If you thought we were just getting another cozy trip back to the world of Legends & Lattes… think again. This book swerves in the BEST way.

We’ve got Fern, our foul-mouthed, bookselling rattkin, deciding to shake things up and move closer to her old friend Viv. Sounds simple, right? Open a new shop, sip some coffee, maybe a cute renovation montage? Yeah… no. One drunken night later, Fern finds herself swept into a quest with a legendary elf warrior, a chaos-goblin who’s way too attached to silverware, and the sassiest sentient breadknife you’ll ever meet.

What I loved most is how it balanced cozy with chaotic. It’s warm and heartfelt (midlife crisis, anyone?), but it’s also a hilarious, swear-filled road trip where unlikely companions are constantly tested by rogues, bounty hunters, and their own baggage. Fern’s journey felt so relatable, messy, funny, and sometimes uncomfortable, but always pushing her closer to who she really is.

This is the kind of book that makes you laugh out loud, then blindsides you with heart. If Legends & Lattes felt like a hug in a cup, Brigands and Breadknives is more like a pint with friends who cuss too much, fight monsters on the weekend, and somehow still make you feel at home.

If you’re craving cozy fantasy with a little extra bite.. this one’s for you.

𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 4/5 ⭐️

Brigands & Breadknives in book two in the Legends & Lattes series. This one takes back to Fern, Viv’s friend from Bookshops & Bonedust. She moves to be closer to Viv but realizes it didn’t quite fix her life the way she thought it would.

Thank you to NetGaley, the publisher, and author for an ALC of this book!

Another cozy fantasy in this series. This one was fun! I definitely liked that we get Fern again because I did really enjoy Bookshops & Bonedust. I did find that the pacing seemed a little off though. Which did make it a little harder for me to stay engaged.

I did really enjoy the narration. I think it was really well done and fun to hear the characters come to life. A quick and easy listen for sure and I felt like this is the perfect time of the year for it.

I wouldn’t say you needed to read Legends & Lattes first before this one but I would say reading Bookshops & Bonedust first gives you a lot more background on Fern.

A wonderful adventure! You will want to grab your comfy blanket, fav drink and dive in! Travis builds a wonderful, magical world with lovable characters and fantastic stories! I listened to the audiobook, Travis narrated it himself, and I adored this book. A cozy fantasy like coming home and feeling "I belong here".

Shared on Barnes and Noble, Good reads and Tiktok. Will share on Amazon on publishing date.
Thank you for allowing me to read this story!

STARRED REVIEW Viv, successful owner of the Legends and Lattes coffee shop in bustling Thune, reaches out to her old friend Fern (her partner in accidentally beating a fabled necromancer in Bookshops and Bonedust), hoping that Fern will come to Thune and open a bookshop next door. Fern is in the midst of a midlife crisis and thinks a change will fix her ennui. Instead, it drives her to desperate measures, hitching a ride on a cart carrying a legendary elf warrior and her goblin bounty on the road to friendship, adventure, and the opening chapters of the rest of Fern’s life—once she stops worrying about what other people think and marching to the beat of her own drummer. Baldree’s third “Legends and Lattes” book ties the series together with a cozy bow as it catches up the story of Bookshops and Bonedust to Viv’s present and takes readers on a slightly less cozy but very compelling journey with the cynical, self-deprecating, constantly cursing Fern to forge a tale of wacky schemes, found sisterhood, and growth.VERDICT Readers will be delighted to encounter more of Viv and her friends, as will anyone who loves cozy fantasies such as Rebecca Thorne’s “Tomes and Tea” series.

I was hesitant to pick Brigands & Breadknives up for a strange reason. I had loved the premise of Legends & and Lattes with its cozy vibes and interesting premise, but ultimately only liked the book due to how flat the story was, lacking much in the way of rising and falling actions. So, when I saw there was a sequel, I was worried it would be much of the same.

Thankfully, my hesitation was unfunded as Brigands & and Breadknives managed to keep all the cozy vibes from its predecessor while throwing in a story that was reminiscent of the Redwall series, well with the addition of a Ratfolk with a penchant for swearing. It was a wonderful read and the author's narration was top notch, capable of fully engrossing the reader into this colorful story's pages.

The talking knives stole the show, and I’m hoping the next adventure brings back more of that cozy charm

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for my honest review of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars
Another hit from Travis Baldree, but it didn’t have quite the same emotional punch as Legends & Lattes or the prequel. While it wasn’t exactly what I expected going in, it was still a quick, fun little read that scratched that cozy-fantasy itch.

My favorite characters this time were the talking knives—they completely stole the show! Of course, I still adore Viv and wish we’d had more time with her. Next time, I’m hoping for a little less full-on adventure and a little more of the warmth and coziness that made Legends & Lattes so special.

