Book Review: “Legends & Lattes” by Travis Baldree
Håfa adai! Welcome to my review of Legends & Lattes, by Travis Baldree; a story about new beginnings, devotion among friends, and the bravery to pursue your dreams.
This book review consists of two parts: a spoiler-free plot summary and my thoughts on the story. In the second part, I give my personal rating and break down the setting and worldbuilding, storytelling, cast of characters, and themes. There may be some lightweight spoilers—such as how characters interact with each other and the world around them—but I will not give away any major plot twists or endings. I want to share my opinions of the book and maybe encourage you to purchase a copy of your own.
Click on the tags at the bottom of this post to see all reviews with the same tags in the Fantasy bookshelf.
Spoiler-Free Plot Summary
Viv, an Orc of great physical prowess, is done with the life of a mercenary. She is ready to hang up Blackblood—her trusted greatsword—and put down roots in the small town of Thune as a coffee shop owner. All she needed to step away from being a mercenary was obtaining the Scalvert’s Stone, a sought-after item said to bring fortune to whoever possesses it. But it will take more than a magical item to make her dreams a reality. And becoming an entrepreneur is so much easier said than done.
Viv is almost overwhelmed to learn how much she did not know. Fortunately, she does not have to face the daunting task of making her dreams come true alone. Just like in her days as a mercenary, Viv needs a team of companions to help her reach her goal. Together they are able to transform an abandoned stable into Legends & Lattes, a unique and well-beloved café in Thune.
But all is not “happily ever after” for Viv and her new coffee shop crew. The suspicious eyes of someone from her mercenary past are set on the Scalvert’s Stone that Viv has in her possession. And The Madrigal, an organized group of intimidators, continue to put pressure on Viv and her new business venture.
Viv will need help from her former fellow adventurers and her new coffee shop crew to figure out how to deal with these threats and find a balance between her old and new identities.
My Thoughts on Legends & Lattes: 5 stars!
The setting of Legends & Lattes is strongly influenced by the worldbuilding of the high fantasy tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, also referred to as D&D, and related high fantasy fiction books published under Forgotten Realms (associated with D&D). Many of the unique races and their respective cultural norms are compatible with what D&D and Forgotten Realms fans know and love. But you do not need to be an experienced D&D player or avid Forgotten Realms reader to understand the world Travis Baldree creates. Throughout the story, Baldree provides highly detailed (yet not overwhelming) descriptions to introduce new places and concepts to the reader.
Legends & Lattes follows the experience of Viv, a retired mercenary and now new coffee shop owner. The reader goes along with Viv as she learns more about what it takes to turn her dream of opening a coffee shop from a fantasy to a reality. She ends her final campaign and moves to the town of Thune where she purchases an abandoned building to turn into her coffee shop, discovers that there is so much more to opening and successfully running a coffee shop than she previously realized, and creates a new life for herself and her new coffee shop crew. Legends & Lattes does follow the “it’s the friends you make along the way” trope of high fantasy storytelling. But it does so in such a way that brings new life to a somewhat overused thesis.
The large list of players featured in Legends & Lattes can be sorted into two groups: those originating from Viv’s life as a mercenary, and those originating from her life as a coffee shop owner. These two groups will merge together before the end of the story, but the distinct chapters in Viv’s life where these relationships were formed play a significant role in how they show love and support for Viv.
Those who originate from Viv’s life as a mercenary include her former fellow adventurers Gallina (a Gnome), Roon (a Dwarf), Taivus (a Stone-Fey), and Fennes (an Elf). Those who originate from Viv’s life as a coffee shop owner include the carpenter Cal (short for Calamity), the creative and business-savvy succubus Tandri, the innovative baker Thimble, the aspiring bard Pendry, and the protective dire-cat Amity. As she prepares to open the doors to Legends & Lattes, Viv is approached by The Madrigal, a group of ruffians who pressure local business owners to pay a “fee” for protection. Once opened, Legends & Lattes becomes a well loved establishment among the community. Regular customers to the Legends & Lattes coffee shop include the witch Laney, the student Hemmingtong, and the magician Durias.
When Viv’s coffee shop is under threat, Viv’s friends among her former fellow adventurers offer the approach that has historically worked best for them: intimidation and force. But is this the best approach to take? Tandri points out to Viv that going down that path will only push her back into the life she decided to leave behind and could completely negate the efforts she has made into becoming a full-time coffee shop owner. The voices of her friends from both chapters of Viv’s life give her a perspective of how to balance the two aspects of her evolving identity: Viv as a once violent mercenary, and Viv as a now peaceful coffee shop owner. And through immense care and respect, they are able to build a space that honors both aspects of who Viv once was and who Viv is now.
Legends & Lattes is marketed as a “low stakes” fantasy story. And yes, it is low stakes in the sense that Viv does not go on some grand campaign in pursuit of a highly valued artifact or object. That chapter of her life is behind her. But to say that the story is “low stakes” takes away from the adventure the reader goes on. Travis Baldree so beautifully composes a story of love and devotion among friends, the determination and bravery needed to turn your dreams into reality, and the comradery that helps many face the unknown.
The reader learns with Viv and cheers her on as she and her fellow café companions build success. The reader’s heart hurts when Viv’s dreams and all of their efforts are put to an ultimate test in a traitorous act by one of Viv’s former fellow adventurers. And the reader jumps for joy when Viv, her fellow former adventurers, and her new coffee shop crew come together to build a foundation that both honors her previous life as a mercenary and establishes her new life as a business owner.
My overall rating for Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes is 5 out of 5 stars! I first finished Legends & Lattes via the audiobook, read by the author himself. But I definitely want to purchase a physical copy to see on my bookshelf. This is a story I would recommend for all those considering reading high fantasy for the first time, those who are new to high fantasy, and those who are lifelong fans of high fantasy.
Dångkulo' na' saina ma'åse'! Thank you so much for reading my review of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree.
Rating Cheat Sheet
4.75 - 5.00 stars: Everyone should read this book! (If you’re into that sort of thing.)
4.00 - 4.50 stars: I appreciated many aspects of this book. I recommend it!
3.00 - 3.75 stars: I liked some aspects of this book. I won’t revisit it, but someone else might really like it.
2.00 - 2.75 stars: There were some things I appreciated about this book, but I do not recommend it.
0.25 - 1.75 stars: I do not recommend this book. I did not enjoy or appreciate the experience of it.
Post Date: 12 August 2024
Published: 22 February 2022
Publisher: Cryptid Press
Audiobook Publisher: Cryptid Audio
Performed by Travis Baldree
