Review: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Title: Legends & Lattes
Author: Travis Baldree
Series: Legends & Lattes #1
Genre: Low-Fantasy/Cozy Mystery/LGBT
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Edition: 296 pages, Kindle Edition
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Powell's | Thriftbooks

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

   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.

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This book was a delight to read. All the characters are great, the plot, the vibes. Just everything about this book was wonderful. I really like Viv as a protagonist, and I love that she's an Orc who isn't a stereotype. Yes, she was a warrior, but now she seeks a simple life. Something a lot of people can relate to I think. I loved all the characters. They were all very diverse in an interesting way, as most of them weren't human. Ratkin, Gnomes, Dwarves, Succubi, Hob. Though Thimble, the ratkin, might be my favorite side-character.

I like that there still was conflict, having only positive events would make the story feel, for lack of a better word, flat. The conflict, at first, I thought was just going to be with the local "crime boss" but was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't that obvious. It was still some low-steaks conflict, for the most part. But it wasn't "cliche".

I had heard there was a sub-plot of a romance, and I wasn't sure how a romance would fit into this story, but I ended up really liking it as well. It's a sub-subplot of a romance. It was just cute. It did add to the cozy fantasy of it all. This is a great story of friendship and community.

I know there's a prequel, Bookshops and Bonedust, but I would love to read a real sequel. Maybe learn more about that Dire-cat, and the mysterious Gnome Chess-player.