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Legends & Lattes #2
Brigands & Breadknives
Not yet published
Expected 11 Nov 25Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller, Fern.
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.
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.
336 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 11, 2025
21613 people want to read
About the author
Travis Baldree
295books10.4kfollowers#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust, and Brigands & Breadknives. Audie-winning. Audiobook narrator. Erstwhile game developer. Made Fate, Torchlight & Rebel Galaxy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
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January 31, 2025How did I not know about this??
Want to read
January 29, 2025Bless Travis Baldree for bringing us a third book set in the world of "Legends & Lattes".
OMG, the cover!
OMG, the cover!
Want to read
February 19, 20251.) Legends & Lattes ★★★★�
2.) Bookshops & Bonedust ★★★★�
*.) 2.) Goblins & Greatcoats ★★★★
^^ actually screaming at this cover... is that ROUND BOY?!?! ahhhh counting the days to get this in my hands <3
2.) Bookshops & Bonedust ★★★★�
*.) 2.) Goblins & Greatcoats ★★★★
^^ actually screaming at this cover... is that ROUND BOY?!?! ahhhh counting the days to get this in my hands <3
Want to read
January 30, 2025I'm sat. The bookstore doesn't know what to do because I'm sat and waiting and crying softly. AND NOW THERE'S A HORSE ON THE COVER.
Want to read
February 4, 2025didn’t care for the first but this looks promising.. sigh will i ever learn cozy fantasy just isn’t for me? 😞 probably not
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January 8, 2025oh i need this yesterday
Want to read
January 29, 2025NEW TRAVIS BALDREE!!!!!
Want to read
December 17, 2024First a new legends and lattes book and two weeks later the second part of wicked? Can I fall into a coma and wake up next November?
Want to read
February 1, 2025AHHH I can't wait for this one! I love this series 🥰
May 19, 2025
Beautiful, melancholy, thoughtful, exciting. A beautiful story about accepting yourself. Baldree's best yet.
May 28, 2025
This one is for the folks who wish more fantasy books had sentient cutlery (aka me)
Want to read
January 30, 20250. Bookshops & Bonedust ★★�
1. Legends & Lattes ★★�
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1. Legends & Lattes ★★�
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Want to read
April 17, 2025Can't wait!
April 27, 2025
Oh, thank goodness, Travis Baldree has come out with another cozy fantasy! Just what we need in these swirling hellscapes of a time. I made some tea and dove in as soon as I was approved.
But this is not his previous cozy fantasies, and he says as much in the author's note. This is long journeys, sleeping outside, and the introspection of finding yourself in midlife with what *should* be the perfect job, the one you sacrificed so much for. And it's no longer perfect for *you*. There's a couple of incredible passages about worthy things and dreams that I'd love to quote, but I'll absolutely respect the publisher re: quoting ARCs. But, yeah. Especially if you're no longer in your passion career or considering leaving it, this is gonna hit different than opening up a coffee shop after adventuring. And that's okay! As with the previous books, highly recommended, just a different flavor this time.
Note to the publishers: 76% into the e-ARC, when Haber shows up, his ferret is referred to as a 'rodent'. Ferrets are weasels. :)
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC!
But this is not his previous cozy fantasies, and he says as much in the author's note. This is long journeys, sleeping outside, and the introspection of finding yourself in midlife with what *should* be the perfect job, the one you sacrificed so much for. And it's no longer perfect for *you*. There's a couple of incredible passages about worthy things and dreams that I'd love to quote, but I'll absolutely respect the publisher re: quoting ARCs. But, yeah. Especially if you're no longer in your passion career or considering leaving it, this is gonna hit different than opening up a coffee shop after adventuring. And that's okay! As with the previous books, highly recommended, just a different flavor this time.
Note to the publishers: 76% into the e-ARC, when Haber shows up, his ferret is referred to as a 'rodent'. Ferrets are weasels. :)
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC!
May 14, 2025
I really enjoyed this one, it was much better than the second book and takes an unexpected turn right near the beginning. There's a lot more happening in this book, fun characters, fun places, and some depth. He def still leans into some formulaic ideas to promote wider appeal and there was some predicability, but there's more good stuff.
