Hey Space Cadets; I hope this review finds you well! I am finally reading and reviewing this book after it was recommended to me countless times. Based on the recommendations of my friends, I chose this book to be my foray into the slow-burn world of cozy fiction. Well, in this case it was a cozy fantasy novel, but you get the point. It came highly recommended and boy those folks were on the money to point me in this direction.

So, first the elephant in the room… this book was written and narrated by the legendary Travis Baldree. He’s a man of the many talents and his wordsmithing surprised me. He’s an author, audiobook narrator and video game designer. He’s done some notable game development, especially the game Torchlight that he created back in the early 2000s. I remember playing that one, back in the day. Though, I hadn’t connected the game with him until I read his Wiki page to write this review.

Now let’s talk about this novel, since that’s why I’m here. The story was amazing, so I went looking for more in this slice of life, cozy fantasy genre. Reading this novel felt like a warm cup of coffee on a cold winter morning. I was thrilled when I looked and found out that there’s a prequel novel about the main character, Viv. That story is available now, with a sequel to this story up for pre-order. I hope we see a lot more of these characters, but this story stands alone as well. But don’t just take my word for it, let’s dive into the weeds as we discuss the nitty gritty.

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The Story

After a lifetime of spent adventuring, trading bloodshed for bounties, Viv wanted more. She wanted to hang up her sword and pound it into the plowshare. Well, into the espresso machine. She was a battle-weary orc who wanted to become something more, something new. She was on a mission to evangelize the good word java and its salvation for Thune’s sleep deprived workers.

But this isn’t a story without some conflict. She has her old frenemy in the form of Fennus the dandyish elf who wants a piece of her scalvert’s bounty. He doesn’t know what it is, but he thinks he does and wants to have a slice of her metaphorical pie. For Viv to successfully sheath her blade and chase her caffeinated dreams, she’ll need to become more than she was. She’ll need an ensemble cast of apron wearing baristas and a gaggle of java junkies to keep her dream afloat.

Now that we’ve talked about what the journey was, lets exam how we got there. That’s right, we’ll evaluate the way the author posed his prose. This was written very conversationally and felt like Viv was in my kitchen telling me the story of her life. Because this was a slice of life story, the pacing felt very cozy and low key. Everything was confined to Thune and her coffee shoppe, with very few exceptions. Because of this slower pacing, it shined the spotlight onto the characters themselves. This is where this story and the novel really stood out. I could picture everyone and the environments where they inhabited. I could relate to them as people, and I think you will too.

Having worked in this industry, I can tell you that Travis’ description of a coffee house was spot on. I worked as a barista to pay for grad school and the kind of weirdos I met working would’ve fit right in with the Legends & Lattes patrons. There were your social butterflies, your quite and introspective junkies and those who came with friends to pass the time. Some worked while they imbibed the bean water, some played games and all of them soaked in the ambiance.

The Characters

This story follows one main character, and an awesome caste of characters who support her journey of reinvention and self-discovery. We’ll start with Viv, a bad assed orc warrior. She’s big, she’s strong and she’s ready to be more than the wielder of Blackblood, her greatsword. To be fair, they never really name what type of sword she wields, but I inferred it because of her size and how the weapon was described. I think it’s a two-handed weapon, but I could be wrong. The point, though, is that it is a symbol of her warrior past. When it hangs over the bar of her coffee shop, decorated in garlands, Blackblood becomes the symbol of her future. A future divergent from her brutal past.

As a character, I really loved Viv. She was plain spoken and very much a blunt instrument. She lacks finesse in social situations, having preferred violence to tact in her previous encounters with living beings. But, what’s cool is that she has decided to rise above her past and reinvent herself. It started with researching the Scalvert and the legendry stone inside it which brings good fortune. She hunted down the lore in various libraries and then found on in the flesh. We open the book with her killing it and starting her journey into that java life.

As for her supporting cast, she has three main friends. She has the carpenter named Calamity, but everyone calls him Cal. He’s a hob, which is a small humanoid fantasy race. In non-book fantasy worlds, a hob is a small mythological household spirit found in the United Kingdoms region traditional folklore. However, he reminded me more of a hobbit in this story. He was a quiet man who was more interested in his work than other living beings. He becomes a friend of Viv, but he was stand-offish at first. He was jaded from being a race that is often counted out because of who he was.

