This was cute! A bit different from the first two in the series--more of a fantasy road trip with a lot of action scenes (which were quite good) punctuating long periods of travel. Zyll was my favorite part of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Fern is a bookseller and has been since she inherited her father's bookshop. Now in the grip of mid-life ennui, she has sold up and moved to a new town to open a bookshop next to her friend Viv's coffeeshop. A perfect pairing—but is it what she really wants? In a moment of crisis, Fern gets drunk, hides in a cart, and wakes up far away in the company of a famous adventurer and the chaos goblin she's bringing in for a bounty. The adventures that follow clarify many things for all of them, with lots of conflict, humor, and foul language along the way.

Although this is the third book set in this world, you don't have to have read the other two to enjoy this one. Baldree takes stock fantasy characters and makes them live as whole people. Even if you don't normally read fantasy, I believe you'll enjoy this. Read via NetGalley.

I had no idea there would be another book from this series, and what a pleasant surprise! While I loved Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust didn’t hook me quite as strongly. It was still enjoyable, but as a prequel it felt a little too similar to Legends. Brigands & Breadknives is much more of its own story, and a lot more involved. A solid sequel, we get glimpses of familiar characters in addition to a good amount of world expansion.

Some of the ending I figured out right before it happened, the rest I did not see coming. Bittersweet, though perhaps realistic? In the author’s notes, Baldree acknowledges that this iteration of “cozy fantasy” was less cozy and more action packed than the others, but I think the level of intensity really suited the development of Fern’s character. There are still plenty of the heartwarming and vulnerable moments I have come to enjoy in this series.

A side note: The enigmatic and unpredictable goblin, Zyll, is my new favorite character.

Now I’m just hoping for an addition about Tandri, though I would happily read more of Fern’s adventures.

Another charming, cozy installment in the Legends & Lattes universe. Bookseller Fern, who we met in Bookshelves & Bonedust, has joined Viv in Thune and opened a bookstore next to the coffee shop. But she's restless, and when the chance for an adventure arises, she jumps aboard. I really enjoyed the characters in this one, especially Zyll, and hope there's more to come!

I wanted to love this one, especially since I'm usually a fan of Baldree’s cozy fantasy style, but for some reason, Brigands and Breadknives just didn’t pull me in. I’m not sure if it’s the book itself or just the mood I’m in, but I found myself struggling to stay interested.

I had no idea there was going to be a third book in this series, but I'm so glad there was. The story pivots from following Viv to following Fern, and I personally related more to Fern as someone who works in books and has struggled with finding my path. The characters in this were funny and the chemistry between all of them was wonderful. I can't wait to have a copy in my hands!

Absolutely the best book in the series and the other two are amazing, if that tells you anything.
I can't wait to get this book on the shelf so that others can enjoy it as much as I have. I have not stopped talking about this book. I literally stop people in the store and get them hyped about it too. I am thinking that I may have to put more copies on pre order.

Another great hero story by Baldree. I enjoyed the self-reflection of the main character though I wished she would have realized a few things sooner. However, that's much like life... we spend a lot of time going round and round in our minds over something and later wish we could have seen the way through it sooner. :)

A solid book three from Travis Baldree. You are still getting the same high fantasy, low stakes vibes that his readers love but with a beloved side character this time. The plot of this one did move a lot slower for me than the first two but I still love being in this world with these characters. The swearing is so refreshing in this genre and caught me off guard in the best way. Fern is a hoot and her dilemma of purpose is ever-relatable.

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.