2 or 2.5 stars.

No one is more upset by this rating than me, but I feel really strongly that this book should have existed as it's own series outside of the Legends and Lattes world. It almost feels like a push to drag fans into more of Baldrees writing, which tbh I think anyone who loved L&L and B&B would read anything he writes, but it fares too differently. Cozy isn't the word I would use for this book, certainly there are cozy moments, but the action, the high stakes, and Fern's constant regret and sadness keeps it out of that space in my head. My favorite parts of the whole book were the beginning in Thune, and the end... in Thune.

Don't get me wrong! I AM OBSESSED WITH ZYLL. I almost wish we would have this book again as it's own series that highlighted Zyll and Astryx and maybe another adjacent character from Viv's long left past or someone entirely new. I think people will love this, and I am eager to listen to the audio because we all know how fabulous Travis's narration is. But right now it just didn't work for me. It took me over 2 months to read and I just felt disappointed.

Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree follows Fern, the foul-mouthed ratkin bookseller from the Legends and Lattes prequel Bookshops and Bonedust. While the first two books in the series focused on setting up a small business, Brigands & Breadknives focuses more on an adventure but is still solidly a cozy fantasy read. Fern finds herself waking up in the cart of legendary elven adventurer Astryx after a drunken night out in Thune trying to make a decision about what she wants for her life. What follows is a fun road trip filled with quirky and well developed characters, action packed fights, and inner wrestling with the hard decisions of life. I loved journeying further into the magical world that Travis Baldree has created and hope this isn't the last we see of this world. I recommend this book for those wanting a fantasy mid-life crisis adventure.

This book focuses on bookseller Fern, who we get to know in Bookshops and Bonedust. Fern makes the move to open a new bookshop next door to Viv's coffeeshop, and it should be great getting a new start and reconnecting with an old friend, but Fern knows it isn't what she wants. Will accidentally falling asleep in the back of a legendary elf's wagon help her discover what it is she wants? I enjoyed this book a lot, but it feels very different than the previous two books. There's still a lot of humor and heart and you've got to love an Elder Blade who has fallen on hard times and been diminished from a sword to a breadknife.

This sequel was everything I wanted it to be. The story was an adventure mostly for Fern and Viv is only in the very beginning and very end of the story.

The meat of the book is so comforting and atmospheric, it absolutely transported me to the world of Legends and Lattes. I adore the world-building in this series; it feels like a real place where I would love to go.

We meet a couple of interesting new characters in this tale and Fern gets to explore her inner self a bit along the way. The action is very high in this story but not at the expense of the cozy feel; however, it’s definitely enough to keep the pacing fast and the plot moving.

Thanks to Tor, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley, I was able to get copies of the ebook and audiobook versions and I enjoyed reading this in full immersion. Travis Baldree is a skilled audiobook narrator, with perfect diction and a wide range of distinct character voices. This will absolutely be a comfort re-read for me in the future, I can tell already. I will be purchasing this for myself and for my library’s collection, and will be recommending it to many patrons.

There aren’t same-sex relationships highlighted in this volume, but there’s more cussing in this one, as that is a peculiarity of Fern’s character, so keep that in mind when suggesting this to very conservative patrons and friends.

I would recommend this title to fans of cozy fantasy and folks who like tales of adventure and self-exploration.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

First, thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC! I want to start this review by saying that I LOVED both Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust. I read both of those within a few sittings. I am afraid that Brigands & Breadknives missed the mark for me. It has a strong start with Fern leaving everything she has ever known to reconnect with Liv and start a new bookshop in Thune, but as soon as she gets there and runs away in the night, the plot began to be lost to me. I KNOW that Fern wants to go on an adventure and live a bit dangerously for a while just as Liv had done in the past, but it was a hard sell for me. Pros: atmospheric and cast of familiar & delightful characters. I will check out future books from this author! ✍️

