Travis Baldree - Reactor

A Warm, Well-Baked Treat: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Christina Orlando — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:00:07 +0000

My first forays into cozy science fiction and fantasy left me thinking I wasn’t a fan of the genre. I was disappointed by this. I wanted an SFF addition to the romance novels and small town mysteries in which life is better than it should be and the ending feels familiar in its rightness. Like many readers, I sometimes need a book to shake my hand and promise that nobody I care about in its pages will die. Yet the cozy SFF I tried was either too self-serious or too slow for me.

Then came Legends & Lattes. It sounds like a goofy fanfiction challenge: Write about an orc who quits battling and opens a coffee shop. Yet thanks to Baldree’s tenderness for his characters and unabashed optimism (plus a neatly constructed magical device justifying his cast of kind and talented people), I adored it. My one quibble was that Americanos taste so much worse than a simple shot of espresso, and that’s the first drink Viv serves her employee-business partner.

Bookshops & Bonedust is even more of a delight than its predecessor/sequel. Taking place two decades before Legends & Lattes, Baldree’s second book is a meaty slice of Viv’s backstory, so fully realized that it can be read as a standalone. Certainly, there are references that will be more fun for a fan of Legends, namely the origin of the sword Blackblood and a contentious early relationship with the gnome Gallina, but someone who’d never heard of Travis Baldree would still enjoy this adventure.

On her first big gig with Rackham’s Ravens, a respected mercenary crew, Viv goes too hard too fast and too alone, and gets stabbed in the leg. Before she passes out, Rackham himself tells her he’s sending her to the nearest safe haven to recover, promising to pick her up once his troop has finished their mission. This is how Viv finds herself trapped in the sleepy seaside town of Thune, with a bum leg and nothing to do. This does not suit her sense of self, which will be recognizable to anyone who has built an identity around a less-than-stable career. (Artists, hello!) So, Viv heads out to explore. She ends up befriending the local bookstore owner, rattkin Fern, who needs a hand with her moldering business, and learns to love reading in the process. The genius town baker, a dwarf named Maylee, takes a shine to Viv, resulting in their quiet summer romance. Viv disobeys her doctor regularly, establishes a grudging detente with the local Serpenti Gatewarden, and finds an unexpected friend in untethered fighter Gallina.There’s a poetry-reading and spouting construction worker, a reclusive author, and a necromancer that eludes Rackham’s Ravens and comes for Viv instead. Why does Varine the Pale take an interest in this injured orc? A book, of course! A book stolen from the necromancer winds up in Viv’s hands, accompanied by a mysterious skeletal servant. Without giving too much away, the ending is as neat and as satisfying as if the story were a ballad or a fairytale.

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Bookshops & Bonedust

Taken on its own terms, Bookshops & Bonedust excels at what it sets out to be. It doesn’t surprise me that Baldree admits in an afterword that he didn’t intend to write this book as his second offering; the organic quality of the story transmits itself through the text. The balances that Baldree strikes seem a kind of intuitive magic. He tells his story with great seriousness from the perspective of his characters, honoring them as struggling people while maintaining a light touch. The mastery and danger of the necromancer is present, but never skews Epic like so many Dungeons & Dragons-adjacent universes. The novel’s humor is tongue-in-cheek in places but never declares itself, offering readers the gift of laughing at characters who don’t know they’re being funny. Baldree even achieves a cutesy animal character that isn’t annoying: Fern’s pet gryphet Potroast. The creature is a combination of an angry owl and a short stocky dog, and gets up to all kinds of hijinks. If Potroast were a Disney sidekick, he’d probably have given me a toothache—but instead, he’s genuinely funny and expressive.

As the title implies, Bookshops & Bonedust is not only a light-hearted adventure but also an ode to independent bookstores and their staff. Fern represents every bookseller who brims with brilliant book recommendations and love for the written word. Baldree sets himself the authorial challenge of including snippets from many purportedly excellent imaginary novels, aiming to show how every book scratches a different itch. Though the stylistic similarity and general melodrama of these excerpts are the one weak point in this otherwise tight novel, their presence allows for a touching meditation on reading and how it changes us. The narrative explores how authors may not always understand everything they’ve created, and that doesn’t make the meanings readers find for themselves any less valid—the opposite, in fact. As Viv explains to Fern near the end,

“Maybe that’s what the story says in the words that got put down, but if you could read past the end? The words that didn’t get written? Maybe it ends up being something else altogether.”

Fern sums up Viv’s reflection with a phrase appropriate for a prequel: “the story past the story.”

