Readers who were expecting more of the same from Travis Baldree will not find it here. But they will not be disappointed. Highly recommended.
Feature image credit: Pan Macmillan Australia
Travis Baldree is fast becoming synonymous with the cosy fantasy genre. His breakout novel Legends and Lattes and its sequel Bookshops and Bonedust allowed readers to explore the world of a certain tabletop role-playing game from the diverse points of view of the non-player characters. This has allowed Baldree to expand on subjects sublime in their irrelevance to gameplay: Where do the hero characters eat? When they roll a dice and need a dusty old tome, who runs the conveniently situated bookshop in the middle of the enchanted forest, and how do they manage under what must be difficult economic conditions? While they are not quite parodies in the vein of Terry Pratchett, Baldree revels in showing us a world that must exist, but we never see.
The fleshing out of the world and humanisation (or goblinisation, orcisation, elfisation etc.) of non-player characters reaches a crescendo in Brigands and Breadknives. Fern, the Rattikin bookseller introduced in the prequel Bookshops and Bonedust, has travelled to the big city following a letter from Viv, the orc-turned-barista, in order to relocate next to the coffee shop. But her decision to relocate was merely a symptom of a larger malaise and after a big night out, she finds herself with a hangover and a problem: The cart she accidentally fell asleep on belongs to Astryx One-Ear, an elven hero who did not realise she had a stowaway when she left town early that morning. Astryx is in a hurry to deliver a prisoner to justice and cannot stop to take Fern back, so Fern must accompany her on an adventure involving orc warriors (of the non-barista kind), meddling goblins, and rodent monks.
At first, the solution to her problem seems obvious to the reader; medieval carts don’t travel that fast, and one would imagine a brisk afternoon’s walk would take Fern back to the city, her new shop, and home. But this is not an option Fern takes. She stays with Astryx involuntarily at first, then later as her scribe, assisting her in keeping control of her prisoner while staying one step ahead of the bounty hunters who want the quarry for themselves.
It is here the true strength of Brigands and Breadknives reveals itself. Over time it becomes clear this is not a book about a tabletop roleplaying campaign. This is a book about mental illness. Fern’s reluctance to return to her everyday life stems from depression and anxiety, while Astryx’s introversion, her refusal to leave a 1000-year career and the solitude she is tired of, and the prisoner’s clear ADHD, make them a group in need of therapy. This is exactly what the journey gives them. Travis Baldree deserves high praise for writing this book under the guise of a fantasy novel, and it works very well. We see the characters broken, aimless, and lost at the start, and we’re with them on their quest to find meaning, find a purpose to it all through their reliance on each other. Earlier books in the series used the clichés of the genre to parody it. Brigands and Breadknives uses the stereotypes of the quest plot to discuss and answer some difficult questions that readers may otherwise not have a forum to confront.
As with his other books, Baldree is at his best when creating side characters. Astryx’s extremely intelligent horse is a standout, as is Breadlee the Breadknife: a former talking sword who was once reformed by a vengeful master. But the pinnacle must be Zyll, the prisoner, a manic chaos-agent in the shape of a goblin. Baldree could easily have left Zyll in the background, but with her penchant for silverware and her use of arcane magic he puts her slowly to the forefront of the plot, until she becomes the lynchpin of the group.
It’s not all high praise, however. Readers may find themselves initially exasperated by Fern’s inability to articulate why she has chosen to leave her new shop. Naming the eleven hero Astryx leads to difficult associations for any readers who grew up reading about a certain village of indomitable Gauls. But these are minor quibbles. Baldree knows how to plan out a story, and avoids the hole of many a quest book by using proper timing, the build-up of suspense, and surprise. It does not feel like someone simply wrote up the plot of their last roleplaying session.
Reviewed by DC White
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Pan Macmillan Australia
Released: November 2025
RRP: $34.99
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