teared up a little at the ending.
Overall the book is a very lighthearted read. There are the few chapters with some action, but it makes for a good read when you just can't handle the intense anymore.
Audio book narration was excellent, read by the author.
Overall the book is a very lighthearted read. There are the few chapters with some action, but it makes for a good read when you just can't handle the intense anymore.
Audio book narration was excellent, read by the author.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
All very minor, typical fantasy book voilence and injury. Nothing in great graphic detail.sappix's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.5
the only reason this is not 5 stars is because i don’t really enjoy prequels. but i truly think i enjoyed this slightly more than the first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
lackyducks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
An absolute joy of a book that had me engaged from the first pages.
The characters were so vivid and I found myself in love with all the unique personalities - from major characters to side ones. It created a picture of a living community, where everybody has their own lives outside of the story (very thematic for the book!) Potroast was an absolute gem as well, and reminded me a lot of the pug in our family.
It's amazing how a story with so much action can still feel so relaxing and reflective. I loved the ways the stories intertwined before eventually colliding. They led into each other well, with elements showing up that I knew would be relevant later, even if I didn't know how yet! I also got very excited that the Bonedust part of the title was actually relevant!
The epilogue was also so soft and makes me long for the story after the story. However, the main story is enjoyable without knowledge of Legends and Lattes and stands alone as a gem of its own.
The characters were so vivid and I found myself in love with all the unique personalities - from major characters to side ones. It created a picture of a living community, where everybody has their own lives outside of the story (very thematic for the book!) Potroast was an absolute gem as well, and reminded me a lot of the pug in our family.
It's amazing how a story with so much action can still feel so relaxing and reflective. I loved the ways the stories intertwined before eventually colliding. They led into each other well, with elements showing up that I knew would be relevant later, even if I didn't know how yet! I also got very excited that the Bonedust part of the title was actually relevant!
The epilogue was also so soft and makes me long for the story after the story. However, the main story is enjoyable without knowledge of Legends and Lattes and stands alone as a gem of its own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, and Medical content
Moderate: Slavery and Racism