Legends & Lattes

While I am new to cozy fantasy as a genre, I thoroughly enjoyed my first taste with Legends and Lattes. While I was on edge waiting for action I am so used to getting in fantasy, I was not disappointed when little came. I found myself wanting to try a hand at baking the treats found in the little cafe from Thune. And I am not known for my cooking nor baking skills. I highly recommend for a relaxing read.

A cute story with D&D-style characters. An amusing and quick read, but predictable and forgettable. I'm not quite sure why this made it to Hugo finalist, seems way too weak.

The tagline is "A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes" and then sneakily spends the entire novel showing that when you focus on individuals (including yourself) the little things really do matter.

This was just a fun read. I loved all the main characters, the bits of backstory, the interactions, the bending of coffeehouse stereotypes, and the bits of mystery here and there that never get resolved.

I instantly pre-ordered the next book, and hope this setting spawns many more books. I think this would many an excellent multi-author world, each telling low stakes stories, and would love to see that happen.

If you are in the mood for incredibly low-stakes and predictable cozy fantasy, this absolutely ticks all the boxes. The few twists are so trope-y they aren't even twists. I'm absolutely sure if this was set in the real world I would find it immeasurably dull.

A Tim Horton's French Vanilla of a book: cloyingly sweet.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. There's just enough tension/conflict to keep me engaged, but not so much that I felt stressed for the character. It read really fast; I finished it in an evening. I appreciated how smartly Baldree wove in the world-building so that environment felt enormous without long exposition - this is my favorite way an author gives me setting. I can't say I really felt the romance angle, but this was a minor distraction. Some of the characters are so well done, that I found myself wanting to do fan art. This is rare for me, and I think a fairly high indicator of how lovable they were. (looking at you, Thimble)

As lovely and fun as I'd been hearing.

This is a fantastic January read for when the weather's bad and you're curled up inside. The plot is very slice of life focused, and it's as warm and cozy as the drinks described in the novel itself. Highly reccommend for anyone who feels they need to escape from real life for a couple of hours.

"A novel of high fantasy... and low stakes"

You get exactly as it reads on the tin for this book. It feels to me like a romantic comedy in book form. An orc woman stops adventuring to start a coffee shop. What follows is hi-jinks, suspiciously convenient events, and mostly non-conflicts. Even the worst thing that happens to the main character in the book is not so very terrible in the end.

Unless you are bothered by same-sex relationships, nothing in this book is a game changer for fantasy nor will it challenge your view of the world. Personally, I loved it. It's like a warm cup of coffee in the morning.

This book is super cozy! If you need a fantasy pick for a reading challenge and don't really like fantasy, I'd highly recommend it!

What a lovely time! It left me feeling refreshed and joyful.

Friends running a café. Very sweet. Lots of descriptions of pastries, so don't read it while hungry! 😉