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| Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree |
Legends & Lattes is the debut novel of Baldree, and what a wonderful, warm-hearted fantasy it is. Set in a preindustrial world, but with clever gnomish inventions out of time and place (a bit like Pratchett’s), it tells of Viv, an orc mercenary who decides to hang up her sword and open a café in a town that has never heard of coffee.
With the help of a stone that’s supposed to bring her good fortune, she sets out to find a suitable place and turn it to her liking. And everything goes well. She is good at judging people and she finds just the talent she needs: Cal the carpenter, Tandri the barista and Thimble the baker. All four come from species (there’s a rich variety of them) that tend to be looked down by others (no matter how tall Viv is) and treated only as a representative of their species, good and bad (but usually bad).
Together they strive to make the café a success, and in the process form a family. And when things turn, and everything is (maybe) lost, they have what’s most important: each other.
It’s a pleasure to read such a life-affirming story that isn’t preachy or pointing. Upsetting things happen, but when difficult choices need to be made, Viv doesn’t take the easy way out. The pace is slow, but the process of building the café and making it a success is surprisingly riveting. And I absolutely loved Viv and her found family (Thimble especially). I hope there will be more books about them in the future.
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