Review of Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cover art BY Carson Lowmiller

I didn’t understand the appeal of the cozy trend until I read Travis Baldtree’s Legends and Lattes. I was under the misapprehension that “cozy” meant “low stakes,” and “low stakes” mean boring, meandering, and possibly inconclusive. This was recommended by a handful of authors I admire, and they finally convinced me to check it out. And they are all correct; it’s a delight. “Cozy” might mean we don’t have great armies crashing into one another on battlefields, but nothing feels unimportant in this story of a retired sellsword and adventurer, Viv, trying to start the first coffeeshop in the town of Thune. I wanted her to succeed, I wanted her to make peace with her new life, and I wanted her to find love. This novel felt just as pulse-pounding as some murder mystery thriller, and a lot more exciting than some droning, plodding epic high fantasy because the characters were so well drawn and their concerns were relatable. Highly recommend.