April 28, 2025
Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC!
I love Fern with all my heart in the last book and this series has always been a comfort for me. So when I started reading this I had certain expectations, would it be cozy? No, it had way more stakes than what I was used to for Baldree. But! After reading the acknowledgments and understanding why this book was written it helped me change my perspective. Regardless if you are a die-hard for "cozy" fantasy and the book that started it all, this book is meant for those who can go off the path and still enjoy a good story. It was a struggle to read at times because I felt uncomfortable with how it wasn't what I expected but in the end I think it was what I needed all along.
Traveling with Fern, Astryx and Zyll made me realize that all journeys aren't set in stone at the beginning and you have to move with the punches life gives you and embrace being uncomfortable. Cheers Baldree!! I'm still going to support and read whatever comes your way.
I love Fern with all my heart in the last book and this series has always been a comfort for me. So when I started reading this I had certain expectations, would it be cozy? No, it had way more stakes than what I was used to for Baldree. But! After reading the acknowledgments and understanding why this book was written it helped me change my perspective. Regardless if you are a die-hard for "cozy" fantasy and the book that started it all, this book is meant for those who can go off the path and still enjoy a good story. It was a struggle to read at times because I felt uncomfortable with how it wasn't what I expected but in the end I think it was what I needed all along.
Traveling with Fern, Astryx and Zyll made me realize that all journeys aren't set in stone at the beginning and you have to move with the punches life gives you and embrace being uncomfortable. Cheers Baldree!! I'm still going to support and read whatever comes your way.
Want to read
January 20, 2025when the world needed him most, he reappeared. thank you travis baldree
February 3, 2025
An intensely charming and likeable novel that feels like a hug from a friend. The characters are all fantastic and while the stakes may be quite small, I was sure as hells hooked. Very queer, very witty, and very human.
Want to read
February 26, 2025Legends & Lattes: 4/5
Bookshops & Bonedust: 5/5
Once again a gorgeous gorgeous cover. Can't wait to follow my pookie Fern once again in November <3
Bookshops & Bonedust: 5/5
Once again a gorgeous gorgeous cover. Can't wait to follow my pookie Fern once again in November <3
Want to read
February 12, 2025IT’S BACK 🗣️🗣️
April 27, 2025
Loved it! I need a whole book of Zyll's origin story now.
Want to read
June 5, 2025Squeeeee! I had no idea this was happening!
Me eating this book up as soon as I get my grubby lil paws on it:
Update! OMGOMGOMG! Gigantic thanks to Tor Books for granting me this ARC through NetGalley! The next book in the Legends & Lattes series, Brigands & Breadknives, by Travis Baldree comes out on November 11, 2025.
Me eating this book up as soon as I get my grubby lil paws on it:
Update! OMGOMGOMG! Gigantic thanks to Tor Books for granting me this ARC through NetGalley! The next book in the Legends & Lattes series, Brigands & Breadknives, by Travis Baldree comes out on November 11, 2025.
April 25, 2025
What a journey! I must admit that I was very hesitant at first. I wasn't sure of the direction this third book was taking, specially since I really loved Bookshops & Bonedust a lot more than Legends & Lattes, so I was excited to be back with Fern who was my favorite character in the previous book, but nervous about the book resembling the previous two too much. I didn't want Fern to just move her bookstore into a new town and pair stories with coffee and cinnamon rolls; I didn't want this to feel like the fantasy version of having a Starbucks next to Barnes & Noble, not even a small café next to an independent bookshop. I wanted the coziness from those two places mixed with something new, but I wasn't sure what exactly. Luckily, Travis Baldree didn't want to write the same books either, so he didn't just keep the characters in a cozy small town: he risked the more traditional coziness of the series to take Fern on an adventure, one neither Fern nor me as the reader knew we needed.
