Travis Baldree has set up a high-fantasy, slice-of-life story about reinventing yourself and finding purpose, community, hope, drive and home in LEGENDS & LATTES. Settle in for the winter months with this warm and genuine tale that is as cozy as a hot beverage after coming inside from the crisp, cold air.

After 22 years of adventuring, a battle-weary orc named Viv is done with bloodshed. She doesn’t want her life to end violently, an inherent risk that comes with being a warrior. With the fabled artifact of a forgotten legend in her pocket, Viv settles into the quiet, small town of Thune, which has no walls and is littered with thaumic energy. The first thing she does is buy an old livery with intentions of renovating it into a coffee shop.

"Overall, LEGENDS & LATTES feels like playing a D&D campaign with your best friends, getting off track from the main mission and letting yourself laugh and relax with endearing side characters."

But the residents of Thune don’t even know what coffee is.

With only herself, Scalvert’s Stone and a poem of legend that started it all, Viv takes her first steps to launching this new venture.

Well-nigh to thaumic line,
the Scalvert’s Stone a-fire
draws the ring of fortune,
aspect of heart’s desire.

Along the way, Viv meets townsfolk who become friends, colleagues, partners and maybe even family. She hires Cal, a diligent hob, to help build the shop and eventually names it after him: Calamity Coffee. Tandri, a dedicated and practical succubus who becomes a business partner and friend, seems to have a certain charisma that makes Viv’s chest warm up and draws her in. A rattkin named Thimble joins with precision and passion for his art of delicious baked goods. And a wandering dire-cat comes and goes as she pleases, a fearless (and adorable) protector.

But not everything falls into place so quickly. Opening day passes with no customers. A student utilizes the space without making any purchases, and when forced to buy merchandise in order to stay, he leaves the coffee untouched. Then there is the Madrigal to contend with, a mysterious money collector expecting a percentage of the profit at the end of each month, with a gang under their finger to do their bidding.

Through events, an expanding menu, cultivating community relationships, and forming new partnerships, the shop perseveres and finds belonging in Thune. When asked why she chose to start a coffee shop, Viv says, “Things don’t have to stay as what they started as.” This is such a vital message that we are never too old to change the trajectory of our lives and values. The reader is also treated to a romantic flavor as Viv and Tandri become closer, dancing around the truth about their feelings in a sweet and natural-building relationship that feels well-paced and genuine.

However, at a high point of success, a member of Viv’s old crew to whom she never warmed up, the elf Fennus, shows up and insinuates knowing about Scalvert’s Stone. It turns out that he suspects a great treasure was unfairly split among the crew, and he has come to collect his dues. Viv fears that all her hard work may end up in flames.

At the end of the book, there is a delightful bonus story about how it all started, featuring Viv with her adventuring group and culminating in the singular moment of a first sip of coffee. By the last page, we find ourselves in a place to watch it all begin again.

Overall, LEGENDS & LATTES feels like playing a D&D campaign with your best friends, getting off track from the main mission and letting yourself laugh and relax with endearing side characters. The menu expands throughout the story, and I’ve provided my own little menu of what the book offers.

The LEGENDS & LATTES Menu

• Charming characters with wit that feels like meeting up with old friends.
• An atmospheric setting in which to indulge that warms the soul.
• Smaller stakes, easily digestible and still worth the investment, a mix of savory and sweet.
• For romantic hearts, a sweet slow-burn of moving past initial perceptions.
• A cat who knows that she owns every page she finds her way into.

FINER TASTES FOR ANY FANTASY READER