This book is like a nice warm cup of coffee.

But do you really want to read a book like a cup of coffee?

Its cozy, but there is virtually no plot or drama. (Almost) all of the characters are really nice, so there isn't even really any struggle to create anything. There's a sense of inevitability; Viv's cafe just sort of falls into place in line with what a modern cafe in our world looks like. That's actually baffling, as anyone who knows even a little of the history of coffee knows. The fantasy setting is also very shallow. Make all the characters human and change the color of the fire, and this could easily be written in our world.

The premise reminds me of some of the Discworld novels where roundworld things spontaneously develop, but in that case its a satirical commentary on our world and part of the humor. Without whimsy or humor here, this story just feels out of place.

Read for the cozy vibes, but don't expect much substance.