I absolutely loved the new characters in this one, specially Zyll (whom I already knew from Baldree's short story Goblins & Greatcoats) and the slow and quiet friendship that grows between Fern and Astryx. I appreciated what the book has to say about feeling lost at any age, even after living for hundreds of years (Astryx and the book in general reminded me a bit of the anime/manga Frieren) and about the grief and sadness that come when we disappoint ourselves and those we love. I also love the importance that everyone gives to friendship in this book, It's so refreshing to read something in which romantic love, although present, isn't the reason why characters exist or act, acknowledging how beautiful and special platonic connections are and how they can happen more than once in our lives. I also enjoyed the chapters in which the characters take a deserved break in a remote monastery where they get to meet a very peculiar kind of religious order, and wish I could read more about those monks. It was all very fun and definitely cozy, even if there's a lot more action than in the other books
My only complaint, which annoyed me enough to take off a star from my rating, is that I wish it didn't have so much swearing! I didn't notice it as much in the previous books and I know it's part of Fern's personality, but it was excessive here; it constantly felt out of place and made me too aware of how unbelievable this form of speech was. I swear I've never met a person who swears as much. There are almost 100 times the word f*ck is mentioned, I think half of that would have been more than enough to keep Fern quirky without it looking like Baldree was trying too hard to remind the reader that this is an adult book with adult characters.
I absolutely loved the new characters in this one, specially Zyll (whom I already knew from Baldree's short story Goblins & Greatcoats) and the slow and quiet friendship that grows between Fern and Astryx. I appreciated what the book has to say about feeling lost at any age, even after living for hundreds of years (Astryx and the book in general reminded me a bit of the anime/manga Frieren) and about the grief and sadness that come when we disappoint ourselves and those we love. I also love the importance that everyone gives to friendship in this book, It's so refreshing to read something in which romantic love, although present, isn't the reason why characters exist or act, acknowledging how beautiful and special platonic connections are and how they can happen more than once in our lives. I also enjoyed the chapters in which the characters take a deserved break in a remote monastery where they get to meet a very peculiar kind of religious order, and wish I could read more about those monks. It was all very fun and definitely cozy, even if there's a lot more action than in the other books
My only complaint, which annoyed me enough to take off a star from my rating, is that I wish it didn't have so much swearing! I didn't notice it as much in the previous books and I know it's part of Fern's personality, but it was excessive here; it constantly felt out of place and made me too aware of how unbelievable this form of speech was. I swear I've never met a person who swears as much. There are almost 100 times the word f*ck is mentioned, I think half of that would have been more than enough to keep Fern quirky without it looking like Baldree was trying too hard to remind the reader that this is an adult book with adult characters.
May 21, 2025
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog
Having read the first two novels in the series at a single go, I came into this novel with huge expectations: I enjoyed the slow-burn, slice-of-life approach style with pretty low stakes. Brigands continues mostly the same with a twist. I still liked this one, though moving a bit more toward a 'standard' fantasy novel approach takes away a bit of the charm.Story (with minor spoilers for the beginning): Fern (the bookseller from prequel Bookshops and Bonedust) moves to open up a new store next to Viv's coffee shop - in an apparent match made in heaven. Still, she is not happy for reasons she doesn't even really know herself and ends up on a journey across the wilds with a legendary bounty hunter and her latest odd bounty.
The new direction we get in this book is that rather than having an adventurer settle down, we instead take a person who has lived a calm and steady life and takes up adventuring later in life. While this does give rise to a bit more action, it's still a slow-burn and mostly a 'road movie' rather than your typical lets-go-on-a-quest. I enjoyed the calm movements during camping and discovering new places; Fern is likeable enough though maybe not as much fun as Viv.
Where I feel it falls short is direction. The existential crisis Fern is going through is probably realistic but it comes out confused on the pages. I'm not sure if I want her to return to her old life or become a true adventurer. Astryx, the other main protagonist, remains a bit two dimensional through the whole thing.
One key element in a cozy novel is knowing what is going to happen or at least that everything is going to sort out fine at the end. With this one I didn't really know what was going to happen by the end which made it harder to relax. I could argue that this makes the story better but it's not the sort of thing I look for in a book of this style.
