Most of the people around me knew I was in the worst reading slump of my life. I was going on close to 4 months without having completed a single book and nothing seemed to be able to break it. I tried reading short stories, but wouldn’t make it past the first page before my brain decided it couldn’t focus on the words. I tried going back to my collection of books that I have reread over many years, but having already known what was going to happen, I’d quickly lose interest. I tried setting the mood, setting a time during the day that I was going to sit and read for that long, only to end up feeling like I was wasting the day away. Nothing was working for me, not even our wonderful book club, because I felt like a fraud going to it with nothing to contribute. But then, my saving angels, our lovely SAC Librarian Victoria Slaughter, and our wonderful Professor of History Matthew Giddings, introduced me to the one book that was finally able to end my suffering.
~Legends & Lattes~
All I was told was that it was a cozy fantasy. My first reaction was “Is cozy fantasy even a thing?” Having read the book and its prequel, I can confidently say yes, it is a thing and I absolutely need more of it in my life! I wasn’t sure what to anticipate going in. I assumed from the cover that it’s a fanfiction about Dungeons & Dragons. I know some aspects of the game but not enough to be able to call myself a player. So, I imagined this wouldn’t be a good read for me. I am very happy to say I was completely wrong.
The main character, Viv, is tired of being a bounty hunter and is hanging up her sword. The orc is settling down to the quiet life, opening a coffee shop in the city of Thune. But can she really leave her previous life behind and find success and a new home, especially in a city where she is a complete stranger and no one even knows what coffee really is?
This book. THIS BOOK! It’s just brimming with joy and heart on every page! To read it is to be enveloped in the gentlest, warmest of hugs. You don’t have to be an orc or bounty hunter to fully appreciate the themes in here – of starting anew, finding yourself and a place to belong, and opening your heart to never-thought-of possibilities. It’s such a core part of the human experience, and this book captured a most lovely rendition of it. But to say this story is cozy doesn’t mean it’s boring. To the contrary, there is excitement and tension aplenty, with all the right components to have me turning the pages as fast as I could. I wanted to gulp it down, but also savor it slowly. I couldn’t think of a single thing I didn’t enjoy in here, from the characters to the plot to the writing. I can totally see why this book has gotten all the hype, and I can’t recommend it enough. Now I know what you’re thinking: But Randi, I don’t read stories about orcs or hobs or gnomes. Well, I didn’t really either, yet here we are! Obviously, if you only enjoy tales of sadness and misery, this book isn’t for you. But if you want something truly heartwarming and delightful, then this is not to be missed.
I finished Legends & Lattes in one afternoon sitting, I devoured the prequel Bookshops & Bonedust in the same amount of time, and now I’m left wanting more. More cozy, more fantasy, more EVERYTHING! I bugged poor Giddings for more recommendations as soon as I could. Sure, he gave the few that he knew of, but still, it isn’t enough. Until more authors get on this genre of books, you can best believe I’m going to be treating the few that are out there like I’m Gollum from Lord of the Rings. We wants the precious. We needs the precious!!
Legends and Lattes by
Bookshops and Bonedust by