Once again, I went in a little doubtful – this time, because I was so happy with Legends & Lattes that the idea of a prequel sat a little off with me. I wanted to see more of the same, the characters I already knew, what their futures held. And yes, there’s a bit of that in the epilogue – and what I devoutly hope is a good hint towards what the sequel will cover – but this was mostly about Viv’s origins.
And, in true cozy fantasy style, it was mostly mostly about people being kind and helping each other out and making a nice place together. And where Legends & Lattes made me want to find a regular coffee shop to hang out in, Bookshops & Bonedust brought my childhood dream of opening a book store roaring back to life. There’s a retail space on the ground floor of my apartment building that hasn’t been occupied in the entire time I’ve lived here, and that feels a little too tempting right now…
These two books feel like Baldree has really nailed a target demographic. People like to curl up with a good book, feel warm and safe, and that’s what he gives us. Warmth, safety, and the feeling that we’re part of a little something, a community, and the space that a community builds together. Absolutely wonderful to read, I heartily recommend this one as well. Check it out.1
- This is a Bookshop affiliate link – if you buy it from here, I get a little bit of commission. It won’t hurt my feelings if you buy it elsewhere; honestly, I’d rather you check it out from your local library, or go to a local book store. I use Bookshop affiliate links instead of Amazon because they distribute a significant chunk of their profits to small, local book stores. ↩