Although I stand by Bookshops & Bonedust’s integrity on its own, I do think it benefits from reading the story past the one it holds. Read as a pair (in any order), Baldree’s two novels gain depth, offering a more powerful character arc for Viv. It’s poignant to see a time when her mercenary life was her identity, and get to know the inner fighter that prompts her to refuse to pay the local extortionist in Legends & Lattes. Seeing Viv’s early life elevates her later commitment to leaving violence behind, revealing it as the transformation of a lifetime. If Baldree’s breakout hit was the story of Viv finding her people, then Bookshops & Bonedust is the story of Viv becoming her own person. Engrossing, meaningful, and fluffy all at once, it is a charming afternoon read—perhaps alongside a cup of coffee.

Bookshops & Bonedust is published by Tor Books.
Read an excerpt.

Maura Krause is a writer and Barrymore-nominated theatrical director, currently pursuing their MFA in Writing at California College for the Arts.

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First Loves and Secondhand Books: Read an Excerpt From Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust

Stefan Raets — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:00:36 +0000

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek…

We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust, a fantasy novel set in the same world as Legends & Lattes—publishing with Tor Books on November 7th.

Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it.

What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

Viv lay on the floor of the tiny room. Well, almost on the floor. The place hadn’t been built with orcs in mind, and the bed was too short by at least two feet. Someone had wrestled the strawtick mattress onto the floor, and though her legs still went off the end, they’d positioned her pack so her foot was propped, keeping the wounded leg elevated.

It hurt like all eight hells.

She’d caught a fever while bouncing along in the litter behind a pack mule, coughing through all the dust it could raise. Which was a lot.

Viv might’ve been bedbound for two days, in and out of consciousness, a muddle of circular dreams and throbbing agony. The surgeon had come and gone multiple times. Or maybe he hadn’t, and she’d just been hallucinating it over and over. She half remembered the man’s face, tangled up in a shame she couldn’t identify.

Now, her head was clear. Which mostly meant she could also feel everything with complete clarity. It was a debatable improvement.

What’s more, she was absolutely ravenous.

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Bookshops & Bonedust

Staring around the room, the place was mostly barren. A crude bedframe and a tiny table with a lantern and a basin on it. Gray, raw wood for walls. A small, slatted window. She smelled the sea, and dry beach grass, and fish. An old sea chest sat opposite. Her saber leaned against it, alongside a crude wooden crutch. Her maul was missing. There wasn’t much else worth considering.

The building was absolutely quiet. The only sounds came from outside—the hissing of grass, the remote grumble of waves, and the occasional call of a seabird.

Viv had been lucid for less than a single hour, and she thought the view might drive her insane if she had to endure another.

Her leg was cleanly wrapped at least, splinted so the knee wouldn’t bend. Her trouser leg had been cut away. The bandages showed some discoloration where she’d oozed through, but it was a big step up from moss and a dirty wool shirt.

“Well,” she said. “Shit.”

She made it up by degrees, hauling her butt onto the bedframe and sucking air through her teeth as she swung her damaged leg around. Her left boot fit, but the right foot was so swollen, it would have to stay bare. Tottering to her feet, she made it to the basin of tepid water, where she scrubbed herself as best she could with the rag she found there. Feeling less foul, she limped toward the door, but each thud of her heel against the floor pulsed black at the edges of her vision. Gritting her teeth, she changed direction and grudgingly seized the crutch.

It galled her to admit how much better that was.

While she was there, she belted on her saber out of habit.

Unfortunately, she discovered that the room was at the top of a flight of narrow stairs. She fumbled down them, catching herself every other step with the crutch. The saber did nothing to make things easier. With every impact, she found a new, more colorful epithet for Rackam. Not that it was his fault, of course. Still, it was a lot more satisfying to curse someone by name, even if that name should’ve been her own.

She could smell the ghost of bacon as she descended, which was plenty of incentive to carry on.

The stairs opened into a long, rough-timbered dining area in an inn or tavern or whatever they called it around here. A big, stone hearth crouched cold along one wall, yawning like a disappointed mouth. An iron chandelier hung askew, entombed in candlewax. Glass floats and storm lanterns were strung or nailed up in the rafters, alongside netting and weathered oars with names carved into them. The handful of battered tables were unoccupied.

A long bar ran along the back wall, and the tavernkeep leaned against it, idly cleaning a copper mug. He looked as bored as the place warranted. The tall sea-fey’s chin was grizzled gray. His nose was a hatchet, his hair hung kelp-thick past sharp ears, and his forearms writhed with tattoos.

“Mornin’, miss,” he rumbled. “Breakfast?”

Viv couldn’t remember anyone ever calling her miss.

His gaze sketched over her, brows rising as he spied the saber, then returned to the mug he was polishing.