The second member of her supporting cast was Tandri, a succubus. She was odd, in that she was portrayed as not using her succubae powers, wanting to be more than she was born as. In that respect, she has a lot in common with Viv and it’s why they made a good pair. She serves as the in-house artist, designing the interior of the shop and the barista making the drinks and engaging with the customers. She was sassy, but in a good way. I liked seeing her evolve into someone who truly cared about Viv and the eatery they were creating from the wreckage of an old livery stable.

Finally, there was Thimble, the ratkin pastry chef. He made the food at the Legends & Lattes establishment and wasn’t the most talkative. He was shy, preferring to speak through his culinary creations. The man brought all sorts of delicious foods to the establishment and developed a healthy java addiction along the way. He was very relatable in that manner, as I too am hooked on the delicious brown brew. Bean water for the win, am I right?

Overall, I really loved the cast of characters in this story. That’s a crucial thing, given that it’s all you have in a low-stakes adventure story. We have the progression of Viv’s shoppe and the folks who occupy it. In this case, the ensemble cast made the story so much better. They were the perfect foils of Viv’s old life, but they were so much more. They were the shepherds who led her to who she wanted to become. In the end, this cast of broken people healed each other and created something amazing in the medieval town of Thune.

The World

What’s not to love about the world-building in this novel? It was expertly handled by Travis Baldree, who knows how to tell compelling stories set in the beautiful world that he created. Everything was extremely fleshed out, giving this setting a very lived-in feel to it. This story takes place in a high fantasy world, where the standard fantasy races exist; orcs, elves, dwarves, gnomes, hobs, succubus, ratkin, stone-fey and of course, humans. More specifically, this story is set in the town of Thune, which had a real medieval vibe to it.

Unlike some authors, Travis didn't info dump all of his world-building up front. Instead, he just jumped into the world, feet first. Then he fed the pertinent details to us in drips and drabs. Seriously, he was the perfect drug dealer and expertly strung me along. When the story ended, I was left wanting more. I know that sounds toxic, but trust me, this story was anything but. It was an entertaining romp through a classic fantasy setting… but with coffee! I’m practically gushing over this novel, cup-o-java in hand.

Politics

This story doesn't mention real-world politics. Instead, the author focused on crafting a compelling narrative and a fun and mellow adventure. This was an enjoyable slice of life story, and the only political angle addressed the relative merits of hot versus iced lattes and finding the best food pairings.

Content Warning

There isn’t any objectionable content in this book. There was some fantasy violence at the beginning of the book and at the climax of this little cozy fantasy novel. However, there was nothing that would rate above the PG-13 range. Going into this novel, I knew that some readers implied that here was a romance between Viv and her barista Tandri. I knew that reading the novel, but if it was there, it was so subtle that I didn’t see it when I listened to the author read me the audiobook.

Narration

This novel was read by the author, a legendary narrator in his own right. It was read by Travis Baldree and told with the sort of gravitas that at first felt out of place for a fun little cozy fantasy novel. However, the more I got into the novel, the more “right” it felt for the author to read the tale in such a manner. His voice was warm and inviting, unironically, like a warm cup of coffee on a cold winter day. He was extremely expressive, enough that I could catch it through my tinnitus and hearing loss. After this experience, I’ll be looking from more audiobooks narrated by Travis, and I think you’ll dig his voice as well.

Who is it for?

This book is for anyone who enjoys low-stakes, feel good stories set in a fun fantasy world. It continues with all of the fantasy tropes that readers of the classics would enjoy, though it was written for modern sensibilities. This book was written for a broad audience, young and old, who love character driven stories.

Why buy it

This book is a fun little romp through a fantasy village, mixing magic and mochas with perfection. If you like cozy settings, a hot cup of something, and fun characters, then this is the book for you!

Exit

Seriously, why haven’t you clicked the link and bought this book already? If this tale doesn't make you want to curl up and caffeinate, then I don’t know that your soul can be saved! But, I’ll take solace knowing that there will be more java for the rest of us if you miss the chance to enjoy this book!

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