Legends & Lattes

A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes

by Travis Baldree

eBook, 296 pages

English language

Published April 26, 2022 by Cryptid Press.

ISBN:: 979-8-9856632-0-4

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.

17 editions

almostallthecake reviewed Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Review of 'Legends and Lattes' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This is a super cozy book. I have [b:Bookshops & Bonedust|65213543|Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes, #0)|Travis Baldree|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1678122626l/65213543.SY75.jpg|100097047] ready to go on my TBR last as I enjoyed this one so much.

If you are someone that wants a lot of depth, gore, and fighting in your fantasy, this is definitely more of a cozy book. I was on the search for a cozy book, and this hit the spot.

I did find myself somewhat bored by the second half, but it's also an easy read, so it didn't dampen the experience. The last part almost made me cry though, even though it was foreshadowed, I wanted to take action myself, so I definitely bonded with Viv. I want her coffee now.

The world building and dialogue are the most impressive parts of this book. You are truly allowed to escape.

Molly Foust reviewed Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Review of 'Legends and Lattes' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

A happy book , redolent of cinnamon rolls and bean juice, full of friends coming together that will assuage any ongoing despair one might have and lead you to hug an ogre.

btuftin reviewed Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Review of 'Legends and Lattes' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This is a very well written, short, simple book. It's very cozy to some people, not all if them coffee drinkers. I know, because I'm not a coffee drinker, and I found it very cozy.

Naomi reviewed Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

None

5 stars

I loved this - so cosy and wholesome.

sifuCJC reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Good weekend read

4 stars

I was looking for something fun. This fit the bill. I'll continue on in the series.

spinnytea reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Cozy and Heart Warming

5 stars

A cozy fantasy about building a coffee shop from the ground up. It's got power creep, a mob, magic; it tickles your senses and calms your nerves. This'll definitely be a re-read.

Machinedreamread reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Very Cute

4 stars

Cozy fantasy that wasn't too intense. just a cute enjoyable story

Raven reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Cozy fantasy

5 stars

While I am new to cozy fantasy as a genre, I thoroughly enjoyed the my first taste with Legends and Lattes. While I was on edge waiting for action I am so used to getting in fantasy, I was not disappointed when little came. I found myself wanting to try a hand at baking the treats found in the little cafe from Thune. And I am not known for my cooking nor baking skills. I highly recommend for a relaxing read.

Clare Hooley reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Needing an ‘extra shot’ to get beyond an OK–good

4 stars

I came to this book knowing that it is described as ‘cosy fantasy’ and there’d be few surprises. I didn’t know what cosy fantasy is but do now. Here, we have light-hearted, but not sexual, romance embedded in a fun slice of life story about Viv, an orc, opening a café (complete with a cook to make cinnamon buns and biscotti) perhaps, or perhaps not, with a little magical help. The other characters comprise those enlisted to help in the cafe endeavour, as well as a few rogues and the members of DnD-style adventurers’ troupe that Viv previously belonged to. The trouble is there’s just not much here world- or character-building wise, and the book itself is very short. The only person we really learn anything about is Viv, and apart from a few references to height and strength, she might as well be human. One to enjoy on a …

Otterfaseowl reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Loved it

4 stars

thoroughly enjoyable

Courts reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Cozy Reading, as Advertised

5 stars

This was fun to read. Low stakes, comfy vibes. Best to be enjoyed while drinking a hot cup of coffee. Like a good lo-fi song in book form. Don't expect this to be more than it is though, this is comfort reading.

BigBear1014 reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Review of 'Legends & Lattes' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Cozy fantasy novel about good coffee, good food and good friends.
I would love to read more about Viv and her quest to make coffee the beverage of choice in this beautifully crafted fantasy world.

oatmilk_alex reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Review of 'Legends & Lattes' on 'Storygraph'

3 stars

very cosy fantasy, but it's not really for me (I found it quite boring)

anaulin reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Quick, fun, and forgettable

3 stars

A cute story with D&D-style characters. An amusing and quick read, but predictable and forgettable. I'm not quite sure why this made it to Hugo finalist, seems way too weak.

mikerickson reviewed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes, #1)

-

2 stars

Maybe it's time to accept that fantasy as a whole just isn't for me. I've tried grimdark fantasy, comedic fantasy, folklore fantasy, and even eastern Wuxia fantasy. Apparently cozy coffeshop fantasy (apologies in advance) isn't my cup of tea neither.

It also feels strange to attempt a review here. I feel like I'm being asked how I liked my sandwich when I was only served a single slice of bread. There just wasn't a lot going on here. Well over half of the front end of this book felt like it could have been a montage and I routinely remember thinking to myself, "okay sis, but we're gonna need a plot at some point..." When an inciting incident threatens to occur however, it's resolved almost immediately, and then we're back to trucking along with vignettes of daily life.

Also feel like I was teased with one aspect; our …

Also feel like I was teased with one aspect; our protagonist, Viv, is an experienced adventurer who wants to get out of the life before she winds up dead from it. Routinely we are reminded of her physical prowess and skill as a fighter, but we never see it for ourselves beyond the opening paragraphs of the prologue. I know she was making an active effort not to fall back into her old ways, but it still felt like a Chekhov's Gun that I was waiting to go off and it never did.

I don't feel like I came into this with any unrealistic expectations beyond, "low-stakes DnD-esque mystery with lesbians", which is essentially what's here, but I found it to be a very watered-down version of that. This is the literary equivalent of homeopathy.

Unrelated, and this doesn't impact my overall score, but this is one of those books where the last 20 or 30 pages are an excerpt for the next book in the series, but I didn't know that. So here I was physically holding a good-sized stack of pages thinking I had that much plot to work through, and instead met with an unexpected ending. I hate when books do that.