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iane_reads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Grief
Minor: Death, Blood, Dysphoria, Toxic friendship, Murder, Violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Bullying, Racism, Stalking, and Xenophobia
kelly_e's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Title: Legends & Lattes
Author: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes #1
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: February 22, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Comforting • Delightful • Simple
📖 S Y N O P S I S
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When it came time to choose my 12 recs from 12 friends selection for the month of February, I was looking for something shorter and fluffier given so many other books I planned to read this month were on the longer side and/or tackled heavy topics. Enter Legends & Lattes, which ticked the right boxes.
Legends & Lattes is a high fantasy, low stakes, slice-of-life story. For me, it was really the cast of wholesome characters and their relationships that made this story shine. I came to care about each one of them and really didn't want anything bad to happen to them. In particular, Viv was such a strong and capable lead, with the ability to stand on her own two feet. I admired her bravery in forging her own path. While the dynamic between Viv and Tandri was genuine, I was anticipating a little more romance than what I got.
The concept of opening a coffee shop in a world where no one knows what coffee is was intriguing and comical at the same time. Seeing the struggles and triumphs of opening a new business mirrored reality. I particularly loved seeing how the menu changed from start to finish. And I must say this book definitely left me with so many cravings.
I read a physical copy while listening to the audio, which enhanced my enjoyment. I didn't realize the author, Travis Baldree, is full-time audio narrator and his narration is perfection. His characterization is one of the best I've heard and I'd definitely be interested in checking out more of his narrations. Additionally, the edition I read had a bonus story 'Pages to Fill', a nice little addition.
Legends & Lattes certainly made me step outside of my reading comfort zone, and that is exactly why I love doing the 12 recs challenge each year. Would I have picked this up outside of the challenge? Probably not. Did I enjoy my time with these characters? Absolutely! It is the ideal blend of fantasy and cozy mysteries, with a touch of romance dusted in. When readers talk about hugs in book form, this is what they mean. I am not sure when, but I will be definitely picking up the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust at some point in the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• lovers of high fantasy and cozy mysteries
• readers looking for a coffee shop read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as."
"She thought about what Tandri had said just a day ago about reciprocity. Pain that was ignored, magnified on its return."
Author: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes #1
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: February 22, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Comforting • Delightful • Simple
📖 S Y N O P S I S
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When it came time to choose my 12 recs from 12 friends selection for the month of February, I was looking for something shorter and fluffier given so many other books I planned to read this month were on the longer side and/or tackled heavy topics. Enter Legends & Lattes, which ticked the right boxes.
Legends & Lattes is a high fantasy, low stakes, slice-of-life story. For me, it was really the cast of wholesome characters and their relationships that made this story shine. I came to care about each one of them and really didn't want anything bad to happen to them. In particular, Viv was such a strong and capable lead, with the ability to stand on her own two feet. I admired her bravery in forging her own path. While the dynamic between Viv and Tandri was genuine, I was anticipating a little more romance than what I got.
The concept of opening a coffee shop in a world where no one knows what coffee is was intriguing and comical at the same time. Seeing the struggles and triumphs of opening a new business mirrored reality. I particularly loved seeing how the menu changed from start to finish. And I must say this book definitely left me with so many cravings.
I read a physical copy while listening to the audio, which enhanced my enjoyment. I didn't realize the author, Travis Baldree, is full-time audio narrator and his narration is perfection. His characterization is one of the best I've heard and I'd definitely be interested in checking out more of his narrations. Additionally, the edition I read had a bonus story 'Pages to Fill', a nice little addition.
Legends & Lattes certainly made me step outside of my reading comfort zone, and that is exactly why I love doing the 12 recs challenge each year. Would I have picked this up outside of the challenge? Probably not. Did I enjoy my time with these characters? Absolutely! It is the ideal blend of fantasy and cozy mysteries, with a touch of romance dusted in. When readers talk about hugs in book form, this is what they mean. I am not sure when, but I will be definitely picking up the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust at some point in the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• lovers of high fantasy and cozy mysteries
• readers looking for a coffee shop read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as."
"She thought about what Tandri had said just a day ago about reciprocity. Pain that was ignored, magnified on its return."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, and Stalking
Minor: Violence, Gore, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Cursing, Racism, Murder, Blood, Death, Grief, and Alcohol
kurumipanda's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Gore, Violence, Racism, Stalking, and Death
memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
i enjoyed this. it was an easy read. as the tag-line described it was low-stakes but i still devoured it in 24 hours. fun fantasy world with all sorts of characters, my favourite of which was durias; he was mysterious in a subtlety comical way. i loved the side characters, and i would have read it even sooner if i’d known the story was lgbtq+!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder, Death, Racism, Blood, and Alcohol
mobymaize's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The tagline “High Fantasy, Low Stakes” applies in such incredible fashion for this novel. I’ve read so many stories with combat & bloodshed at their core, so reading a calming story about a gay orc & gay tiefling making a coffee shop is a very nice departure from that stress.