I recently saw a psychologist talk about how experiencing healthy relationships can help heal the trauma of unhealthy ones (an oversimplification on my part). The comment section was full of the same question. Where am I supposed to find these healthy relationships when all of my lived experience tells me they don't exist? How will I ever believe that they do?
A ratkin, an elf and a goblin walk into a bar...
Fern is a tangled up ball of people pleasing impulses and avoidant coping mechanisms. Astryx is stuck within the confines of her own rules and definitions and hasn't yet realized they don't serve her anymore. Zyll is a strangely obedient fugitive who dispenses timely, but cryptic advice. Together they're helping to reshape my brain.
The relationships depicted in this book are so beautiful and whole. They're realistic in a way that a lot of fiction fails to be, and they're formed between fully adult characters who have already lived in the world. Their journey gives such a beautiful example of a healthy relationship. Is it always comfortable? No. Do they survive it? Yeah, and they even come out the other side better than they were before. Who knew?
I could see within the first couple of chapters where Baldree was taking this, and I do not say this as a complaint. Thank you for holding my hand and telling me that it is okay, that I am not alone, and that if I trust myself things will be okay. I eagerly await your next story, whatever it may be.
Thank you to Tor for sending me the ARC.

When life doesn't give you lemons - you seek them out! In an expansion of the legends and latte's universe we find Fern, our small Ratkin friend in the wagon of the land's most iconic warrior.

The group dynamics of this travelling crew was hilarious and heartwarming. I loved the character development of Fern in this story; Baldree perfectly depicts the many layers of learning how to fit yourself into somewhere new, while not ignoring the growing pains.

I laughed! I cried! I want my own talking breadknife!

In this quest of self-exploration, we learn that carrying the heavy burden of discomfort is sometimes worth it to better know yourself in the end.

I ended up listening to the audiobook, but/and I loved it! I will be heartily recommending it (in either format) to patrons and friends.

I have read every book in this series and this one definitely took me a long time to finish. It did seem to drag for me in places, and I was a little unsatisfied with the ending. There were not any true romance moments in the book and it definitely felt more action-packed than the previous books (battle scenes, fighting, etc) so it takes a turn away from the previous books that way. On the plus side, we do get to be introduced to new characters, the goblin is hysterical and I do love that Fern has a mouth on her that she uses throughout the book. Astryx was a very interesting character and I wish I could have learned more about her. All in all, a great addition to the series.

So I dove into this new books in the Legends and Lattes series with no real idea of what it was about. When Fern arrived in the city of Thune to establish her new book shoppe, I was excited - I would get to revisit my friends from the first book again. And then I realized I had no idea what I was in for, as Fern falls asleep in the back of a wagon belonging to a legendary elven warrior and is carted out Thune and away from the story I thought I was going to read.
And it was delightful!
Fern, a ratkin, tried moving to Thune to restart her life. Instead she remained dissatisfied and restless. One bad decision later and she's more confused and now a bit lost and stuck with a legend, a chaos goblin (ostensibly her captive, but...) and a some talkative weaponry and the chance to figure out what she really needs in life.

Leaning a little bit away from the cozy, and more into the fantasy, B&B was a delightful adventure!

Thank you to NetGalley for E- ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fern is back for the third adventure in the cozy fantasy that began with Legends & Lattes!

Fern has packed up her bookshop and moved next door to her friends' coffee shop, but is it the life she really wants, or the life she's supposed to want? After a drunken misadventure Fern finds herself accompanying a (reluctant) legend and getting farther and farther away from her friends and the bookshop. As Fern runs toward adventure, making new friends along the way, she learns to let go of her own expectations and see what the world has to offer. This was a delightful adventure, leaving plenty of room for more to come from Fern.

I absolutely love Travis Baldree's brand of cosy fantasy fiction, and the third book in his Legends and Lattes series was right at the top of my most anticipated releases of 2025. While he leans away from cosy in this new book, his world, characters, and storytelling are no less delightful.

Brigands and Breadknives is less cosy and more swashbuckling midlife crisis adventure, and I'm totally here for it. Fern, the foul-mouthed bookselling rattkin from Bookshops and Bonedust, is one of my favourite characters in the series and I am unreasonably happy to see her get her own book. Fern is an older character at a crossroads in life and a silly, drunken decision thrusts her onto a new path to find meaning. I think most people will be able to relate to her internal crisis, as well as her desire for something new. I love that Fern is not a legendary hero or warrior, but she manages to navigate this adventure in her own way. Fern is such a wonderful character and Brigands expands on her character beautifully.

