What a journey! I must admit that I was very hesitant at first. I wasn't sure of the direction this third book was taking, specially since I really loved Bookshops & Bonedust a lot more than Legends & Lattes, so I was excited to be back with Fern who was my favorite character in the previous book, but nervous about the book resembling the previous two too much. I didn't want Fern to just move her bookstore into a new town and pair stories with coffee and cinnamon rolls; I didn't want this to feel like the fantasy version of having a Starbucks next to Barnes & Noble, not even a small café next to an independent bookshop. I wanted the coziness from those two places mixed with something new, but I wasn't sure what exactly. Luckily, Travis Baldree didn't want to write the same books either, so he didn't just keep the characters in a cozy small town: he risked the more traditional coziness of the series to take Fern on an adventure, one neither Fern nor me as the reader knew we needed.

I absolutely loved the new characters in this one, specially Zyll (whom I already knew from Baldree's short story Goblins & Greatcoats) and the slow and quiet friendship that grows between Fern and Astryx. I appreciated what the book has to say about feeling lost at any age, even after living for hundreds of years (Astryx and the book in general reminded me a bit of the anime/manga Frieren) and about the grief and sadness that come when we disappoint ourselves and those we love. I also love the importance that everyone gives to friendship in this book, It's so refreshing to read something in which romantic love, although present, isn't the reason why characters exist or act, acknowledging how beautiful and special platonic connections are and how they can happen more than once in our lives. I also enjoyed the chapters in which the characters take a deserved break in a remote monastery where they get to meet a very peculiar kind of religious order, and wish I could read more about those monks. It was all very fun and definitely cozy, even if there's a lot more action than in the other books

My only complaint, which annoyed me enough to take off a star from my rating, is that I wish it didn't have so much swearing! I didn't notice it as much in the previous books (I actually checked and 5 f-bombs were dropped in the first book, 34 in the second and almost 100 in this one!) and I know it's part of Fern's personality, but it was excessive here; it constantly felt out of place and made me too aware of how unbelievable this form of speech was. I swear I've never met a person who swears as much. There are almost 100 times the word f*ck is mentioned, I think half of that would have been more than enough to keep Fern quirky without it looking like Baldree was trying too hard to remind the reader that this is an adult book with adult characters.

Yessss! Another winner by Baldree. I am so so so in love this this book. While a standalone, I would recommend reading the other titles in the series first just for some basic background. Either way, though, you're going to love the coziness as you wind your way through the story. Highly recommend and we will definitely be purchasing multiple copies for our patrons. They are already itching to get their hands on it.

This is the book I didn't know I wanted! I loved Fern in Bookshops and Bonedust, and I was so glad to see her (and have her lead a story!) and hear her perspective on things. I appreciate that she's a little older, not much wiser, and on a journey to find herself. I also love the weird friendship between her and Viv continuing on like there haven't been years between them, and her new friendship with Asteryx. Zyll too, is a great character and I loved seeing them all interact over the course of the story. My main complaint is that I finished this way too fast and there isn't another one to pick up yet! Ever since reading Legends and Lattes I've been in love with this world, and it was so exciting to get to see more of it that wasn't tainted by Viv's memories of where she'd been. Getting to have a little bit more action, and see Fern save herself (with Breadly by her side!) was so much fun, even as serious discussions happened. Travis Baldtree is one of my favorites these days, as his writing style allows for adventure and cozy mystery at the same time. With all the stress of the world, it was nice to enter a world where the people who want you dead have to say it to your face. Overall, I will be forcing this book into the hand of every friend I have until they all get sick of me!

I love Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust, so I was so excited to see that Travis Baldree had written another book in the series. It didn't disappoint!
A note to readers new to the series: while this book technically can be read on its own, I highly recommend that readers read the other two books in the series first!
In this book, Fern is up for a change, so she packs up her life. However, Fern soon realizes that she still isn't living the life that she wants. What follows is a series of adventures that span from lighthearted to serious, yet there's still plenty of humor.
I'll admit that this book does have a different tone than the first two; I feel like it's the most serious of the three. But Baldree still manages to make the story feel cozy. I like that while there are serious moments in Baldree's books, he never allows them to get too serious. A joke, funny moment, or genuine interaction between characters will cut the tension. I feel like that's how Baldree manages to keep this series in the cozy genre; he does a great job of balancing the story.
I loved all the characters in this book. Getting to see Fern, Potroast, and Viv again was wonderful. The new characters grew on me until I grew to love them, as well. Baldree does an amazing job at creating complex main characters that have unique personalities and characteristics.
I can't wait to see what Baldree comes up with next! I would happily read another book focusing on any of the characters from the series. 5 stars.

Oh, thank goodness, Travis Baldree has come out with another cozy fantasy! Just what we need in these swirling hellscapes of a time. I made some tea and dove in as soon as I was approved.
But this is not his previous cozy fantasies, and he says as much in the author's note. This is long journeys, sleeping outside, and the introspection of finding yourself in midlife with what *should* be the perfect job, the one you sacrificed so much for. And it's no longer perfect for *you*. There's a couple of incredible passages about worthy things and dreams that I'd love to quote, but I'll absolutely respect the publisher re: quoting ARCs. But, yeah. Especially if you're no longer in your passion career or considering leaving it, this is gonna hit different than opening up a coffee shop after adventuring. And that's okay! As with the previous books, highly recommended, just a different flavor this time.
Note to the publishers: 76% into the e-ARC, when Haber shows up, his ferret is referred to as a 'rodent'. Ferrets are weasels. :)
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available for my review.

An elf, a goblin, and a rattkin walk into a bar... That doesn't come anywhere close to summing up this book. This book is highly entertaining, even without the romance angle that brought so much to the first book in this series. This one is all about having an adventure, with the individuals trying to figure out their own motivations while at the same time trying to decipher the motivations of their companions. We get plenty of suspense, action, stolen tableware, talking weapons, fascinating takes on the acolytes of an angry god, a vengeful orc, and a faithful horse. I could easily see both the main and side characters from this book showing in future books, but anything in this author's world will be sure to delight.

Brigands and Breadknives is the opposite side of the coin on Legends and Lattes. Still has the same voice that we all love but goes into wanting a little more adventure instead of settling down. A very sweet and fun read.

What can I say besides fantastic. Baldtree is the person that made this genre legitimate and his tales are art. I hope he continues in this vien as there are so many in this world I would love to know better. 5 star. Highly recommend to any fan of cozy fantasy and D&D as a whole.

The eager anticipation for the 3rd installment was greatly rewarded! Thank you Travis. A mid-life crisis that was delightful to participate in. Adventures and high jinx, and a couple a new characters to boot. When is the next one coming??? More please.

I devoured this in less than 12 hours, along with having to do work, a commute, and dinner. I know from the acknowledgements that Travis is afraid we wouldn't want Fern instead of Viv but holy cow, this is a) the perfection combination and follow up to the first two books and b) Fern is f***ing fantastic so why wouldn't we? I love all the new characters: Astryx, Zyll, Bucket are all so great and I love how this one works out. I will say, it's less explicitly cozy than the previous two BUT the cozy feels are there. Fern's stakes are personal even if there's more fighting/derring dos overall. I would read 100 more books in this world with our increasing character list!