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Sign up todayBookshops & Bonedust
Narrator
Travis Baldree
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
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Length
8 hours 1 minute
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“Fun, cozy, happiness in a book!”
— Joy • Stardust Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Everything I loved about Legends & Lattes is back in Bookshops & Bonedust: a loveable and diverse gang of characters, a cozy plot surrounding a beloved business, witty banter, quick bursts of fantasy action, and a whole lot of heart. This story can be read on its own, but you'll get more out of it if you've already spent time with Viv in her future life. ”
— Kaley • Quail Ridge Books
Bookseller recommendation
“I cannot overstate how much I love Travis's books. Bookshops & Bonedust is an utter delight to read and listen to. And it is clear that Travis understands the struggles indie booksellers go through to keep their stores open and their love of connecting with customers. Those parts of the book were definitely my favorite and got me a bit choked up. PLEASE give us more stories about Viv and all her friends.”
— Terri • Swamp Fox Bookstore
Bookseller recommendation
“Bookshops & Bonedust is just as delightful as its predecessor (or perhaps more so, since it revolves around a bookstore!). The younger Viv is just as entertaining as the older Viv, and now I am dying for a third book where the characters of both the first two books get to hang out together. It was wonderful as an audiobook; since the author was also the narrator, I felt confident that everyone sounded exactly as they ought to. :)”
— Stefani • The Book Nook
Bookseller recommendation
“Bookshops & Bonedust is the perfect read to curl up with on a stormy night, steaming mug in hand. It's a cozy adventure with a colorful cast of characters, casual necromancy, old books, and delicious gnomish pastries! ”
— Ri • House of Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Lightning in a bottle really can happen twice. Travis Baldree’s prequel to the perfectly cozy Legends & Lattes is a sensational love letter to storytelling, bookstores, and the beautiful, inherent wackiness that is Dungeons & Dragons. Where else would you find a scholarly homunculus that loves interior design and bodice-ripper romance novels? A laugh-out-loud delight that wears its bittersweet, achingly tender heart on its sleeve. ”
— Kelcie • Skylark Bookshop
Bookseller recommendation
“Bookshops & Bonedust is centered around a bookstore, so obviously this bookseller loved the discussions about how to pick the right book for a customer. The author narrates the audiobook and he has excellent expression and vocal variety. Listening to this cozy fantasy novel made me happy. ”
— Colleen • Read Between The Lynes
Bookseller recommendation
“This prequel to Legends & Lattes is so DELICIOUSLY COZY that it CURED my common cold - or at the very least it warmed me all the way up, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and made me feel a whole lot better! Wounded in her first venture as a mercenary, a young Viv washes up in a seaside town with a ramshackle bookshop and ends up finding fiction, friendship, first love, the mutually enriching relationship between small businesses and their community, and a little badass bone-busting adventure along the way! It’s hard to believe, but I loved Bookshops & Bonedust even more than Legends & Lattes and literally hugged this book when I finished it. ”
— Megan • Underground Books
Bookseller recommendation
“I would read Travis Baldree’s grocery lists.”
— Kirstin • Margins Bookstore
Bookseller recommendation
“Having cherished the initial installment, Legends & Lattes, my expectations were notably high as I delved into this second novel. While the cozy fantasy elements remained a highlight, the sequel fell marginally short of its predecessor. The realization that it was a prequel emerged only towards the end, and this revelation may have influenced my reading experience had I been aware earlier. The characters introduced in Murk were a delight, and the storyline, though occasionally intense, fostered ample room for dialogue and character development. The bookstore setting, along with well-fleshed-out supplementary locations, added richness to the narrative. Despite my appreciation, I deducted a fraction of a point, yearning for a cozier ambiance. The intensity at times exceeded my expectations for the genre. Nevertheless, my overall enjoyment ensures I eagerly anticipate future works from Travis Baldree.”
— Alycia • Books on Main
This program is read by the author.
