Book description
March 15th
Dear Diary,
Just finished listening to Bookshops & Bonedust and I'm still smiling. Travis Baldree has done something quite remarkable here - he's taken the prequel concept and turned it into something entirely fresh.
Our orc protagonist Viv is everything I hoped she'd be. Here's this fierce warrior, itching for battle and glory, suddenly sidelined by injury and dumped in the most boring seaside town imaginable. You'd think this would make for a dreary listen, but Baldree turns Murk into something charming instead of merely quaint.
The way he writes recovery - really writes it, rather than just skipping over it - feels honest. Viv's frustration at being useless, her gradual acceptance of limitation, her slow discovery that there might be other ways to be strong... it's beautifully done. And all while maintaining that distinctive voice that made Legends & Lattes such a delight.
What surprised me most was how naturally the mystery unfolded. I went in expecting a simple character study, but Baldree weaves in this intriguing plot about skeletons (literal ones, thankfully) and suspicious travelers that kept me genuinely engaged. The pacing never drags, even during quieter moments.
The audiobook narration really brings out the humor in Baldree's writing too. There's this perfect balance between Viv's gruff exterior and the genuine warmth developing underneath. You can hear the exact moment when she stops fighting the town and starts fighting for it instead.
This isn't just a prequel that exists to explain the main series - it stands beautifully on its own. Sometimes the most interesting adventures happen when you're not looking for them.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes their fantasy with heart, humor, and just the right amount of skeleton-fighting.
Yours in good reading,
A. Reader
Keystone
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience