Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A prequel to the popular cozy fantasy Legends & Lattes (2022). Viv is a fighter. It’s not just what she does, it’s who she is. So when she gets wounded during a battle with a necromancer’s skeletal wights, and her crew dumps her in a small seaside town to recover while they continue on after the necromancer, she is not happy about it. But soon enough, against her will, she’s drawn into the life of the town. There’s Fern, the unsuccessful bookseller, who has a knack for recommending exactly the right book. And there’s Maylee, the baker, who not only makes the world’s best baked goods, she actually winks at Viv. Before Viv knows what’s happening, she’s helping Fern out here and there, she’s reading—she’s involved. Meanwhile, there’s a pesky young gnome asking for an introduction to her mercenary crew, and a mysterious man in gray who looks like trouble. But Viv is leaving when her crew comes back through town. No matter what. This prequel gives readers a glimpse of Viv as a young orc, still committed to the fighter’s life, just taking an enforced break in a charming town populated by compelling, richly drawn characters, and the slightest hint of danger in the wind. Despite the lurking necromancer, the vibes are decidedly warm and cozy, and the plot is just as much about saving the bookstore and building relationships as it is about protecting the town from the man in gray. As a prequel, it can stand alone, but will certainly satisfy fans as well. Warm and wonderful. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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Bestseller Baldree’s cozy standalone sequel to Legends & Lattes shows that even a battle-hungry orc can find happiness in life’s simple pleasures. Orc Viv devotes herself to the mercenary team she works with, Rackam’s Ravens. While hunting a powerful necromancer, she’s gravely injured in battle and is forced to stay in a nearby small town to recuperate. The quaint village of Murk is initially far too quiet for her—until, while exploring, Viv stumbles upon a run-down bookshop overseen by a loud, foulmouthed rattkin (a mix of a human and a rat) named Fern. Fern grew up in the bookshop and hasn’t noticed how dilapidated it’s become, but does have a gift for matching books and customers. After Fern picks the perfect book for Viv, she falls in love with it and the bookshop—and possibly Fern as well. She offers to help make the shop more presentable, finding unexpected contentment and purpose in doing handiwork. The peace doesn’t last, however; the necromancer’s reach extends into the town after the discovery of a mysterious body and a satchel full of bones. The innocent joy of Viv and Fern’s love is delightful and Baldree’s formula of placing low-stakes stories in high-fantasy settings remains good fun. Series fans will eat this up. (Nov.)

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Baldree’s prequel to Legends and Lattes (2022) cements his talent for cozy fantasy, engaging characters, and anachronistic references that would be at home in a Discworld novel. Bookshops & Bonedust follows established main character Viv, an orc barbarian, on her first major escapade as an adventurer. This younger, more impatient Viv is injured and forced to wait out her convalescence in the sleepy seaside village of Murk. She’s whiling away her days discovering a love of reading from feisty bookstore owner Fern, flirting with the dwarven lady who runs the bakery, and ignoring an eager gnome who also wants to be a mercenary, when excitement of the bloody kind finds her and her new friends. Knowing where a character ends up often drains tension from a prequel, but Baldree avoids that pitfall because the joy of reading here isn’t a simple uncertainty over who lives or dies but rather watching friendships blossom and characters grow. Folks who enjoyed the camaraderie and settings of this year’s Dungeons & Dragons movie—as well as anyone who likes the idea of an orc warrior becoming a devotee of the power of reading and its ability to broaden your horizons—should check out Viv’s adventures.

Library Journal
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Baldree offers a prequel to the best-selling Legends & Lattes. In this adventure, readers have the opportunity to learn when and how the orc mercenary Viv first got the itch to retire and take up a more peaceful life and where she first learned how to solve problems with her wits and her ability to find friends—instead of with the sharp edge of her axe. It's also a lovely coming-of-age story about a character trained for war who learns that there's more to life than endless battles. What makes the story special is the way that so many stock fantasy archetypes are cast against type and find new modes of prospering that don't involve big weapons and bigger wars. Readers who have already explored Baldree's world will be inspired to reread Legends & Lattes, while new readers will find a fantasy story with many of the same pleasures that cozy mysteries offer their readers. VERDICT This prequel is the perfect place for readers to start Baldree's cozy fantasy series where folks band together for good, and evil is conquered through cleverness and friendship.—Marlene Harris