Book Review: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Title: Bookshops & Bonedust

Author: Travis Baldree

Series/Standalone: Legends & Lattes (Prequel)

Genre: Adult, Cozy, Fantasy

Pages: 352

Publisher: Tor

Year Published: 2023

Format: Audiobook

"When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn't always what we seek.

In Bookshops & Bonedust, a prequel to Legends & Lattes, New York Times bestselling author Travis Baldree takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

Viv's career with the notorious 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 beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.
Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, 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."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This was such a fun read, it was so perfect and blended so well with the original book. I think that Travis Baldree has an incredible talent in world and character-building. If you are a dnd player or someone who watches any streaming RPGs, this may be for you. The audiobook was excellent and I look forward to taking time to reread them once more.

Thanks for reading,

Sdiny

Book Review: Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

Title: Beneath the Sugar Sky

Author: Seanan McGuire

Series/Standalone: Wayward Children Series (Book #3)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 174

Publisher: Tor

Year Published: 2018

Format: Audiobook

"Beneath the Sugar Sky, the third book in McGuire's Wayward Children series, returns to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children in a standalone contemporary fantasy for fans of all ages. At this magical boarding school, children who have experienced fantasy adventures are reintroduced to the 'real' world.

When Rini lands with a literal splash in the pond behind Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, the last thing she expects to find is that her mother, Sumi, died years before Rini was even conceived. But Rini can't let Reality get in the way of her quest- not when she has an entire world to save! (Much more common than one would suppose.) If she can't find a way to restore her mother, Rini will have more than a world to save: she will never have been born in the first place. And in a world without magic, she doesn't have long before Reality notices her existence and washes her away. Good thing the student body is well-acquianted with quests...

A tale of friendship, baking and derring-do. Warning: May contain nuts."

My Rating: 2.5/5

This one was not my favorite. I think that I prefer seeing the world when the children first encounter them. This was just ok for me. I liked the main character we were introduced to. I enjoyed the idea of her world, but the sugar world didn't interest me. It wasn't what I anticipated, but I will be continuing with the series. Just ok for me.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Down Amongst the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

Title: Down Amongst the Sticks and Bones

Author: Seanan McGuire

Series/Standalone: Wayward Children (Book #2)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror

Pages: 187

Publisher: Tor

Year Published: 2017

Format: Hardcover (Library Copy)

First Line: "People who knew Chester and Serena Wolcott socially would have placed money on the idea that the couple would never choose to have children."

"Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first...

Jacqueline was her mother's perfect daughter- polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it's because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father's perfect daughter- adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can't be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices."

My Rating: 4/5

This series is so unusual and I wasn't anticipating loving the world. I didn't expect to want to binge-read as many of them as possible. So far I've already started the third one and it's been excellent. The author has such a way with atmospheric writing that even in a short amount of time it grabs your attention and sucks you in. I think that this one really helped build more about the idea of the doorways. I can't wait to read more!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Title: Every Heart A Doorway

Author: Seanan McGuire

Series/Standalone: Wayward Children Series (Book #1)

Genre: Thriller, Young Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 169

Publisher: Tor

Year Published: 2016

Format: Hardcover (Own It)

"Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children

No Socilitations

No Visitors

No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she's back. The things she's experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West's care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy's arrival marks a change at the Home. There's a darkness just around each corner and when tragedy strikes, it's up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost."

My Rating: 4/5

This book was so intensely popular back when I was binging booktube, but I somehow never picked it up. What I don't think was talked about enough is that this book is freaking odd. A great odd, but still odd. I wasn't expecting how the story was laid out but I can't wait to continue with the series. I think that with the idea of worlds opening up throughout other volumes, I will only grow to love this more. I would strongly recommend it although I'm a bit late to the party on this one.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny