Review – Brigands and Breadknives (Legends and Lattes, Book 2) by Travis Baldree (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Length: 325 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: November 11, 2025
ASIN: B0DQJ422QX
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Legends and Lattes series
Source: Borrowed ebook from from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars
“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, 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 nothing seems inevitable.”
Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Legends and Lattes series. I borrowed a copy of this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: This was an amazing follow-up to Legends and Lattes and follows Fern, from the Prelude book. I really enjoyed that this went from more of a cozy fantasy to an adventure fantasy (with some coziness of course). I thought Fern’s struggles felt very real and was hoping for her to find her path and happiness. It was incredibly relatable.
Fern relocates her bookstore to Thune and gets set up with the help of Viv, Tandri, and Cal. However, she isn’t happy. Fern finds herself panicking when she realizes this move to Thune didn’t fill the empty spot in her. For a solution, she has a night of hard drinking and then wanders around town, inadvertently falling asleep in the back of a wagon. Unfortunately, she wakes up on the road with a famous warrior elf, the elf’s odd captive goblin, and no money whatsoever. Now Fern is on an adventure that will test her courage and make her question what she really wants out of life.
I really enjoyed all of the adventuring in this book. It is different from previous books in this series, but I enjoyed the change. The adventure is exciting and life-threatening at times, but still stays cozy feeling too.
I also really enjoyed all of the characters here. Fern is a foul-speaking Ratkin in a tough spot but she tries to be as helpful as possible and really is struggling to find her happiness. The elf warrior she joins up with is a creature of habit, she’s been a merc for centuries and can’t imagine doing things any other way. The captive goblin is pure chaos, and it’s tough to figure out if she’s actually a captive. In the end, they all end up being what the other party members need. They all end up pushing each other out of their comfort zones. The antics here were humorous, fun, and thought-provoking.
This was very easy to read and I enjoyed it. It is quite different from the last two books in this series in format and tone, but I thought that was a good thing. It was still a cozy and thought-provoking read. This was incredibly well written, and I breezed right through it and enjoyed every minute of it.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this new installment in the Legends and Lattes series. The format is different this time around with a lot more adventure, but I liked the format even better than the previous books. We do see a bit of Viv and Tandri, but the story really focuses on Fern and a cast of new amazing characters. If you enjoy thoughtful adventure fantasy with some coziness, I think you will enjoy this. If you enjoyed the other two Legends and Lattes books, I think you will enjoy this as well, just keep an open mind and go along with the adventure.
