A review by ceallaighsbooks
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

“…Viv brewed the rattkin’s latte. He waited with hands clasped daintily, his whiskers twitching, snout quivering. He eagerly received the cup and thrust his nose into the curls of steam rising from the golden cream on the surface. After a delicate sip, he closed his eyes, clearly savoring it… The rattkin’s eyes opened, and he dipped his head in thanks. He quietly took his mug to a booth, where he sipped his drink and kicked his dangling paws.”

TITLE—Legends & Lattes
AUTHOR—Travis Baldree
PUBLISHED—2022
PUBLISHER—TOR

GENRE—cozy fantasy
SETTING—a coffee house in Thune (medieval fantasy world)
MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—starting over, making a new life for yourself, choices, finding your people, friendship, found family, following your heart / moving in faith (vs fear), magic objects, prejudice & accepting ppl for who they are, lovable fantasy creature characters (orcs, fey, elves, hobgoblins, succubi, rattkins, gnomes, dire-cats etc.), really wholesome story

WRITING STYLE—🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
CHARACTERS—🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
STORY/PLOT—🌕🌕🌕🌕🌚

PHILOSOPHY—🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖
PREMISE—🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
EXECUTION—🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖

“For the first time, Viv faced the totality of Tandri’s essential self, and was struck by the eloquence and delicacy that was revealed. It was easy to see how one might mistake her nature for something purely sensual, how one might glean only what they most desired from that densely twined rush of feeling. Hers was a potent dialect of emotion, rich with meaning, comprehensible only to those intimately aware of its subtleties.”

My thoughts:
This is one of the most beautiful, fun, and heartwarming books I have ever read. The characters and their relationships were the best part for me. Literally when you think the characters couldn’t get any more lovable Baldree introduces a new one that just makes you melt. I mean Thimble has my WHOLE entire heart. 🥹🐭💕 Definitely wanted to know more about the Madrigal though. Maybe that needs its own spinoff book. 👀

I also loved the symbolism of the Scalvert’s stone! No spoilers but the magic surrounding that object was excellently conceptualized. And the effort of starting a business (and a new life) in a new place from scratch was really inspiring to see played out—even in a fantasy world.

My only teeny tiny criticism has to do with the book’s deeper philosophy: I didn’t love how transactional all of the relationships always were. This was mostly an element of Viv’s characterization—though it was also present in some of the other characters as well—and how she navigated her relationships with the others and I feel like it was intentionally bent a little bit in the last part of the book? but I’d love to see a sequel take an even more critical and maybe even on-the-page approach to this and maybe have it be a main development point for her in the future…

Otherwise I thought this book was perfect. I’m excited for the next one too! (Though I heard it’s going to be a prequel? 👀)

I would recommend this book to readers who need a heartwarming, uplifting, cozy read. This book is best read paired with a latte and a freshly baked cinnamon roll.

Final note: I’m definitely on the hunt now for more from this “cozy fantasy” subgenre so lmk if you have any recs!

“‘…’the ring of fortune’ is an old sea-fey phrase. It means… a destined cadre, I suppose. Individuals brought together, like to like. Which can be fortunate, of course. Sometimes, nothing’s more fortunate than that! But that wasn’t what most were seeking. Although maybe they should’ve been, eh?’”

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖

Season: Fall would be the coziest but really any season will do.

CW // stalking, fire (Please feel free to DM me for more specifics!)

Further Reading—
  • BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST by Travis Baldree—TBR
  • CAN’T SPELL TREASON WITHOUT TEA by Rebecca Thorne—TBR
  • THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES by Sangu Mandanna—TBR
  • EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES by Heather Fawcett—TBR
  • A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT by Becky Chambers
  • NETTLE AND BONE by T Kingfisher