53 pages • 1 hour read
Travis BaldreeLegends & Lattes
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Choosing to Change One’s Path
Legends & Lattes lauds the idea that, no matter one’s past, one always has the option to change their path. This theme is developed primarily through Viv and her internal conflict regarding her violent past. Other characters, like Tandri, Pendry, and the Madrigal also contribute to this theme. At the beginning of the novel, Viv is a brutish warrior, wielding a great sword, Blackblood, against her foes. However, at the end of the Prologue, she decides, “After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit” (3). She instead chooses to live a life in contrast with her nomadic, bloody one. Viv establishes her new life in the peaceful Thune as a coffee shop owner, a longtime dream—but relics and reminders of her former life remain. When she posts a “Help Wanted” advertisement in town square, she observes postings for “beast hunts, bounties, and battles,” remembering how she’s “torn down five score of those sheets herself” (47). This life is never far behind.
When Viv learns of the Madrigal and the dues she’s expected to pay each month, the temptation to return to the brutish warrior she was grows. In Chapter 15, Lack, Kellin, and a large group of the Madrigal’s lackeys visit Legends & Lattes to remind Viv that her “donation” for the Madrigal is due in a week. When she feels the urge to use her fists, Lack notices and reminds her “there’s no denying you’re very physically capable. That’s clear. But you have a business. You have employees. You’re doing well. Would you really want to throw all that away on some sort of misguided principle?” (135). Lack’s observation highlights the way Viv’s life has changed since she last used violence, reminding her that she has more to lose than a fight. In Chapter 16, when she reunites with her former party, her urge to use violence returns. However, Tandri points out that, should Viv use Blackblood to handle the Madrigal, she “loses what she won by building this place without it” (141). Ultimately, Viv chooses to resolve the problem peacefully, reinforcing the idea that changing one’s path requires active choices if not an active attitude.
As for other characters, in Chapter 17, the bard Pendry reveals that his family business is different from his passion. His thick fingers look nothing like a lute player’s, as he’s spent years doing stonemasonry. Tandri, too, reveals in Chapter 20 that she chose to go to Ackers to escape “the trap of what I am” (175). She wanted to challenge herself to be different from her and others’ perception of succubi. The Madrigal herself reinforces this mindset in Chapter 18, as she was a former adventurer who ultimately chose a different path. Overall, Viv and her friends embody the theme that one’s path is not set in stone—rather, one’s path is a series of active choices.
The Value of Keeping the Right Company
When Viv arrives in Thune, she gradually makes allies and friends. This fortune is partially due to the Scalvert’s Stone, which attracts kindred spirits—all of whom provide aid and warmth when needed. Viv’s first connection is Laney, her neighbor across the street. Laney is friendly and helps Viv track down the owner of the local livery, which later becomes the coffee shop. She is the shop’s first customer, showing support despite not touching her coffee. However, Viv’s first friend is arguably Cal, the hob who helps build the shop and continues to provide advice once it’s up and running. As time passes, a regular named Thimble, a rattkin, bakes pastries to boost the shop’s popularity. An Ackers student named Hemington provides the shop with a ward in Chapter 21, when Viv needs a way to detect former party member Fennus. This ward saves Viv from a would-be attack from Fennus. Amity, a capricious dire-cat, also proves good company. Though Viv has no idea where Amity comes from, the dire-cat always defends her from Fennus. All these characters contribute to Viv’s quality of life and the success of the shop, leading to unity—and in some cases, utility.
Viv’s conflict with the Madrigal highlights the utility of a support system. In Chapter 16, Viv’s former party consults her on her Madrigal problem. Despite friends like Gallina encouraging violence, Tandri reinforces Viv’s new principle against using her sword, Blackblood, to solve her problems. This reinforcement makes it easier for Viv to stick to her principle. Viv’s friend Taivus also proves valuable when he organizes a meeting between her and the Madrigal, secretly knowing they have much in common. At this meeting, the Madrigal herself proves an unexpected ally, as she shares Viv’s disdain for former party member Fennus. The Madrigal’s dismissal of Fennus and preference for Viv develop the idea that maintaining one’s status requires keeping the right company.
The Scalvert’s Stone is a motif that further develops the idea of keeping the right company. In Chapter 27, Durias reveals the Stone’s true power is its ability to attract kindred spirits. Viv’s fortune in attracting kind people is because she, too, is a kind person. As such, Fennus’s theft of the Stone will bring misfortune, as he made enemies out of his former party members and the Madrigal. The Stone’s power emphasizes the idea that one is only as good as the company they keep, and that the right company can be a source of aid and warmth.
Appearances and Misconceptions
In the novel, characters of many races and backgrounds come together as allies and friends because of the titular coffee shop—especially Viv, Cal, and Tandri. As an orc, Viv’s appearance is intimidating: She is tall and muscular, with prominent lower fangs that elicit judgment about who she is and what she does. When she arrives in Thune, people are nervous around her, as her race is associated with violence and war—despite her being a kind person who dreams of coffee.
Viv and Cal bond over others’ misconceptions of them. In Chapter 2, Viv explains hobs aren’t common in cities because “Humans disparagingly called them ‘pucks’ and shunned them, so they liked to keep to themselves. Viv could relate” (17). Goblins as a whole are associated with mischief and targeted for it, likely why Cal prefers working alone. When Viv entrusts him with her purse to purchase supplies, he reacts with surprise, implying this trust is a rare experience. He warns her, “I reckon you’ll not get the best prices if I’m the one dickering” (26), but she counters, “Think it’ll go better if it’s me?” (26). In other words, the two have both experienced prejudice because of the stereotypes associated with their respective races. As the story progresses, Cal proves an honest, intelligent man, reinforcing the idea that one’s appearance or race has no bearing on their morality.
When Viv interviews Tandri for the assistant position, she notes Tandri is a succubus and worries because “Succubi had a reputation for certain…biological imperatives” (51). She attempts to ask about these imperatives, but Tandri coldly clarifies “I have no desire to vamp your customers if that’s your question” (51). Tandri attended school to challenge people’s image of succubi, but left due to similar microaggressions—despite this not being the orc’s intention. Viv is embarrassed and apologizes: “I, of all people, ought to know better than to assume anything based on what you were born as” (51-52). This exchange conveys the idea that even those affected by racism and such can perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Overall, the novel presents the idea that appearance often influences judgment, leading to misconceptions about intentions and nature.
