I liked this addition to the series better than Bookshops and Bonedust, I think I liked it about as much as I liked Legends and Lattes. I would say I liked it better than Legends and Lattes but the ending felt unsatisfying for me. Cozy fantasy is an interesting genre and this series was my first introduction to it. I enjoyed that there were more battles in this addition to the series but the plot does feel a bit aimless. I'll definitely give any more that come out in this series a listen because they are fun. I love the characters even when I think they could be a little more fleshed out.
The narrator/author does a good job with the voices he adds to the characters!

4 out of 5 Stars

Brigands and Breadknives is the third book by Travis Baldree in his Legends and Lattes series. For me it was step up from the prequel, Bookshop and Bone dust, which has Fern, the main character of this one, as the secondary protagonist, but this was still a step down from Legends and Lattes it's self.

Is there such a thing as a cozy adventure story,? if so this would be it! I loved being back in this world and expanding it by traveling alongside such an interesting crew. We had not one but two sentient weapons (if a breadknife counts), an eccentric goblin, elven hero, and many side characters along the way.

As a bigger fan of Legends and Lattes vs Bookshops and Bonedust, I would say this leaned more towards B&B for the pacing and amount of adventuring we're doing. Because we're visiting so many places, at one point I was feeling a little “what's the point here?” because it felt to drag a little during the middle.

The writing of this was full of descriptions and action scenes that were easy even for me to follow, and the characters were so much fun! As a person in her mid-thirties, I feel for Fern's identity crisis and the guilt she feels throughout the book to Viv because of pretty much running away from her life. I liked the way this was handled and was happy how Fern's book ended. I hope to read more in this world!

Travis Baldree is the author and narrator and does a fantastic job. I actually missed out on listening to his previous works, but now I want to reread them all via audio because he does a fantastic job. He has great flow and I love the way he voices each independent character. He brings a whole new layer of life to the story!

Man, I love Travis Baldree's books. He never fails to impress me with his ability to tell a story that feels both cozy, high stakes, and low stakes all at the same time. The world that he has created is so kind and warm, yet he manages to create a story with enough conflict to keep the reader entertained. If you have loved the world of "Legends and Latte's" or "Bookshops and Bonedust," then this will not let you down. Many of the characters are repeats here, but as per Baldree's usual approach, there are plenty of new characters here to love. In fact, one of my favorite side characters is introduced in this book, and I would love to see more of her in future installments. This is a solid entry to the world that he has created, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Let us talk about "Brigands & Breadknives" by Travis Baldtree.

If you haven't read "Legends & Lattes" or "Bookshops & Bonedusts" by Travis Baldtree first, that's quite okay! Even though this story takes place after Legends and focuses on Fern, the foul-mouthed rattkin bookshop owner, and can be read as a standalone. (Although I highly recommend reading the first two because they are so fantastic!)

I love a good cozy fantasy and this story truly had those vibes about it, but with twist! Instead of what we think of cozy - settling down, slowing down, and finally just breathing - this story takes a complete 180 and pushes the need for more.

Fern, finally ups and moves to Thune to, closing her current bookshop to open another right next to Legends & Latte's (Viv's coffee shop). But little does she know at the time, that her heart...is just not into it. After a night of wallowing, her life is uprooted (literally) and she finds herself in the midst of an adventure, involving a 100 year old elf warrior and a goblin who is more trouble than she seems.

The story is rife with adventure, laughs, and also the deep sense of "where are you going in life?" It makes for one to sit back and really think if there is more to life than just staying still, or is there adventure out there to be had. With new characters, new travels, and also the added bonus of Mr. Baldtree narrating this tale (he does such an amazing job and gives voices to all the characters so uniquely), this story was such a thrill to listen/read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Travis Baldtree for allowing me to review and give my open and honest feedback.

✨ Found family
✨ Low Stakes
✨ Adventures Abound!
✨ Finding Oneself
✨ Magical Elements
✨ Talking Swords

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🫑
Series: Book 3 or can be read as a standalone

I am easy with my with my reviews, I guess, because if I finished it and I really liked it, I feel like that already gives it a lot of stars. But this book easily deserves the 5 star review.

I would say that if you were a fan of the first few books that it’s very alike. His writing is very similar. The world is still just as amazing as it is in the first two. I was surprised that it didn’t follow the same characters like I thought it was going to. After the first two chapters, I was really surprised of the direction that it took but as much as I thought I wasn’t going to like it it turned out to be an even better story than I imagined because of the way that the author does character building. I’m always surprised how much I like every character because it’s not always the case in most books that I read and, even with the flaws, I still like the characters overall. I’ve actually feel like they’re more relatable.

The first book is always going to be my favorite, but I don’t know. I would have to say that this one is pretty close. I really liked it. I really liked the prequel book, but I feel like this one, the direct sequel, I just really like the world and like to be able to interact with all your favorite characters.