Still, if you liked the earlier installments you won't be disappointed by this one, even if it is not quite 'the' novel you were hoping for. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
June 4, 2025
This third installment in the Legends & Lattes takes a bit of a detour from the cozy vibes only routine, and follows our favorite rattkin bookseller as she goes on a wandering quest in search of that missing something when her life as a bookseller starts to feel a little stale.
The tale has a little of a T. Kingfisher flavor to it in my opinion, it's like following a party on a dungeons and dragons campaign with a small splash of horror, but still manages to contain lots of cozy moments around the campfire with humor and thoughtful conversations.
I have loved the entire Legends and Lattes trilogy so far, and while this one was a little different with some more adventuring and higher stakes, it felt very true to Fern's character. I loved meeting Fern back in book 2, and was thrilled when she got to take the spotlight. I also really liked the new characters introduced, and was especially entertained by Zyll - the chaos goblin.
While this book will stand alone just fine, I think readers would find more depth and appreciation of the character journeys if they've at least read before jumping into this one. And for any readers for whom felt a little too cozy, I think the action in this book will be more suited. Fans of works like 's Clocktaur world or Julie Leong's are also sure to enjoy this read.
The tale has a little of a T. Kingfisher flavor to it in my opinion, it's like following a party on a dungeons and dragons campaign with a small splash of horror, but still manages to contain lots of cozy moments around the campfire with humor and thoughtful conversations.
I have loved the entire Legends and Lattes trilogy so far, and while this one was a little different with some more adventuring and higher stakes, it felt very true to Fern's character. I loved meeting Fern back in book 2, and was thrilled when she got to take the spotlight. I also really liked the new characters introduced, and was especially entertained by Zyll - the chaos goblin.
While this book will stand alone just fine, I think readers would find more depth and appreciation of the character journeys if they've at least read before jumping into this one. And for any readers for whom felt a little too cozy, I think the action in this book will be more suited. Fans of works like 's Clocktaur world or Julie Leong's are also sure to enjoy this read.
May 7, 2025
Electronic ARC provided by Edelweiss.
Brigands & Breadknives is the third book in this universe, and with every new addition I am more invested in the world and its characters. For this third outing be follow Fern, first introduced in Bookshops & Bonedust. As the story begins Fern is looking for a change. It's been years since her brief but memorable friendship with Viv, but Fern writes to her anyways, before closing up her shop and setting out to establish a new one in Thune. She's terrified of the change, worried that old friendships won't be strong enough to stand the time apart, and even more deeply worried that maybe this new move won't make her happy either...
Of course things don't end up going exactly to plan, and Fern soon finds herself on an adventure with a disillusioned centuries old elven hero, a mysterious and infuriating goblin, and more then one very talkative (and opinionated) magical object. The ensuing road trip is meandering, entertaining, and full of eccentric encounters. The question though, is whether it's enough to help Fern figure out what she actually wants out of her life, when she's spent most of it trying to live up to the expectations of others.
Silly moments aside, there are many genuinely heartfelt character bits here that have interesting things to say about the choices that we make and the people--and things--along the way who help us to find ourselves. It was delightful to spend some time with Fern as she found herself, and I look forward to seeing whose story we are treated to next.
Brigands & Breadknives is the third book in this universe, and with every new addition I am more invested in the world and its characters. For this third outing be follow Fern, first introduced in Bookshops & Bonedust. As the story begins Fern is looking for a change. It's been years since her brief but memorable friendship with Viv, but Fern writes to her anyways, before closing up her shop and setting out to establish a new one in Thune. She's terrified of the change, worried that old friendships won't be strong enough to stand the time apart, and even more deeply worried that maybe this new move won't make her happy either...
Of course things don't end up going exactly to plan, and Fern soon finds herself on an adventure with a disillusioned centuries old elven hero, a mysterious and infuriating goblin, and more then one very talkative (and opinionated) magical object. The ensuing road trip is meandering, entertaining, and full of eccentric encounters. The question though, is whether it's enough to help Fern figure out what she actually wants out of her life, when she's spent most of it trying to live up to the expectations of others.
