Why we’re excited
Brindle, a half-devil with few scruples, can win his way out of the Deepdown, a shifting underground labyrinth, by carrying an egg up twelve lethal floors. His crew is a giantess who has renounced violence, a gentle tinker being consumed by shadow, and two sisters, one trapped inside a sword. Then the egg hatches and delivers a human baby.
Travis Baldree built his following with Legends & Lattes, the cozy fantasy about an orc's coffee shop. This is a separate world, so no earlier reading is needed. Try it for dungeon adventure with a found family at its centre.
On our most-anticipated list since 2 November 2026. See all the most anticipated books →
What to know about Four Bastards and a Baby
We have reviewed 2 of Travis Baldree’s books, with an average score of 4.3 out of 5. The one we rated highest is Legends & Lattes (4.5★); the most recent is Brigands & Breadknives.
From the publisher
Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Travis Baldree on a magic-filled adventure in a dangerous new world, where four misfits must work together to escape an ever-changing dungeon.
This hardcover edition features illustrated endpapers, a foil case stamp, and 8 full-page interior illustrations.
Welcome to the Deepdown. An impossible subterranean labyrinth, where everything is deadly and the world is ever-changing. The only thing that stays the same is that no one ever escapes.
Until now.
Brindle, a sly, unscrupulous half-devil, may just be the first. He’s been charged with a task from the Deepdown itself―transport a mysterious egg up twelve hellish floors and his freedom will be granted.
If he hopes to survive the death traps, monsters, and unspeakable horrors that await, Brindle must recruit the worst companions possible―a once-bloodthirsty giantess who’s sworn off violence forever, a kind-hearted tinker being eaten alive by shadow, and two enigmatic sisters, one of whom hates his guts, the other imprisoned within a sword.
That would all be trouble enough, but in the Deepdown, things can always get worse. The egg unexpectedly hatches, revealing the most horrifying thing imaginable―a human baby.
This group of misfits, forced to play the dungeon’s game over and over, finally have their best shot at freedom. But they'll have to decide what―or who―they’re willing to sacrifice to get it.
Description supplied by the publisher.
We haven’t read Four Bastards and a Baby yet. When our review goes up, it will replace this page.
