Title: Legends & LattesAuthor: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes #1
First Published: February 18, 2022
Publisher: Cryptid Press
Pages: 316
Genre: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, High Fantasy, LGBTQ
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating:
Synopsis:
High Fantasy with a double-shot of self-reinvention
Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.
However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.
A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.
Buy the Book: AmazonReview
Low stakes cozy high fantasy is a subgenre I didn’t know if I would be into, but I absolutely loved. Legends & Lattes is a wholesome little novel about a battle-hardened orc named Viv that decides that she’d rather retire and lead a quiet life than to die chasing adventure. She dreams of opening her own coffee shop after experiencing the drink for the first time on her travels. I was never big on coffee culture but Viv’s passion and pure joy for coffee is infectious.
One of the things that was so appealing about this novel was that it really focuses on the actual building and running of a coffee shop, which is a level of detail that I don’t get very often in books. Viv is quite literally building a new life for herself from the ground up and it is so heartwarming to follow her journey to change not just her settling, but herself. Each addition to the shop and friend met along the way made me so happy!
I adored Viv and the small cast of side characters, each one is charming and well-developed, and I loved each and every one of them. There are still antagonists in this story, so there are some stakes that got me pretty emotional, and this balanced out the slice of life aspects of the story well. When I finished reading the book I wanted to immediately turn back to page one and start reading it again. It was the perfect pick-me-up that I needed and a book that I still think about often.
Quote
“Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Travis Baldree
I’ve loved the art of narration since I first heard Frank Muller’s legendary work. I’ve been narrating since 2017, and I’ve won a few awards from the IAA and Audiofile Magazine for my work. I’m best known for Will Wight’s Cradle series, although let’s be honest, the credit is due to him.
I live with my wife, two kids, and dog in Washington State, and I get up every morning excited and grateful to do this job.
I’m also a veteran game developer, and it’s possible you’ve played something I’ve made. Torchlight, Fate & Rebel Galaxy have sold millions of copies on desktops and consoles. I remain the co-owner and CEO of Double Damage Games.
These days, I guess I’m an author too.
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