Still, I’d recommend this to any Travis Baldree fan—it’s charming, fast-paced, and full of quirky magic.

This is the next installment in Travis Baldree's world of Legends & Lattes! This time, it features Fern, our ratkin bookseller. Fern decides to relocate to open up a bookstore next to a friend's coffee shop (vague intentionally, just in case you haven't read the other installments in this world). One drunken decision leads her down an entirely different path than the one initially intended! She finds herself in the back of a wagon owned by Astryx One-Ear, a hardened elf warrior. Astryx is transporting a wanted figure, Zyll, and Fern gets drawn into this dangerous trip. Full of odd friendships and unexpected moments, Fern begins to rethink what might make her life meaningful and fulfilling. As is the whole L&L world, the balance between cozy and adventure is absolutely delightful! There is humor and vulnerability and cursing and camaraderie and skirmishes--I mean, it just has everything you could want. I love Baldree's writing! A slice-of-life fantasy, finding meaning in both journey and rest. You don't necessarily have to read the prior books, but it definitely gives background to Fern and an understanding of certain references. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC, and to Tor for the physical ARC! Book releases 11/11/25.

Brigands & Breadknives is an excellent addition to the cozy fantast world of Legends & Lattes. The story follows Fern, the Ratkin bookseller introduced in Bookshops & Bonedust, as she sets about a new life. Without spoiling anything, life does not go as planned and Fern ends up on an adventure. While the stakes are higher than either preceding entry in the series, this still falls firmly into cozy fantasy territory. The appearances by characters from earlier in the series are brief, but charming, and the cast of new beings brings so much to love. I would spend 10-12 volumes in this world if Travis Baldree wanted to write them, but this was such a satisfying read that I would also be okay if he left the series stand at three. Baldree's narration is the cherry on top, bringing unique life to each character with enviable consistency. One really gets the sense that the author loves these characters, and it enhanced my love for them in turn.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an audio ARC of this title.

Things I highly enjoyed about this have to include Baldree's narration - obviously there's a bit of a bias when the author is also the narrator in that you intrinsically know what each character's voice should be, but he has such a way with different voices and adding personality to each that every single character is unique and enjoyable.

I did also enjoy the way that this is a bit of a departure from the previous two books, flipping the "adventurer adopts a slower pace" narrative on its head. Fern has always taken the slower, cozier pace, and while she finds value in it, it's just not fulfilling anymore (if it ever was). So a lot of the book is for her to figure out who she is outside from what other people expect from her.

I think I like Baldree's writing more for the quiet moments than the action scenes - it's a bit too overwrought and purple for a fight scene for my taste, though it does set up some nice worldbuilding getting to see more cities and the wildernesses that lie between them.

Maybe the real midlife crisis was the talking swords we met along the way?

This third installment of Travis Baldree's runaway cozy fantasy hit is a departure from the previous entries in several ways. Firstly and most obviously, the titular coffee shop from the first book barely features, and even our retired orc adventurer Viv appears only briefly. Instead, Brigands & Breadknives shifts focus to Fern, the adorably foulmouthed ratkin bookseller whom Viv befriended during the events of Bookshops & Bonedust.

Now, many years later, Fern finds herself dissatisfied with her life, and decides to follow in Viv's footsteps. Quite literally, as she relocates to the city of Thune and opens up a new bookstore right next to Legends & Lattes, with a considerable amount of help and investment from Viv and her friends. Fern's new bookstore quickly proves to be a runaway success, and everything seems to be set for a cozy happily ever after.

Except.

Except that Fern still isn't satisfied. Still isn't happy. Still hasn't found a way to quiet her feelings of restlessness and aimlessness, all of which are compounded by the guilt and fear of letting her friends down after all they've done for her. So, in a night of inebriated poor decisions, she stows away in a legendary warrior's horse-drawn cart and sets off on an inadvertent series of adventures, along with a taciturn one-eared elf, a kleptomaniac goblin, and a talking sword (or two).

It would have been supremely easy for Travis Baldree to make this book another low-stakes, feel-good story of fantasy small business ownership, but Brigands & Breadknives asks a far more interesting question: what happens when you remake your life, and it still isn't enough? What happens when the thing you thought would fix you...doesn't?

It's not a question with an easy answer, and by its very nature is one that will vary from person to person. Fern's journey is rocky (both metaphorically and literally) and beset with dangers, not least of which are the numerous bounty hunters seeking to capture her incredibly-wanted goblin companion. Nor is it straightforward, as Fern spends much of the book puzzling out what it is she does want out of her life, and who she wants to be.