“Bacon?” asked Viv.

He nodded. “Eggs, too? Potatoes?”

Her stomach grumbled aggressively. “Yeah.”

“Five bits ought to do it.”

She patted at her belt for her wallet, looked toward the stairs, and swore.

“I’ll get it next time. Worst case I climb those stairs myself.”

The man smiled wryly. “Don’t think you could outrun me, could you? You’d better fall onto one of these stools while you still can.”

Viv was so used to her very existence being an obvious threat that it was honestly startling to hear a casual joke at her expense, even such a mild one. She supposed clunking around on one leg tended to dull one’s fearsomeness.

As she accomplished the suggested maneuver, he disappeared into the back. Viv dragged another stool close enough to prop her bare foot on one of its low supports.

Drumming her fingers on the counter, she tried to distract herself by studying the interior further, but there really wasn’t much else worth marking. The sounds and smells from the back were all her mind could dwell on.

When the tavernkeep brought out a skillet and set it on the counter along with a fork and a napkin, she almost seized the hot handle with her bare hand in her hurry to drag it closer. The hash of potatoes, crispy, fatty pork, and two runny eggs was still sizzling and popping. She almost burst into joyful tears.

Viv caught him watching her devour the food from the other end of the bar and tried to slow down, but the potatoes were salty and rich with the egg, and it was hard not to shovel it in without pausing. The noises she made as she ate were not polite, but they were definitely sincere.

“Feel better?” the sea-fey asked as he slid the empty pan off the bar-top.

“Gods, yes. And thanks. Uh, I’m Viv.”

That wry grin again. “Heard when you came in. We’ve met, actually, but I’m not surprised you don’t remember. Not with all the commotion.”

She didn’t remember the commotion, but his amused tone made her wonder. “So, did the Ravens pay up my stay?”

“Hoped I’d see Rackam himself,” said the barkeep. “Still, the fellow he sent to put you up was practically a gentleman. Paid four days. Said you’d be able to foot it past that. I’m Brand.”

He held out a hand, and she shook it. They both had hard grips.

“Back to your ease then?” he asked.

“Hells, no. I’d go crazy. Um. Where exactly am I?”

His wry grin went all the way to amused. “Let me be the first to welcome you to Murk, jewel of the western coast! A very small part of the western coast. And this here is The Perch, my place.”

“Seems awfully quiet around here.” She’d almost said depressingly quiet.

“We have our loud moments when the boats are in. But if you’re looking to rest and recover, most days you’re not going to be bothered by the noise.”

She nodded and hopped onto her good foot, easing the crutch back under her. “Well, thanks again. Guess I’ll be seeing a lot of you.”

With hot food in her belly, Viv felt more herself. The thought of hobbling her way around a little of the town was a lot more attractive than it had been a few minutes ago. She rapped a knuckle on the counter. “Think I’ll take in the sights.”

“See you in ten minutes then,” said Brand.

Viv laughed, but she had to force it.

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Tor Books Acquires Three New Fantasy Novels From Travis Baldree

Christina Orlando — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 17:30:43 +0000

Tor Books, in the US and the UK, announced the acquisition of world rights to three new novels from New York Times bestselling author, Travis Baldree. The books will be standalone fantasies set in the world of Baldree’s bestselling Legends & Lattes and beyond, taking us to new horizons with new characters; and all three with the heart, charm, and signature voice we’ve come to know and love from Baldree.

Stevie Finegan of the Zeno Agency negotiated the deal with Executive Editor at Tor Books US Lindsey Hall and with Bella Pagan, Publishing Director of Pan Macmillan’s Tor imprint.

Of the acquisition, Hall remarked:

“Working with Travis Baldree and getting to know Viv the orc in her many forms through Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust has been a balm and a pleasure. In his books about orcs, dwarves, necromancy, and magic swords, Baldree also speaks to the deepest truths of humanity, centering the small but meaningful joys of life—like warm drinks, good books, and old friends—that make it all worthwhile. I can’t wait to see where his stories take us in the future.”

Balrdree enthused:

“It would be a vast understatement to say that I have been humbled and grateful for the incredible support, enthusiasm and kindness that I’ve received from Tor and Macmillan as we’ve worked together on my first two books. It has been a joy to get to know the fabulous team there. I’m beyond delighted to announce that I’ll be writing a further three books to be published by Tor as well. Thank you so much to everyone who has responded to my stories in such a positive way, and made this improbable journey possible. You have all changed my life.”

The first of the new books is planned for publication in Fall 2025.

