Bookshops & Bonedust

Description: 'Glorious' - Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London series Set in the world of BookTok sensation Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree's Bookshops & Bonedust is a cosy fantasy about the power of good bookshops, great friends and the unexpected choices along the way. First loves. Second-hand books. Epic adventures. Viv's career with the renowned 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 struggling bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted. Even though it may be exactly what she needs. Still, adventure isn't far away. A suspicious traveller in grey, 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. Sometimes, right things happen at the wrong time. Sometimes, what we need isn't what we seek. And sometimes, we find ourselves in the stories we experience together . . . 'A perfectly executed prequel . . . the stakes are higher and the scones are hotter still!' - Nicholas Eames Review: 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, author of Rivers of London 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 First Bright Thing 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 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 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 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 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, author of Nothhing But Blackened Teeth 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 Author Biography: Travis 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. He is the author of Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust.