The Story Nook

By Travis Beldree

Not to have it though? That was cowardice. And she was no coward. Or maybe that was just when it came to blades and blood, because this was harder than it had any right to be.

I have been on a bit of a cozy fantasy kick recently; it is what has gotten me out of my reading slump. It has taken me a while to read the prequel of the much lauded Legends and Lattes, and I can only regret that I didn’t read it earlier. Author Travis Baldree struck gold once again with this queer cozy fantasy.

Plot

We start with a young Viv removed from her usual element because she made a foolhardy mistake in battle. As a result, she is stuck in the town of Murk for a few weeks to recover from an injury to her leg while her mercenary band continues their hunt of a dangerous bounty. The stillness of the small seaside town forces her into a period of introspection that is helped along by her encounters with the townspeople of Murk.

Viv is a catalytic agent in the quiet town both as a stranger that is to be cautious of and a friend with an outside persepective. She is equally affected by the town and its people, providing a rumination on the phases of life and the effects that people may have on us. Meanwhile the continuing threat of Viv’s original mission lurks around the corner.

In a shift from Legends and Lattes there is an underlying tension to the story that ups the stakes. Between the many interwoven subplots and the tension of the main plot, I think I enjoyed the plot of Bookshops and Bonedust even more than the original. While still cozy fantasy, this book perhaps approaches traditional high fantasy more than the original.

Characters

I absolutely adored the characters of this book. The wide cast of friends, acquantances, and enemies are given fully fleshed out motivations and personalities. We see Viv at an earlier stage of her life, one in which she is perhaps more reckless. Over the course of a few weeks in Murk, however, she has to contend both with the consequences of her actions as well as internal conflicts that force her to grow as a person. This is only possible with the friends that she makes in Murk.

Key to this growth is her friendship with Fern, a perceptive ratkin bookshop owner who stokes a love for books in Viv. Fern herself is in a precarious position. Viv provides her help in fixing up her bookshop, and in return Fern loans her books on recommendation. Through these recommended stories, Viv goes on a journey of self-reflection that illustrates the transportive nature of books.

Just as important to her growth is her romance with the dwarven baker Maylee. In contrast to Viv’s eagerness to get back to mercenary work, Maylee is already settled and retired. At very different phases of their lives, they nevertheless connect in the brief time they are given.

Bookshops and Bonedust is very character drive overall. Many of the characters are so lovingly rendered that I would love to read spin offs of their stories.

Conclusion

If you are in search of a cozy fantasy for a little bit of escapism, I could not recommend Bookshops and Bonedust more. The insular world of Murk and its colorful characters are a welcome respite from fast paced modern life. If you enjoy this, please take a look at my cozy fantasy recommendations below.