This was pure cozy chaos and I loved every minute of it.

Brigands and Breadknives is everything I want in a Baldree book: good food, great banter, and lovable misfits getting into just enough trouble to keep things fun. It’s short, sharp, and full of heart.

If you liked Legends & Lattes, and Bonedust & Bookshops, you’re gonna have a great time. Highly recommend for when you want something warm, funny, and just a little bit sassy. Plus I adore it when an author is also the narrator. It levels the book up that much more.
Thank you for the ARC.

Brigands and Breadknives was such an enjoyable and comforting read. From start to finish it had me smiling and totally entertained. Travis Baldree has a gift for telling cozy yet adventurous stories and this one hit all the right notes. I loved seeing some of my favorite characters again and meeting new ones who were just as delightful.

The story moved at a great pace and kept me hooked the whole way through. It had that warm welcoming vibe I’ve come to expect from this series but also managed to surprise me. The twist near the end completely caught me off guard in the best way and actually made me laugh out loud.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was fantastic. His performance really brought the world to life and made the characters feel so real. I especially loved the voices he did for the two blades. They were so full of personality it felt like they were truly alive.

This book was exactly what I needed. Cozy fun adventurous and full of heart. I almost regret binge reading it all in a single day… I didn’t want it to end!

I received an advance audiobook copy of Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree from netgalley.

This is the third book in the series. Number 2 in the storyline order. I absolutely love Bookshops and Bonedust and Legends and Lattes. As soon as I saw this book available from netgalley as an advance copy, I knew I had to request it. I'm so happy I was able to listen months before the release, and no longer had to wait.

The narration is amazing. Just like the first two books, this one is narrated by the Auther, and he does a phenomenal job.

It's a quick read (or listen) but you won't want it to be. It's over far too soon.

The character and settings are so descriptive. You to along on a new adventure with familiar characters and meet new ones along the way.

I definitely recommend! And I'm hoping for more tales to come.

Brigands & Breadknives is another warm and whimsical adventure from Travis Baldree, set in the beloved world of Legends & Lattes. This charming sequel follows Fern, a young woman on a journey of self-discovery, as she tries to carve out her place in a world full of chaos, charm, and cutlery.

What makes this story so engaging is its perfect blend of cozy fantasy, gentle humor, and heartfelt moments. Fern’s quest isn’t just about adventure—it’s about identity, growth, and discovering what truly brings her joy. Her experiences are relatable, her struggles genuine, and her wins quietly triumphant.

The audiobook, narrated by Baldree himself, adds an extra layer of magic. His warm tone and distinct character voices bring the story to life in a way that feels both personal and immersive. Listening feels less like reading and more like being told a tale by someone who deeply loves these characters—and it shows.

One of the highlights of this book is the delightful cast of characters Fern encounters: a witty goblin who’s obsessed with utensils, a quiet bookseller ratkin, a sharp-tongued elf bounty hunter, and two sentient blades with hilarious personalities. Zyll, with her eccentric wisdom and perfectly timed words, is unforgettable. And Breadley—the goblin’s companion—is pure comedic gold.

While the story carries pockets of melancholy, these emotional moments deepen the narrative and give the lighter scenes more meaning. It’s not just an adventure—it’s a reflection on belonging, purpose, and found family.

The ending feels like a warm cup of tea at the close of a long day: comforting, satisfying, and just right.

If you love cozy adventures, endearing characters, and a story that balances laughter with heart, this one’s for you.

The author narrates the audiobook and gives quite the performance. The characters have so much personality and they are distinct. Its has a focus on the themes self fulfillment and friendship. It’s a funny, foul mouthed, cozy, and action packed book.

Thank you MacMillan audio and Net Galley for the ALC.

I love a good cozy fantasy and Baldree has perfected writing in this genre. This book was the perfect blend of cozy, action, and emotion. I found it to be faster paced with more adventure than Legends & Lattes. I loved Fern and was ecstatic to learn she would be getting her own story. I also found her character to be incredibly relatable as she grappled with where the future would take her. I’m also a huge fan of the found family trope, and I love how Baldree uses the trope with some truly unexpected found families. I adored the audiobook narration for this. Baldree really brings his characters to life in is narration, and the different voices he used made it easy to keep characters separate. His performance was clear and easy to understand while being packed with emotion and heart. This whole series is a delight on audio, and I can’t recommend them enough.

4/5 stars—comforting and perfect for fans of cozy fantasy with a little bit of action and a lot of charm. And let’s be real—“Breadly” the bread knife absolutely stole the show.
Absolutely love this series! <3

“Brigands & Breadknives” By Travis Baldree
Falling more into the world of “Legends & Lattes”
My rating: 3.75/5

For me this story gets a 3.75 (rounded up to a 4) because it just wasn’t my ‘cup of tea’ overall. While I did enjoy it, the story did take me a while to get through because it couldn’t hold my attention for long bits. Personally I think with this type of book I probably would enjoy it more if I read it myself and didn’t rely on the audiobook telling the story.

Story follows Fern, a rattkin, on an amusing adventure in the world of “Legends & Lattes”. Fern is a bookseller who after a drunken night awakens on a wagon that has a bounty hunter elf and a goblin who is a bit obsessed with cutlery. The three of them go about on a road trip where they learn more about themselves, engage in a battle or two and figure out their true place in this crazy world.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC of “Brigands & Breadknives”. All opinions in this review are my own.

This was a super cute and fast read. I love these characters and the world they exist in. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Actually, this was an audiobook, so I guess it's an ALC?

First, if you've read Baldree's other two books, you will surely enjoy this one too. If you haven't, this probably isn't the best place to start, as many of the characters have been introduced in the two prior books. You won't be confused starting here, but you will understand the characters better if you begin at the beginning.

