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tyras_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I flew through this and loved it! Viv is very cool—a world-wearied Orc that’s fallen in love with coffee and wants to open her own shop. It was a little like what I expect D&D to be like as a book with Viv’s little side quest. Like we watch her buy a shop and fix it up with another outcast type and you’d think it would be boring but it was so precious.
My favorite part was the budding romance between Viv and Tandry because it was so subtle and sweet. Just two ladies working alongside each other and developing into their love and partnership by accident.
But then Finus and the fire! Broke my heart. That’s a really important moment though. Viv has chosen her new dream in her new life – – the coffee shop and all that it can symbolize – – over her old life of marauding and adventures. By leaving Blackblood (super cool spooky sword) to burn in the fire, she’s finally chosen inner peace for herself, even in the midst of literal chaos.
But even then her friends and found family gather around her to rebuild and it’s just such a fun, lovely story.
The only ding would be having the Pages to Fill chapter at the end of the story because I could I missed it! It adds to the world building and helps us understand the characters more but I think it would have been more impact in the beginning.
Definitely recommend and would reread!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
monarchbooks's review
adventurous
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If I wasn't so fucking tired from staying up late to reas this book, I'd probably be sobbing. Truly fantastic book for anyone who loves the found family trope. Very manageable high fantasy for anyone who might need an introduction (or a convincing) to that genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
chronic_listener's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
This was such a comfy, cozy read with lots of wholesome moments that had me go "🥹". I really liked the details of Viv and Cal building the shop, that combined with all the baked goods slowly added to the shop felt like unlocking new levels in a cozy video game.
I totally see how this is beloved by so many but for me personally a 5 star read needs to really move me and leave a lasting impression, which as sweet and fun as this book was, in just not the case here for me.
Would totally recommend if you are looking for a short, quick and enjoyable book with a coffee shop DIY project and found family vibes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Racism, Xenophobia, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
booksoversecondbreakfast's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I just loved this book so much!! It's definitely a cozy fantasy, so don't expect something fast-paced and thrilling, but it's just so sweet and full of so much well thought out lore and intrigue.
It's a story of a retired mercenary & adventure orc, Viv, and her journey building a business and a community. There's a secondary plot that features a romance between Viv and one of the other characters, but it's not as central as the community-building plot of the book. I had hoped that there would be more romance to this book, because I really enjoyed it, but I can't penalize the book for not having as much of as I'd have preferred, especially because it was so tastefully written and the rest of the plot was so interesting otherwise.
All in all, this was totally a 5-star book! Especially for fantasy! The characters were all so interesting and loveable, the setting left me wanting to explore the world and visit Viv's coffee shop, and the magic system seemed well thought out and interesting. It was such a wonderful found-family story, which I'm a total sucker for, and I loved how this author made that work in such an interesting and well-written fantasy world. We totally need more books like these! I borrowed this book via ebook from the library, but I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy of this book for my library, because I expect to comfort-reread this several times throughout my lifetime.
It's a story of a retired mercenary & adventure orc, Viv, and her journey building a business and a community. There's a secondary plot that features a romance between Viv and one of the other characters, but it's not as central as the community-building plot of the book. I had hoped that there would be more romance to this book, because I really enjoyed it, but I can't penalize the book for not having as much of as I'd have preferred, especially because it was so tastefully written and the rest of the plot was so interesting otherwise.
All in all, this was totally a 5-star book! Especially for fantasy! The characters were all so interesting and loveable, the setting left me wanting to explore the world and visit Viv's coffee shop, and the magic system seemed well thought out and interesting. It was such a wonderful found-family story, which I'm a total sucker for, and I loved how this author made that work in such an interesting and well-written fantasy world. We totally need more books like these! I borrowed this book via ebook from the library, but I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy of this book for my library, because I expect to comfort-reread this several times throughout my lifetime.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death, Genocide, Gore, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Gaslighting
abbey_marie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really liked this book once I got into it. As the book jacket says, “High Fantasy, Low Stakes.” It fits that description perfectly and is an incredibly cozy, relaxing read and perfect for fall!
