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The writer, renowned for his bestselling comfort fantasy novels, just launched his third installment in the set. Titled Brigands and Breadknives, the narrative follows the character Fern while she begins a typical adventure story following abandoning her successful bookstore.

A Change from Comfort

Differing from the previous books in the set, that focused on building a life, Brigands & Breadknives explores the theme of disappointing people you care about. Baldree stated that this book is focused on understanding to make tough choices who you value.

"This book is concerning understanding to say no that you care about, and understanding to decline," he said. "I am working on something different. Are people going to be let down? Is it important? Do I have to pursue what's most important to me, though it may alienate someone?"

Own Experiences Informing the Narrative

Travis Baldree mentioned that his individual struggles have repeatedly influenced his writing. Before, he had a career in the gaming industry, developing games like the game Torchlight and Rebel Galaxy game. The choice to abandon that career to create audiobooks resulted in the protagonist Viv's career change in Legends & Lattes.

"I found during the first book that when you write a narrative, you inevitably put a personal elements within," Baldree said. "Subsequently when other people connect with that, there's a wonderful feeling of shared experience."

Growing Popularity of Cozy Fantasy

According to Baldree, the popularity of cozy fantasy has grown in the past few years, to some extent due to a wish for escapism and community following the global pandemic.

"Our world seems a slightly on fire, and I think in our entertainment, a lot of us desire a story that is comforting," Baldree explained. "I remember lockdown, the series Game of Thrones was released, and I felt, 'I enjoy it, but I have no interest in seeing my beloved characters beheaded.'"

Delving Into Varied Journeys

While Viv found her satisfying conclusion in the first book, Baldree believed he couldn't take that away from her by sending her out from the coffee shop. Focusing on Fern provided him the chance to delve into someone embarking on the opposite path—leaving a comfortable life to begin an journey.

"I believe that every answer for life's problems are to stay put and start a cafe," he remarked. "People are unique, and furthermore, we're each unique at distinct times in our journey. What worked for me a decade ago fails for me now."

Building the Universe

Differing from the previous books, which were located in cozy communities, Brigands & Breadknives involves a road trip that allowed Travis Baldree to expand his fictional universe avoiding info-dumps. Fern's journey alongside Astryx One-Ear and her chatty weapon Nigel features killer chickens, terrible monsters, ethical soldiers, and a unexpectedly calm temple devoted to worshiping a Cthulhu-like god.

Upcoming Works

In terms of his future work, the author is venturing beyond familiar ground with a literary RPG story currently called Four Bastards and a Baby.

"I've consumed hundreds of game-lit stories, and now I have formed views about what I desire in such a book," the author commented. "I desire better development. I like resolution. A lot of such stories try to maintain the status quo, and I reject that."

Revisiting the Setting

Enthusiasts of the world of Legends & Lattes, the author has written a series of short stories featuring tales about the ratkin baker Thimble and Viv's love interest Tandri, which will be issued in an upcoming collection. Additionally, he anticipates he'll come back to the world to address his process writing his recent story, which is considerably more extensive and more plot-driven than his prior novels.

"There will be a book about developing a difficult project that was extremely difficult for me to accomplish," Baldree notes.