It was a glowing warmth she’d never experienced before, and she liked it. She liked it a great deal.
A look around at the regulars confirmed they felt it, too. And yet, from behind the counter, there was a sweetness she alone experienced.
Because this shop is mine, she thought.
She caught Tandri slipping into a smile beside her.
Or maybe, it’s ours.
What is Legends & Lattes?
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree tells the story of Viv: an Orc who has retired from the mercenary life of adventuring and monster slaying. After recovering the mythical Scalvert’s Stone (said to bring its owner great fortune), Viv hangs up her trusty sword and leaves her travelling companions to open a cafe like the Gnomish ones she’s seen in their travels. Problem is, nobody in town knows what the heck coffee is, and local thugs are demanding their cut of her business before it’s even open.
Now, Viv is confident enough in her own strength to know she could probably fight these guys off, but the thing is, she’s built her business from the ground up. Instead of intimidation and threats, the cafe was assembled painstakingly by renovating an old livery with the help of the craftsman Cal (short for Calamity) and her eventual employees, Tandri and Thimble. This was supposed to be a new chapter, a fresh start, a new home–a work of love, not conflict. Can Viv overcome this trouble without having to raise her sword, or can she truly hope to live a life without bloodshed?
Perhaps more pressingly, can she help a whole town understand what the heck coffee is before her business goes under?
The Worth of Building Something Great
The thing I love most about Legends & Lattes is the fact that we see the blood, sweat, and doubt that goes into building the titular cafe. Viv doesn’t do it alone, either; Cal is the craftsman she commissions to help overhaul the old livery she finds, and the first chapters are dedicated to them gutting and rebuilding the place from the ground up, right down to the sign that Cal presents Viv with as their renovations draw to a close. There’s real love that goes into the work, and a camaraderie that only strengthens as their efforts are joined by Tandri and Thimble.
Tandri and Thimble aren’t ones for hauling lumber and hammering nails, but they pour their hearts into the cafe in other ways. Tandri’s a great marketer with a no-nonsense front and a lot of foundational ideas, such as free samples, signage, and design that all help the cafe establish its brand and find its feet. Meanwhile, Thimble is a soft-spoken little cutie who’s a genius when it comes to making flavoured breads, and he’s a master of some recipes I would love to try replicating myself on the channel someday. There’s also Pendry the bard who finds his confidence within the cafe’s walls, and Hemington the student whose studies come in handy quite unexpectedly.
That is to say, everyone within the cafe has a role to play that makes Legends & Lattes what it is, and the cafe in turn behaves as a sanctuary where people can be their true selves and express their talents without judgement.
A Tale of Duality
Legends & Lattes is the perfect ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ book, because it’s built upon the expectations presented by character archetypes. For instance:
- Viv is an Orc, so many would assume she’d be crushing skulls and drinking bone marrow. One might assume she’d be stupid and brutish, but she’s actually quite a fan of reading, and she has such a big heart that wants a place to settle down and maybe another to beat with. I adore Viv–she’s tired, courageous, and just wants a bit of peace and quiet. She’s doing her best to live the dream many of us have had at one point: to open a cafe and spend the rest of our days surrounded by sweet smells and good conversation.
- Cal (Calamity) is a Hob, which brings to mind a mischievous and double-crossing creature, maybe even vicious. However, he’s an honest friend, a hard worker, albeit a bit gruff. Because of Cal’s help, Viv is able to transform an old livery into an inviting place for people to take a load off, and Cal thoughtfully insists she get herself a kitchen. He even makes a sign for the place, names it, looks around for the stuff to ventilate the kitchen when it gets too hot, and is the first to try Viv’s unknown ‘bean water’ despite his initial doubts.
- Tandri is a Succubus, which might make one think she’d be heavily flirtatious or used to weaponizing sexuality to get ahead. She’s able to sense emotions, but instead of manipulating them, she adjusts her own behaviours either for safety’s sake or to provide emotional support for her friends. Tandri is used to assumptions being made about her for what she is, and seems to veer as far away from them as possible, even though she knows people are going to judge her as a succubus anyway. We see this aversion to stereotype especially in how she presents herself: comfy sweaters are her go-to, and though she’s certainly attractive, she prides her mind over her matter. The first time we see her is her interview where she challenges Viv to a frank conversation about her role and pay, and she’s worth every coin, serving as a driving force behind the business and providing plenty of valuable ideas such as signs and personalised mugs.
- Thimble is a Ratkin, which is another character type that would bring to mind duplicitousness, aggression, and danger. Thimble is adorable and I want only the best for him. He’s the cafe’s very shy chef who loves coffee and has a special interest in baking to the point of his own overwork and exhaustion. Rather than being seen as a health violation or driving customers away, Thimble is a big draw for the cafe; using fruits and spices and delicious doughs of his own invention, he creates incredible baked goods that delight customers and draw passers by through the doors with their intoxicating smells.