Things I Loved:
- The Food! Cinnamon rolls, coffee, chocolate - this book has all the cozy deliciousness with detailed descriptions that will make your mouth water. I’m not lying when I say that I am now craving a cinnamon roll as big as my head! (And I would LOVE to have a real Legends and Lattes somewhere to go get one!) I also loved that no one had ever heard of them before, because that was just charming and added a bit more magic to the story and the detailed food descriptions.
- The Characters! I loved how Viv was a strong female lead, Tandri too, and the diverse cast of characters that created a community around Viv as her cafe grew and thrived. Val and Thimble were perfect! Thimble especially with his soft-spoken demeanor and baking genius! Not joking - Baldree should totally make a stuffy of him because all the members of my book club would probably buy it lol.
- Slice of Life! This book is perfect for those readers who love slice of life novels. This goes relatively day-by-day and is slow-medium paced, picking up more in the middle. I’ll admit that at first it took me a while to get into it, but once I did it was a cozy book I really wanted to return to at the end of the day under a cozy blanket with a warm bevvie in hand!
- The Setting! Thune was so cozy! It feels almost like a rural, medieval-like Scottish or Irish village, but in a fantasy setting. I really enjoyed the descriptive writing style used by Baldree and the way it drew you into the story. I think it added an extra layer of warmth and coziness to the story.
- Queer Rep! 🏳️🌈 Just love the love story and how it unfolded. I honestly wasn’t expecting it at first and then really grew to love it as a smaller side plot. And the ending! 🥹🥹🥹 IYKYK
Things I Liked:
- The Fantasy. I’m not a high-fantasy reader, so this genre kind of caught me off guard in some ways since I didn’t really know what to expect going into it. I wasn’t familiar with many of the different types of characters (and am still not super well schooled on them now lol), but this book made me like high fantasy and want to learn more about it. I usually shy away from the genre because I don’t know a lot about it and it seems complicated, but this was a great introduction.
Things I Didn’t Like:
-This book is made to be low stakes, so I understand that, but I do feel like the main conflict with the Madrigal was resolved too quickly. I almost wish there had been more tension there and the conflict with Fennus had been cut, even though it did add to the story. I actually loved how the community rallied around Viv after that, but I still feel like the main conflict arc could have been developed more and the tension could have been held onto more before coming to a resolution.
- The beast killing scene at the beginning was a little too gory for me. Maybe it was expectations—I went into the book thinking it would be super cozy and start super cozy, after Viv had gotten the Scalvert’s Stone, and it kind of caught me off guard. I’m not big on gory fight scenes, so it just felt misplaced for me and I honestly skimmed it. (Had to come back to it later obviously lol, since I didn’t know some names.)
-I wish we saw more of the seemingly magical, time-traveling dwarf! My book club said this too and I totally agree, I would have loved to see more of the little guy because I feel like there’s a story there!
Overall, this was an awesome book! I would totally recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy readmaybe minus the slightly gory prologue lol or a relaxing book perfect for fall! Definitely for a lover of cinnamon rolls! 🧡🍁☕️ (Also, why is there no cinnamon roll emoji?! Someone needs to get on that!)
Things I Loved:
- The Food! Cinnamon rolls, coffee, chocolate - this book has all the cozy deliciousness with detailed descriptions that will make your mouth water. I’m not lying when I say that I am now craving a cinnamon roll as big as my head! (And I would LOVE to have a real Legends and Lattes somewhere to go get one!) I also loved that no one had ever heard of them before, because that was just charming and added a bit more magic to the story and the detailed food descriptions.
- The Characters! I loved how Viv was a strong female lead, Tandri too, and the diverse cast of characters that created a community around Viv as her cafe grew and thrived. Val and Thimble were perfect! Thimble especially with his soft-spoken demeanor and baking genius! Not joking - Baldree should totally make a stuffy of him because all the members of my book club would probably buy it lol.