This is another cozy fantasy; however, this one is a "road trip" story rather than a "settling down" story, as the others are. Fern, a bookseller, is moving to the city to open her bookshop in a new location. However, she generally feels unfulfilled by this and soon winds up accidentally on a journey with a famous elf hero, some sentient swords, and a sticky-fingered goblin. There is plenty of quirky fun and humor along the way, as the characters bond and learn more about each other. Baldree, the author, reads the audiobook, and he does great individual voices for the characters, although Zil, the goblin, can be a bit hard to understand at times because her speech is already unusual and then accent can make it a bit tricky to decode. That said, Zil is probably one of the most entertaining parts of the story - to say more would spoil the fun. Additionally, I particularly liked a section of the novel the characters spend in a monastery with monks. Learning about the god they worship was a more complex and interesting level of world building than we've gotten in other books.

I definitely enjoyed this and would recommend it if you like cozy fantasy. That said, this is my least favorite of the stories so far. It's not bad by any means, but just as Fern fills unfulfilled in the story, I felt a bit unfulfilled by this. It seemed like the book was building toward some growth or change in Astyrix (the elf warrior), as well as Fern, but that didn't really manifest. I also felt like Fern's quest to find meaning doesn't really resolve. The last chapter suggests she's found some purpose, but it felt somewhat glossed over. And I felt like the first half of the book relied a little too heavily on Zil disappearing every few chapters to move the plot along. These a minor quibbles - it's still a really fun book, and I like that Baldree did something new with the road trip angle. However, if you haven't read the earlier books yet, go try those out first.

I am always up for another installment of the author's cozy fantasy series. I enjoy spending time with these characters. Each character is so wonderfully drawn out in description I can literally see them in my minds eye. The plot is easy going but not boring.

This is my first time listening to the audiobook for this series. Bladder is a pretty good narrator and I will be going back to listen to the first two books.

Five stars! I did a little dance when I was notified that I got approved for an advanced audio copy of Brigands & Breadknives, by Travis Baldree. This was a quick, fun, and happy weekend listen. I can’t wait to return to this world again in the future. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio.

I listened to the audiobook of this and wow what a performance! Each character was so distinct and had so much personality. Having read the last two, it was so interesting to hear the characters this time instead.

Although this was not my favourite of the 3, I still really enjoyed returning to this series. It was interesting to see more of Fern and to go along on her introspective journey; I would have liked a bit more time with the other old favourites though.

All in all there was more action and more profanity than ever, what more could you want!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC

What a pleasure to return to this universe! I appreciated the focus on friendship, self love, and figuring out what makes truly makes you happy.

Oh, my goodness, yes! Travis Baldree has done it again! I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Bookshops & Bonedust, and it was absolutely because I felt that the plot was TOO high-stakes. Brigands & Breadknives returns to the cozy feel of Legends & Lattes without making it boring—a true feat.

After all, who didn’t love Fern from Bookshops & Bonedust? Feisty and smart, her midlife crisis makes for the perfect conflict, and the new characters are delightful. Zyll (spelling?) is hilarious, while Astrix (spelling?) is moody and conflicted, and then there’s a host of other characters who make their impact despite smaller roles.

The central conflict (aside from Fern’s ennui) is exciting while not being overly anxiety-inducing, and the ending is *chef’s kiss* perfect.

I loved this, and I truly hope we get to step into this world again in the future.

I adored Brigands & Breadknives—it was everything I needed in a cozy fantasy with just the right dash of adventure. Listening to Travis Baldree narrate his own work made the experience even more enjoyable. His voice perfectly suits the tone of the story, and the way he gives each character their own distinct voice really brought the world to life.

There’s a great deal of humor woven throughout the book, and I found myself genuinely laughing out loud more than once. It’s warm, witty, and effortlessly charming. This story is proof that you don’t need high-stakes drama to have a memorable and satisfying fantasy read.

Whether you're already a fan of Baldree or new to his work, this one is a delight from start to finish. Highly recommend the audiobook for the full experience!

Thank you to Travis Baldree, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely adore this series! I was a bit nervous that this book would be a let down after how much I loved the previous two, but it might actually be my favorite of the three!

You absolutely have to read the prequel before jumping into this one to fully understand Fern's backstory and her relationship with Viv. That being said, this is an interconnected standalone that takes place after the events of Legends & Lattes. (so just read the series in publication order and you'll be good)

It's a perfectly cozy and humorous found family adventure filled with lots of new characters that you'll fall in love with-- legendary elf warrior Asterix One-Ear, a goblin with a coat full of silverware Zyll, sentient swords/knives with beef, and more.


The author does a fabulous voice acting job for each of the characters and ended the book in a way that the series could (and hopefully does) continue!


Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Travis Baldree, and NetGalley for the ARC audiobook.

This series somehow keeps getting better and better! This was my favorite of the books so far! I love Fern, and I was so happy to get a story with her as the main character, the foul-mouthed Rattkin bookseller. I love how the books in this series are cute and cozy but adventurous and fun (and sometimes hilarious). What a treat! A five-star read for sure, and I look forward to more by this author!

I love this slice of life cozy fantasy genre.
Fern is delightful and I enjoyed being back in this world

I finished this so quickly. I was nervous for Fern yet so excited to meet these new characters. I was happy to see some of my favorites as well. The sentient kitchenware was by far a welcomed comic relief. And as always, the adventure kept me on my toes while still feeling like a safe place. He did seem to leave this open for another installment so I am hoping this world goes on for 20 more books. But I’ll settle for a few more!!!



Thank you, Macmillan Audio, a million time over for approving my request. This really is a feel good story and my life needed it!