Audiobook
English language
Published June 16, 2022 by Pan Macmillan.
High fantasy, low stakes – with a double-shot of coffee.
After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good. Now she sets her sights on a new dream – for she plans to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the past behind her, she can’t go it alone. And help might arrive from unexpected quarters. Yet old rivals and new stand in the way of success. And Thune’s shady underbelly could make it all too easy for Viv to take up the blade once more.
But the true reward of the uncharted path is the travellers you meet along the way. Whether bound by ancient magic, delicious pastries or a freshly brewed cup, they may become something deeper than Viv ever could have imagined.
This is a fantastic January read for when the weather's bad and you're curled up inside. The plot is very slice of life focused, and it's as warm and cozy as the drinks described in the novel itself. Highly reccommend for anyone who feels they need to escape from real life for a couple of hours.
Finally dipping my toe into the cozy fantasy genre and I loved it. I wanted to be in Viv's coffeeshop, drinking a latte and eating one of Thimble's pastries. A warm and cozy hug.
"A novel of high fantasy... and low stakes"
You get exactly as it reads on the tin for this book. It feels to me like a romantic comedy in book form. An orc woman stops adventuring to start a coffee shop. What follows is hi-jinks, suspiciously convenient events, and mostly non-conflicts. Even the worst thing that happens to the main character in the book is not so very terrible in the end.
Unless you are bothered by same-sex relationships, nothing in this book is a game changer for fantasy nor will it challenge your view of the world. Personally, I loved it. It's like a warm cup of coffee in the morning.
Slow but nice
Simple and cozy DnD coffee shop AU, and just what I needed.
‘I was just thinking that you don’t have to forget who you were… because that’s what brought you here.’
This is simply a cinnamon roll of a novel, literally. Legends & Lattes is a ‘cozy fantasy’, a novel that follows a long-time battle veteran orc, Viv, as she decides to settle down and follow her heart into a passion project and the next risky venture—opening up a cafe in a new town. Building a community space and introducing people to coffee is no easy task. While I was reading this, we got hit with one of those ‘record-setting’ blizzards that seem to be happening more and more frequently, so it was the perfect read to cozy up with. And of course, it imparted all the right sorts of themes and messages that might fill one up with hope for humanity.The characters are delightful, though given the small size of the …
‘I was just thinking that you don’t have to forget who you were… because that’s what brought you here.’
This is simply a cinnamon roll of a novel, literally. Legends & Lattes is a ‘cozy fantasy’, a novel that follows a long-time battle veteran orc, Viv, as she decides to settle down and follow her heart into a passion project and the next risky venture—opening up a cafe in a new town. Building a community space and introducing people to coffee is no easy task. While I was reading this, we got hit with one of those ‘record-setting’ blizzards that seem to be happening more and more frequently, so it was the perfect read to cozy up with. And of course, it imparted all the right sorts of themes and messages that might fill one up with hope for humanity.The characters are delightful, though given the small size of the book, we don’t exactly delve into too much backstory or character development. Viv is a fearsome orc with a soft, squishy interior who just wants people to have a good time and enjoy a cup of coffee. Cal, an extremely likable grumpy hobgoblin, is a welcome addition to helping Viv’s dreams be realized. Tandri, a succubus, with a penchant for calligraphy and magic and looking for a new start, comes to fill a space in Viv’s life that she scarcely even realizes is empty. The supporting cast of characters are all as intriguing and adorable as these three, and I know I’m leaving out some favorites, but for the sake of brevity, suffice it to say that the characters are a real treat and perhaps the highlight of this novel.This is ‘low stakes’, so admittedly the plot is not that heavy nor does it try to be too clever—but rest assured, there is a plot. I’m not the type of person to enjoy books that have no plot whatsoever and tend to just meander, with the exception of those immaculate character studies that really take you into the mind of a character. This isn’t that either. The writing is simplistic and straightforward, and at times it did read a bit juvenile in a modern sense—in a way that broke me out of the comfy ambiance and into the thought that I was reading a written story. Though it is simple, the plot is enough to get you engaged with the action on the page and to become extremely invested in the fate of the characters. It is somewhat convenient at times, but the feeling was cozy and reassuring for me, rather than annoying or unbelievable. We don’t get too many pointless scenes of characters sitting about not doing anything, and I appreciated that.Baldree is really exceptional in creating the warm and inviting atmosphere of this book. You feel as if you could step into Viv’s cafe and sit down with a sweet pastry or two and a cup of coffee. Now, I’m not really a coffee drinker, with the exception of espresso drinks, and tea is more my… cup of tea. But I incidentally made some espresso while reading this, and I don’t think it is entirely unrelated. The strength of this book lies in this atmosphere, a welcome escape from whichever situation you are in—thus well suited for those cold winter nights. Before I knew it, it was over, and though I was reluctant, it came to an end as all good things must. I’m certainly looking forward to whatever Baldree manages to come up with next, all the better that it is set in the same charming world.
Just so so cozy
Cute book with some slice of life elements and of course lots of coffee. It feels like the pace is a bit strange, but I don't quite know how to describe it. 3.9/5, rounded up to 4.
4/5
This book definitely delivered on what was promised. A cozy story about building a family and friendship with a side of coffee and pastries. It was a simple story that had all the warm feelings you would expect and it did that very well.
The problems Viv faces are generally low stakes and have easy solutions. There were no big twists or turns but rather more like a nice walk in the park. I think there are some places I’d have preferred Viv to have solved her own issues rather than them being solved for her, but ultimately it isn’t meant to be a serious book so I wasn’t too bothered by it.
Overall I think it’s a great light read and really does a good job with giving that cozy vibe. It’s not something I would pick up often but I think it’s great as a palate cleanser …
4/5
This book definitely delivered on what was promised. A cozy story about building a family and friendship with a side of coffee and pastries. It was a simple story that had all the warm feelings you would expect and it did that very well.
The problems Viv faces are generally low stakes and have easy solutions. There were no big twists or turns but rather more like a nice walk in the park. I think there are some places I’d have preferred Viv to have solved her own issues rather than them being solved for her, but ultimately it isn’t meant to be a serious book so I wasn’t too bothered by it.
Overall I think it’s a great light read and really does a good job with giving that cozy vibe. It’s not something I would pick up often but I think it’s great as a palate cleanser between more intense books.
Really cute!
What a lovely time! It left me feeling refreshed and joyful.
Perky, amusing story of reinvention and rebuilding of a life after a life of adventuring. Fun characters. Good pacing. Only slightly annoyed by the idea of "let's invent everything modern in the 1360s!"
Excellently read for the audio version.
Friends running a café. Very sweet. Lots of descriptions of pastries, so don't read it while hungry! 😉
A beautiful story that made me realise how much I love slice-of-life, and specifically the little details of living in a fantasy world as something other than a monster slayer!
Also Thimble is the best, he deserves the biggest kitchen in the world
4.5 A lovely slice-of-life coffeeshop AU of your usual D&D campaign. The setting is not terribly developed, but the author went a little further than just Orcs, Dwarves, Demons. It's romanticised as heck, including the organised crime part, but in times like these this I just what you need some of the time. For those not too much into romance: that part is important, but not pushed into the foreground. The story is mostly about friends as found family.
There's a tiny bit missing for a full five star rating, but it's not much. In print price is a little high too, but I got a verysolid PoD offering here in Germany.