- Slice of Life! This book is perfect for those readers who love slice of life novels. This goes relatively day-by-day and is slow-medium paced, picking up more in the middle. I’ll admit that at first it took me a while to get into it, but once I did it was a cozy book I really wanted to return to at the end of the day under a cozy blanket with a warm bevvie in hand!
- The Setting! Thune was so cozy! It feels almost like a rural, medieval-like Scottish or Irish village, but in a fantasy setting. I really enjoyed the descriptive writing style used by Baldree and the way it drew you into the story. I think it added an extra layer of warmth and coziness to the story.
- Queer Rep! 🏳️🌈 Just love the love story and how it unfolded. I honestly wasn’t expecting it at first and then really grew to love it as a smaller side plot. And the ending! 🥹🥹🥹 IYKYK
Things I Liked:
- The Fantasy. I’m not a high-fantasy reader, so this genre kind of caught me off guard in some ways since I didn’t really know what to expect going into it. I wasn’t familiar with many of the different types of characters (and am still not super well schooled on them now lol), but this book made me like high fantasy and want to learn more about it. I usually shy away from the genre because I don’t know a lot about it and it seems complicated, but this was a great introduction.
Things I Didn’t Like:
-
-
-
Overall, this was an awesome book! I would totally recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy read
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I thought this was a really sweet, quick book. It was so cozy, and it was a great escape. I will say, there's almost no world-building, and if you're not familiar with a bunch of D&D concepts and characters, you will not have anything to build a mental image off of. D&D enthusiasts might not notice this, but the rest of us are very confused about thaumic somethings. I also have the probably-unpopular opinion that I thought that Viv and Tandri had a beautiful friendship that didn't need to be ruined with love. I actually thought the strength of this book was how much it lifted up friendship as a legitimate relationship of support. Most importantly, I would dye for Thimble. He is perfect. I would read a book about him being silent.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
staceyinthesticks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
angorarabbit's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Ethnicity, some gender, and orientation diversity. Most of the violence is in the prologue and the short story that follows the main story in my edition of the book, These can be skipped with little lost to the main story. There is a little kissing but no spicy stuff.
TLDR: The last chapter is the chef’s kiss.
Context: This was my 3rd book choice for the Kindle Series Pioneer Spring 2024 challenge.It made up for Tress of the Emerald Sea.
So let’s compare Legends and Lattes (Legends) to Tress of the Emerald Sea (Tress) shall we?
The basic plot is similar. A woman goes on a quest. She does not know how she will achieve her goals but she sets off anyway. On the way others join her because she is a good person. With the help of others the woman achieves her goal after vanquishing an opponent.
So Tress is a 2 star and L & L a 4 star to me.
Two things: writing style and characterisation.
Legends has no narrator asides telling you that Viv is remarkable, or humble, or so like other girls that no other girl is like her. You taste the Midnight Crescents because Tandri puts it in her mouth. Tress tells you that Charle eats a pie. Tress has to tell you that sexism has no place in business, Legends just shows men and women working. Legends trusts the reader.
With apologies to Fort, Tress’ characters are backdrops to Tress. They have few initiatives of their own, even the narrator. Charlie in particular felt like a hot mess of tropes to me. On the other hand Legend’s characters seem to have lives of their own. I can imagine Thimble going back home after a baking day and sipping a cold drink pleased at everyone’s reactions to his newest creation. Calamity sitting back with a warm soup and an ice pack on aching muscles reflecting on a job well done.
Also I love the idea of a studious non-violent orc. I am looking forward to the further adventures of Viv, Cal, Tandri, and Thimble.
Also also the elf deserved what he got, elves spend way to much silver on hair care products.
