Thank you, Tor Books, for allowing me to read Legends & Lattes early!

Tor, you made an exceptional deal acquiring this book because it's simply spectacular!

Legends & Lattes is a warm, buttery slice of fantasy goodness that needs to be enjoyed in your comfiest armchair with a fresh cup of pour-over. This is that cozy D&D life and I’m here for it

It lived up to the hype. Warm and cozy and sweet. The characters are likable, and I rooted for them every step of the way. Sure, the plot is a little predictable and sometimes a little slow, but that somehow added to the charm.

It's official, I need more Cozy Fantasy books in my life!

This was adorable, the characters were likeable, the story comfy. Frankly the only complaint I have is that it wasn't even longer!

Imagine the coziest D&D game possible. Viv is an orc who has retired from adventuring to open a coffee shop in Thune, a small city where no one has ever tasted coffee. Sure, she has mighty thews and a mighty sword, but what she really needs is someone who knows how to make a good pastry. There are conficts, and it would not be true to say that nothing happens, but mostly, this is the story of how Viv gathers a found-family of friends around her and introduces Thune to the delights of good coffee. This novel was originally self-published, but when Seanan McGuire tweeted about how much she loved it, her legions of readers bought it, and passed it around to their friends, and sales rose, and now it has a home with a traditional publisher. May Travis Baldree be blessed by a visit from the Money Truck for creating such a sweet, comforting fantasy.

Rounding up because I loved it! This is a nice gentle fantasy read if you’re feeling a bit stressed out and just want something fun with low stakes. An orc adventurer is getting too old for her trade but has a good plan for what to do next! She opens a coffeehouse and makes friends with her new neighbors. She has to deal with a few threats but really doesn’t want to be known as the orc who dealt with her issues the violent way. I read the ARC of the Tor edition just because I loved this so much I wanted to read the included short story. Go for this book if you just want a fun read with low stakes!

Legends & Lattes is such a cute book. There is something comforting about its straightforward plot and characters, as we see elements from both tropey fantasy (D&D particularly in evidence) and romcom/slice of life tales come together. The romance is certainly understated, but still just a bit adorable. The simplicity of the story does bring its limitations though: everything is very predictable and there really isn't much depth to any of the characters. Personally I would have also loved a bit more wackiness in how fantasy and coffeeshop stuff come together - there are a few fun alternative inventions and magical innovations, but a lot of the shop development plot could appear in a non-fantastical version of this story. This may not be perfect, but it will make for a perfect comfort read.

I got this when it was self published and it is the coziest little romance i’ve ever read. Petition for Baldree to flagship the “cozy fantasy” genre!!!


Come take a load off at Viv's cafe, the first & only coffee shop in Thune. Grand opening!

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv, the orc barbarian, cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.

However, her dreams of a fresh start filling mugs instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners, and a different kind of resolve.

This is perfect for readers of heartwarming, relatively low stakes speculative fiction like that of TJ Klune and Becky Chambers. The characters are extremely lovable and the reading experience feels like having a nice cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll at your favorite shop.