Legends and Lattes
By Travis Baldree
Blurb
High fantasy, low stakes – with a double-shot of coffee.
After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good. Now she sets her sights on a new dream – for she plans to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the past behind her, she can’t go it alone. And help might arrive from unexpected quarters. Yet old rivals and new stand in the way of success. And Thune’s shady underbelly could make it all too easy for Viv to take up the blade once more.
But the true reward of the uncharted path is the travellers you meet along the way. Whether bound by ancient magic, delicious pastries or a freshly brewed cup, they may become something deeper than Viv ever could have imagined . . .
Our Review
"The combined aromas of hot cinnamon, ground coffee, and sweet cardamom intoxicated her, and as she brewed and smiled and served and chatted, a deep contentment welled up. It was a glowing warmth she'd never experienced before, and she liked it. She liked it a great deal,"
I read an ARC of Bookshops & Bonedust a little while ago and was charmed by the low stakes fantasy. At the time of requesting I didn't realise it was part of a series, so I was very excited to discover that Legends & Lattes came first.
Viv, an orc, is tired of the endless bloodshed and battles. She wants to retire her weapons and introduce her new home town, Thune, to the wonders of coffee. The only problem is trouble doesn't want her to be leaving it behind.
I liked that this book got us to consider an orc as something other than a mindless, battle-hungry fiend, an image wedged in the mind of Lord of the Rings fan. Viv has had her fill of bloodshed and would really rather she didn't die a gruesome death.
"Viv had reached her limit of blood, and mud, and bullshit."
I am a massive fan of coffee so this book's title leapt out at me. I loved the descriptions of the coffee shop and I really wanted to try some of the amazing foods described in the book. I felt like I constantly craved coffee or some kind of baked delight for the entirety of this book!
"It was like drinking the feeling of being peaceful.Being peaceful in your mind. Well, not if you had too much, then it's something else."
I think part of the appeal of this book is that it isnt really what you picture when you think of fantasy, there is no high stakes adventure, instead it is all about friendships and reinventing yourself. It will appeal to those who are scared of the genre as well as battle hardened readers.
Cosy fantasy and coffee, what more could you want? Legends & Lattes is the fantasy equivalent of a warm hug.
Our Final Rating...
Read & Shared 0 Times.
I hope you enjoyed this book review, please consider sharing it with others.
Get In Touch
Please feel free to leave a comment to this book review below. Or even leave your own review if you like.
If you run a blog and/or have posted a review to this book, a Q & A or general author interview online you can always add a trackback to it here and following moderation we'll add a link to it below.