Travis Baldree is the author of the instant New York Times bestseller Legends & Lattes, and its forthcoming sequel, Bookshops & Bonedust, as well a full-time audiobook narrator who has lent his voice to hundreds of stories. Before that, he spent decades designing and building video games like Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy, and Fate. Apparently, he now also writes books. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his very patient family and their small, nervous dog.

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Legends and Lattes

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Bookshops and Bonedust

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Legends & Lattes Is the Warm, Cozy Fantasy We All Need Right Now

Stefan Raets — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 20:00:42 +0000

Welcome to another installment of Please Adapt! I hope you’re ready to snuggle up and enjoy a warm cuppa, because we’re putting our feet up.

Today, we turn our sights to Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes, a fascinating viral indie success that bypasses the “epic” lane of fantasy and sets off on its own road, leaving readers with warm and fuzzy feelings from dawn to dusk.

Of course, Legends & Lattes isn’t the first cozy fantasy to carve out a niche in the SFF scene. Still, the novel certainly took book Twitter and other bookish spaces by storm, scratching our collective itch to enjoy a satisfying story without dire drama or world-ending stakes.

Indeed, it often feels as if we’re swimming in grim, dangerous tales. House of the Dragon treats lives—particularly the lives of those outside of the ruling class—as disposable inconveniences. Rings of Power requires the world to be saved from an evil force of evil that is evil because it’s evil. (I’m being glib, of course, but there’s an inkling of truth to it.) At the same time, world-shaking stakes can brew intense personal stories, and I flock to them just as much as the next SFF fan.

And yet, sometimes SFF fans want to kick back and breeze through a delightful tale without worrying about what dark power lurks in the shadows waiting to destroy everything we love. Travis Baldree has treated us to such a story in Legends & Lattes, which makes the book a unique and potentially enchanting candidate for adaptation.

The Story So Far

Travis Baldree, audiobook narrator and erstwhile game developer, first published Legends & Lattes as an independent release. He completed the draft during National Novel Writing Month (lovingly abbreviated NaNoWriMo by those who follow and participate), and the final product would eventually become his debut novel.

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Legends and Lattes

Legends & Lattes soon garnered the attention of reviewers, creators, and other SFF authors. Seanan McGuire praised the book on Twitter, giving it a nice boost in readership. Legends & Lattes became the proverbial talk of the town in some circles, and Baldree’s success careened into an eventual publishing deal from Tor. A new edition of Legends & Lattes just hit bookstores, and includes a never-before-published additional in-universe story.

Baldree is already hard at work on a second book. Same universe, different characters, though he promises a few cameos. Thus far, there’s no evidence pointing to a Legends & Lattes adaptation, but Baldree’s cozy fantasy deserves the on-screen treatment. I’ll tell you why in just moment, but if you need if you need a quick primer on the book itself, check out my Legends & Lattes review at The Quill To Live.

Cozy Coffee Shop Vibes

The story begins when Viv, an Orc Barbarian, hangs up her axe and opens a coffee shop. Armed with a Scalvert’s Stone (a mystical object removed from the head of a monstrous, spider-like Scalvert Queen), Viv travels to Thune and buries the Stone underneath her newly purchased lot. Placing a Scalvert’s Stone near intersecting ley lines is said to bring luck and fortune, and Viv hopes it will translate to success for her new cafe endeavor.

Viv’s business venture introduces her to helpful comrades. Tandri, a succubus, and Thimble, a rattkin baker, are among the charming cast.

Baldree’s novel follows Viv and her pals as they deal with the day-to-day operations required of a local coffee shop. There’s an overtone of humor to the proceedings because the fantasy village of Thune hasn’t ever seen, smelled, or heard of coffee… Marketing, therefore, becomes quite a challenge. A local protection racket provides a looming conflict, but Legends & Lattes smartly avoids getting bogged down in the local politics of Thune. Instead, Baldree weaves an elegant yarn about a protagonist seeking to redefine herself and reframe her ideas of success.

Legends & Lattes strikes just the right tone with the story it’s choosing to tell. It’s “a novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes,” as the original tagline states. As a limited animated series, I think it would make for perfect lazy Sunday viewing, watching episode after episode (maybe with a warm mug of coffee and some pastries to set the mood).

TV viewers are fickle, though, and the story might require minor tweaks to make it more viable for a streaming platform. Not to worry: I have a few ideas that wouldn’t compromise the narrative’s cozy integrity…

Expanding On Excellence

For Legends & Lattes to become a screen project and succeed, Baldree must be deeply involved in the adaptation. A few expansions to the source material would make sense to bring the story to a TV audience.

