I really enjoyed this. It’s nice that Travis Baldree is also a voice actor, because he really brings his words to life on the audiobook. I enjoyed the focus on Fern and her accidental road trip. Zil the goblin is a delightfully chaotic entry to the Legends & Lattes universe. Asterix the Oathmaiden keeps everyone grounded while bringing the sword wielding adventure.
If you recall, in the Legends & Lattes prequel, Bookshops & Bonedust, Viv made friends with Fern, a bookseller in Murk, where Viv is convalescing. Fern is a ratkin and a bookshop owner who introduces Viv to the wider world of books. In the years since Viv left Murk, Fern has continued to run her bookstore. When she hears that Viv has settled down in the city of Thune, she reaches out and says she’s looking for an adventure, like moving to Thune to open a bookshop. Viv and Tandri, now married, are excited about creating a space next to the coffee shop for Fern. But on the way to Thune, Fern’s carriage is attacked and she and the driver are rescued by Astrix the Oathmaiden, a thousand year old stone fae renowned for her adventures with her legendary enchanted sword, Nigel. Once Fern arrives safely in Thune, it seems like the cozy part of cozy fantasy is ready to start. However, Fern still feels discombobulated and thinks maybe she may have made a mistake. She may have asked her friend to spend money, time and effort on something that Fern doesn’t actually want. She gets drunk in a fit of self pity and passes out in a cart instead of going to confession to Viv that the new store isn’t making her happy.
The cart Fern landed in belongs to Asterix the Oathmaiden and Fern finds herself far from home with no money. Astrix offhandedly includes Fern in her mission to deliver Zil, a goblin, for a large bounty. Along the way they encounter people who also want the bounty on Zil, people who have dealt with Zil before and want nothing to do with her again, a ratkin adventurer who is a possible love interest for Fern, a ratkin monastery dedicated to a scary destroyer elder god, a chatty bread knife, murderous trees, and others. Fern constantly tries to figure out how to apologize to Viv and Tandri, and who she is if she isn’t a bookseller. She and Astrix slowly build a friendship.
Brigands & Breadknives challenges the cozy part of cozy fantasy. Once she leaves Thune, Fern spends a lot of time cold, wet, in danger, and eating hard bread and cheese. Astrix the Oathmaiden isn’t exactly jolly, though her subtle humor comes out more as she warms up to Fern. Still the focus is on relationships, personal choices, and how we define our value. It’s a lovely story and does a beautiful job of expanding the world of Legends & Lattes. I recomend having a warm beverage and some good bread and cheese while listening so that you can appreciate *not* being on the road with brigands after you and chatty sharp things annoying you.
I received this as an advance listener copy from MacMillan Audio and Net Galley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.