Silly moments aside, there are many genuinely heartfelt character bits here that have interesting things to say about the choices that we make and the people--and things--along the way who help us to find ourselves. It was delightful to spend some time with Fern as she found herself, and I look forward to seeing whose story we are treated to next.
May 21, 2025
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.
We're back to the Legends & Lattes universe! Fern has been a bookseller for her entire life, but she's not happy with her life. One drunken night, she falls asleep in a cart she shouldn't have and ends up on a journey across the universe with Astryx, a famous elf warrior/bounty hunter and her goblin prisoner, Zyll.
I must say, I love this universe. I was very excited to get to know Fern better and getting to see a little more of what happened with Viv. I also really enjoyed meeting new characters, especially Zyll, she was a riddle wrapped up in a mystery, and I loved trying to figure out what her motives were. Astryx's character growth was amazing, seeing her at the end was like seeing a new person. I do wish we had gotten more growth with Fern, by the time we make it to the end, I'm still not entirely certain Fern is happy or knows why she hasn't been happy. Maybe we'll get another Fern book??
This book didn't feel quite a cozy fantasy as the others, the stakes were definitely higher as we adventure across the world. This is not to say I didn't like the book, I definitely did, but I did miss some of the coziness I felt in the previous books.
I will continue reading every single book Travis Baldree writes, I thoroughly enjoy this series, and I will definitely end up buying the physical copy when it comes out.
We're back to the Legends & Lattes universe! Fern has been a bookseller for her entire life, but she's not happy with her life. One drunken night, she falls asleep in a cart she shouldn't have and ends up on a journey across the universe with Astryx, a famous elf warrior/bounty hunter and her goblin prisoner, Zyll.
I must say, I love this universe. I was very excited to get to know Fern better and getting to see a little more of what happened with Viv. I also really enjoyed meeting new characters, especially Zyll, she was a riddle wrapped up in a mystery, and I loved trying to figure out what her motives were. Astryx's character growth was amazing, seeing her at the end was like seeing a new person. I do wish we had gotten more growth with Fern, by the time we make it to the end, I'm still not entirely certain Fern is happy or knows why she hasn't been happy. Maybe we'll get another Fern book??
This book didn't feel quite a cozy fantasy as the others, the stakes were definitely higher as we adventure across the world. This is not to say I didn't like the book, I definitely did, but I did miss some of the coziness I felt in the previous books.
I will continue reading every single book Travis Baldree writes, I thoroughly enjoy this series, and I will definitely end up buying the physical copy when it comes out.
May 14, 2025
After Fern climbs into the back of a wagon and passes out drunk, she wakes to find herself embarked upon a series of hair-raising adventures. True, she was dissatisfied with the direction her life had been following and a change is called for, but she quickly discovers that a middle-aged rattkin lacks the physical talents to cope with serious dangers. Especially one whose life experience is as a bookseller.
This is the third book set in the fantasy world introduced in Legends and Lattes, and this one takes us on a road trip beyond the (comparatively) safe confines of settled communities into remote areas where vengeful enemies pursue remorselessly, blizzards rage overhead, and monsters lie in wait. But what else can one expect when one travels with a legendary warrior elf (Astryx the Oathmaiden, no less!), and a chaos-goblin who may (or may not) be a captive with a large bounty on her head and a propensity for stealing cutlery?
The adventures feel a bit episodic and the conclusion unexpected, but the difficult lessons that they teach are valuable. To those willing to learn from others, as well as from personal experience, at any rate.
Insightful.
This is the third book set in the fantasy world introduced in Legends and Lattes, and this one takes us on a road trip beyond the (comparatively) safe confines of settled communities into remote areas where vengeful enemies pursue remorselessly, blizzards rage overhead, and monsters lie in wait. But what else can one expect when one travels with a legendary warrior elf (Astryx the Oathmaiden, no less!), and a chaos-goblin who may (or may not) be a captive with a large bounty on her head and a propensity for stealing cutlery?
The adventures feel a bit episodic and the conclusion unexpected, but the difficult lessons that they teach are valuable. To those willing to learn from others, as well as from personal experience, at any rate.
Insightful.
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