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alexalily's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol
oceanwriter's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.0
Though I'm not much of a fantasy reader, I was drawn to this one, especially after hearing what a cozy book this is. I probably would have enjoyed this more as a fantasy reader, but I did find it cute.
Ready to settle down into a quieter life, Viv opens a coffee shop. Being Thune's first coffee shop (what's coffee?), she's met with some opposition.
As described, the book is low stakes. This was the perfect pace for someone not used to this genre's heavy action and world-building. I can't say that I got lost in the story as I just don't have much interest in fantasy worlds or characters. Very much a matter of my personal taste. I had the opportunity to read this along with The Global Book Nook on Discord, which ultimately made me pick it up.
Ready to settle down into a quieter life, Viv opens a coffee shop. Being Thune's first coffee shop (what's coffee?), she's met with some opposition.
As described, the book is low stakes. This was the perfect pace for someone not used to this genre's heavy action and world-building. I can't say that I got lost in the story as I just don't have much interest in fantasy worlds or characters. Very much a matter of my personal taste. I had the opportunity to read this along with The Global Book Nook on Discord, which ultimately made me pick it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence and Sexual harassment
Minor: Blood
khargaotte's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was as good a read as everyone had promised! The feelings of cozyness are definitely there, though, to play on the catchphrase on the cover, it did make me realize that I like my stories with a little bit more stakes. This didn't prevent me from loving every moment spent with this story and characters, with a special mention to the description of Thimble's pastries, which really made me crave some baked goods!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Violence, and Blood
Fire/Fire injury:msradiosilence's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
4.75
TLDR; 4.75 rating, loved the lesbians, and I very much enjoy cozy fantasy.
Content warnings at the bottom. :)
This book was described to me as a cozy fantasy, and after reading a bunch of high fantasy last year, I was glad this was so low stakes. Also, I usually have an issue with men writing lesbian couples, but Baldree did it in a way that didn’t give me an ick (unlike so many, many other men). While I am of the firm opinion that you shouldn’t write from a perspective you can never or will never experience, at least Baldree did it in a respectful way.
Anyway. I loved Viv and Tandri. The idea of an orc opening a coffee shop in a D&D-esque world where she’s constantly having to explain to folks what coffee is was delightful. I loved all of the characters, and the gradual build of Viv’s life. It was so sweet, and while the book was a quick read, the pacing was pretty great.
Honestly, I have no huge complaints about the book, except for maybe the language. It was a little awkward in a few places, but I suspect that’s because the author didn’t quite find his voice, or one that felt completely right in both understandability with low fantasy, and just the weird place D&D exists.
Rating: 4.75
Would I recommend? Yes, especially if you liked the D&D movie, you like cozy low fantasy, or you’re just looking for an enjoyable and easy read.
Content warnings at the bottom. :)
This book was described to me as a cozy fantasy, and after reading a bunch of high fantasy last year, I was glad this was so low stakes. Also, I usually have an issue with men writing lesbian couples, but Baldree did it in a way that didn’t give me an ick (unlike so many, many other men). While I am of the firm opinion that you shouldn’t write from a perspective you can never or will never experience, at least Baldree did it in a respectful way.
Anyway. I loved Viv and Tandri. The idea of an orc opening a coffee shop in a D&D-esque world where she’s constantly having to explain to folks what coffee is was delightful. I loved all of the characters, and the gradual build of Viv’s life. It was so sweet, and while the book was a quick read, the pacing was pretty great.
Honestly, I have no huge complaints about the book, except for maybe the language. It was a little awkward in a few places, but I suspect that’s because the author didn’t quite find his voice, or one that felt completely right in both understandability with low fantasy, and just the weird place D&D exists.
Rating: 4.75
Would I recommend? Yes, especially if you liked the D&D movie, you like cozy low fantasy, or you’re just looking for an enjoyable and easy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
leguinstan's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Honestly, if this was my first cozy fantasy read there's a good chance I would've completely written off the sub-genre with the assumption that it simply isn't for me. But luckily that isn't the case and while Legends & Lattes is responsible for starting a wave of interest in cozy fantasy I think it's one of the weakest examples of the sub-genre.
While I understand that there wasn't going to be any seriously distressing drama or conflicts among the staff in the book, I feel like they got along a little *too* well and that they lacked depth overall. What was Thimble's job before he became a baker at the titular coffeeshop? How does Cal afford to provide his services to the coffeeshop when he frequently declines payment? Tandri is negatively affected by the stereotypes about succubi... but what exactly *are* those stereotypes?? The supporting characters are extremely bland and the only thing they've got going for them is their superficial pleasantness. Don't even get me started on the complete lack of romantic tension/chemistry between Viv and Tandri. And speaking of Viv, I find it disappointing that all her struggles to distance herself from her violent past are strictly external (villainous characters pushing her to defend herself and her business through violence). After years of beast-slaying and mercenary work, I'm surprised she doesn't struggle to unlearn certain behavioral traits or unpack trauma that would prevent her from fully assimilating into her newfound civilian lifestyle.
