Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this review copy of Brigands & Breadknives ! All opinions are my own.
This review covers both audio and written versions of the book!
Brigands & Breadknives is the second book in the Legends and Lattes series by Travis Baldree, following Fern, a ratkin stuck in existential dread who finds herself hungover and in the company of a legendary warrior dealing with the same kind of crisis without even realizing it. Joined by an actual chaos goblin with a penchant for stealing silverware, Fern, Asteryx, and Zyll hit the road in search of who they are outside of their jobs and reputations.
What an amazing entry! I adored this book so much. I got obsessed with a chaos goblin, rooted for the most stuck warrior elf I’ve ever read about, and never wanted a ratkin to find herself so badly. Baldree nails that cozy-but-so-real-it-hurts feeling, pulling at your heartstrings while immersing you in the warm, whimsical world of Legends and Lattes once again.
Read our full summary, review, and ending explained for Brigands & Breadknives.
This post contains spoilers.
Brigands & Breadknives
Description
Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!
If only things were so simple…
It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.
A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.
As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when there isn’t a job to get in the way.
Tropes
- Found Family
- Adventure
- Cozy Fantasy
Review
Overall Impressions 😊
I didn’t expect to relate to a fantasy book so literally, but I did. Brigands and Breadknives brings the metaphor of letting what we do define who we are to life through its story. Accompanied by chaotic humor, which happens to be the kind of humor I respond to best, it shows that you can be stuck in inertia whether you’re forty or a thousand.
It follows the formula of Legends and Lattes closely, taking an amazing fantasy world, pairing it with deep, being-alive issues, and wrapping it all in the perfect bow of cozy fantasy. The Legends and Lattes series continues to set the bar for cozy fantasy for me.
Perfect For Fans Of… 🌟
Every fantasy admirer who wants to sit in front of a cozy fire and dive into a world of heartfelt adventure should read the Legends and Lattes series. Brigands and Breadknives feels like a reverse Legends and Lattes, so if you’ve ever wondered what an action-packed version of Legends and Lattes might look like, this one is for you.
If you like the cozy fantasy genre, this should be on your TBR, especially if you’re a fan of LitRPGs or Dungeons and Dragons.
Characters 👥
I love Travis Baldree’s characters. They are an amazing representation of their classes: a noble elf, a chaotic goblin, a clever rattkin, all very fantasy appropriate. I liked Fern as a main character, her desperation to find out who she is basically wafting off the pages. I loved watching us, the readers, realize Astryx has been traveling the road she’s on for so long only to be on the same road as Fern.
But to me Zyll and Bradlee were the heroes of the book. I respond to the chaotic sense of humor very well and both the characters. They were funny, the perfect comedic relief, doing such bizarre things and saying absurd stuff I couldn’t stop grinning. I would read an entire series about what Zyll’s gets up to.
Plot 🗺️
Can we talk about how meta it is that a book about a metaphorical journey is also a literal journey? I loved Legends and Lattes because of how literal it was about building a coffee shop from the ground up, just like Viv was rebuilding herself from the ground up. Brigands and Breadknives is the opposite, as Fern and Asteryx are on a journey to find themselves while physically journeying across the world.
This book is packed with action. It’s quest after quest after quest, expanding the world of the Territories quite a bit.
But my favorite part was the ending. I thought it was brave. It made me feel bittersweet, but I understood why it ended the way it did. It impacted me profoundly, and I’ll remember how surprised yet satisfied I felt when I finished it.
Writing Style and Narration ✍️
I duo-read this using both the audiobook and the Kindle ARC. Both the narration and the prose are cozy, immersive, and draw you right in.
I was engaged the entire time and found the voice effects for Zyll very funny. I also really liked the clever puns about certain devices and the mundane absurdity of others. Overall, I felt immersed, captivated, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience.
Synopsis
Fern Has a Midlife Crisis
Fern, a rattkin, is traveling through the Marshlands to the city of Thune when her carriage is attacked by pescadines. She is saved by the legendary one eared elf warrior Astryx known as the Oathmaiden. Fern is awestruck, but Astryx doesn’t stick around to accept her gratitude.
Fern arrives at Thune and makes her way to her friend Viv’s coffee shop Legends & Lattes. Having decided it’s time for a change in pace, Fern has decided to open a bookshop next to Legends & Lattes. With Viv’s friend Cal’s help, they shore up the space and open the bookshop. Despite being surrounded by her friends, old and new, Fern cannot shake the feeling of emptiness and dread.
One night, she wanders the streets and runs into Cal in an alley. Cal offers a flask of whiskey to her. Emboldened by the liquid courage. Fern admits that she thought opening a new bookshop would make her feel something but she dreads going to work every day. She feels guilty and ashamed that she had Viv, Tandri and Cal do so much for her when she doesn’t even want it. Cal advises her to tell Viv the how she feels.
Fern tries to go to sleep that night but fails. She grabs a book and makes her way to Viv’s shop but becomes afraid of confronting her and turns back around. She finds an empty wagon and in her drunken state passes out in that state.
The wagon, is revealed to be none other than Astryx ‘s.
A Shaky Bargain with Astryx, One-Ear, Blademistress and Oathmaiden
Fern finds herself in the cart with a goblin with orange hair wearing a patchwork coat from head to toe. Astryx finds her in the cart and tells her to walk. Having no money and means to return back to Thune, Fern offers to translate between the goblin and the elf until the next town over. Astryx reluctantly agrees. Fern only knows goblin swear words but that doesn’t come up in their discussion.
