The cozy fantasy world of Travis Baldree's New York Times bestselling novel, Legends & Lattes, is making its debut in graphic novel form. The adaptation, handled by Samuel Sattin with illustrations by Shanti Rittgers and Sarah Webb, brings the story of Viv, an orc warrior who trades her sword for a coffee shop, to a new visual medium. This approach diverges from typical progression fantasy, which often centers on characters gaining power to defeat escalating threats.
Instead, Viv's journey in the world of Thune focuses on building her business from the ground up. Along the way, she befriends characters like Thimble, a shy ratkin baker, and Cal, a quiet carpenter, as she transforms an old stable into a welcoming café. The graphic novel offers readers a chance to immerse themselves further in this gentle fantasy setting.
"This is the first time I've had something like this done on this scale for my own book," Baldree shared via email. "I was really happy with how true to the original book the adaptation turned out and astonished at the sheer amount of work to produce a graphic novel of this length."
The graphic novel is set for release on October 6th in hardcover, e-book, and a signed deluxe edition. Ahead of its launch, publisher Ten Speed Graphic provided an exclusive excerpt. This preview depicts Viv sharing coffee with Cal and recruiting Tandri, a succubus, to help her at the shop. "I think Viv's introduction of coffee to Cal really comes across as an ASMR-like experience – it's lovely!" Baldree commented on the scene.
Baldree has also explored Viv's past in the prequel novel Bookshops & Bonedust, which details her transformation into a devoted reader. Another installment, Brigands & Breadknives, follows one of Viv's friends on her own adventure. Fans may hope to see further adventures from the Legends & Lattes series adapted into graphic novel format.