Book Review: ‘Legends & Lattes’ by Travis Baldree

Legends & Lattes is the first book in the series of the same name by Travis Baldree. In this book Dungeons & Dragons meets cosy fantasy when orc Viv decides to hang up her sword and pursue her dream of opening a coffee shop. I’d heard many good things about Legends & Lattes so, as both a fantasy and a D&D fan, I was really excited to try it.

This is the first book I’ve read that falls into the cosy fantasy sub-genre and I was confident going into this novel that I would definitely like this type of fantasy. As it turns out, my first foray into cosy fantasy wasn’t love at first sight. I don’t read a lot of slower paced stories so it took a while before I properly started to enjoy this one. Thankfully I was won over and this is definitely a sub-genre I’d be interesting in exploring further.

Essentially Legends & Lattes has a very straightforward plot about a woman opening her own independent business – the story just happens to be set in a fantasy world with fantastical creatures. There is the occasional antagonist within the story. If this was a regular fantasy novel these storylines would likely be resolved by Viv taking up her sword and a physical altercation would ensue. However I knew that, in order for this book to fit into the cosy sub-genre, the story couldn’t contain any violent conflicts. I really enjoyed trying to guess how Viv would resolve her problems using only her intelligence and charisma.

A big part of this novel’s success for me was down to the characters.

Viv is strong, determined and also caring. She is an immediately likeable protagonist who the reader roots for. Throughout the novel we are gradually introduced to the story’s main supporting characters who help Viv and her coffee shop on the journey to success. This includes: the hob carpenter Cal, the succubus artist and assistant Tandri, and the ratkin baker Thimble. Baldree introduces his characters one at time – giving the reader a chance to get to know them properly before another member of the team is added. The unlikely bond between this group of characters forms the heart of the novel.

Despite the buzz around this book, one thing that hadn’t been spoiled for me was the story’s romance sub-plot. Even though it is only quick 265 pages, Legends & Lattes still manages to pull off a convincing slow burn romance between Viv and Tandri. The gradual build-up combined with the joy when the pair finally admitted their feelings for each other made this a satisfying love story built on friendship and mutual respect.

Even though it took me a few chapters to truly get into this novel, I still feel that Legends & Lattes lived up to its hype. Now that I’m more familiar with the sub-genre of cosy fantasy, I suspect this is a story I will enjoy more the second time of reading.

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