First, I’d recommend juxtaposing Viv’s former life with her entrepreneurial coffee-shop journey. We get tidbits of her former life in the book, mainly in the prologue and via run-ins with former battle companions. To understand Viv’s ambitions in opening the cafe, we’d need a more extended look at her adventures in walloping and slicing up monsters.

Now, I’m not suggesting we split the show between a hyper-violent depiction of Viv’s former life and the present in which she pursues her heartwarming second career. Instead, I think the story would benefit from the occasional scene that shows us—with careful restraint—the moments that motivated the change and drove Viv to pursue her passion. We don’t even need to see the aforementioned walloping and slicing. Perhaps flashbacks to quiet conversations huddled around the campfire would do, or to a tense interaction with a rival raiding party. Baldree drops plenty of glimpses into Viv’s past in the novel. An adaptation could widen our perspective and better understand her as a character.

Beyond Viv as the central protagonist, an adaptation could further explore the Legends & Lattes cast and their relationships. (Super minor spoiler, but there’s a subtle romance brewing alongside the coffee, and the show could delve into that element of the story to a greater extent…)

More Pendry the shy bard? Cal the hob carpenter? Sign me up. A Legends & Lattes adaptation would be a wonderful opportunity to expand on everything that’s great about Baldree’s already-impeccable narrative.

Vibrant, Colorful, Animated

If you haven’t picked up on it yet, I hope any eventual adaptation of Legend & Lattes will be animated. Baldree’s novel bursts with color and impressive diversity, and a strong team of animators could breathe magical life into the world it creates. Top off the brew with some top-notch voice actors, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

On the other hand, imagine the budget that would be required for Viv and Tandri costumes. Thimble would need to be animated anyway, so a live-action version seems like a non-starter. Legends & Lattes deserves an all-star animation team behind the wheel.

Outlook: It’s A Longshot

I earned my writing chops in the gambling industry, so I know when a bet is spicy. I’d say this one’s pretty dang spicy, in my opinion—but an adaptation sometime in the near future is not a complete impossibility.

At this point, I think Legends & Lattes needs some time to steep. Now that the new edition is available, I imagine it’ll find new readers and there will be a resurgence of buzz. Perhaps the expanded fanbase will pine for an adaptation, and studios will take notice… But whether or not Legends & Lattes eventually makes it to our screens, I can assure you of one thing: the book itself is absolutely worth a read. Let me know your thoughts on a potential animated or live-action version, who you’d cast, and which elements and arcs you’d most like to see expanded!

A version of this article was originally published in September 2022.

Cole Rush writes words. A lot of them. For the most part, you can find those words at The Quill To Live or on Twitter @ColeRush1. He voraciously reads epic fantasy and science-fiction, seeking out stories of gargantuan proportions and devouring them with a bookwormish fervor. His favorite books are: The Divine Cities Series by Robert Jackson Bennett, The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, and The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.

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Legends & Lattes Would Be the Warmest, Coziest Fantasy Adaptation Imaginable

Cole Rush — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 16:00:54 +0000

Welcome to another installment of Please Adapt! I hope you’re ready to snuggle up and enjoy a warm cuppa, because we’re putting our feet up after last month’s massive Cosmere discussion.

The Story So Far

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Legends and Lattes

Legends & Lattes soon garnered the attention of reviewers, creators, and other SFF authors. Seanan McGuire praised the book on Twitter, giving it a nice boost in readership. Legends & Lattes became the proverbial talk of the town in some circles, and Baldree’s success careened into an eventual publishing deal from Tor. A new edition of Legends & Lattes publishes this November, and includes a never-before-published additional in-universe story.

Cozy Coffee Shop Vibes

Viv’s business venture introduces her to helpful comrades. Tandri, a succubus, and Thimble, a rattkin baker, are among the charming cast.

Expanding On Excellence

Vibrant, Colorful, Animated

Outlook: It’s A Longshot

At this point, I think Legends & Lattes needs some time to steep. After the new edition hits shelves, I imagine it’ll find new readers and there will be a resurgence of buzz. Perhaps the expanded fanbase will pine for an adaptation, and studios will take notice… But whether or not Legends & Lattes eventually makes it to our screens, I can assure you of one thing: the book itself is absolutely worth a read. Let me know your thoughts on a potential animated or live-action version, who you’d cast, and which elements and arcs you’d most like to see expanded!

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Five Fantasy Cafes I’d Love To Visit

TorSarah — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 16:00:47 +0000

Sometimes, our favorite fantasy characters need a break—an escape from the woes of brutal, unforgiving worlds and a safe space to ruminate on life, or simply exist in peaceful solitude. Or perhaps characters just need a warm and welcoming atmosphere to encourage a few hours of friendship and laughter, insulated against the stress and harsh realities of life by four walls and the rich aroma of roasting coffee beans and steaming pots of tea.

