Reviews with content warning for Stalking - Legends & Lattes

To use a coffee metaphor, Legends & Lattes is like a cortado. It's light, simple, warm, goes down quickly, and doesn't have the bite or bitterness that you might find in another drink. I really blazed through it, and enjoyed myself the whole time. My edition even had a delightful short story in the back which, in this analogy, could be thought of as the complimentary biscuit that came with the drink (and that's as far as I'll be stretching that metaphor).

The book really delivers on the cosy coffee shop fantasy that it advertises. The stakes are low, the characters are charming, and everything works out just as you'd hope by the end. It has the feel of a fluffy, lighthearted one-shot your dungeon master threw together to give the party a break between more weighty, involved campaign arcs.

Which is all fantastic. But there's not much more to the book than it appears at first glance. The plot beats are all very conventional and while it's very thematically cohesive, there isn't much depth to that thematic content. From very early in the novel, its clear that this is a book about being able to change, or be something other than what is expected of you. Some very light (and very early) spoilers to give some examples:

The main character is a muscular orc brawler, but she's intelligent and caring and dreams of settling down to open a coffee shop. When she does, she builds the cosy, picturesque café in a building converted from a filthy, run down livery. The first employee is an academic, driven succubus who actively fights against an in-universe perception that all succubi are deceitful nymphomaniacs.

This pattern crops up so often that the book begins to feel a little one-note, but at least it's a pleasant note to listen to.

In fact, I rather appreciated the winking in-fiction explanation for why this was the case (this one's a real big spoiler for the end of the book):

They were magically drawn together because of a kind of empathetic connection with the feeling of being more than what's expected of them. I thought this was cute, especially the way that it frames empathy and community as a kind of magic or good-fortune. Although it's only one step removed from "The real treasure was the friends we made along the way."

All-in-all, this is a good book, and I'm looking forward to the sequel, but don't go in expecting it to surprise you. Ironically, considering its themes, this book is pretty much exactly what it seems to be.

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msradiosilence's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

TLDR; 4.75 rating, loved the lesbians, and I very much enjoy cozy fantasy.
Content warnings at the bottom. :)

This book was described to me as a cozy fantasy, and after reading a bunch of high fantasy last year, I was glad this was so low stakes. Also, I usually have an issue with men writing lesbian couples, but Baldree did it in a way that didn’t give me an ick (unlike so many, many other men). While I am of the firm opinion that you shouldn’t write from a perspective you can never or will never experience, at least Baldree did it in a respectful way.

Anyway. I loved Viv and Tandri. The idea of an orc opening a coffee shop in a D&D-esque world where she’s constantly having to explain to folks what coffee is was delightful. I loved all of the characters, and the gradual build of Viv’s life. It was so sweet, and while the book was a quick read, the pacing was pretty great.

Honestly, I have no huge complaints about the book, except for maybe the language. It was a little awkward in a few places, but I suspect that’s because the author didn’t quite find his voice, or one that felt completely right in both understandability with low fantasy, and just the weird place D&D exists.

Rating: 4.75
Would I recommend? Yes, especially if you liked the D&D movie, you like cozy low fantasy, or you’re just looking for an enjoyable and easy read.

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valjeanval's review

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hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

If you want to annoy your DM by side tracking your party into starting a coffee shop using medievalish sounding technology, read this. If you don’t, you can probably skip this.

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