Review of “Legends and Lattes”
Written by Trevor Stone Priesnitz
As the weather starts to cool down after this oddly warm week in October, there will be a need for some good reading material to curl up and enjoy. Typically, I am more inclined to read pretty intense fiction such as sci-fi, horror, and action fantasy. But recently I decided to give a chance to a cozy fantasy novel which had received very high praise: “Legends and Lattes” by Travis Baldree. This flew onto my radar because it is a novel that hit a few points that piqued my interest. Firstly, this was a book with a concept that I thought had a lot of fun potential. Baldree wrote a setting heavily inspired by tabletop roleplaying games such as “Dungeons & Dragons,” with the main character Viv being an ex-adventurer seeking to wind down and escape her violent past. This is combined with an atypical concept for a fantasy book revolving around a less adventurous story, one about running a café in a world unfamiliar to coffee. I had high hopes going into this book, especially because I felt very attached to Viv just from the introduction. This book ended up surprising me in many positive ways despite not being exactly what I had expected.
This was not an epic scale novel, or even one that made me feel like I had changed much at all after reading. But despite this, I adored every moment of reading it. I am starting to understand the appeal of lighter, cozier fiction over my more typical “heavy” fiction. This book was like a visit to a café: it was short, sweet, and was not mentally taxing. There were moments with some significant stakes, but there was a sense that it was all going to be okay. This is a book about community, friendships, and what it means to love yourself. The friendships within this novel feel genuine, and the characters have their own ways of expressing love. Because we as readers know that Viv is a kind and gentle person within, it is calming seeing her find people who share her level of ambition and generosity. My favorite element of this book are these interactions between Viv and her friends, as they create most of the comfort of the atmosphere. The novel also contains some light romance, and it feels very naturally integrated and respectful.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in fantasy settings, as it contains a little bit for every fan of the genre. While I normally tend to read more violent, bureaucratic fantasy, I found that I ended up really enjoying the cozy scenes over the occasional adventurous ones that are sprinkled in. Baldree was not aiming to create a grand story, and I think that he did an excellent job at what he was going for. This would also be a great primer for those new to the fantasy genre, as Baldree is careful to present more complex fantasy elements in a way that is manageable but not tedious. He explains things like fantasy creatures and character classes through Viv’s internal monologues, making these definitions fluid and palatable. This is a short and relaxed read, so I implore anyone even slightly interested to give it a shot. And if you want the ultimate experience, maybe consider reading it while enjoying a nice cup of coffee (maybe even a latte if you are so bold).
Featured image owned by Tor Books
