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Travis Baldree, renowned for his bestselling cozy fantasy novels, has recently launched his newest installment in the collection. Called Brigands and Breadknives, the tale centers on the character Fern when she embarks on a typical adventure story subsequent to walking away from her successful business.

A Departure from Cozy Themes

In contrast to the earlier novels in the series, which highlighted building a life, Brigands & Breadknives examines the idea of disappointing people you care about. Baldree stated that this story is focused on learning to disappoint people who you cherish.

"The novel is about learning to disappoint people that you value, and learning to say no," Baldree noted. "I am writing a distinct story. Will readers going to be upset? Should I care? Should I pursue my true passion personally, although it might alienate someone?"

Own Experiences Influencing the Narrative

Travis Baldree mentioned that his individual challenges have repeatedly informed his books. Earlier, he had a career in the gaming industry, developing games like Torchlight game and the space combat game Rebel Galaxy. The choice to step away from game design to create audiobooks led to the protagonist Viv's career change in Legends & Lattes.

"I discovered during the first book that during writing a story, you inevitably include a much of your own experience within," he said. "Then when the audience connect with that, there's this really amazing moment of shared experience."

Increased Interest of Feel-Good Fantasy

According to Baldree, the rise of comfort fantasy has increased in lately, in part due to a wish for escape and community following the global pandemic.

"The world feels a somewhat on fire, and I think with the media we consume, many people desire something that actually just feels OK," he said. "I remember lockdown, Game of Thrones came out, and I was like, 'I love the show, but I do not want in viewing my preferred characters meet grim fates.'"

Exploring Different Paths

Although Viv achieved her satisfying conclusion in Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree thought he should not remove that from her by having her away from the business. Following Fern offered him the chance to examine a character embarking on the different route—leaving a comfortable situation to embark on an adventure.

"I don't think that the only way for issues are to stay put and open a small business," he stated. "Everybody's different, and additionally, we're each unique at different points in our lives. The solution that worked for me a decade ago doesn't work for me currently."

Expanding the World

Unlike the prior novels, which were set in cozy communities, Brigands & Breadknives features a journey that enabled Baldree to develop his fantasy world avoiding lengthy explanations. The adventure accompanied by Astryx One-Ear and her talking sword the sword Nigel includes killer chickens, terrible monsters, honorable mercenaries, and a surprisingly chill temple dedicated to honoring a eldritch entity.

Future Projects

Regarding his future work, Baldree is moving into new territory with a LitRPG tale working-titled Four Bastards and a Baby.

"I've gone through hundreds of LitRPGs, and currently I have formed opinions about my preferences in such a book," the author commented. "I want more characterization. I prefer a conclusion. A lot of LitRPGs try to avoid change, and I reject that."

Future Stories

Followers of the world of Legends & Lattes, the author has created a series of tales featuring stories about the Thimble the ratkin and Viv's love interest the succubus, which will be published in an forthcoming compilation. He also believes he'll revisit to the world to explore his process creating his latest novel, which is considerably longer and more plot-driven than his previous books.

"I plan to write a book about creating something challenging that was incredibly tough for me to achieve," Baldree notes.