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The author, renowned for his popular comfort fantasy novels, recently launched his latest book in the series. Called Brigands and Breadknives, this story follows the character Fern as she starts a typical quest following abandoning her flourishing bookshop.

A Shift from Comfort

In contrast to the prior stories in the set, that centered on building a life, Brigands and Breadknives explores the idea of saying no to friends and family. Travis Baldree explained that this book is about understanding to say no that you cherish.

"The novel is regarding understanding to disappoint people that you love, and mastering to decline," Baldree explained. "I am writing a distinct story. Will readers end up upset? Should I care? Do I have to do what's most important to me, although it could alienate someone?"

Own Experiences Influencing the Story

Travis Baldree noted that his individual challenges have consistently influenced his writing. Earlier, he worked in game development, co-creating projects like Torchlight and Rebel Galaxy. The move to abandon game design to produce audiobooks resulted in the protagonist Viv's new path in Legends and Lattes.

"I found during the initial novel that during writing a narrative, you inevitably put a lot of yourself into it," the author stated. "And when readers react to that, there's a wonderful moment of shared experience."

Growing Popularity of Comfort Fantasy

In the words of Travis Baldree, the appeal of cozy fantasy has increased in the past few years, in part due to a desire for escape and human connection after the recent health crisis.

"The world feels a somewhat on fire, and I believe through the stories we enjoy, most of us desire an experience that is comforting," Baldree explained. "During the pandemic, Game of Thrones premiered, and I thought, 'I enjoy Game of Thrones, but I am not interested in viewing my preferred characters beheaded.'"

Delving Into Different Paths

Whereas Viv obtained her joyful resolution in the first book, Baldree believed he couldn't remove that from her by sending her out from the business. Focusing on Fern provided him the chance to examine an individual choosing the opposite path—abandoning a safe situation to begin an adventure.

"I believe that every answer for challenges are to open a business and start a cafe," Baldree said. "Each person is different, and additionally, we're individual at various stages in our journey. The solution that worked for me 10 years ago fails for me today."

Building the Universe

In contrast to the earlier novels, which were located in quiet villages, Brigands & Breadknives involves a road trip that enabled Travis Baldree to develop his fictional universe eschewing lengthy explanations. The quest alongside Astryx One-Ear and her talking sword the sword Nigel features deadly poultry, horrifying beasts, honorable mercenaries, and a unexpectedly calm temple dedicated to worshiping a eldritch deity.

Future Projects

Regarding his future work, Travis Baldree is moving into new territory with a game-lit tale tentatively titled Four Bastards and a Baby.

"I've consumed numerous LitRPG books, and now I have developed views about what I desire in such a book," Baldree explained. "I want more characterization. I prefer a conclusion. Numerous LitRPGs want to stay on the treadmill, and I reject that."

Revisiting the Setting

Followers of the setting of Legends and Lattes, Baldree has written a collection of tales including tales about the Thimble Thimble and Viv's companion Tandri the character, which will be released in an upcoming compilation. He also believes he'll revisit to the world to grapple with his process creating his new book, which is much more extensive and more story-oriented than his earlier books.

"I plan to write a story about developing a difficult project that was incredibly tough for you to accomplish," Baldree notes.