Moving on from the characters now. I was looking forward to reading this book because I was excited to see how a coffee shop business would thrive in a fantasy book. How would the coffeeshop accommodate the needs of a fantastically diverse clientele? How would the business incorporate magic into their business practices? Sadly, the coffeeshop end result feels like the fantasy equivalent of a Starbuck store and it felt as though the author was ticking off bullet points on a coffeeshop business checklist. In addition, I suspect the reason I didn't find much comfort in the coffeeshop aspects of the novel is because there was more focus on the coffeeshop as a thriving, profitable business and less focus on the coffeeshop as a safe, relaxing space. If I'd never spent time in a coffeeshop Legends & Lattes would've given me the impression that the comfort of a coffeeshop is mostly found in a cup of coffee. And while there is certainly joy to be found in a good cup of coffee, I feel the novel fails to describe the sense of peace I and others feel in certain coffeeshops--a sense of peace that has very little to do with the quality of the coffee being served.
I don't know... I just feel that it actually takes a deceptive amount of effort to pull off a good cozy, slice-of-life book. A lack of conflict and a veneer of pleasant is simply not enough for me unfortunately.
While I understand that there wasn't going to be any seriously distressing drama or conflicts among the staff in the book, I feel like they got along a little *too* well and that they lacked depth overall. What was Thimble's job before he became a baker at the titular coffeeshop? How does Cal afford to provide his services to the coffeeshop when he frequently declines payment? Tandri is negatively affected by the stereotypes about succubi... but what exactly *are* those stereotypes?? The supporting characters are extremely bland and the only thing they've got going for them is their superficial pleasantness. Don't even get me started on the complete lack of romantic tension/chemistry between Viv and Tandri. And speaking of Viv, I find it disappointing that all her struggles to distance herself from her violent past are strictly external (villainous characters pushing her to defend herself and her business through violence). After years of beast-slaying and mercenary work, I'm surprised she doesn't struggle to unlearn certain behavioral traits or unpack trauma that would prevent her from fully assimilating into her newfound civilian lifestyle.
Moving on from the characters now. I was looking forward to reading this book because I was excited to see how a coffee shop business would thrive in a fantasy book. How would the coffeeshop accommodate the needs of a fantastically diverse clientele? How would the business incorporate magic into their business practices? Sadly, the coffeeshop end result feels like the fantasy equivalent of a Starbuck store and it felt as though the author was ticking off bullet points on a coffeeshop business checklist. In addition, I suspect the reason I didn't find much comfort in the coffeeshop aspects of the novel is because there was more focus on the coffeeshop as a thriving, profitable business and less focus on the coffeeshop as a safe, relaxing space. If I'd never spent time in a coffeeshop Legends & Lattes would've given me the impression that the comfort of a coffeeshop is mostly found in a cup of coffee. And while there is certainly joy to be found in a good cup of coffee, I feel the novel fails to describe the sense of peace I and others feel in certain coffeeshops--a sense of peace that has very little to do with the quality of the coffee being served.
I don't know... I just feel that it actually takes a deceptive amount of effort to pull off a good cozy, slice-of-life book. A lack of conflict and a veneer of pleasant is simply not enough for me unfortunately.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Violence, Blood, and Sexual harassment
twistykris's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
The perfect book to read while drinking coffee and eating a cinnamon roll. A cute, fun, cozy read about an orc wanting to live a life without violence while running a coffee shop in a city that doesn't know what coffee is. The characters were absolutely lovable- especially Thimble, the baking rattkin.
This book is a low stakes cozy fantasy read, so the majority of it is Viv meeting folks and running the coffee shop, which is absolutely wonderful. But there are some darker, tragic moments partway through the book that were devastating. The world isn't ending, the hero doesn't need to go on an epic journey to save it; it's a fantasy slice-of-life story that warmed my heart like a toasty cinnamon roll.
This book is a low stakes cozy fantasy read, so the majority of it is Viv meeting folks and running the coffee shop, which is absolutely wonderful. But there are some darker, tragic moments partway through the book that were devastating. The world isn't ending, the hero doesn't need to go on an epic journey to save it; it's a fantasy slice-of-life story that warmed my heart like a toasty cinnamon roll.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Blood and Sexual harassment
stardustdreamer's review
adventurous
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
jhbandcats's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
5.0
This book was absolutely charming, sweet without being treacly, funny but with some serious themes. It’s also a clever, unique idea - a battle-weary orc lays down her sword to open a coffee shop in a land where no one has ever heard of coffee!
Viv, the aforementioned orc, believes her good luck with her new coffee shop is due to the magic stone she keeps nearby. It’s really her warmth and enthusiasm and friendship that creates goodness and success around her. The story is simple with few plot twists or complexities, but it’s just such an easy read - I sank into the story and never wanted it to end. I just wanted a latte and lots of cinnamon rolls and croissants.
After all, how could I *not* like this? There’s a hero cat!
Viv, the aforementioned orc, believes her good luck with her new coffee shop is due to the magic stone she keeps nearby. It’s really her warmth and enthusiasm and friendship that creates goodness and success around her. The story is simple with few plot twists or complexities, but it’s just such an easy read - I sank into the story and never wanted it to end. I just wanted a latte and lots of cinnamon rolls and croissants.
After all, how could I *not* like this? There’s a hero cat!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
mandkips's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death and Blood
cherryboo's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Racism and Blood