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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was not disappointed with the third in the series. It definitely takes a slightly more adventurous route than the previous two but the characters, conversations, and challenges they face are worth it. The author weaves a great story while tackling the difficulties we all feel in life.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Legends and Lattes is in my top 5 favourite books of all time and therefore I will read anything Travis Baldree releases, especially if it’s anything to do with legends and lattes!
This is the sequel, which after loving Fern in the prequel, I was extremely excited to get to. This book follows Fern and she begins questioning her life as a bookseller and instead “accidentally” ends up on an adventure with a famous elf and a goblin with a large bounty on her head.
Brigands and Breadknives definitely has a lot more at stake than either of the previous books, there’s a lot more action and a lot less of that cosy feeling. This book gave us much more of an insight into Fern, who is an extremely likeable and relatable protagonist! I also loved some of the new side characters from Zyll to Breadlee. I would say anyone who enjoyed either Legends and Lattes or Bookshops and Bonedust is likely to find something they love in this new instalment, it would be criminal to not give it a read!
I have to admit, it probably was my least favourite of the three books so far, sitting comfortably at a 3.5 stars, but that’s only because I hold Legends and Lattes in such high regard, I probably did go in with unrealistic expectations.
The writing is easy to follow and engaging, the story is exciting and although you wouldn’t get all the backstory, absolutely could be read as a standalone. Another good instalment by Travis Baldree!
Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc
This is the sequel, which after loving Fern in the prequel, I was extremely excited to get to. This book follows Fern and she begins questioning her life as a bookseller and instead “accidentally” ends up on an adventure with a famous elf and a goblin with a large bounty on her head.
Brigands and Breadknives definitely has a lot more at stake than either of the previous books, there’s a lot more action and a lot less of that cosy feeling. This book gave us much more of an insight into Fern, who is an extremely likeable and relatable protagonist! I also loved some of the new side characters from Zyll to Breadlee. I would say anyone who enjoyed either Legends and Lattes or Bookshops and Bonedust is likely to find something they love in this new instalment, it would be criminal to not give it a read!
I have to admit, it probably was my least favourite of the three books so far, sitting comfortably at a 3.5 stars, but that’s only because I hold Legends and Lattes in such high regard, I probably did go in with unrealistic expectations.
The writing is easy to follow and engaging, the story is exciting and although you wouldn’t get all the backstory, absolutely could be read as a standalone. Another good instalment by Travis Baldree!
Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Definitely less cozy than Legends and Lattes but it was just as heartwarming! Fern was such a fun character to follow, and I loved the adventures they got into. I would recommend this to fans of Tress and the Emerald Sea and The Spellshop.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4 cozy stars
Audiobook is surprisingly well read by the author.
Normally, I avoid all works written by cishet white men. Often, they are too needlessly violent and/or reek of the unacknowledged privilege with which they manage their own worlds - the capitalistic, mysogynistic, ableist, racist, patriarchy leaks into any world they build. This series is my first pleasant surprise in a very long while. And while it isn't perfect, I am very glad that I gave this series a shot.
And while the prequel was a nice, cozy, queer fantasy that made a nice 3-star palette cleanser, I enjoyed this book soooo much better. Here, Fern the bookseller has a crisis of identity and runs away from her new life (that was supposed to have fixed everything) and sets out on a mad adventure with some truly outrageous women, hoping to find her own purpose along the way. There is much more mad dashing about, and also loads more personal development. Truly, this one might have almost universal appeal. It's a heroine's journey to the letter, with all the requisite foibles and feels.
Huge gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for an Audio-ARC of this book, in exchange for my truly honest review,
Audiobook is surprisingly well read by the author.
Normally, I avoid all works written by cishet white men. Often, they are too needlessly violent and/or reek of the unacknowledged privilege with which they manage their own worlds - the capitalistic, mysogynistic, ableist, racist, patriarchy leaks into any world they build. This series is my first pleasant surprise in a very long while. And while it isn't perfect, I am very glad that I gave this series a shot.
And while the prequel was a nice, cozy, queer fantasy that made a nice 3-star palette cleanser, I enjoyed this book soooo much better. Here, Fern the bookseller has a crisis of identity and runs away from her new life (that was supposed to have fixed everything) and sets out on a mad adventure with some truly outrageous women, hoping to find her own purpose along the way. There is much more mad dashing about, and also loads more personal development. Truly, this one might have almost universal appeal. It's a heroine's journey to the letter, with all the requisite foibles and feels.
Huge gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for an Audio-ARC of this book, in exchange for my truly honest review,
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes #2)
Written by Travis Baldree
Read by Travis Baldree
Book 167/250
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Format: Digital/Audio, RC
Pages/Time: 336/8hr 24min
Published: November 11, 2025
Rating: 8/10
Narration: 8.5/10
Baldree’s return to the cozy world of Legends & Lattes is filled with foul-mouthed Rattkin, sentient blades, and Eldrich Cultists. Where Baldree’s other entries into this series feature more of cute fun in more mundane situations (High Fantasy with Low Stakes, if you will), Brigands and Breadknives takes more of an adventurous slant. And unfortunately, it just loses something in this. The character-work and dialogue are still there, but it feels like this was an overcorrection from criticisms from the previous book. Bookshops & Bonedust felt like more of the same, yet this feels too different from the rest of the series.
None of this is to say this book is bad by any sense of imagination. Brigands & Breadknives was an immensely fun and good read. The return of most of the key characters in the prior books was exciting to see, and I absolutely loved the sentient blades! Baldree is a fantastic storyteller, and I am very intrigued to see what’s coming next.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
full review to follow
loved this addition to the series
read Goblins and Greatcoats first (short story)
less cosy than the others, and lots more swearing
love the found family feeling
mid-life crisis of a rattkin
this one a literal and metaphorical journey
great moments of peril and tension
loved the characters we were introduced to
didn't miss Viv as front and center character as much as I thought I would
loved this addition to the series
read Goblins and Greatcoats first (short story)
less cosy than the others, and lots more swearing
love the found family feeling
mid-life crisis of a rattkin
this one a literal and metaphorical journey
great moments of peril and tension
loved the characters we were introduced to
didn't miss Viv as front and center character as much as I thought I would
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's Travis Baldree are we surprised that it is five stars? We shouldn't be.
Okay, really though, I was a little bit surprised that this book was not as cozy as the other two are, there are fight scenes and attacks that do happen on page and are described. This one is also more action centered than the other two, though for Fern's story it does make sense that was the way it went. Having listened to the audiobook where Travis Baldree narrates it himself was a delight and a very special treat that I got to review it for free.
A quick read and very nice ambiance for listening to to read it, as well. The voices for the different characters, of course, were spot on from him and they are all very different from each other which is always very nice to hear because it makes following along easier.
If the series is continued, which I hope it is, I wish we get to see more about Astryx and maybe more about Zyll's background because I was truly fascinated by both of them and we got barely any lore behind their stories beyond what happened with Fern there traveling with them.
Okay, really though, I was a little bit surprised that this book was not as cozy as the other two are, there are fight scenes and attacks that do happen on page and are described. This one is also more action centered than the other two, though for Fern's story it does make sense that was the way it went. Having listened to the audiobook where Travis Baldree narrates it himself was a delight and a very special treat that I got to review it for free.
A quick read and very nice ambiance for listening to to read it, as well. The voices for the different characters, of course, were spot on from him and they are all very different from each other which is always very nice to hear because it makes following along easier.
If the series is continued, which I hope it is, I wish we get to see more about Astryx and maybe more about Zyll's background because I was truly fascinated by both of them and we got barely any lore behind their stories beyond what happened with Fern there traveling with them.