Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree is the trendsetter for the “Cozy Fantasy” genre we have all been craving! The audiobook is read by the author himself and it is a delight from the first to last second.
By the time of posting this review, I have already listened to Legends & Lattes twice and I savored every minute of it like a delicious cup of hot cocoa with cream! You see, I am not actually a coffee drinker. I love tea. Or hot cocoa. But I love to read about people who have a real passion! And Viv’s passion is coffee.
**The marked links and book covers on this page are affiliate links. If you use them to purchase something, I earn a fee at no additional cost for you. Disclosure**
Cozy Fantasy?
A couple of weeks ago, someone on my Twitter timeline mentioned how the one thing they really wanted was a new genre, “cozy Fantasy”, people in a fantasy world just doing everyday things. No saving the world, no being the chosen one, just living life.
And literally the next day, I saw Travis Baldree’s tweet announcing Legends & Lattes. It seemed that he didn’t quite expect that himself, but book twitter pounced on this like a cat on their favorite catnip pillow. That cover alone gave me all the warm and fuzzies! Then that line “High Fantasy… with Low Stakes”. Gimme gimme gimme!
And then I actually got my hands on an early listening copy. Gasp! I gave myself a stern talking-to. This is a self-published debut. The author didn’t even expect the kind of attention he has gotten now. You don’t know what this will actually be. Maybe it’ll be boring, maybe it won’t be as cozy as you hope. It’s difficult to find the perfect balance for relaxed escapism with neither too much suspense nor boredom. I know this from reading a lot of cozy mystery.
So, I tried to rein my expectations in. After all, you can buy a book because of its cover, but you have to be careful when judging it based on its cover and then go in with too high expectations and then possibly get disappointed just because the author is better at choosing art and artists than writing. But let’s face it, I went in with all the expectations. And boy!!
Legends & Lattes Review
Legends & Lattes is a treat! It’s a friggin delight! It is cozy and warm and captivating and you never want to leave.
The pacing worked perfectly to keep me enthralled from the first to the last minute. Things happen and they are interesting and fascinating and I was absolutely enchanted by Viv and Tandri and Thimble.
The cast is a wonderful mix of all our favorite Fantasy races and I had to think of my old World of Warcraft characters and how much they would have liked to retire like Viv and find such a beautiful happily ever after.
The story is funny and light without getting silly or ridiculous. Inventions and uncommon things work perfectly well in the world. They make sense and resonated with me as Fantasy reader and player.
Legends & Lattes Audiobook
Travis Baldree is an audiobook narrator and it’s wonderful to hear him bring his own characters to life! His Viv voice is heart-melting and absolutely perfect. And he has a huge range to give all the many different characters fitting voices. I loved every minute of this audiobook and savored it! I love it when authors are also narrators and can bring their own characters to life like that. It feels like this is the most intimate way to experience their story.
High Fantasy with a double-shot of self-reinvention
However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.
A hot cup of fantasy slice-of-life with a dollop of romantic froth.
So, there you have it, an entire blog post of me raving about Legends & Lattes, a book I own as audio, ebook, and print book! Is it a must-read? Well, let me put it like this, it’s the perfect Fantasy escapism read during a time that’s very difficult for many of us. It provided me with 6 (well, make that 12 with the second time) hours of utter bliss!
And while Legends & Lattes is without a doubt worth an Audible credit, you can also grab it in a cheap Whispersync deal. Right now, Travis Baldree’s book is Audible exclusive.
Get the Legends & Lattes audiobook on Amazon**
Eline Blackman (pronouns: she/they) fell in love with books as a child – with being read to and reading herself. 10 years ago, she bought her first Audible book. It was love at first listen! An average of 250 audiobooks per year has become the new normal and you will rarely see Eline without a wireless earbud. Romance and Fantasy are the go-to genres for this audiobook fan.