🔗 Share this article

Travis Baldree, famous for his bestselling cozy fantasy stories, has recently launched his latest installment in the series. Named Brigands & Breadknives, the narrative focuses on Fern as she starts a typical quest subsequent to abandoning her thriving bookshop.

A Departure from Comfort

Unlike the previous stories in the set, that centered on settling down, Brigands & Breadknives examines the concept of saying no to loved ones. The author stated that the novel is about learning to make tough choices who you value.

"This book is concerning mastering to disappoint people that you care about, and learning to say no," the author explained. "I'm writing a distinct story. Will readers be disappointed? Does it matter? Must I pursue my own path for myself, even if it could upset fans?"

Personal Struggles Informing the Story

Baldree mentioned that his individual experiences have always shaped his writing. Earlier, he worked in game development, developing titles like the game Torchlight and Rebel Galaxy game. His decision to abandon game design to create audiobooks inspired the character Viv's life shift in Legends & Lattes.

"I discovered with the debut story that as you write a story, you unavoidably include a personal elements within," Baldree said. "Subsequently when the audience respond to that, there's a wonderful feeling of shared experience."

Increased Interest of Feel-Good Fantasy

In the words of Baldree, the popularity of comfort fantasy has grown in the past few years, in part due to a wish for escapism and personal bonds after the recent health crisis.

"Society seems a somewhat in turmoil, and I feel in our entertainment, most of us want something that simply feels good," Baldree explained. "I recall the pandemic, the show Game of Thrones premiered, and I was like, 'I enjoy Game of Thrones, but I am not interested in seeing my beloved characters killed off.'"

Exploring Different Paths

Although Viv achieved her happy ending in Legends & Lattes, the author felt he couldn't take that away from her by making her off from the business. Centering on Fern gave him the possibility to delve into someone choosing the reverse journey—abandoning a safe existence to go on an journey.

"I don't think that every answer for challenges are to open a business and start a cafe," the author stated. "People are unique, and more than that, we're individual at distinct times in our life. The approach that succeeded for me 10 years ago is not effective for me now."

Developing the Setting

In contrast to the earlier novels, which were taking place in quiet villages, Brigands & Breadknives includes a journey that enabled Baldree to expand his fantasy world eschewing info-dumps. Fern's journey accompanied by Astryx One-Ear and her chatty weapon Nigel contains deadly poultry, terrible monsters, ethical soldiers, and a unexpectedly calm temple focused on revering a eldritch god.

Upcoming Works

For his future work, Travis Baldree is moving even further afield with a LitRPG tale currently called Four Bastards & a Baby.

"I've consumed many LitRPGs, and at this point I have developed thoughts about what I want in one," he said. "I want better development. I like resolution. Many such stories want to maintain the status quo, and I don't want that."

Future Stories

For fans of the universe of Legends & Lattes, Baldree has authored a collection of tales including accounts about the ratkin baker the ratkin and Viv's companion Tandri, which will be released in an future compilation. Moreover, he anticipates he'll return to the universe to explore his experience creating his latest novel, which is considerably more extensive and more narrative-focused than his previous books.

"There will be a story about squeezing something into being that was incredibly tough for you to accomplish," the author explains.