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A review by strawb3rrysugar
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
4.5
Having read Legends & Lattes only a few months ago, I think Travis Baldree is really growing on me as an author. It's a little slow in the beginning, but this was an enjoyable read that I breezed through in a short time. I mentioned that I wished I knew more about the characters in the first book, that they felt just a little less fleshed out than they could have been. This book greatly improves upon that. I got to know the characters better and grow fond of them throughout the story, and I felt they endured more challenges of both high and low stakes that shaped them and helped them grow.
Also, I love, love that the main character is a buff orc woman who wields swords and sabers and loves other women, and she gets to exist without compromise - she learns skills other than fighting or being on the battlefield, but her character development never forces her into a box of only traditional femininity. It's incredibly refreshing and just good character writing.
If you liked Travis' first book, or you want to get into the fantasy genre but you're overwhelmed by lengthy epics, this is a great read.
Also, I love, love that the main character is a buff orc woman who wields swords and sabers and loves other women, and she gets to exist without compromise - she learns skills other than fighting or being on the battlefield, but her character development never forces her into a box of only traditional femininity. It's incredibly refreshing and just good character writing.
If you liked Travis' first book, or you want to get into the fantasy genre but you're overwhelmed by lengthy epics, this is a great read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
Viv gets a pretty terrible leg injury at the beginning of the book. The description of her injury and subsequent recovery is detailed but never graphic.
A character is found dead with blood pooling around their body.
There's some suggestion of spicy or erotic books, and a brief passage from one of them, but never any graphic sexual content. A few kisses are exchanged.