As mentioned in 2023: A Year of Reading, and Another Book Post about More Book Posts!, I was pretty busy last year with books. So I’m taking the time to catalog it now! I sat here for a bit trying to decide how to order a few of these. Legends & Lattes in particular was difficult to place because it was neck and neck with another book, even though they are on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of.. well, everything. Then I realized I read a certain book really super early in the year and had to put it in this list because duh, of course it deserved it. But that meant I had to bump out a book so I was debating which one was it going to be. Which was better, which stuck with me more, which was the more impactful of the two, so. many. questions. I was thinking about it for a while and then it hit me.
Who the hell cares?! I mean, seriously, this is my blog! I don’t have an editor to report to or deadlines to meet or investors to keep happy. Just little ol’ me, typing up a bunch of dumb stuff. Speaking of which!
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree released in 2022. It was self published by Baldree in early 2022, but then it was picked up by the publishing house Tor Books, and relaunched in November, which is when I picked up this beauty. He has a very detailed and long article on his site where he goes over the self publishing process. I am really looking forward to checking it out as I’m curious myself, so here is his A-Z in case you’re also interested in self publishing.
Back to the book! This marks the first time I ordered a UK edition of a book because damn that is an awesome cover! I love the art style of it. I’m much more partial to covers like this versus character art of any kind. Here is the US version of the hardback is just below.
Right out of the gate, Legends & Lattes had a really high bar that it set for itself. First, the biggest and most prominent tag line you’ll hear for it is that it’s “high fantasy, and low stakes.” Which is a really nice departure from the typical fantasy fair, where there’s usually a lot of foreboding tones and impending doom all around. Like seriously, it was so nice getting into something knowing there wasn’t an evil lord or over reaching evil that someone had to defeat. It was refreshing to have something high in fantasy but also really cozy at the same time. Also, a central topic the story revolves around is coffee. For real, without even reading a word I already loved everything about it.
With all the years behind me, I know such a high expectation should not be jumped into head first. The chances of this living up to all it’s promising are not guaranteed. Alas! It’s in my top 5 so that’s saying something!
The story follows Viv. An ogre who retired from the battlefield and decided to plant roots in a small town and open a coffee shop. Sure, there is a lot more to it, but where’s the fun in telling you? I will tell you that whatever preconceptions you may have so far are probably spot on lol. There’s so much that I want to say about the story, the characters, everything. But doing so would spoil stuff that would be such a joy to find on your own.
I will say though that those characters and all the interactions they have are what make this book so great. To say there is a diverse cast would probably not even do it justice. And the way they all learn from each other and grow together is so great. More than anything, the trope you’ll find here is found family. If that’s something you love to read about and get lost in, then why haven’t you read this yet?!
Can I say one thing? I think I’ll get into one aspect that I really do not think it’s spoiling anything, but I know some people are picky. I think I have a spoiler warning thing around here somewhere, let me see… Ah ha!
Legends & Lattes delivers with what it promises! And I’m so incredibly happy for that. It gives you a good handful of characters that you’ll love, and you feel like you’ve known them for a long time. I just erased a few lines that got even more spoilery so you’re welcome. All I could say is if you are fond of found family stories, love fantasy, and you are drawn to coffee shops and appreciate an occasional pastry, then why are you wasting your time with this review?! Go read this book!
Buying info:
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- Hardcover – Looks like it’s up for preorder? I could’ve sworn it was out already here, but I guess not?
- Paperback
- Audiobook – This is how I read it! Narrated by Baldree himself, it was standard reading and was nice to hear it from the person that wrote it, but wasn’t a “OMG you HAVE to listen to it!” audiobook. (If you’d like to sign up for an Audible Premium Plus Membership, or do a free trial if you haven’t yet, be sure to use my link right here!)
- Kindle ebook – If you’d like to sign up for Kindle Unlimited, be sure to use my link right here!
- Waterstones or Blackwells (free shipping) – UK Hardcovers – This is the version that I have, which is pictured above at the beginning of the post. This cover goes hard! Love it so much and highly recommend importing it if you want a…. oooooooh. Well, that stinks. Why are they out of stock?! That’s so weird. You can sign up to be notified if they come back in! Or, try your luck on marketplace sites like Mecari or Pango Books.
- Broken Binding Special Edition – **This is a preorder and more than likely will sell out eventually, so pick it up now if you want it!** This is a special edition that sold out when it released, but is now up for preorder for their rerelease! I totally grabbed it and cannot wait. My plan is to take my dust jacket from my copy and put it on this one. You know, because I’m crazy 🙃
