eBook, 320 pages
English language
Published June 15, 2022 by TOR.
Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen.
However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.
A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.
Absolute comfort read in the best possible way. I want to spend more time here in the coffee shop.
I don't think I've cried this much at a book in a long time, which is surprising when this book mostly concerns the development of a coffee shop. This book is an easy read, with concise chapters and endearing characters. You really get invested in the characters, whether it's Cal the hob (goblin?) sighing contentedly over his mug of coffee or Thimble the rattkin developing chocolate croissants and dreaming of a bigger kitchen.
The crying came in the last 1/4 of the book, as the protagonist Viv recovers from a tragedy with the help and support of her friends and community. The simple depictions of a community coming together in the wake of tragedy was beautifully handled and finished with a satisfying conclusion.
Go on, give it a read! The time flies by when you're reading. Just be sure to have some coffee on hand to enjoy as you flip …
I don't think I've cried this much at a book in a long time, which is surprising when this book mostly concerns the development of a coffee shop. This book is an easy read, with concise chapters and endearing characters. You really get invested in the characters, whether it's Cal the hob (goblin?) sighing contentedly over his mug of coffee or Thimble the rattkin developing chocolate croissants and dreaming of a bigger kitchen.
The crying came in the last 1/4 of the book, as the protagonist Viv recovers from a tragedy with the help and support of her friends and community. The simple depictions of a community coming together in the wake of tragedy was beautifully handled and finished with a satisfying conclusion.
Go on, give it a read! The time flies by when you're reading. Just be sure to have some coffee on hand to enjoy as you flip through.
A lovely little story about an ex-adventurer who turns her orcish hand to opening a coffee shop. Everyone is nice except for the odd dickhead who provides narrative tension. Imagine the Discworld with hygge instead of satire.
What a joy. This novel is a warm cup of coffee on a rainy day. It's a comfortable shirt with too many holes in it to keep, but which is just too soft to throw out. It's queer coffeshop AU fanfiction for characters you've never heard of before yet immediately feel utterly at home with. Just a fantastic delicious cinnamon roll of a book.
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.
I came to this book knowing that it is described as ‘cosy fantasy’ and there’d be few surprises. I didn’t know what cosy fantasy is but do now. Here, we have light-hearted, but not sexual, romance embedded in a fun slice of life story about Viv, an orc, opening a café (complete with a cook to make cinnamon buns and biscotti) perhaps, or perhaps not, with a little magical help. The other characters comprise those enlisted to help in the cafe endeavour, as well as a few rogues and the members of DnD-style adventurers’ troupe that Viv previously belonged to. The trouble is there’s just not much here world- or character-building wise, and the book itself is very short. The only person we really learn anything about is Viv, and apart from a few references to height and strength, she might as well be human. One to enjoy on a …
I came to this book knowing that it is described as ‘cosy fantasy’ and there’d be few surprises. I didn’t know what cosy fantasy is but do now. Here, we have light-hearted, but not sexual, romance embedded in a fun slice of life story about Viv, an orc, opening a café (complete with a cook to make cinnamon buns and biscotti) perhaps, or perhaps not, with a little magical help. The other characters comprise those enlisted to help in the cafe endeavour, as well as a few rogues and the members of DnD-style adventurers’ troupe that Viv previously belonged to. The trouble is there’s just not much here world- or character-building wise, and the book itself is very short. The only person we really learn anything about is Viv, and apart from a few references to height and strength, she might as well be human. One to enjoy on a commute but could only recommend buying if you get a really heavy discount off list price, which thankfully I did. 3.5 stars, but grudgingly, I’ll round it up not down (mostly for the descriptions of the baking).
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.
This novel is peculiar in many ways. A book about the introduction of coffee and cookies to a community, how can that be bad? Although I found the novel interesting, the novel's wrap-up and epilogue were less than 'rewarding' (helpful). The ending made the book seem as though the author thought the story required shoring up before closure. I may give other novels by this author a try. I hope any follow-ons are a bit more robustly edited.
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.
As lovely and fun as I'd been hearing.
"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!
Simple and cozy DnD coffee shop AU, and just what I needed.
Cute book with some slice of life elements and of course lots of coffee. It feels like the pace is a bit strange, but I don't quite know how to describe it. 3.9/5, rounded up to 4.
What a lovely time! It left me feeling refreshed and joyful.