Brigands & Breadknives may not be for everyone, and it may not even be for every fan of the previous two books. But those who are still struggling to find themselves, who still feel that quiet ache at the thought of the future and dread the pressures of the past, and those who still aren't quite sure what it is they actually want will see themselves in Fern.

What a wonderful addition to this series. Brigands & Breadknives was just as whimsical, funny, and heartwarming as the other books in this series. I was pleasantly surprised by how much action there was while still maintaining the cozy atmosphere that I love so much. The narration was extremely well done, so much so that I listened to it on 1x speed, which is very rare for me. The characters were absolutely delightful. I loved Fern, and all the friends she made on her unlikely adventure. I never thought that I would relate so much to a rodent, but fern’s struggles definitely hit home for me, and I’m sure many others will relate to the foul-mouthed ratkin. I think this book completely reset my nervous system. It was absolutely delightful and I can’t wait to read more from this author! Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy audiobook.

As always, Baldree does an excellent job setting up wholesome quests filled with fun characters. This one offered a bunch of humor amidst the main character's mid-life crisis.
I was excited to have an adventure with Fern taking center stage to the story, but they sidelined my boy Potroast. I was so disappointed. I also would have liked it if Viv was in it more than she was. Still a great story.
I loved the addition of the talking sword, Nigel. I hope to see them in future books.
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Macmillan Audio for both the advanced digital copy and audiobook via NetGalley.

I’m always so impressed with Travis Baldree’s audiobooks, he’s such a talented voice actor. From the first word, we get so much personality and dedication to the story. As the author, he’s able to convey the exact characters he’s created, adding a unique element you don’t find in many audiobooks. I love this series and this third story is the perfect addition to the other two entries. Thank you for the chance to review!

I absolutely love this series! I'm not sure what magic writing apparatus Travis Baldree uses for these books, but its pure gold!
This third book follows Fern, the foul-mouthed bookseller with a wonderful heart. I cannot get enough of her. More adventurous than Legends and Lattes, with another set of loveable characters. So far the funniest book I have read this year. I absolutely cannot recommend Brugands and Breadknives enough.
The narrator was also fantastic!
A full 5 stars for me.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced copy!!

I was grateful to be provided an audiobook copy by NetGalley in order to leave an honest review. Author Travis Baldree is pretty much an insta -read for me, based on the goodwill created by his previous two books. His cozy fantasies are the OG of the genre for me. I went into Brigands & Breadknives blind to the plot, knowing only that it starred bookseller Fern. It was a delight to see Viv and company again, though they’re not on page for the majority of the book. Still, I enjoyed the first three-quarters of the book. The ending was just opaque enough to feel earned, though, there was a development that didn’t match the tone of the previous 75%, it wasn’t enough to DNF. Alas, the remaining 25% was a bit of a slog. By the finale, I wondered why it hadn’t ended earlier. Still, the majority of this book is good fun, and the characters are quite memorable. Baldree remains an insta-read. Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy.

I loved the first installment, Legends and Lattes. But the second one I had trouble with. This third one is basically a sequel of the second, and I'm having the same trouble connecting with it.. I kept finding my interest drifting. Baldree is a great narrator, and I'm impressed he does both the writing and reading of it. But overall, not for me.

Brigands and Breadknives is a highly entertaining audio book and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I read Brigands and Breadknives as a stand alone and had no difficulty "catching up" with the first book's adventures.
The narrator does an incredible job bringing Baldree's characters to life. I loved them all. Fantasy is so much fun when animals fill in for humans. It's easier to let go of expectations and become engrossed in the fantasy world.
Highly recommended for older children who will be able to follow the story and characters, especially in audio format, where imagination and association are key to the understanding and enjoyment.

This book, in audio format, is suitable for all ages. It's that well done.

Unfortunately I did not resonate with this novel. I tried Travis Baldree's previous work, Bookshops and Bonedust, and wasn't a fan, but I thought I'd give this one a try to see if my opinion changed. I learned it indeed has not changed. I totally get how others would be into this sort of cozy fantasy esque style, and that's great! It just wasn't for me personally. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review.

I absolutely adore this world and this author. The narration by Baldree of this book makes it so much better.

Brigands & Breadknives was such a fantastic addition to the series! Travis Baldree’s narration is, as always, spot-on and brings the world to life in such an enjoyable way. The story was engaging from start to finish, and it fit perfectly with the tone and heart of the earlier books.

I loved being back with these characters, and the blend of adventure, warmth, and humor made it an easy listen. It’s the kind of audiobook that feels both cozy and exciting at the same time. Highly recommend for anyone already enjoying the series—it absolutely delivers.