ALSO I LOVE THIMBLE SO MUCH MY SWEET BABY BOY AAA
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, and Cursing
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Medical content, and Death
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Death
lacrimaeignis's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If you want a relaxing slice-of-life style fantasy novel about someone who decides to completely change their life's path then give this book a try. The main character Viv is an orc who decides to retire her sword and mercenary lifestyle and decides to open up a coffee shop in a city. The only problem is that no one knows what coffee is where she decides to set up shop. The novel is mainly about building the shop from the ground up (literally) and the connections Viv makes along the way and how she learns to expand her business.
The story was cute and I enjoyed my time at Legends and Lattes with the cast but the story was way too low stakes for me. As such, it took me quite a while to read because it wasn't an attention grabber but I couldn't stop smiling every time I picked up the book (and I carved coffee/pastries every time I picked this up so yes, I did actually end up reading portions of this at a cafe definitely recommend trying that to add to the ambience of the novel).
I wish we had been given more about Viv's life when she was working as a mercenary and what led her up to deciding to open the shop. I was thankful for the extra story about her adventures before but I felt like it would have been better as a lead up to the events in the novel rather than as a bonus. But still, the novel was well written and it is such a rarity to find a book where the characters actually talk things out and strive to understand where others are coming from instead of drawing their own (often wrong and/or biased) conclusions. It was quite refreshing and I can't wait to read the next installment!
The story was cute and I enjoyed my time at Legends and Lattes with the cast but the story was way too low stakes for me. As such, it took me quite a while to read because it wasn't an attention grabber but I couldn't stop smiling every time I picked up the book (and I carved coffee/pastries every time I picked this up so yes, I did actually end up reading portions of this at a cafe definitely recommend trying that to add to the ambience of the novel).
I wish we had been given more about Viv's life when she was working as a mercenary and what led her up to deciding to open the shop. I was thankful for the extra story about her adventures before but I felt like it would have been better as a lead up to the events in the novel rather than as a bonus. But still, the novel was well written and it is such a rarity to find a book where the characters actually talk things out and strive to understand where others are coming from instead of drawing their own (often wrong and/or biased) conclusions. It was quite refreshing and I can't wait to read the next installment!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, and Death
katie_a_13's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Violence
Minor: Blood, Gore, and Death
My new favourite book! And I don’t say that lightly! Content warnings of blood, death, and gore are fantasy setting and for first chapter/preface only.erebus53's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I didn't know what to think going into this title. It was one of the most read books in my book club so I assumed it was an easy read and was not disappointed.
This is a cosy novel. It's fairly short and is aimed at modern nerds. The main character is an orc fighter who is used to being the brawn of her adventuring party. During her travels she recently encountered, and was won over by, a strange gnomish beverage.. a stimulating bean water called "coffee".
Having saved up her plunder, and a magical stone rumoured to have fortune enhancing properties, she heads to the city to set up a shop.. but who will she sell to, considering nobody has even heard of her product?
Much of this story is the building of the shop, finding employees, making friends, designing a menu, and getting rid of people who want to intimidate, extort or stalk them.
As a result the aim of the game seems to be, leaning into friendships, and using your words, when your sword could be doing the talking.. if you wanted it to.. nothing says "not interested" like a couple of feet of steel.. I mean...
This story leans hard into the sort of personal loves and anachronism that roleplayers typically bring to a game. Mashing things into a high fantasy setting, like coffee machines, cinnamon pinwheels, electric- er.. "thaumic" lute, ceiling fans, and a pet interdimensional hell cat, make it a lighthearted adventure in.. interior decorating and urban marketing(?).
Not.. ultra-engaging, but exactly what I was in the mood for at the time.
This is a cosy novel. It's fairly short and is aimed at modern nerds. The main character is an orc fighter who is used to being the brawn of her adventuring party. During her travels she recently encountered, and was won over by, a strange gnomish beverage.. a stimulating bean water called "coffee".
Having saved up her plunder, and a magical stone rumoured to have fortune enhancing properties, she heads to the city to set up a shop.. but who will she sell to, considering nobody has even heard of her product?
Much of this story is the building of the shop, finding employees, making friends, designing a menu, and getting rid of people who want to intimidate, extort or stalk them.
As a result the aim of the game seems to be, leaning into friendships, and using your words, when your sword could be doing the talking.. if you wanted it to.. nothing says "not interested" like a couple of feet of steel.. I mean...
This story leans hard into the sort of personal loves and anachronism that roleplayers typically bring to a game. Mashing things into a high fantasy setting, like coffee machines, cinnamon pinwheels, electric- er.. "thaumic" lute, ceiling fans, and a pet interdimensional hell cat, make it a lighthearted adventure in.. interior decorating and urban marketing(?).
Not.. ultra-engaging, but exactly what I was in the mood for at the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Alcohol, Death, Violence, and Gore
the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence and Death