Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Released February 22nd, 2022

Ever wonder what happens to washed-up adventurers? Well, Travis Baldree has the answer. For Viv, an Orc who previously adventured and killed things, all she wants to do is open a little coffee shop in Thune. Her last adventure ended rather abruptly with her walking away from friends that she has known for years. This was the only thing she could do, however, because, Viv had started to crave something different. Opening Legends and Lattes with the help of new friends (and maybe something more in Tandri’s case) is exactly what she needed.

The story is slow and feels like a slice of life. If you are looking for a cultivation story or something with stats, this is the wrong book for you. I loved the slow-ish pace, it felt like it mimicked Vic’s need for quiet. Even though this is a slow burn, story is incredibly important here. Not only does it show Viv living a life she only dreamed of, something quiet with lots of coffee, but it also has conflict in the thugs who keep stopping by to demand protection money and a former ally who feels cheated from their last adventure. So, while this is a slow burn/slice of life, it also has moments of action.

One of the more notable things about this book is the “side characters”. Baldree seems to have a fascination with characterizing even the most fleeting of patrons to the coffee shop. This is wonderful because it gives the book a larger world feeling. I often find that adventure stories can skip examining what is happening with the boatbuilder down the lane or don’t acknowledge the weird lady across the street as anything more than an oddity. Baldree, however, gives these side characters humanity in this inhuman world.

The characterization and Viv’s experience as an adventurer all add up to a full feeling world. I never questioned why dwarves would be the only ones who make coffee or a hundred other small things because Baldree gives the answers in the world-building. No one wants to try new things, it is difficult and expensive to import large machinery, and as soon as you have something successful someone else will try to take it away. These are things that are not explicitly stated but rather shown through the characterization of the citizens in the world.

I recommend this book if you enjoy Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” and the Lord of the Rings. It’s the intersection of slow, real-world, and high fantasy that is what makes this book so wonderful— so, fresh.

Additionally, Travis Baldree narrates the book himself! He is such a good narrator and here he excels at highlighting characters and the slow build.

Where to buy:

E-book

Audiobook