Audiobook Review – Bread and Burglary (Tales of Rydding Village, Book 2) by Shanna Swendson, Narrated by Elizabeth Sastre (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Length: 6 hours and 38 minutes
Publisher: Audible Studios
Release Date: January 21, 2025
ASIN: B0DT4R5QSL
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Tales of Rydding Village series
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

“She found refuge in Rydding and security in bread.

Now a newcomer and a mysterious burglar threaten everything.

After a treacherous journey, Lucina found safety in the bakery of Rydding Village. Her peace is threatened when she learns that Nico, the new apprentice smith, is from the homeland she was forced to flee. Could he be an enemy agent who caught up with her? Even if he isn’t, the newcomer is the chief suspect in a string of burglaries, and Lucina worries the suspicion will spread to her because of their shared nationality. Her nightmares of being driven from the village may come true if she can’t clear his name.

Meanwhile, would-be wizard Bryn and healer Elwyn have their own concerns. The burglar leaves no trace, and the villagers are acting oddly. Is that related to the strengthening sense of magic around the village?

They’ll have to figure it out and find the thief quickly because a wealthy landowner is determined to accuse Nico, and she’s not willing to listen to the truth. Lucina will have to face her own heritage and take a leap of faith to secure the home she’s come to love.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in the Tales of Rydding Village series. I got this on from Audible on audiobook.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. It was a good continuation of the Rydding Village series. This is a light and easy story that isn’t too complicated and was perfect for me to listen to while driving.

This story follows a different character in the village, Lucina. Lucina fled a revolution in her home country and ended up in Rydding village. When she learns that Nico, the new apprentice smith, is from her home country, she worries that he is spy sent to retrieve her. When a spat of burglaries happens throughout Rydding, everyone wants to blame the newcomer, Nico. Lucina is worried that she might have to flee because of her shared nationality with Nico. However, the truth behind the burglaries is stranger than anyone ever dreamed.

We do still get to her from Bryn and Elwyn as well. Bryn and Elwyn are trying to rebuild their relationship (after Bryn’s memories returned last book) and help the town to come together. However, it was fun to get to know a couple of new characters in Rydding. Lucina and Nico both had a rough road to Rydding Village and it was good to get to know them and watch them find a place to belong. The characters in general are all fine; I don’t love any of them but I like them all well enough.

The story here was very straight-forward and easy to follow. It was also pretty formulaic and follows the same format and patterns as the first book. I didn’t mind this because it made this an easy listen while I was driving. This ended up being a simple, feel-good, fantasy story. I continue to enjoy the idea of the town being alive and to enjoy watching this town find new inhabitants.

This audiobook wasn’t quite as good as the first one in this series. The way the narrator did Lucina’s and Nico’s accents made them sound halting and awkward, and was tough to listen to. I also noticed that, although there are three more books published in this series, this is the last audiobook. So, if I want to continue with this series I will have to switch to reading it on eBook. I started this series because I wanted a series of shorter books that I could listen to during my road trips for work. I should have been more diligent about checking that this whole series was being released on audiobook.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a fine continuation of this series. This is an easy to read, straight-forward, feel-good fantasy series with an intriguing sentient town and some interesting magic. The characters are all fine; I didn’t love them, but I liked them.

I am disappointed that the next few books aren’t being offered on audiobook. I am also disappointed they are not on Kindle Unlimited and that I would need to purchase each book for $6 to read. These are fairly short books, and I didn’t like them enough to spend that much on continuing the series. I would tentatively recommended if you are looking for a cozy fantasy series with some interesting magic. Just realize only the first two books in the series are available on audiobook and the others you will have to purchase either on ebook or paperback (they are not available through the library or Kindle Unlimited).