Baldree’s debut, “Legends & Lattes,” made a huge splash with its story of Viv, who decides to leave her successful mercenary career and open a coffee shop despite being a hulking, Tolkeinesque orc. In this prequel novel, a younger Viv is just starting out as a sword for hire when an injury forces her to rest up in a small town, where she befriends a local bookseller whose store is struggling to survive.

Like the first book, “Bookshops & Bonedust” also puts a low-stakes, cozy story about a small business into the type of fantasy setting that usually features epic battles. This time around, Viv isn’t trying to set down roots — as soon as she’s healed up, she intends to rejoin her crew. That dynamic lends a bittersweet cast to the friendships she forms in the small town of Murk, as everyone gets attached despite themselves. This tone is accentuated by Viv’s relationship with Maylee, a baker who turns out to be an ex-mercenary herself.

Prequels sometimes feel unnecessary and can even cheapen the original stories. But Baldree manages to add to Viv’s story in a way that feels both organic and vital, and this second book is even better than the first.