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The author, famous for his popular comfort fantasy novels, just released his third installment in the series. Called Brigands and Breadknives, this story follows the character Fern as she starts a classic quest subsequent to abandoning her successful bookstore.

A Departure from Familiar Territory

Differing from the earlier novels in the collection, which focused on building a life, Brigands & Breadknives explores the idea of disappointing friends and family. Travis Baldree commented that this story is concerned with grasping to disappoint people that you cherish.

"This story is regarding learning to disappoint people who you value, and mastering to say no," Baldree said. "I am writing something different. Could fans end up disappointed? Is it important? Do I have to follow my true passion personally, although it could upset fans?"

Life Challenges Shaping the Plot

Baldree mentioned that his own challenges have always shaped his stories. Earlier, he was involved in the gaming industry, co-creating projects like Torchlight game and Rebel Galaxy game. The choice to step away from that career to create audiobooks resulted in the character Viv's life shift in the first book.

"I realized with the initial novel that when you write a tale, you unavoidably infuse a much of your own experience within," the author stated. "Then when the audience respond to that, there's an incredible moment of understanding."

The Rise of Feel-Good Fantasy

As per Travis Baldree, the rise of cozy fantasy has increased in the past few years, in part due to a longing for relief and personal bonds in the wake of the global pandemic.

"The world appears a somewhat on fire, and I believe in our entertainment, a lot of us desire an experience that is comforting," he said. "During lockdown, Game of Thrones premiered, and I felt, 'I enjoy it, but I do not want in watching my beloved characters meet grim fates.'"

Exploring Varied Journeys

While Viv obtained her joyful resolution in Legends & Lattes, the author believed he should not rip that away from her by making her away from the cafe. Centering on Fern offered him the opportunity to examine a character choosing the different route—leaving a comfortable life to begin an adventure.

"I believe that every answer for challenges are to open a business and open a small business," Baldree remarked. "Everybody's distinct, and furthermore, we're all different at distinct times in our journey. The approach that succeeded for me 10 years ago is not effective for me today."

Building the Universe

Unlike the previous books, which were located in small towns, Brigands & Breadknives features a road trip that enabled Baldree to expand his fictional universe eschewing info-dumps. The adventure accompanied by Astryx One-Ear and her talking sword Nigel the sword features violent fowl, terrible monsters, noble fighters, and a remarkably peaceful temple focused on honoring a cosmic deity.

Next Endeavors

Regarding his upcoming book, Travis Baldree is moving into new territory with a LitRPG story tentatively titled Four Bastards and a Baby.

"I have read hundreds of LitRPG books, and at this point I have established thoughts about my preferences in one," Baldree explained. "I want more characterization. I want an end. Many such stories try to stay on the treadmill, and I reject that."

Future Stories

Enthusiasts of the setting of Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree has created a series of narratives including stories about the ratkin baker Thimble and Viv's succubus partner the succubus, which will be released in an forthcoming anthology. He also expects he'll come back to the setting to explore his experience authoring his new book, which is considerably longer and more story-oriented than his previous books.

"I'll have a novel about creating something challenging that was extremely difficult for the author to accomplish," he says.