"Read by the author, a talented and animated fantasy narrator who also voiced Legends, the book presents a colorful cast of new and familiar characters that is sure to ensorcell and delight listeners." —Booklist
When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn't always what we seek.
Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.
Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned.
Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.
What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?
Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.
Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.
“Take a break from epic battles and saving the world. This is a low-stakes fantasy that delivers exactly what's advertised: a wholesome, cozy novel that feels like a warm hug. This is my new comfort read.”—Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart, on Legends & Lattes
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.
Travis Baldree is a full-time audiobook narrator who has lent his voice to hundreds of stories. Before that, he spent decades designing and building video games like Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy, and Fate. Apparently, he now also writes books. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his very patient family and their small, nervous dog.
Travis Baldree is a full-time audiobook narrator who has lent his voice to hundreds of stories. Before that, he spent decades designing and building video games like Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy, and Fate. Apparently, he now also writes books. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his very patient family and their small, nervous dog.
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Reviews
“Well, damn, he’s done it again. Bookshops & Bonedust is hilarious, heartwarming, and wholesome as heck. If you loved the first you’ll almost certainly love this perfectly executed prequel even more, as the stakes are higher and the scones are hotter still!”—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
"What I love about Travis Baldree is that set against an epic world of adventure, he writes about the small victories that make life worthwhile. Bookshops & Bonedust does this and it is glorious."—Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London
"Bookshops & Bonedust is the perfect follow up to Legends & Lattes; it's a pleasure to meet a Younger Viv and watch her grow slowly, stubbornly, into the orc we love so much. Some bittersweetness is inevitable, but Baldree reminds us that the past—even our mistakes—is the fertile soil where we plant the seeds of a beautiful future."—C.L. Clark, author of The Unbroken
"With its immersive worldbuilding and charming characters, Bookshops & Bonedust is every bit as delightful as its predecessor. A spellbinding read that somehow manages to be both gripping and restful."—Heather Fawcett, author of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries
"As enchanting a prequel as one could ever desire, Bookshops & Bonedust brings the same humor and heart as its predecessor, and has cemented Travis Baldree as an auto-read author for me. Books, baked goods, and necromancy—what more could you possibly want in a story?"—Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart
"Bookshops & Bonedust is a fabulist's love song to indie booksellers, but much more besides. As with Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree gives us a deeply satisfying fantasy without gore, wonder without dread, and joy for its own sake."—Christopher Buehlman, author of The Blacktongue Thief
"Magical and full of heart, Bookshops & Bonedust is every bit as enchanting as its predecessor. Spending more time with Viv was a joy."—Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
"Bookshops & Bonedust takes the world of Legends & Lattes and weaves it into a universe. It does the impossible: showing us a character twenty years before her story, and making us hold our breath to see what happens next. It's the rare prequel that beautifully adds depth, power, and love to the lore. This is a book for those who were once young and pulled between fighting the world with all they had . . . or curling up in a dusty bookshop with a good story."—J.R. Dawson, author of The First Bright Thing
"Bookshops & Bonedust will resonate with anyone who has ever conflated their worth with their productivity, who has ever worried about being left behind if they take a moment to breathe, who has ever allowed a book to save them from a bad day. Beautifully humane, it is a loving reminder that the best parts of life are what happens between the big moments."—Cassandra Khaw, USA Today bestselling author
Praise for Legends & Lattes:
"It's sweet, beautiful and, most of all, kind. I hugely recommend this book."—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway
“A must-read for every D&D player who has ever wondered what happens after 'happily ever after.'”—Cassandra Khaw, USA Today bestselling author
"This charming outing will please anyone who’s ever wished to spend time in a fantasy world without all the quests and battles."—Publishers Weekly
“Legends & Lattes is a uniquely beautiful book. It’s wonderfully wholesome, and I hope heralds the rise of a 'slice-of-life' sub-genre in modern fantasy.”—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld
“The most fun I've ever had in a coffee shop.”—Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London
“Take a break from epic battles and saving the world. This is my new comfort read.”—Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart
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