I also loved the rich cast of secondary and side characters - this is one of the places Baldree always shines. Astryx One-Ear, the legendary warrior who's current quest collides with Fern's quiet life, is a wonderful character with a fantastic story arc. Even after a centuries-long life she still grows and changes because of her friendship with Fern. My heart, however, belongs to Zyll, chaotic goblin extraordinaire and unlikely friend. Zyll doesn't say a lot, but she's absolutely hilarious and the cornerstone of the adventure. She's sure to be a fan favourite - just make sure you lock up your silverware.

Brigand and Breadknives is a slight departure for Baldree, but still contains all the heart and humour of his previous books. With slightly diminished great swords, a rogues gallery of villains, highly opinionated blades, and adventure abound, this book is an absolute delight. I would recommend reading at least Bookshops and Bonedust before picking this one up (and if you haven't already, you're in for a treat).

Horse Girl Geralt of Rivia walked so Horse Girl Astryx One Eye could run.

This is a book that found its reader at the right time - unlike our previous two entries, this book is less cozy fantasy and more 'what the hell am I doing with my life??'. We follow Fern, an aging ratkin first introduced in Bookshops & Bonedust, who kicks off her midlife crisis by drunkenly hitching her wagon to a world-famous adventure, and from there we follow the long road of their acquaintanceship turned friendship turned squireship as they bring a not-quite prisoner in for a bounty.

The theme and tone of this novel, while being in vastly different settings, reminded me very strongly of A Psalm for the Wild-Built, which also found me at exactly the right time I needed to read it. This book actually made me tear up a little bit - Astryx One Ear, be still my beating heart, you can swear oaths of devotion at me any day of the week.

This is one of the rare times where I think the sequel has gotten so much better than the first! While I love Legends and Lattes, the story of Fern just feels like a warm hug. It's a bit slower paced but by the end I was so happy I enjoyed each page slowly and soaked the hijinks and friendship all up! A perfect winter read!

Once again, Baldree draws a wonderful world and delightful characters. It was nice to see flashes of some old faces, learn more about others, and meet a lot of new ones. There were times the emotional arc left me a bit unsatisfied, as if jumping from place to place, but it was still a charming and enjoyable read.

While I didn't quite enjoy this addition to the series as much as the previous two installments, I had a lot of fun back in Baldree's world. Through this story we have an unsatisfied Fern who just wants to feel passionate about something again. I think that is a feeling a lot of people can relate to and understand wanting to (unintentionally) run away from your life and dive head first into an adventure. I found our new cast of characters to be distinct, even if I was a bit tired of our breadknife but the end. Baldree is a mage with words and is always able to make a reader feel cozy despite the trials that our characters might face.

Bookshops & Bonedust: Legends & Lattes #3 shifts from cozy to quest as Fern the rattkin bookseller sets off on a journey to find meaning beyond her bookshop. With shades of T. Kingfisher, this installment blends light horror, warm campfire moments, and heartfelt conversations. Fern’s arc feels authentic, and the new characters—especially the delightfully chaotic Zyll—add vibrance to her adventure. While it stands alone, reading Bookshops & Bonedust first enriches the experience. A great pick for readers craving a little more action in their cozy fantasy. D&D fans and lovers of quirky ensembles will feel right at home.

Travis Baldree has once again woven an enchanting tale full of heart and comfort, this time in the form of a ratkin who chooses to abandon the life she's known for the unexpected and unpredictable. Another amazing installment in the Legends & Lattes universe!

This was such a fun read with intriguing characters and hidden mysteries, and all the wholesome moments you've come to expect from a Baldree novel.

Another great addition to the series, we follow Fern the bookseller who… is not sure she can call herself a bookseller anymore. As she journeys farther from what she’s known about her life and about herself, Fern challenges herself and her companions in new and surprising ways. Excellent cozy fantasy with adventure and friendship.