After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. An ore’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.

A retired orc barbarian and a succubus with artistic flair open a coffee shop.

Nope, not even a joke. Instead, it’s the heart of one of the best examples of cozy fantasy I’ve read yet.

And I haven’t even mentioned the ratkin with their heavenly cinnamon rolls, the hob carpenter (hm), and a shy bard with a flair for experimental music.

In a nutshell, there’s not terribly much action. The stakes aren’t world shattering. For the most part, they aren’t even life and death. But the problems are real and the characters are deeply human (even when not a one of them actually is, but you get the idea I hope). It’s all, in a word, cozy.

I’ve found over the last year or two that I really like this kind of fiction. If you do as well or even if it sounds at all intriguing… go read Legends and Lattes.

As Viv made her mark on the deed and pocketed the keys, Ansom scooped the platinum into his purse, looking relieved the deal was complete. “So … I didn’t figure you to be interested in livery-work,” he ventured.

It was common knowledge that horses didn’t like ores much.

“I’m not. I’m opening a coffee shop.”

Ansom looked nonplussed. “But why would you buy a horse stable for that?”

Viv didn’t answer for a moment, but then she stared hard at him.

“Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as. She folded the deed and tucked it into her satchel.

As she left, Ansom hollered after her. “Oh, and hey! What in the eight hells is coffee?”