I’ve mostly been an obsessive thriller reader for a long time, so I’m very used to books with constant tension, big twists, and dramatic climaxes. Because of that, I was honestly skeptical about picking up Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree.
It’s a low-stakes, cozy fantasy about an orc who retires from adventuring to open a coffee shop, focusing more on relationships, everyday struggles, and building a peaceful life than on action or magic.
I kept wondering how I wouldn’t get bored without all the usual suspense.
But I ended up loving it.
It felt warm, comforting, and very human. The fantasy elements stayed in the background, and the story was really about finding home, friendship, and love. I even felt sad when it ended, which surprised me.
It made me realize I’m not numb to non-thrillers, and that I can appreciate gentler stories too.
Has anyone else had a similar shift in reading taste?
by Civil_Salary534
2 Comments
oh man that book sounds really nice actually. i had similar experience but with different genre – was always reading fantasy with big wars and magic systems, then picked up some slice of life manga and realized how much i enjoyed the quiet moments between characters
it’s funny how we think we need all the drama and action to stay interested, but sometimes the small daily struggles hit different. like watching someone figure out how to make perfect coffee can be just as engaging as watching them fight dragons
now i actively look for books that focus more in character development than plot twists. there’s something really satisfying about stories where biggest conflict is maybe running out of ingredients for tomorrow’s menu
I get it, I just went from reading a series about stopping demons from destroying the world to a trilogy called The Tea Princess. I really want to read Legends and Lattes, but it’s tricky to get on the library apps because everyone else is reading it right now.