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A review by leguinstan
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
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