Legends & Lattes: a guide to the books and author Travis Baldree
High fantasy, low stakes – with a double-shot of coffee. Author Travis Baldree introduces the cosy fantasy world of Legends & Lattes followed by our guide to the books.
Legend and Lattes, my first book, was conceived in the heart of COVID, when the height of escapism for me was enjoying a coffee in a cafe, connecting with real live human beings, and recovering a feeling of hope and optimism. It turned out that a lot of other folks were longing for something hopeful and optimistic too. So far, I have written about experiences that are human, everyday, and that feel universal to me. Maybe even simple, although they don't seem that way when we're personally wrestling with them. I just happened to set them in a fantasy world. I was astounded by the response, and I am incredibly grateful to my readers, whose reaction to my characters and my books has made all of this possible.
Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes books in order
Legends and Lattes
by Travis Baldree
Why read this: The book that helped turn cosy fantasy into a phenomenon, Legends & Lattes swaps world-ending quests for fresh coffee, warm pastries and the pleasure of building something new. After decades as an adventurer, orc barbarian Viv retires her sword and sets out to open the first coffee shop in Thune – a city where nobody knows what coffee is. But leaving her old life behind proves harder than expected. With rivals circling and a wonderfully mismatched group of new friends around her, Viv discovers that starting over may be her greatest adventure yet.
If you're looking for: Found family, fresh starts, low-stakes adventure, sapphic romance, lovable characters.
Great for fans of: TJ Klune, Katherine Addison and T. Kingfisher.
What the experts think: ‘This is a warm hug of a book’ – T. Kingfisher. ‘The most fun I've ever had in a coffee shop’ – Ben Aaronovitch.
Bookshops & Bonedust
by Travis Baldree
Why read this: Before the coffee shop came a bookshop. This charming Legends & Lattes prequel finds a younger Viv injured and stranded in the sleepy seaside town of Murk, far from the mercenary action she craves. Recuperation leads her instead to a struggling second-hand bookshop, its gloriously foul-mouthed proprietor and an unexpected summer romance. Of course, this is still fantasy: suspicious strangers, necromancy and a surprising quantity of skeletons soon complicate matters. Funny, affectionate and quietly poignant, it explores the stories, friendships and chance encounters that can change the direction of a life.
If you're looking for: Bookshops, found family, first love, seaside settings, necromancy, low-stakes fantasy with a dash of adventure.
What the experts think: 'Books, baked goods, and necromancy – what more could you possibly want in a story?' – Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart. 'Set against an epic world of adventure, he writes about the small victories that make life worthwhile. Bookshops & Bonedust does this and it is glorious.' – Ben Aaronovitch, author of Rivers of London
Brigands & Breadknives
by Travis Baldree
Why read this: This time, foul-mouthed bookseller Fern takes centre stage in a cosy fantasy adventure with a little more road beneath its boots. Restless after decades behind the counter, Fern heads for Thune hoping that a new shop, a new city and proximity to an old friend might shake her out of her rut. Instead, one drunken night leaves her far from home alongside a legendary warrior and an imprisoned chaos goblin with an unfortunate interest in cutlery. Pursued by bounty hunters and other assorted troublemakers, Fern is forced to confront a harder question than where she belongs: who is she when the shape of her life is no longer fixed?
If you're looking for: Returning characters, unlikely travelling companions, chaotic adventures, reinvention, friendship, humour, cosy fantasy on the road.
Tales from the Territory
by Travis Baldree
Why read this: For readers who never want to leave the world of Legends & Lattes, Tales from the Territory opens the door to five more stories featuring familiar faces and unexplored corners of their lives. Chaos goblin Zyll tackles a murder mystery while stealing cutlery, baker Thimble searches for a home for his soon-to-be-famous cinnamon rolls, and Viv makes discoveries both before and after opening her coffee shop. Tandri also steps into the spotlight in a tale where art and science collide. Full-page colour illustrations and endpapers make this collection particularly appealing for readers who treasure the series as much as they enjoy reading it.
Great for fans of: Short cosy fantasy stories, returning characters, murder mystery, untold backstories, illustrated fantasy.
‘I am constantly asked for more Thimble, so I'm happy to provide a story that shows where Thimble was before the events readers are already familiar with, from his perspective. When I'm writing, I don't introduce any character unless I can imagine them thoroughly enough that I could write a book about them, so it was fun to wander further afield in these characters' lives beyond how they contribute to the arc of the novels.’
— Travis Baldree on Tales from the Territory
Legends & Lattes: the graphic novel
by Travis Baldree
Why read this: Viv’s beloved coffee-shop adventure gets a richly illustrated new life in this graphic novel adaptation. Sarah Webb and Shanti Rittgers bring Thune, its inhabitants and those irresistible baked goods onto the page, making this an inviting way to revisit a modern cosy fantasy favourite – or experience it for the first time.
Great for fans of: Graphic novels, illustrations and artwork, Legends & Lattes
What the experts think: 'I can smell the coffee and taste the midnight crescents. The modern classic about starting over truly comes to life . . . I wish I could live in every panel' – Matt Dinniman, New York Times bestselling author of Dungeon Crawler Carl
‘I was delighted to see the graphic novel adaptation of Legends and Lattes come to life with gorgeous artwork.’
— Travis Baldree on the Legends and Lattes graphic novel