Thankfully, fantasy writers and creators give us these spaces in droves. The genre brims with comforting, often whimsical cafes, and many of them make me long for a real-world equivalent. I’d love to nestle into a corner booth at all five of these fantasy cafes with a good book, basking in the ambiance and sipping on whatever delightful brews the owners have on offer…

Charon’s Crossing (T.J. Klune’s Under the Whispering Door)

It may be a waystation for spirits passing into the beyond, but I’d prefer to visit Charon’s Crossing while I’m alive and well, thank you very much. If my dishes move around a little, jostled by a friendly ghost who has yet to move on? So be it. I’d feel safe and warm in the embrace of proprietor Hugo and his coffee shop companions.

Klune’s fictional cafe may be a bridge between worlds, but it serves a second purpose: comforting those impacted by loss. Family members of loved ones who passed away are drawn to the cafe and to Hugo, specifically, seeking solace and peace in the face of tragedy. It takes time, but Hugo and reaper Mei always find a way to help. Meanwhile, ghostly companions Nelson, Wallace, and Apollo learn valuable lessons as they observe the goings-on at the tea shop.

It’s not all heavenly at Charon’s Crossing, but Hugo does his best. The result is a much-needed refuge: a kindhearted, accepting have where the living to take solace in an aromatic brew while the dead learn to cope with moving on. I long for a visit, even for just an hour, to revel in the warmth that radiates through Charon’s Crossing.

Dex’s Tea Cart (Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild-Built)

Dex had a day job, and they were pretty proficient at it. But it didn’t quell Dex’s need for interaction and exploration, so they quit. Dex’s corporate colleagues wished them well, and the monk set out to purchase a tea cart and roam the land offering tea and advice to strangers.

What I’d give to be one of the strangers welcomed into Dex’s cart… The monk earns a modicum of microfame, their arrival eagerly anticipated and welcomes by the communities they visit. Dex becomes a therapist and tea matchmaker of sorts, lending a patient ear and proffering wisdom as best they can.

Sure, the promise of a tea selected just for me is alluring, but I’d cherish a visit to Dex’s cart for the conversation, the explorations of humanity’s troubles and my own struggles. Dex tailors their tea-cart experience to each visitor, showing appreciation for the individuality of their patrons. What advice might they give me? What problems would I discuss and how would Dex recommend I overcome them?

I don’t have the answers to these questions, but I’m sure answers would start to arise after a few sips of Dex’s tea and a few moments of conversational contemplation…

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A Prayer for the Crown-Shy

Legends & Lattes (Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes)

Travis Baldree’s debut release came out mere days ago, and already it holds a special place in my heart. Legends & Lattes follows orc barbarian Viv as she quits adventuring in favor of opening a coffee shop in Thune, a city populated by all sorts of magical species. Leaving the barbarian lifestyle behind, Viv must surmount the challenges of opening a new business: advertising, hiring a staff, building a menu, renovating a storefront, and convincing Thune’s denizens that coffee is a tasty treat.

The final product? A charming cafe, the titular Legends & Lattes, complete with regular performances from a local bard, fresh-baked cinnamon rolls, and tasty coffee drinks. Viv and her comrades create a space that’s wholly unfamiliar to the typical Thunish resident, but the customers quickly come around thanks to the love and care the barbarian puts into the shop.

Imagine the tales told within the walls of Legends & Lattes as people from Thune and beyond stop in for a rest and a refreshing caffeine boost. I’d happily grab a seat at one of the tables constructed by Cal, the hob carpenter, and enjoy pleasant conversation with whoever happened to wander in.

The Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

This entry should come as no surprise if you’ve read any of my previous lists. Of course I’d find my way to the Upper Ring’s premier tea shop, were I to visit the Earth Kingdom Capital.

Let’s be real: this place would be my first stop during any trip to Ba Sing Se, just edging out the tree on the hill where Uncle Iroh quietly mourned his fallen son.

I’d stroll right up to The Jasmine Dragon and find a table with a view out of the structure’s wide-open doors, observing the bustle of Ba Sing Se. All the while, I’d happily allow Iroh to replenish my cup with more of whatever delicious concoction he has on the menu.

Who else could I trust to brew my tea with the delicious leaves and flowers of the white dragon bush instead of the poisonous white jade leaf?

The Eolian (Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind)

Let’s cap things off with an epic finale, shall we?

Yes, yes: the Eolian is technically more of a tavern than a cafe, but I think it serves the same purpose. It may be more of a nighttime watering hole for students and staff of The University or the locals from surrounding towns, but in my mind it has that distinct coffee-shop flair, filling the same key role as a communal gathering spot.

