Brigands and Breadknives - Travis Baldree

I got a proof copy of this through work, and there's some demand for it amongst my colleagues, so before I forget any details and whilst I have the book to hand, I'm posting it up even if it is a month early. I really like Travis Baldree's books. I read Bookshops and Bonedust first, which is fine because it's a prequel to the earlier Legends and Lattes. They both serve equally well as prequels to Brigands and Breadknives - you could read this without having heard of Bookshops and Bonedust where we first meet Fern, it wouldn't make a significant difference.

The necessary information is that Fern has come to the city to catch up with her old friend Viv and to start a new bookselling business next to her cafe. But Fern is having something of a midlife crisis and whilst Viv the battle-weary Ork was ready to step back, put down roots, and open a coffee shop, Fern has had a life of roots and obligations. She wants adventure and maybe a new direction. This is covered with elegant economy in the first few chapters, and then the action moves on as Fern lets fate gather her up and put an end to her carefully ordered life. 

She finds herself travelling with a thousand-year-old elf - Astryx the Oathmaiden and a goblin force of chaos called Zyll who has an eyewateringly large bounty on her head and an even more eyewatering list of enemies after her. The three travel the country together, make friends, get into fights, and at least two of the characters reavalute who they are and what's important. 

It's still a cosy high fantasy, though with arguably higher stakes than in Legends and Lattes, life is like that sometimes. Baldree has the knack of spinning storytelling gold. He doesn't let it get too heavy; he brings the laughs, but Fern's dissatisfaction with her life is a darker thing than Viv's decision to hang up her sword in favour of making coffee, and for anyone thinking of making the uncertain choice so the slight change in tone is appropriate. 

It's cheesy to say Autumn is the right time for a book like this - it would be good in any season, but there's a sense of mists, colder nights, damp socks, and aches about it that does feel particularly well suited to be cosy, indoors, dry footed, and having a hot drink to hand. I don't know if there's further for this series to go - maybe not with these characters, but I do know that I'd read anything that Baldree writes at this point. He's had a lot of imitators, but I haven't found anyone doing exactly what he does nearly as well as he does it. 

The Christmas Companion - Skye McAlpine

It's been a while, and whilst I didn't plan a blogging break, it's been good to pause for a bit, not least because it's given me time to remember I enjoy doing this, which after 17 years I needed. 

I have a bit of a backlog of books to get through, but will start with something brand new that I bought this evening. I love a good book about Christmas - traditions, short stories, history of, meaning of, cookbooks, gift wrapping tips, the whole lot. Even though I will almost certainly never cook a Christmas dinner for more than a handful of people, should I be called on to cater a literal banquet I have all the advice I'm ever likely to need to do so on my shelves. 

Which is a very long way of saying I did not need this book, but I instantly wanted it. I opened at Gilded miniature baked potatoes with Creme Fraiche and Caviar. I used to have a stash of gold leaf, I used it on a Christmas cake. I now realise that the really stylish thing to do would have been to gild a potato - what could better encapsulate excessive consumption? I probably won't be trying this at home - though not from any particular moral objection on my part, but rather that I don't think the effort or expense would be particularly appreciated. 

Persimmon and pork loin on the other hand - that looks and sounds a winner, and despite the number of unashamedly luxury options there's a lot of practical stuff in here too. My main plan is to make the candy cane hot chocolate and enjoy a combination of browsing and daydreaming, for what is the point of Christmas planning if it's not to indulge in a bit of fantasy? 

On a more down to earth note, this is as beautifully produced as the other Skye McAlpine books have been, and as well thought through. Any one of them would be a brilliant gift for a keen cook and probably something they wouldn't already have as she's not quite a household name. There are lots of alternatives to Christmas cake, some excellent cocktail and mocktail recipes, and clever but easy things to do with Panettone and its several cousins, which will elevate them into something extra special. There's some good lists of edible gifts and thoughts on stocking fillers which I liked too.