Lastly I am rethinking my aversion to Amazon’s KPD. Thank you to tor.com and all the booksellers out there for making this available to non-Kindle-Unlimited readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
mild injury detail (not fire related), no children or animals are harmediane_reads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
kelly_e's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Title: Legends & Lattes
Author: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes #1
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: February 22, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Comforting • Delightful • Simple
📖 S Y N O P S I S
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When it came time to choose my 12 recs from 12 friends selection for the month of February, I was looking for something shorter and fluffier given so many other books I planned to read this month were on the longer side and/or tackled heavy topics. Enter Legends & Lattes, which ticked the right boxes.
Legends & Lattes is a high fantasy, low stakes, slice-of-life story. For me, it was really the cast of wholesome characters and their relationships that made this story shine. I came to care about each one of them and really didn't want anything bad to happen to them. In particular, Viv was such a strong and capable lead, with the ability to stand on her own two feet. I admired her bravery in forging her own path. While the dynamic between Viv and Tandri was genuine, I was anticipating a little more romance than what I got.
The concept of opening a coffee shop in a world where no one knows what coffee is was intriguing and comical at the same time. Seeing the struggles and triumphs of opening a new business mirrored reality. I particularly loved seeing how the menu changed from start to finish. And I must say this book definitely left me with so many cravings.
I read a physical copy while listening to the audio, which enhanced my enjoyment. I didn't realize the author, Travis Baldree, is full-time audio narrator and his narration is perfection. His characterization is one of the best I've heard and I'd definitely be interested in checking out more of his narrations. Additionally, the edition I read had a bonus story 'Pages to Fill', a nice little addition.
Legends & Lattes certainly made me step outside of my reading comfort zone, and that is exactly why I love doing the 12 recs challenge each year. Would I have picked this up outside of the challenge? Probably not. Did I enjoy my time with these characters? Absolutely! It is the ideal blend of fantasy and cozy mysteries, with a touch of romance dusted in. When readers talk about hugs in book form, this is what they mean. I am not sure when, but I will be definitely picking up the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust at some point in the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• lovers of high fantasy and cozy mysteries
• readers looking for a coffee shop read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as."
"She thought about what Tandri had said just a day ago about reciprocity. Pain that was ignored, magnified on its return."
Author: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes #1
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: February 22, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Comforting • Delightful • Simple
📖 S Y N O P S I S
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When it came time to choose my 12 recs from 12 friends selection for the month of February, I was looking for something shorter and fluffier given so many other books I planned to read this month were on the longer side and/or tackled heavy topics. Enter Legends & Lattes, which ticked the right boxes.
Legends & Lattes is a high fantasy, low stakes, slice-of-life story. For me, it was really the cast of wholesome characters and their relationships that made this story shine. I came to care about each one of them and really didn't want anything bad to happen to them. In particular, Viv was such a strong and capable lead, with the ability to stand on her own two feet. I admired her bravery in forging her own path. While the dynamic between Viv and Tandri was genuine, I was anticipating a little more romance than what I got.
The concept of opening a coffee shop in a world where no one knows what coffee is was intriguing and comical at the same time. Seeing the struggles and triumphs of opening a new business mirrored reality. I particularly loved seeing how the menu changed from start to finish. And I must say this book definitely left me with so many cravings.
I read a physical copy while listening to the audio, which enhanced my enjoyment. I didn't realize the author, Travis Baldree, is full-time audio narrator and his narration is perfection. His characterization is one of the best I've heard and I'd definitely be interested in checking out more of his narrations. Additionally, the edition I read had a bonus story 'Pages to Fill', a nice little addition.
Legends & Lattes certainly made me step outside of my reading comfort zone, and that is exactly why I love doing the 12 recs challenge each year. Would I have picked this up outside of the challenge? Probably not. Did I enjoy my time with these characters? Absolutely! It is the ideal blend of fantasy and cozy mysteries, with a touch of romance dusted in. When readers talk about hugs in book form, this is what they mean. I am not sure when, but I will be definitely picking up the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust at some point in the future.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• lovers of high fantasy and cozy mysteries
• readers looking for a coffee shop read
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as."
"She thought about what Tandri had said just a day ago about reciprocity. Pain that was ignored, magnified on its return."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Stalking, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol