Travis Baldree took characters from his lackluster prequel to Legends & Lattes and blew this sequel out of the water. I was absolutely in love with the characters and story. While this story was a slight departure from the tone of the previous two stories, this one had higher stakes by miles, it still was comforting and cozy. It had just enough of a connection to Viv back in Thune, giving Fern truly her own story. These characters were so thoughtful and easy to care for. I cannot wait to see what comes next in this series.

I absolutely love this series by Travis Baldree. It's like reading a warm hug. I am so happy that Fern got a story all to herself. I absolutely love this characters and these books. I will definitely be purchasing the physical copy to go with my others, but as always Travis delivers a heart felt book that is so cozy I couldn't put it down. Five starts, as always.

This third installment in the Legends & Lattes takes a bit of a detour from the cozy vibes only routine, and follows our favorite rattkin bookseller as she goes on a wandering quest in search of that missing something when her life as a bookseller starts to feel a little stale.

The tale has a little of a T. Kingfisher flavor to it in my opinion, it's like following a party on a dungeons and dragons campaign with a small splash of horror, but still manages to contain lots of cozy moments around the campfire with humor and thoughtful conversations.

I have loved the entire Legends and Lattes trilogy so far, and while this one was a little different with some more adventuring and higher stakes, it felt very true to Fern's character. I loved meeting Fern back in book 2, and was thrilled when she got to take the spotlight. I also really liked the new characters introduced, and was especially entertained by Zyll - the chaos goblin.

While this book will stand alone just fine, I think readers would find more depth and appreciation of the character journeys if they've at least read Bookshops & Bonedust before jumping into this one. And for any readers for whom Legends & Lattes felt a little too cozy, I think the action in this book will be more suited. Fans of works like T. Kingfisher's Clocktaur world or Julie Leong's The Teller of Small Fortunes are also sure to enjoy this read.

Is it as good as the first one? Unfortunately, no, not quite. But it IS still a very enjoyable little book. Fern is fun, I enjoy the gratuitous swearing. I'd be happy to read more stories in this world. As well, the couple of twists at the end were just the right thing to pop you out of your inertia reading!

Travis baldree does it again! Just the right amount of action and suspense to keep you intrigued, but the stakes are still low enough to be cozy in the usual style. Absolutely loved this entry into the legends and lattes world. I hope we get more stories about Zyll and Breadlee.

Brigands & Breadknives
Travis Baldree
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book: 38
Favorite quote:
“I beg your forgiveness for the words I said. I beg your patience for the ways I fail. I do not expect it, but crave and strive for your regard.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor publishing group for the opportunity to read this ARC of Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree.

This book was so good. I loved that we got to really see what kind of character Fern is. I went into this book without any knowledge or what to expect. I loved Fern in the last book but I was not expecting to love a full fledged book about her. I feel like all the characters complimented the story so well and I cannot wait for the audiobook to come out. All I could hear was the author/narrator doing her accent the whole time. Zyll was actually my favorite of the characters in the book. All of her interactions were just top notch. I have this weird urge to draw her and her many pocketed coat. Picking a favorite quote from this book was a bit rough so I do just want to honorable mention;

“I want to learn what you laugh at, what makes you roll your eyes, what gets you upset, or passionate, or puts you at ease. Work is just . . .” He flapped a paw as they ducked under the eaves in front of the mercantile. “The stuff that holds the rest of it together. It’s like describing a house by talking about the nails.”

Another successful edition to the Legends & Lattes universe. How this author always manages to make action and adventure scenes still feel cozy blows my mind. The characters were fabulous as usual, my one complaint is Fern's personality was a bit too abrasive for me at times. I also feel like certain parts of the story were slow and could have been shortened. However, aside from that I loved everything. Especially Zyll! For me she was the star of this and it was always such a joy when she was on the page. The overall journey was very entertaining and I can't wait for more from this cozy and fantastical world.

Fern moves her bookshop next to Viv only to then suffer an existential crises. She gets drunk and hides in a wagon of her hero Astryx and joins her on her quest to bring Zyll the goblin in for a bounty. Much fun and adventure was had by all- sword fights, talking swords and knives, mysterious monks are all included. A delightful addition to the series- thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Reader is forewarned :Fern cusses. Fern is a rattkin friend of Val's who is moving to open a bookstore next to Val's coffee shop. Fern is unsettled and unsure that she has made the right move. She is not even sure she wants to run a bookstore anymore. She gets drunk and on the way to discuss her doubts with Val, she climbs into the back of a wagon and passes out. When she wakes up she finds herself in the wagon of a legendary elf warrior far from the town she started in. Astryx One-ear has an orange haired chaos goblin imprisoned on the cart to return her for a bounty. With Fern running away from her friends in shame she is allowed to join Astryx on the cart. The three have widespread adventures as they attempt to cross the countryside to claim the bounty. The plot is an excellent adventure story with touching emotional enlightenment included. It is a very enjoyable read. The gratuitous profanity abounds but you were warned. The story more than makes up for it.

This was a book with the perfect balance of adventure and emotional depth.

Baldree has a wonderful way of telling a thoroughly engrossing story and making me feel deeply for everyone I meet along the way.

A fantastic addition to this cozy fantasy world.

Every book in the L&L universe is wonderful, and each one will click a little differently with different readers. For me, BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST was exactly what I needed at precisely the right time, and I see a dozen ways that the same will be true between BRIGANDS and many of its future readers.

Where L&L was for those bravely breaking ground on a new path, BOOKSHOPS was for those who had yet to find that path (and perhaps didn't realize they were lost, or spent, or uninspired at all) -- and BRIGANDS & BREADKNIVES will be perfect for those who thought they'd found the way, after all, but perhaps need to give themselves the grace to realize that life is about finding and being found, over and over again. That there's no shame in starting over more than once. That forgiveness, curiosity, and even fear can guide us more than we know. That it's never too late to navigate by starlight.

Travis Baldree: never stop writing.

This book was very different from what I expected after Legends and Lattes. Not as warm and sweet, but heartwarming in its own way. Finding your way and your place in life after realizing your dream job may not be it will feel familiar for quite a few of us. Well written and engaging. Definitely a must read.

I’ve always loved Fern with all my heart, and this series has been a source of comfort for me. So when I began this latest book, I had certain expectations—was it going to be cozy? Not really. It carried much higher stakes than what I was used to from Baldree’s work. But after reading the acknowledgments and learning the reasons behind the book, my perspective shifted. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the original cozy fantasy or not, this book is for readers willing to step off the beaten path and still appreciate a compelling story.

At times, it was a tough read because it challenged my expectations and made me uncomfortable. But in hindsight, I think that discomfort was exactly what I needed.

Journeying alongside Fern, Astryx, and Zyll reminded me that not all paths are set in stone from the start—you have to roll with life’s punches and learn to embrace uncertainty. Cheers to Baldree! I’m here to support and read whatever you bring next.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.

We're back to the Legends & Lattes universe! Fern has been a bookseller for her entire life, but she's not happy with her life. One drunken night, she falls asleep in a cart she shouldn't have and ends up on a journey across the universe with Astryx, a famous elf warrior/bounty hunter and her goblin prisoner, Zyll.

I must say, I love this universe. I was very excited to get to know Fern better and getting to see a little more of what happened with Viv. I also really enjoyed meeting new characters, especially Zyll, she was a riddle wrapped up in a mystery, and I loved trying to figure out what her motives were. Astryx's character growth was amazing, seeing her at the end was like seeing a new person. I do wish we had gotten more growth with Fern, by the time we make it to the end, I'm still not entirely certain Fern is happy or knows why she hasn't been happy. Maybe we'll get another Fern book??

This book didn't feel quite a cozy fantasy as the others, the stakes were definitely higher as we adventure across the world. This is not to say I didn't like the book, I definitely did, but I did miss some of the coziness I felt in the previous books.

I will continue reading every single book Travis Baldree writes, I thoroughly enjoy this series, and I will definitely end up buying the physical copy when it comes out.

Third book in this series by Travis Baldree. If I am being honest, I would read five more if he decided to write them!!!

Travis Baldree does it again! I loved this cozy fantasy; Baldree is basically the best at this subgenre! Like romance, cozy fantasy is a difficult genre to make truly sing. Here is what makes this book so great:

- Characters that you truly care about -- not just the main character, but everyone she meets. When an author can write impeccable character development of a character who barely speaks a recognizable language, that is truly impressive!

- A+ banter. You can't really have good banter without really great characters, but even then it can fall flat if it feels like it's trying too hard, Baldree is SO GOOD at banter, though, so you don't have to worry about this!

- Amazing world-building. I love the way Baldree brings in elements of D&D and mythological creatures but also invents his own totally random things that are just as compelling.

I think this is actually my favorite yet in the series! For all of the above reasons but I also loved that this one was the first where the main character was on a quest / journey. Which made total sense for Fern. I loved it.

This was so damned good!!! I really enjoyed following up with Fern and her wanderlust. This was a satisfying read, more fast paced than its predecessors, but still cozy and warm. Travis Baldree does not miss!!!

Love this series! A nice cozy fantasy with all the classic tropes that just make you feel good. I enjoyed this so much and hope Travis Baldree will keep making these!

I've been a loud and proud Baldree fan since Legends & Lattes; I think I've probably handsold over 100 copies of that to customers over the last three years, and I've browbeaten most of my friends into picking it up by now. The recent resurgence of cozy fantasy as a genre really owes a lot to Baldree and L&L's success, and prior to diving into this new offering, I made sure to reread the first two books -- something I'm already advising folks to do, so everything with Fern and Viv is nice and fresh.

Like Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust, Brigands & Breadknives has some really stellar characters, easy-to-absorb yet rich world-building that draws heavily from familiar D&D details, and plenty of charm and comedy.

But unlike those first two outings, the stakes here are significantly higher, and things are a bit more emotionally fraught. It's still very much a Baldree creation, and we're confident we're going to have an uplifting climax by the final page, but primary heroine Fern has a heavier burden on her shoulders than Viv did in her books, as she struggles to find her sense of place and purpose while journeying with a mythic figure straight out of legend. Elven warrior/adventurer Astryx One-Ear is a lone wolf figure Geralt of Rivia would absolutely understand and respect, and Baldree is able to significantly up the action quotient through her, making this book pretty dang pulse-pounding and exciting.

Knowing his audience, Baldree also adds the incorrigible goblin girl Zyll, a wild Feral Girl and embodiment of pure chaos, to help balance things out. If the story only followed guilty, glum, confused Fern and the stoic, ancient, going-through-the-motions Astryx, things would get a little too bleak -- Zyll practically leaps off the page with her thieving mayhem, positively cinematic antics, and bright red pigtails. She was absolutely my favorite part of the whole dang story; every scene she featured in was such fun, and her ending is deliciously satisfying.

All in all: while this book is significantly more serious and weighty compared to the previous two, it's still a thoroughly fun read that's sure to delight established fans, especially those who have wanted to see beyond Thune or Murk and more fantastical derring-do. This may not be the warm hug that Legends & Lattes is, but it's a very reassuring pat on the back. I remain vindicated in my faith and love for Baldree.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with an advanced copy of this.

I was hoping this would be another excellent story from Travis Baldree, because I read the first two in the series and loved them. I was not disappointed. Somehow despite this being a more adventurous novel with a lot more fighting and adventure than the others, Baldree was still able to make it feel cozy.

The theme is friendship in this one, and fear of change. Fern is one of my favorite characters in this series, and I was so happy to read a story that centered around her. She’s such a relatable character for me as well. The development of all the characters was wonderful, and I love Zyll so much. I hope we see more of her if there are more books to come.

Overall, I give this five stars.