Book Review
Apr. 1st, 2026 09:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariBrigands & Breadknives
by Travis Baldree
This is a sequel to Legends & Lattes, but the focus is on Fern, a bookshop owner and Viv's old friend from the seaside town of Murk. Fern, feeling tired of her life in Murk and dissatisfied with her situation in general, decides to relocate to Thune and open a bookshop next door to Viv's coffeeshop. Unfortunately, that does not cure Fern of her malaise. After a night of attempting to drown her sorrows, a drunken Fern tumbles into the back of legendary elven adventurer Astryx's cart. Fern wakes far from Thune and ends up tagging along with Astryx and Zyll, a goblin Astryx has apprehended and is taking to a distant town to claim her reward. Along the way, Fern comes to terms with the fact that her old life no longer works for her and begins to figure out what she really wants to do next.
This book was fun and entertaining, but felt a little unfocused compared to the other two books in the series. Fern grapples with her midlife crisis, but while she makes big changes, she doesn't seem to arrive at any solid new path. Maybe that's the point, that one doesn't always need to have a complete and concrete plan or path forward, but I didn't feel like that came across well.
by Travis Baldree
This is a sequel to Legends & Lattes, but the focus is on Fern, a bookshop owner and Viv's old friend from the seaside town of Murk. Fern, feeling tired of her life in Murk and dissatisfied with her situation in general, decides to relocate to Thune and open a bookshop next door to Viv's coffeeshop. Unfortunately, that does not cure Fern of her malaise. After a night of attempting to drown her sorrows, a drunken Fern tumbles into the back of legendary elven adventurer Astryx's cart. Fern wakes far from Thune and ends up tagging along with Astryx and Zyll, a goblin Astryx has apprehended and is taking to a distant town to claim her reward. Along the way, Fern comes to terms with the fact that her old life no longer works for her and begins to figure out what she really wants to do next.
This book was fun and entertaining, but felt a little unfocused compared to the other two books in the series. Fern grapples with her midlife crisis, but while she makes big changes, she doesn't seem to arrive at any solid new path. Maybe that's the point, that one doesn't always need to have a complete and concrete plan or path forward, but I didn't feel like that came across well.
