Legends & Lattes

There is a definite uniqueness that can be found in the sub-genre of ‘cozy fantasy' yet, I am astounded that ‘Legends and Lattes' did not really reach the heights it could.

Based on the cover and premise alone, I had presumed this story to be all about building up the coffee shop. Struggling to obtain materials, workers, beans, machinery. This story is not that. There are minimal stakes and they do not originate from the struggle of running a business.

We follow Viv, an orc who is just tired of adventuring on her quest to starting her own coffee shop. From the very start even the least attentive reader will question just how is the book going to tackle coffee production in very generic medieval setting.
You would be then surprised to find that the book does not bother addressing any of that. Everything is a gnomish invention! Not just a coffee press, or something absolutely imperative to coffee-making but air conditioning too is invented as a no big deal.
For the sake of being able to fulfill this adorable coffeeshop AU style story, I can excuse how it goes about it all.

What I cannot get behind is the ease at which things happen. Everything is cozy and comfy but everything is also too easy. One of their first ever customers just so happens to be a genius baker. It's a little too contrived for my liking.
The progression of it all also feels like a video game. Chapter by chapter they gain experience in running their shop and so they unlock cookies, ice drinks, and so on. At start it feels like a nice montage of sorts showing the coffeeshop's progression but it overstays its welcome.

There is an antagonist and it's a terribly boring, and tired, run-of-the-mill scorned former coworker looking for a magical stone. Nothing much to be said there. The antagonist is a cog that produces the most minuscule of stakes.

Overall, it is a good book. I liked it. It provided a good start to 2024 for me. I do hope there will be a sequel.