I imagine myself as a mildly successful student of The University, scraping by on my rudimentary knowledge of Sympathy. After a day of classes and a brief sojourn to the library to cram a bit more knowledge into my brain, I’d make the walk to Imre, settle into a table with some friends, and enjoy a few games and drinks.

After a while, the place would quiet, and pipe-bearing bards would regale the crowd with song and pageantry, capping the evening off with entertainment.

The Eolian isn’t just some ho-hum open mic at your average local coffee shop. It’s a place for musicians to test their mettle, to live or die by the response of the audience. And I, for one, would be tickled to be in that audience for just one evening, listening to the musical mastery of the various performers. Should a certain redheaded bard arrive to pluck a tune on his lute and sing a haunting melody to an enraptured audience, well—that’s just a bonus to an already great night.

Originally published March 2022

The post Five Fantasy Cafes I’d Love To Visit appeared first on Reactor.

The Queer Joy of Our Flag Means Death

AlexBrown — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 16:00:26 +0000

Like many of you, I was enticed to give Our Flag Means Death a try from other queer fans tweeting about it. I knew from the moment we saw Blackbeard nursing Stede back to health that I would see it through to the end, but I was also suspicious. Queerbaiting is so pervasive that it’s often the only “rep” we get (looking at you, Supernatural). As much as I wanted to trust Taika Waititi, Rhys Darby, and David Jenkins, and as much as I loved the diversity in the cast, experience has taught me to keep my expectations below rock bottom. I kept waiting for the bait and switch, for the show to swing back toward cisheteronormativity and act as all those little moments were out of control fan headcanons.

I cannot fully explain how ecstatic I was to be proven wrong.

[Spoilers ahoy]

What cinched it for me was how well Jim’s storyline was handled. Although I knew the actor playing Jim is nonbinary (the incredible Vico Ortiz), I also knew that Western media loves doing the “girl who crossdresses as a boy to become a pirate” storyline. So when Jim was revealed to be not-a-man, I was prepared for disappointment. And then, to my utter shock, the crew switched to using they/them pronouns. They did it as if it was perfectly natural and normal. No discussion, no debate, no transphobic remarks or internalized transphobia. In all honesty, I burst into tears. Not because I was upset, but because it was so unexpected and inclusive that I didn’t know what to do with my emotions.

We—queer and trans/nonbinary people—rarely get queercentric narratives in mainstream movies and television. I don’t mean we don’t get movies or TV with queer main characters or storylines, but that when we do they often center cisallohet people. Queerness is shown as alternative or deviant. It’s something non-queer characters constantly comment on or is used as worldbuilding or plot devices.

Bigots, racism, and internalized queerphobia exist in Our Flag Means Death, but those are framed as the deviant experiences. Inclusivity, diversity, and acceptance are the default. With Black Pete, Lucius, Oluwande, Jim, Stede, or Ed, we never have any big coming out scenes or discussions forcing the queer characters to convince the non-queer characters of the validity of their identity. The closest we get is Jim explaining that they aren’t a mermaid, a fabulous twist on the traditional Coming Out Story. The characters get to be queer without any qualifiers or push back. When Stede tells Mary he’s in love with Ed, he isn’t consumed by an identity crisis and she doesn’t guilt him about their marriage or recenter his revelation back onto herself. She just smiles and hugs him. I cried at that scene, too. (For a show this funny, it made me cry a lot more than I expected!) Every chance the show has to focus on cishet characters or wallow in The Struggle, it instead chooses to be unambiguously and joyfully queer. I don’t think I’ll ever stop being grateful for that.

As of this writing, we still don’t have official word of a season two, but HBO would be foolish to not renew one of the most popular shows on television. In the meantime, if you, like me, are craving more “the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one”, queer joy, and cozy acceptance, here are some Our Flag Means Death readalikes to tide you over.

Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh

Despite the lack of pirates, this series is probably the closest readalike to OFMD, tone-wise. You can’t get much grumpier than Tobias or sunshinier than Henry Silver. Tobias is a literal monster from legend and Henry is the charming love interest who sees through the gruff exterior to the kind man underneath. And there’s also the sinister Bad Boy lurking in the background waiting to mess things up for ol’ Tobias.

A Charm of Magpies series by K.J. Charles

This fantasy romance is darker (and more sexually explicit) than OFMD, but OH MY GOD it’s so good! In the first book, The Magpie Lord, we meet Lord Crane, aka Lucien, an exiled gadabout returning to England to claim his inheritance, and Stephen Day, a prickly magician cop. They’re pulled into each other’s orbits unexpectedly but inextricably. The tone is darker and more serious, but it’s also sexy and entertaining and is everything I love about K.J. Charles’ romances.

