 Hello, hello, hello, I'm Philip Magnus and I'm here to review Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldry. Because I know engagement on YouTube drops over the first minute or so, here's the TLDR. You should read Legends and Lattes if you're looking for the confiest comfort read ever. You've always thought the fantasy aesthetic could do with more of an aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and cinnamon buns. You've grown tired of blood and guts and despair and are looking for works that capture the sense of community in the most beautiful ways imaginable. And you're really fond of cute slow burn romances. They speak to your soul. So you never saw orcs as warriors as much as you saw them as baristas and cafe shop owners. And more probably. And now, if that's not enough, listen to the rest of my review. You ready? But first, you might have noticed you don't actually see my face in this video. No, instead you're seeing footage from Coffee Talk. The reason I picked Coffee Talk is because this game and Legends and Lattes have something of a common DNA. They're both very, very cozy, comfy and have that communitarian DNA that is so magnificent in Legends and Lattes. If you'd like to check the game, by all means, keep watching. And if not, just listen to this as an audio thing. I don't mind either way as long as you like and subscribe. Let's move on to the review, shall we? The blogosphere has been a buzz with talk of Travis Boldery's debut, Legends and Lattes, and for good reason. Slice of life stories are character driven to their core. No wonder then that Boldery's novel is such a gripping read. The foremost of the Legends, the title refers to, is main character Viv. Your typical high-level orc adventurer prone to bursts of violence with her big-ass sword, who is tired of the lifestyle and has been for some time. I quote, after 22 years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. An orc's life was strength and violence, and a sudden sharp end. But she'd be damned if she'd let hers finish that way. It was time for something new. End quote. Viv's voice is compelling from the first paragraph. Her dream of building something that will last after a lifetime of dismantling monsters is relatable, and her hard work is as rewarding as the friends she makes along the way. In what friends those are. Carl, short for calamity, a hop construction worker, a few words and plenty of hmm. Tandri, a succubus sick of being judged by her demonic blood alone, bursting with overlooked talents, illustration, marketing ideas, she's excellent. Timbal, an absolute genius rat man, Baker, yes you heard that right, whose recipes will make you run to the closest bakery without a moment's hesitation. Hemmington, a snotty student of magic who isn't all bad. A bard whose future promises rockstar fandom, a bit of a cockney git with a top hat, a friendly old neighbour, and a surprisingly nice elderly lady running a community-oriented business. There's also an elf, but we don't talk about the elf. The world is the standard backdrop you'd expect of a D&D campaign. Adventurers, tech that slides between the medieval and the Victorian with plenty of description of gnomish coffee-making machinery to boot. Now that is the focus. The focus is the building of something, the coming together of individuals as they create a community centre. It's spectacular fun, I promise you this, and satisfying beyond what it has any right to be. Like any good D&D adjacent world, it covers the ground necessary to create a sense of versimilitude. And I love how committed Bollery is to the vision of an adventure turning a new leaf. It would have been easy for Viv to pick up her greatsword and solve any number of annoying issues that pop up throughout legends' 300 pages or so, but that moment never materialises. Not that it wouldn't have been satisfying on at least one account, but it would have made for a different book, a book less involved in the fundamentally communitarian project Bollery Delivers. And weaker for it. No matter how hard the times, Viv's pledge to stay true to herself and the new life she is building is the kind of resolve to aspire to. So does the steadfast support she is shown by her closest friends, new and old. The partnership that develops between her and Tandry is the kind of healthy, positive friendship that revolves around support and tasting tasty treats like in the following paragraph, describing their first ever bite of chocolate. Viv and Tandry each snapped off a small piece. Viv sniffed hers. The earthy smell was slightly sweet. Almost coffee-like. She put the fragment on her tongue, and when she closed her eyes it melted, spreading through her mouth. She tasted dark bitterness, but with subtler flavours of vanilla. Citrus, and in the far back, a hint of something that reminded her of wine. It was bold, both creamy and harsh, but alluring. Honestly, Viv doubted you could eat very much of it. That bitterness would overwhelm you. But the old spice seller was right, and the kid was a genius, and she couldn't wait to see what he had planned. Yum. Delicious. I don't know about you, but I know what I'm doing after this review. Eat your whole chocolate bar. Anyway, I'll leave you with one last quote. You could easily take to heart and apply this to your own life in times when stagnation seems inevitable. Things don't have to stay as what they started out as. And ain't that the truth? Thanks for listening or watching. I'm Philip Magnus. If you enjoyed this video, please smash that like button. Don't forget to subscribe and let me know in the comments down below. Does legends and lattes sound like your cup of tea? I suppose, I suppose not. But certainly, your cup of latte. I'll see you next time. Bye. Oh, and before I move away from this, I probably should say that coffee talk is really great. And if you prefer a more interactive medium, it might deliver on much of what makes legends and lattes so great, compelling characters. Of course, the tone is very different. It's more of an urban fantasy vibe. And the dialogue is absolutely modern day rather than your more fantastic fantasy, stylized aesthetic. But very well worth exploring that. Anyway, see you next time. Bye.