Layered Like Puff Pastry, and as Sweet as Pie
This may be a self-professed story of low stakes, but as you can see, it’s one with many layers intricately woven from start to finish, and full of found family warm fuzzies. Viv’s trials reminded me that home isn’t where you make it–it’s the people you make it with, and she’s found the kind of spectacular love, acceptance, and support deserved by everyone.
On the cover of the book, Seanan McGuire calls it “sweet, beautiful, and, most of all, kind,” and I find I couldn’t agree more. Another title that comes to mind is The House in the Cerulean Sea, which is also a very character-driven story of kindness, acceptance, and self-discovery, and which feels like a hug in the same way that Legends & Lattes does. I adore this genre of cozy, found family fantasy and hope we see much, much more in our future. The world needs that gentle reminder of, “It’s okay” now more than ever, I think.
It’s okay to be you.
It’s okay to be sad.
It’s okay to be afraid.
We’re going to get through this all somehow, and we’re going to do it together. Just you wait and see.
Other Media You Might Like
For book blogs, I like to add in a few bits of media that the book reminded me of. This helps me share the love even further, so you might walk away with more than one title you’re interested in trying!
Stardew Valley
The obvious one here is Stardew Valley, where the player journeys from the big city to inherit their late grandfather’s farm. Stardew Valley also offers a feeling of community, especially once you start befriending and receiving helpful gifts from the villagers, and the player can renovate their grandpa’s house with the help of Robin the carpenter. As well, there’s a whole Community Center for players to pour their heart into renovating, which gives the villagers a place to congregate, just like Legends & Lattes from the book. They probably think you’re crazy for trying too, but couldn’t be happier once the project’s complete!
If you’re interested, I’ve written a blog about Stardew Valley and the importance of patience in building something great. If, like Viv, you’ve got a daunting dream that you’re striving for, why not give it a read? I hope it’ll offer you some encouragement!
Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale
Drowning in debt following her father’s debt, Recette and her fairy companion Tear open an item shop to try and make ends meet. You set the prices to try and make a profit from the adventuring types who come by, with the hopes that you’ll bring more customers in rather than driving them away. Unlike Viv, Recette and Tear have to venture into various dungeons to gather the items that make their stock, all for a venture that seems completely hopeless. However, much like Viv, Recette has to make it work and rises to the challenge, hoping to make her store a success.
Hungry Hearts Diner
Following a grandmother in the Showa era, the Hungry Hearts Diner series has you rebuild a diner from the ground up. You start off very modestly in all of them: with a couple of chairs, a table or two, and a recipe for rice balls. From there, you can invest in the place, add more seating, provide a wider variety of dishes, and attract more regulars who you will get to know and offer advice to. It’s another story that feels like a hug, and the gameplay is relatively simple. Definitely worth a look!
I’ve written a blog about Hungry Hearts Diner and its spirit of making the most of life and appreciating the time we have with the people around us. It’s quite deep for a cute-looking mobile game, so please give it a read to find out more!
Neo Cab
Lina is the last human cab driver in a world that prioritises modern convenience and shuns traditional cars. While trying to connect with her customers, maintain her 5 star rating, and just make ends meet, Lina has to content with the fact that her best friend has suddenly disappeared in the midst of a significant political protest. What unfolds is a tale of endurance, discovery, and self-respect. I think if Lina and Viv met somewhere under the city lights of Los Ojos, they’d have a lot to talk about as people transitioning from their old life to a new one, as the self-employed trying to make it in a highly competitive and challenging world (especially as a pair of outcasts in it, with Viv being an Orc and therefore the source of fear for many, and Lina being a human cab driver who many people look down upon), and as women trying to give themselves kindness even when their wellbeing means they have to get tough.
More Books
If you’re looking for more books about the quiet life, companionship, and the reward of hard work, I’ve got to recommend The Slow Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura. Set in rural Japan, the story follows a young city boy who learns the ways of life in the country and becomes part of a tight-knit community. Like Legends & Lattes, this book touched my heart and made me want to be someone wiser, kinder, and gentler. It made me more appreciative of the people around me, and more willing to push the boundaries of what I could do, to test my limits, and to try. In these ways, I think it has a lot in common with Legends & Lattes despite their vastly different settings.
“You’ve found a very peaceful place here. A special place. You’ve planted something, and now it’s blossoming. Very nice. A good spot to rest. My thanks to you for letting an old-timer shade under the branches of what you’ve grown.”
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