TL;DR: An absolute delight for fans of this series and world.
Source: NetGalley, so many thanks to the publisher!
Plot: Four stories following familiar characters on adventures.
Characters: You know and love them if you’re a return reader and if not you will love them.
Setting: While it’s not super strong it does a good job supporting the story.
Fantasy: This is a classic fantasy world with the tried and true races and a dash of magic.
Summary:
The delightful “Goblins & Greatcoats” is a tale of murder and intrigue that introduces Zyll, a goblin with too many pockets and a disturbing affinity for cutlery on a rain-soaked night that features four adventurers, a pair of corpses, a junk-drawer knife, some unfortunate taxidermy, and a beleaguered Gatewarden.
We all know what happened in Legends & Lattes, where retired-soldier Viv dreamed of opening a cafe and ended up with a found family and perhaps the love of her life. “Just a Thimbleful” tells us how one of the most beloved of those family members, Thimble, found his way from a frustrating and unhappy house to creating sweet treats that brought Legends & Lattes to life.
Tandri is a succubus and being a succubus comes with…well…certain expectations and pressures. In “Mirograph” we meet Tandri as an art student at Ackers University trying to find a way to be seen as something else, something more.
And in the longest story here, “Cavaliers & Coffees,” we get a glimpse of trouble for our cafe crew when a new and unscrupulous business comes into town, stealing all of Viv and Tandri’s ideas, undercutting them for price and putting everything they’ve worked for in peril.
Thoughts:
Travis Baldree’s stories are simply a joy for me to read. His world and characters constantly make me smile and the writing is accessible and welcoming. While I love a good challenging read, sometimes you want to enjoy friends and adventures that just make you grin like an idiot the whole time. That’s what these stories and this book was for me.
Three of the four stories here are new, and entirely worth a read. If you’ve not tried the Legends and Lattes world I think this would even be a great introduction. We get the humor, the heart, and the thoughtful stories I’ve come to expect. My favorite by far was Thimble’s story, but each one touched on something fun or interesting.
I can’t say a lot without spoiling things but I genuinely recommend this author and these stories. I find them hopeful, happy, and a joy to read.
Leave a comment