Book Review - Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)
An orc mercenary doesn't usually have a retirement plan. But Viv does. When on a mission with her crew in the gnomish city of Azimuth she tasted coffee for the first time. Since that day she has filled pages and pages with plans for a coffee shop. Detailing everything from the mundane to the supposedly mystical. She has the funds, and, after their last job, she has a Scalvert's Stone, which legend has it will bring fortune to the bearer. So she sets off for her chosen city, Thune. There she wanders the streets until she finds a perfect site, a rundown stable. After purchasing it off the current owner she hires a hob carpenter, Cal, and they set to work building the coffee shop of Viv's dreams. With the help of her first employee, a succubus named Tandri, the shop opens to no customers. At all. Viv didn't really think this far in advance. She figured if she built it they would come due to the stone. But almost no one in Thune has ever tasted coffee before, which gives Tandri an idea; free samples! Between some well-placed signs, yes, Viv didn't take into account advertising, and their free samples they start to get a steady flow of customers. One of the customers who is in thrall to the coffee is a ratkin named Thimble. It turns out he is a master baker and soon his delicacies are drawing in even bigger crowds. They start to even have regulars. But this popularity draws the attention of others. Particularly the Madrigal. The Madrigal runs a protection racket and Viv just isn't having any of it due to her previous occupation. A mercenary will never bow down to a thug. She'll have to up her game and intimidate the Madrigal by hanging her sword, Blackblood, behind the counter. Tandri puts a little decor around the sword to make it more decorative than functional, but at least the threat of violence remains. Yet the biggest danger might not come from the Madrigal but from one of her old crew, an elf named Fennus. He suspects her of having a Scalvert's Stone and he wants it. No matter the cost. But what happens if the legends surrounding the stone are wrong? And what if, no matter what happens, stone or no stone, Viv has found just what she needed?
Here's the thing. I hate coffee. In any form. I hate everything about it from the smell to the taste. Though I might just hate it most when people sneak it into desserts. Why would you ruin a perfectly good dessert with coffee or espresso? You know what the best part of waking up is? Not smelling coffee. This hate isn't reserved just for the beverage, oh no, I also hate coffee shop culture. But this just might be because I live in a college town because there's nothing I hate more than people who take over a whole section of a cafe and just work there all day without supporting the establishment and making it impossible for two friends or say a book club to find seating when they want. I mean, come on, other people might want to use that table! Don't you have a home to study in? The only exception I'll make for this hard and fast rules is if you are a writer whose work I love and you can only work in a cafe. You're exempt. All these emotions and baggage makes it kind of a miracle that I love this book so much. But here we are. I, a coffee hater, was deeply invested in an orc opening a coffee shop and making it thrive. Each little bump in the road had me worried. I knew they'd get customers, I knew they'd succeed, but while a lot of people call this a low stakes story, it's not, it's high stakes. Making your dreams come true are the highest stakes in the world. And finding a family? Even higher. This is a safe space, and you know what? I'd go to there. Especially because Viv insists you buy something to use her booths. This book is literally the definition of cozy and I think it's because of that that so many people have fallen in love with it. We all need a safe space in the world, somewhere that offers food and shelter and love, and that's what Viv offers. Plus, don't you want some of those delicious desserts? It's ridiculous how invested I was in Thimble's creations. These are desserts and treats we all know and love and yet him "creating" them was a big deal. But I think why I really connected to this book is because it's cozy Terry Pratchett. It has the love and care and the worldbuilding of Discworld, but without any of the bad things happening. There's no deeper meaning, no political satire. Calling it Pratchett lite though would be an insult, because it's so much more. It's a new thing, cozy fantasy, and I want more.
Smoke and Lies by Andrea Penrose
