Narrated By: Travis Baldree
Publisher: Audible Audio
Age: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audiobook
Published: November 9th, 2023
Goodreads
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Yes, I am very late to the Legends & Lattes train, and I picked this up on audiobook not realising it was a prequel, and decided to read Bookshops & Bonedust anyway despite not currently having Legends & Lattes, and you know what? I’m so very glad I did.
You do not need to have read Legends & Lattes for the prequel, though I expect there might be stuff in here that makes it feel more ‘special’ if you have, or you might pick up on things I didn’t.
Injured during a hunt with mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens, orc Viv ends up in Murk, a sleepy town with very little going on. She’s itching to get back to the fight, but soon finds herself caught up in the bookshop, stalked by a gnome who wants to get in with the Ravens, and even having a summer fling. Then there’s the strange things happening in Murk, which might or might not be connected to the very necromancer the Ravens are hunting down.
I really enjoyed this. The author’s narration is excellent, really injecting each character with personality and making them sound just different enough to follow easily with who is speaking and when. Viv is a great character, and I adored getting to see her fall in love with books, under the guidance of Fern, a rattkin who is trying desperately to avoid running the bookshop into the ground. Fern has an excellent skill at matching people with books, and like anyone who loves books, she’s as excited by Viv’s journey into reading as Viv is.
The side characters are as entertaining and fully fleshed out as Viv, from Potroast, a gryphlet, to Satchel, who, well, it’s worth reading to meet Satchel, honestly. There is so much love in here not just for books, but for booksellers and the different ways they get books into reader’s hands, and it was really fun when they were coming up with different ways to help the bookstore, including novel ideas for Murk such as blind date with a book and even inviting a local author to come do an event.
It was such an enjoyable read, and one of those books where it feels like you’ve left actual friends behind when you’ve finished. Definitely a cute, fun fantasy but with just enough danger to keep an underlying tension. Reminiscent of Pratchett, I’m really looking forward to reading Legends & Lattes and reconnecting with this world.
Reading Challenge
Barbie Reading Challenge
Prompt: Journey to the Real World – A book set in a fantasy/mythical land – When we get to the real world
Progress: 4/17 Completed
Unwrapping Words 