ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Pan Macmillan.

After reading Legends and Lattes I really didn't think I could love and relate to Viv any more. But here we are, right at the start of her career. The book opens up mid battle, Viv slinging her sword, boasting her body count as she goes before suffering a near fatal leg injury. She is taken to the closest town of Murk. A quiet harbour town where she's left to rest and recover from her injury. Restless and bored she ventures out and discovers a quaint little bookshop, owned by a foul mouthed Ratkin. Here she discovers there are a hundred different worlds waiting to be discovered between the pages, first loves to be conquered and friends to bide her time with. With her arrival comes trouble for this sleepy little beach town, and a battle like they've never seen before.

I had such high expectations going into this book having read Legends and Lattes a few months ago, and I absolutely was not disappointed. I enjoyed seeing Viv as a young warrior, her eagerness and stubborness really resonated with me, her restlessness and constant desire to be somewhere else, somewhere more exciting had me full of empathy. The snippets of books that Viv was reading was a clever touch and really brought the whole thing together for me. What bookworm doesn't love a book and books after all?
I loved meeting Gallina for the first time, her feistiness clashing with Viv's more introverted nature. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop, Viv's tolerance for the dwarf growing as the book went on. I also thought the way Baldree introduces Blackblood, Viv's beloved Greatsword and how she acquires it was exciting. I could feel the anticipation straight away, Viv's need to get into battle after discovering Blackblood and feeling its weight in her hands after so long waiting to recover. Not only is there that quiet romance of Viv's first love, we also have a slow build up to what should have been an epic battle. This was the only bit that was a bit lack luster for me, I expected more and was left a little disappointed. However, the way the book wraps up at the end and the little epilogue in the future left me desperate for the next chapter in Viv's story! I really hope we get more in this series.

If you've read Legends and Lattes and loved it, then you definitely need to read Bookshops & Bonedust. If you haven't then honestly you're missing out! Autum is the perfect time to curl up with these beautiful cozy books. If you love cozy fantasies then this duo definitely needs to be on your tbr immediately!