If you are a fan of the series so far, you will be incredibly happy here. You know if there’s another book in the series absolutely I will read it as fast as I can.

Thank you to NetGalley for getting me an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this audiobook.

I've got to be honest, this was a slow start for me. I actually started it, listened to about an hour, and stopped because I found myself not paying attention. I listened to some other things, read some summaries of the first two books, and tried again.

Brigands and Breadknives follows Fern, the bookseller from Bookshops and Bonedust, as she relocates to Thune where Viv's coffeeshop is thriving. Fern feels lost in her life, and after a drunken night, ends up in the back of a legendary warrior's wagon. To help her ennui, Fern adventures with this warrior, but the adventuring life is a lot more dangerous than she thought it would be.

Despite the slow start, I enjoyed this. Fern's turmoil of questioning what she's doing with her life is very relatable and comes to a satisfying conclusion. For fans of the series, be prepared that this book is more action-packed and less cozy. Fern and her companions are constantly finding themselves in dire situations, but there is plenty of humor along the way.

Travis Baldree once again does an amazing job narrating his own book. Can we get a direct Viv and Tandri sequel now?

Continuing on the success of the first two books in this series Travis Baldree has done it again. This books is everything you want in a cozy story. He excels more so than others in this field because the story is really captivating. I give this 6 stars out of 5.

First, let me start by saying I don’t consider myself a fan of fantasy. In books I have read before the world building often confuses me, and the political intrigue of a dethroned elf/fairy fighting to get their kingdom back, maiden seeking to save her family… bores me.

This book however changed my mind. I cant say enough good things about this story- it was utterly charming. At its heart it’s about friendship, loyalty and becoming who you were meant to be vs. what everyone thought you SHOULD be. One part Shrek, and one part Zena Prince warrior.

This book is the sequel to Legends and Lattes, which I haven’t read yet, but I had no trouble following the story. Our main character is Fern a 40 something rattling, who is moving with her pet griffin “ Pot roast” to a new village to open up her own book store, next to “Legends and Lattes”, her old friends coffee shop and bakery. While in route her carriage is attacked by a giant fish , and she is saved by a one ear elf maiden. Shaken but not harmed she makes it to the new location to find that her old friend Viv the orc ( from the previous story) has settled into a life of sweet domestication with her sucubus lover Tandry. They are madly in love and help with not only the funding of the store, but the physical labor as well. They are truly good friends to Fern.

However as excitement of the grand opening fades, Fern becomes more and more disquieted, and cant stop thinking that something is not right in her life. She moved to this village to try to settle the emptiness she had been feeling. But it’s still there along with all the guilt she has from the kindness her friends have bestowed on her. She can’t tell them how she feels. And besides she doesn’t know what she even wants. One night she goes on a drinking bender and ends up passed out in a wagon, thus starting her adventure.
I would recommend this book to anyone at the crossroads of life trying to figure out what they want. The ending was excellent. Also the author narrated the book, and did a terrific job. I’ll be reading the other book.

Note for the sensitive- There’s nothing in here that kids don’t hear every day in the school yard. Fern is gentle of nature but swears like a salty sea captain- uses the F word in almost every paragraph. However, there is no s&x and violence is not overly graphic.

Big thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A cozy fantasy novel with fantastic narration by the author himself—he definitely brought his A-game! That said, this one just didn’t quite click for me. I could never really get hooked on the story or connect with the characters.

In the end, it feels like a case of the wrong book at the wrong time. It's not the fault of the novel—it’s more of a “me” thing.

This is a lovely series. I love that the author is an audiobook narrator and narrates his own book. As someone who pretty much only reads audiobooks, it's so cool to think about how an author's writing might be affected by their experience reading books aloud for a living. I really hope he enjoys the process from start to finish.

One of the other impressive things to me is that there seem to be primarily female characters in a book written by a man. Usually the opposite is true.

I really like the characters. This book focuses on a character we first met in the prequel that came out after Legends and Lattes. Fern, the ratkin bookseller, accidentally ends up on an adventure with a legendary elf. Fern, really knows how to use a curseword and ends up spending time with another character who is just as prolific and creative with her verbiage.

Adventure awaits! I highly recommend this book and whole series.

This book will absolutely be for fans of cozy fantasy! It was solid, great story telling and some fantastic humorous bits. That said it was not for me. I loved book one in this series, but about a third of the way into this book I realised that what I loved was very specifically the lady warrior turned coffee shop owner bit, rather than the cozy fantasy aspect of it.

Rating four stars because it's me, not the book. I read the audiobook, narrated by the author. His generally narration was great, but I didn't love the voice he gave Fern, our MC.

Another heartwarming adventure in the world of Legends and Lattes. This story is more of a quest rather than a character establishing a small business. However, there are still characters trying to navigate major pivots in their lives. The rag-tag group of adventurers might be my favorite yet. As an audiobook, Travis Baldree is an exceptional narrator and character actor. Thanks NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the early access!

