My first impressions (Writing down my first impressions of the book. NOT an in-depth review. Reviews are based on personal enjoyment.)

RANK: C

This book is not worth the hype.

The book had a good premise but Travis did nothing with it.

Travis introduces stakes after stakes after stakes but lets them fizzle out with no pay off. It made me think what was the point of anything. 4 plot points that weren’t satisfying. I don’t care if it’s a cozy fantasy it still needs scenes and scenarios that pays off. Spoiler Thoughts The Madrigal group was pointless. It lead to nowhere. It ends with the leader agreeing with Viv that she will sell cinnamon rolls to the Madrigal. What happen with the threats made to Viv? The situation with the Madrigal got so serious that Viv needed to use the Blink stone to call her old crew. The only thing that Viv’s old crew does is one of them so happen to a connection to the Madrigal and he can give Viv parley. What was the point of Fennus. He an asshole, burns Viv’s cafe, and that’s it.

None of the characters are written well. I didn’t care for Viv. The story gave me no reason to support her in any way. Tandri is a flat character. The story didn’t provide any more information about her. All I know is she draws and relates to Viv on only one point.

Also, this didn’t need a romance subplot. Spoiler Thoughts I didn’t like that Viv and Tandri are together, romantically. This comes out left field. They feel like co-works not friends nor lovers. I never felt they had any chemistry.

The Scalvert Stone is a problem. I’ve came up with two outcomes: The stone works and Viv’s work meant nothing or the stone doesn’t work and this was a waste of time. Spoiler Thoughts It turns out that the stone does work but it only bring people to you not to full fill your hearts desire. “You are what you attract”. This means that Viv just got right people that would help her without any work on Viv’s part. Most of the characters just agreed to help Viv without push back of any kind. Did Viv do the work or is it the stone?

I’ve heard that this book has low stakes, this is false. Just because there isn’t a Dark Lord wanting to rule the world doesn’t mean there isn’t any high stakes. Viv has personal high stakes. Spoiler Thoughts Both Mardrigal and Fennus threaten Viv if she didn’t comply. Fennus burned down the cafe with magic fire that couldn’t be put out with water. That cafe and community was important to Viv. Those to me are high stakes if something happen to the cafe, which it did.

I’ve played D&D and never gotten any D&D vibes from it.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this book. Weak characters, subpar plot, and doing nothing with the premise.

It all depends on your definition of 'cosy,' I suppose. I've been wrapping up George Saunders' [b:A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life|53487237|A Swim in a Pond in the Rain In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life|George Saunders|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627489209l/53487237._SY75_.jpg|83706562] in which he takes seven short stories and dissects them for meaning and demonstration of craft. I mention this because one of the common descriptions of Legends will almost always contain variations on the phrase 'low stakes' or 'cosy.' 'Cosy,' of course, usually applies to amateur female-sleuth mysteries of a certain type, and honestly, seems kind of diminutive. Perhaps it refers to the atmosphere of a pleasant coffeeshop? Regardless, as there is no mystery and the coffee shop is a process in execution, I hesitate in that word choice. But, moving on. Are stakes low? Does nothing happen?

It strikes me that what Saunders says about Chekhov's 'Gooseberries' can be said about Legends:

"A story means, at the highest level, not by what it concludes but by how it proceeds... The story is not there to tell us what to think about happiness. It is there to help us think about it. It is, we might say, a structure to help us think."

Legends thinks very hard about what it means to reinvent one's life and to take unfamiliar risks. It uses an extremely familiar characters--orcs, elves, gnomes, dwarves, and humans--and an equally familiar setting--a generic fantasy world with a touch of 19th century technology. In short, if you've spent an hour playing Dungeons and Dragons or in World of Warcraft, you'll fill in the blanks just fine. In fact, I think you are expected to: Baldree focus most of the narrative on Viv's quest to build her dream coffeehouse. As common as that sounds, coffee is unheard of in this part of the world, so she reaching her goal will require some clever approaches. She's got an ace up her sleeve to help her succeed.

'Low-stakes,' I think, mislead my idea of what to expect. For Viv, these are very high stakes: she's walked away from her friends and a lucrative career as a mercenary to settle down in a new city and open the coffeehouse. The events in the story continue to challenge Viv, both emotionally and socially. Her new role as business owner means she can't resort to swinging a sword every time trouble appears.

"I’m just saying that … maybe, if you treated the rest of your life the same way you do the shop—invested in it the same way—then the cost would seem less.”

Is it then, cosy? Despite the clear roles of a D&D adventuring party, there are no adventures and the solution to the plot will not be slaying the Big Boss. There is a notable absence of horror which, frankly, is a relief, but don't interpret that as a lack of threat, violence, or physical danger. There is pervasive humor, both in a gentle way and in a more ribald fashion, particularly from the old woman living down the street:

“I don’t mind tellin’ you, this beats the smell of horse apples, any day of the week.” Her eyes disappeared in the dried-fruit crinkle of her grin. “I’d always hoped we’d clear the high bar set by horseshit.”

Should you read this? Maybe. There's perhaps a few flaws. Personally, I'd think it'd be a stronger work if it went through the writing mill one more time, but perhaps someone said, "hey, this is about an orc. We're not talking Tolstoy, here. No need to get fancy." But you know, in some ways we are: we're looking at how one person steps out of the system and changes their life. I think it's worth my time re-reading, and I look forward to the next installment Baldree releases. ( )

Legends & Lattes is a cozy, slice-of-life fantasy about an orc adventurer hanging up her sword (literally) to start a new life by opening a coffee shop. This book was a joy to read. While there is some tension as a complication from her former life intersects with her new life, overall the story was relaxing and just what I needed. I enjoyed getting to know Viv, Cal, Tandri, Thimble and the people they encounter while running the shop. Plus the descriptions of Thimble's pastries made my mouth water!

My copy also included the short story Pages to Fill which is the backstory for Viv's idea to open a coffee shop. While not as satisfying as L&L, it was nice for a little history on Viv at the end of her adventuring days. ( )

We have a former bounty hunter Orc that decides to open a coffee shop in a new town after her retirement. There are problems that are either solved or turn out not to be actual problems, and a community that we all (at least I do) long for. It's cute and warm, and I imagine Travis pictured his readers on a couch drinking coffee or tea on a cold day while reading this book.

I went back and forth between a 4 and 5-star rating for Legends & Lattes. I considered a 5-star review because this book was written exactly as it should've been. It ticks all the boxes, the storyline is coherent and well-paced, the characters are intriguing, and while not a groundbreaking plot, the storyline was rather unique in that the heroine is an orc.

Overall, this book was a low-level engagement read for me. I could easily put it down and come back a day or two later. I had to make an effort to finish the book, which is why I went with the 4 star. It's well-written, and I think this would be more appropriate for a younger crowd that can handle a few curse words, but I'd be surprised to hear of anyone binging this book.

There's a time and a place for binge-reads, and while I appreciate the occasional slow read, I was looking forward to having this one behind me. I don't think I'll continue the series, but at the end of the day, I did enjoy the story. It was a wonderful light-hearted read, I just can't bring myself to put it in the same category as my favorite 5 star novels.

I recommend this to anyone that doesn't want aggressive violence, saturated romance, or a 600-page book. It was a crowd pleaser read, one I could recommend to everyone I know and be confident that not a single person would hate it. ( )

Super feel-good sweet story. And it's centered around the building and opening of a coffee shop! I loved the little details, the ways we get to know the people of the town and even the little town itself. I loved the coffee, the sweets and the small ways everyone gets to know each other. It's such a sweet story, I just loved it! ( )