Kingston Cycle series by C.L. Polk

Another good match to tone is C.L. Polk’s excellent trilogy, particularly the first book, Witchmark. Set in an Edwardian-esque fantasy land, this series explores what happens in the fallout of a war led by a nation founded upon oppressing its magical citizens. It isn’t as funny as OFMD and spends more time on discussions on exploitation, abolition, and colonialism, but the romances—between Miles and Tristan, then Grace and Avia, and lastly Robin and Zelind—will hit many of the same beats as Stede and Ed, Oluwande and Jim, and Black Pete and Lucius.

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

Ten years and one trans identity later, Peter returns to Neverland. His old rivalry with Captain Hook starts up again, this time with some heat under it. Queer pirate romance? Check! Becoming your true self regardless of what society has to say? Check!

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

If your favorite parts of OFMD were the ones where the audience hangs out with the crew as they tell ghost stories or have a flag-making competition and you’re longing for slice-of-life fics, Legends & Lattes should satisfy. A barbarian orc, Viv, takes one last job before retiring to open a cafe. In her new life, she gains a found family and a lovely slow burn romance. This is an action lite and charm heavy book.

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens

This YA fantasy has an adorably fraught romance between a prince yearning to break free of his family’s low expectations and a merman with a dark past. Prince Tal and merman Athlen get a nice slow burn romance with plenty of emotional constipation, angsty feelings, and misunderstandings that lead to heartbreak. Like all of F.T. Lukens’ YA fantasies, this breezy read is as sweet as cake.

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Let’s switch to some science fiction, shall we? Both Shizuka and Lan could fill the “grumpy one” role, but they make such a great pairing that I can’t complain. Light from Uncommon Stars spends a lot of time on the transphobia directed at Katrina and her own internalized transphobia. However, Ryka Aoki still keeps the story centered on Katrina and her feelings. As Shizuka says, “you can’t control how people see you. All you can do is accept it, right?…if you feel that strongly about your truth, then there is no reason to worry about your existence at all.” If that isn’t the TL’DR of Stede’s queer journey then I don’t know what is.

Aetherbound by E.K. Johnston

Set mostly on a space station in the distant future rather than a pirate ship in the early 18th century, Aetherbound isn’t the most obvious choice. But hear me out. Pendt, like Stede, lives an unfulfilling life she desperately wants to escape. When she finally does, she stumbles into a queer found family that give her the validation and support she always wanted. She gets to fight back against oppressive Powers That Be while also learning how to be a caring leader.

The Kindred by Alechia Dow

Kindred is another that doesn’t have an obvious connection. This is also YA sci-fi, although it’s set in Florida in the present day. Joy, who grew up destitute but dreaming on her oppressed alien homeworld, is the serious one while Felix, the rich playboy alien, is the reckless one. But after they’re framed for murder and crashland on Earth, these two cute, queer teens build a found family out of trust and honesty. They help each other to grow and see their own potential.

Alex Brown is an Ignyte award-winning critic who writes about speculative fiction, librarianship, and Black history. Find them on twitter (@QueenOfRats), instagram (@bookjockeyalex), and their blog (bookjockeyalex.com).

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Coffee, Tea, and Camaraderie: Five Fantasy Cafes I’d Love To Visit

Cole Rush — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 17:00:16 +0000

Charon’s Crossing (T.J. Klune’s Under the Whispering Door)

Dex’s Tea Cart (Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild-Built)

I don’t have the answers to these questions, but I’m sure answers would start to arise after a few sips of Dex’s tea and a few moments of conversational contemplation…

Legends & Lattes (Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes)

The Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

This entry should come as no surprise if you’ve read any of my previous lists. Of course I’d find my way to the Upper Ring’s premier tea shop, were I to visit the Earth Kingdom Capital.

Let’s be real: this place would be my first stop during any trip to Ba Sing Se, just edging out the tree on the hill where Uncle Iroh quietly mourned his fallen son.

Who else could I trust to brew my tea with the delicious leaves and flowers of the white dragon bush instead of the poisonous white jade leaf?

The Eolian (Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind)

Let’s cap things off with an epic finale, shall we?

After a while, the place would quiet, and pipe-bearing bards would regale the crowd with song and pageantry, capping the evening off with entertainment.

***

Now that I’m refreshed, caffeinated, and done writing on my laptop amid a sea of fellow patrons, it’s your turn: Which fantasy cafes would you most like to visit? Let me know in the comments.

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