Reviews with content warning for Grief - Legends & Lattes

17th december 2022:

Legends and lattes had a theme set out and it followed it to the tee. It gives endearing characters the readers can easily relate to and interesting background stories. What's also interesting that a lot of the story has a gamified feel to it. The story does keep the stakes low but it's not boring.

One thing I would have liked a bit more would be a little more description on the world setting and the way magic works being somewhat of a beginner to the fantasy genre.

Otherwise on all parts it was wonderfully delightful through and through.

Final rating: 4/5 stars

Content Warnings

ezwolf's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I've heard so much about this book and I've had it on my read list forever and when I saw its release by Tor on NetGalley I figured that was a good a sign as any to finally read it and I'm so glad I did! This deserves all of the praise that I've heard about it and it lives up to the cozy fantasy label.

First I loved that the main character was an orc woman, I feel like that's not a character people would usually look at and decide they want to put in a cozy coffee shop found family romance, but Viv is so well meaning and it was a lot of fun to read about a character after their big dangerous adventures were over. And the way that each character kind of breaks the mold for what is usually depicted for their kind was great! The supporting cast was wonderful and I their relationship with Viv and their characters as a whole were all so lovely, I kept deciding each one was my new favorite as they were introduced.

I also thought the ending was a perfect kind of just desserts (I also really wish I could try one of Thimble's cinnamon rolls!).

One of my only disappointments was the lack of female (or non-men) characters. I loved Viv, Tandri, and Gallina and I loved the rest of Viv's little found family, but I wish there had been more diverse genders too.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

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relin's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

It was a lovely queer romp of found family and imagining a life after the DnD campaigns filled with danger and hardship. Would absolutely read again! The characters were fleshed out and sweet, and the story was a very cozy read. I want like 15 more books like this!

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.5

LEGENDS & LATTES pronounces itself high fantasy with low stakes, and it absolutely delivers. Viv has given up adventuring and now worries about things like building her coffee shop, attracting customers, explaining what coffee is, and other small intricacies of running a business in a new place, doing the everyday work that builds a cozy space for all who enter it peacefully. I love its take on a café cat.

As an orc, Viv deals with some conversational bumps as people tend to assume that the only thing she can be is the profession she’s left behind. Leaving adventuring as suddenly as she did left some hard feelings, and occasionally people from her former life show up whether she’s ready for them or not.

The worldbuilding assumes at least a passing familiarity with a D&D-style setting, and offers a lovely breath of fresh air which is something more exciting than the life of an NPC and less tumultuous than that of an adventurer… in the form of a former adventurer whose goal now is to build and run a coffee shop. It’s not a trouble-free endeavor, but the logistics are quieter and the problems are solved with tasty treats instead of violence. Sometimes Viv struggles with the temptation her sword offers, for some problems which arise have a more violent solution available to her.

The only thing stopping this from being the metaphorical embodiment of a fuzzy blanket, a requested hug, and curling up with my favorite beverage is a couple instances of ableist language, the kind of thing I routinely note and dock half a star for, but which don’t mar my overall enjoyment of the book.

It begins and ends with the fiddly and interesting process of designing a space for a purpose, full of details about floor plans, furniture, carpentry, and soothing conversations. Viv proceeds from step to step in a soothingly methodical manner, quietly surprised when she succeeds in building a calm and welcoming space, and even more surprised when she gets friends along the way. This is a delight to read and a breath of fresh air.

Content Warnings

anxiousnachos's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted

4.0

FRIENDS THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL I AM MUSH. Quiet cosy fantasy is the genre we need, it warms my cold dead heart, it is good for our mental health, publishers TAKE NOTE!! Legends & Lattes is all about an orc who wants to give up her life of fighting to open a coffee shop. And it was adorable. I cannot begin to explain how exceptional the sensory details in this book are. I spent the entire book salivating over the descriptions of coffee and pastries, it is delicious. The found family trope is done brilliantly! This book really just feels like a warm hug: it is a soft, sweet story about finding your chosen family and following your dreams and I was tearing up at the end (and I never tear up at happy books!!)

Thank you so much to the author for sending me an ARC of this book! This has not affected my review.

Content warnings: aggressive/stalkerish/obsessive man, fire injury, grief

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