The trio begin traveling together with the goblin, Zyll escaping every chance she gets. More often than not, she gets in trouble and the brigand has to save them. She also has a penchant for stealing silverware.
Fern continuously writes letters to Viv she never sends, apologizing for her self-perceived ungratefulness.
They arrive at the next town over, and Fern mentions fighting a necromancer, referencing the events of Bookshops and Bonedust. Astryx is fascinated by the story, Fern captivating the entire inn’s assistance.
Zyll has escaped once more and they find her surrounded by the town’s protectors. They discover that her captors are actually scamming the townspeople and they work for the very person they’re protecting the town from, the local crime boss.
The time for Astryx and Fern to go their own way comes. Fern however decides to stick around a bit longer and sends Viv a letter with the words, “I’m sorry, I’m alive.”
Bradlee, the Elderblade
Their travels take them to another town, where they take shelter from the rain. There, Zyll reveals a breadknife named Bradlee that can talk, much like Astryx’s elderblade named Nigel. Bradlee claims to be the former greatsword named Bradelys reforged after pissing off it’s owner. Fern continues writing unsent letters to Viv describing her adventures.
Fern meets a creature named Quillin whose company she enjoys. She realizes however he’s a bounty after Zyll and she tells Astryx. The group depart immediately.
As they travel, Astryx grows more reflective. Centuries of battles have dulled her emotions, but Fern and Zyll slowly draw her out of her shell. Zyll is revealed to speak Territories much to their dismay.
They arrive in a cold area with snow capped mountains and quiet winter forests. There, they are ambushed by an orc named Tullah who’s after Zyll. During their battle, Zyll stabs a fragile bridge with Bradlee and smack it with a ladle she’s stolen, causing an avalanche. The bridge is destroyed, but they are safe from Tullah. Astryx, having received a wound on her side, collapses.
Fern and Zyll put Astryx in the cart their horse Bucket is pulling and make their way into the monastery in the mountains. Fern dislikes the monks at this particular monastery since they worship a god of sacrifice and rituals. However as they tend to Astryx and don’t blame them after learning the true nature of what happened in the bridge, Fern learns that they worship to god to prevent him from unleashing his wrath. Her opinions of the monastery changes.
In the monastery they’re also approached a dwarven Bard named Staysha, Silver Sparrow. She immediately rubs Fern the wrong way but she can’t find a concrete enough reason to not have them travel with them.
Astryx recovers in the monastery and Fern begins reading to her. Their relationship become friendlier the two women forging a bond. Fern realizes Astryx is hardened after living a thousand years and is just going through the motions just like her.
Brigands & Breadknives Ending Explained
They leave the monastery and make their way to Amberlin where they need to deliver Zyll.
They arrive at a forest village that’s haunted by a creature. Astryx helps save the town. To Fern’s surprise, she stays around to accept the villages gratitude. Staysha tries to write a song about it which annoys Fern.
On their way to Amberlin, Astryx tells Fern she can continue on traveling with her after Amberlin if she wants to.
Having grown fond of the Zyll, Fern suggests Astryx doesn’t need to turn her in. Astryx tells her the only thing true after all these years is her oaths and storms off.
Staysha overhears their argument and hits Fern on the head with her lute. Fern jumps on Bucket and chases her down. The two creatures fight in a stream and just as Staysha is about to drown Fern, Astryx saves her. They leave the bard on the side of the road.
Approaching Amberlin, Fern sees a village getting ready to celebrate the Summerdusk Festival. Fern separates from the group to find something to give to Astryx. In the village she is confronted by Tullah and Quillan who she has taken captive. When Tullah threatens to torture her for information about Zyll’s whereabouts Fern tells her everything.
Astryx, having noticed she’s too late to meet them is ready for them when Tullah drags Quillan and Fern to the side of the town. Tullah and Astryx fight. Astryx is about to lose, but Fern yells at her telling her “pocket of my cape”. Astryx gets the message and reaches in, stabbing Tullah on the stomach with Bradlee.
Bradlee’s dreams come through, having been finally wielded by the Oathmaiden. Tullah dies. The gatewardens approach but before they do, Astryx let’s Zyll go.
They arrive at Amberlin. Astryx says she’ll settle things at the bounty office. Zyll, having found them again, runs in, with Fern after them.
They learn that Zyll has put a bounty on herself to be escorted to Amberlin to be protected from Tullah.
Astryx collects the bounty and shares half of it with Fern. She also asks Fern to be her squire while kneeling in front of her.
Fern says no.
Astryx gives her the bracelet that let her track Zyll and tells her she’ll be ready for her when she returns.
Fern returns to Thune, reuniting with Viv, Cal and Tandri. Viv is shocked that she only sent two sentences. Fern hands her the rest of her letters she’s written the entire time. The friends reunite.
Months later, Fern has written a book about her adventures with Astryx and is with Quillan. She’s trying to write another book but she doesn’t have anything new to write about.
Quillan tells her she can always find Astryx again, pointing at the necklace Fern has made out of the bracelet. She replies, maybe someday.
She wonders about Astryx, Zyll and wandering through the wilderness of an existential crisis.
That’s everything for Brigands and Breadknives! I hope we get to go back to Thune not too long from now, as this book gave me the feeling of being wrapped under warm blankets while snowed in.
In case you missed it, Brigands and Breadknives releases on November 11, 2025!
What did you think of Legends and Lattes series? Are you excited about Brigands and Breadknives? If you like this series what’s your other favorite cozy fantasy adventure series? Let me know in the comments!
Send help, I’m obsessed with a chaos goblin and a rattkin having a midlife crisis!
Leave a Comment