Orcs, dwarves, and necromancers. OH MY!
Overview
Disclaimer: I am reading this before Legends and Lattes.
I rarely go into a book completely unknown. This was one of those times, and I was pleasantly surprised. I knew two things: this was a popular book, and I liked the name. About a quarter of the way through, I realized there had to be a romance involved, since while the story was fascinating, it wasn’t building up to a main crisis. Halfway through, I realized that it was indeed a lesbian romance, and a very sweet one. Viv, a former mercenary, is our protagonist, who is stranded in town due to an injury. She develops a love of books and begins helping the bookstore owner, Fern, in exchange for access to the store’s collection. Unfortunately, the mark that left her injured and stranded has unfinished business, and Viv tends to get into trouble.
Positives
I know why they call it cozy fantasy. It is also a sweet story. The author has compiled a diverse collection of species, some of which you may be familiar with, while others may be less so.
What I enjoyed were the two themes that stood out to me. First is the summer romance. I love the quote “Sometimes we aren’t the night people yet.” It helped them treasure what they had. Viv’s relationship with Maylee may not be everlasting love. But they both became better because of it and possibly set them up to be better partners for they’re own eternal love.
Secondly, the importance of books and how they help you discover new things about yourself. Much like my public library growing up was my sanctuary, the bookshop serves as a gathering place for the community to bond. Fern rediscovered her passion for connecting others with books that will challenge them to be their better selves.
Negatives
I can’t think of anything negative to say about this, except that some may find the first half a bit slow. But I feel that it helps with the “cozy” fantasy feeling.
Recommendations
The romance is pretty mild to me; I wouldn’t label it spicy at all. As long as you don’t mind a lesbian couple doing what an M/F couple would do in a PG movie, but you won’t find this.
As for the level of fantasy, it’s thoroughly a fantasy, so if you don’t like the genre, skip it. Travis Baldree has put in great effort to create a beautifully unique world full of diverse characters. I give this a 5-star. I can see coming back to it for a comforting escape from reality. Now on to the next one.
I rented for FREE from my local library!
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