4.75

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Travis Baldree for the advanced listener copy. All opinions are my own.

Brigands and Breadknives follows Fern, the grumpy bookseller we first met in Bookshops and Bonedust, as she goes on a reluctant road trip with a group of chaotic strangers. There are goblins, bad decisions, and emotional avoidance. Beneath all the chaos, it is a wholesome story.

Don’t go into this expecting slice-of-life cozy. This leans more into cozy adventure. It doesn’t have the same warm fuzzy feelings, at least for me, that Legends and Lattes did. It’s a little more chaotic and on the move. Not a bad thing, just different. Once I adjusted, I was into it.

Fern is having a full mid-something akin to a midlife crisis, and as someone in my 40s, same Fern, same. I loved her potty mouth.

I was a little bummed that Viv doesn’t play much of a role in this one, but the new characters more than make up for it. Zyll the goblin was a standout. The two sentient swords, including one turned bread knife, were chaotic in the best way. Asterix One-Ear and Bucket both deserve their own spin-offs.

The pacing took a bit to hook me. There is a lot of bouncing from place to place, and at times it felt like the story didn’t quite know where it was going. The ending felt a little rushed and definitely didn’t go the way I had imagined it in my head.

I was surprised to hear Travis Baldree did the narration himself. Overall, he did a great job but it’s always going to be a pet peeve of mine when male narrators do female voices, or vice versa. Even when it’s done well, it pulls me out of the story. It never quite works for me.

It’s a different kind of cozy, less peaceful café vibes and more emotional chaos with sword fights, but it still has a lot of heart.

This was such a perfect continuation of this series. I loved Fern coming back into narrative. I enjoyed that this was different than the other two - since it's more focused on a D&D style adventure vs a shop in town.

Sigh. Unfortunately, this one was not for me.

This is my third book in this series, and once again, I am extremely disappointed, beginning to think that the first one was just an anomaly, as the following two novels have both received two stars from me.

The setting and storyline are honestly quite similar to the first two novels, which is great, but we do venture out in this one, which was nice. I did enjoy the new characters and learning all about them; this novel also had a lot of little quirky charm. However, my complaints from the second novel remain true here as well.

I just could not find it in me to care even the slightest bit about this plot. I finished it super quickly, and it is a nice little short read, but even so, I found it dragging because nothing was keeping my interest.

The language here is insane, honestly. I spoke about this in my book 2 review as well, but the explicit language is so unnecessary here. It takes you out of the setting too much. I think it is trying to add comedy, but it just comes off forced and juvenile. I do not mind language at all and use a lot of it lol, but it really was way way way too much here and super distracting.

Unfortunately, I think this will be my last attempt at this series if more is written. I just was too bored, and I think the shiny fun newness of cozy fantasy wore off after the first book for me.

If you did like his previous two books, then please do pick this up, I think you would continue to enjoy them! This was just not my cup of tea or my cinnamon roll.

I have been so excited to get back into the world of Legends and Lattes and this did not disappoint!
Fern is a rattkin who is going through a crisis of identity. She is looking for something more but doesn’t seem to know what more is. She goes on a very relatable journey while on an unexpected adventure with a great cast of side characters (elf, goblin, and sentient knives!).
Worth noting that the adventureness of this book jumps up a little from Legends and Lattes. I think it worked really well for Fern who has been needing something like this.
I listened to this book and in case you didn’t know, Travis Baldree (the author), is the narrator. He does a wonderful job and really brings the story to life. It is worth noting he can be listened to comfortably at many speeds, but this is the kind of story you will really want to slow down and savor the performance.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy.

Brigands & Breadknives is the least cozy book in this series so far. There was definitely more action and higher stakes in this one. I struggled a bit with the pacing and had some trouble in the middle of it. I liked how past characters showed up! I also really enjoyed the expansion on the world building. The ending was super rushed and I felt a little unsatisfied. However, I did love the theme of job anxiety lol. I related to that quite a bit!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so good! The atmosphere was so cozy and the characters were hilarious. I really enjoyed the adventure/quest and overall how heartfelt this story was.

Plot: 9/10
Pace: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyability: 10/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character: Fern

Favorite Quote: ❝ “Look, I didn’t murder anybody. I was barely involved except for the stabbing part.” ❞

Fern finds herself running the bookshop right across from Legends & lattes, but soon begins questioning if that is what she really wants out of life. She gets drunk, accidentally finds herself far from home, and a bunch of adventure ensues. This book was much less cozy than previous books in the series. It was more typical fantasy, which is great, but not what I was expecting or hoping for. It was fun and full of action, but I was hoping for a bit more character development, particularly for Fern.

I did an immersive read and the audio was really well done. I love that Travis Baldree narrates his own books and the story and characters were definitely brought to life.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copies.