From coffee and fresh-baked bread to researchers and adventuring parties, cozy fantasy has expanded immensely over the past few years. This subgenre falls under the umbrella of cozy books, with the main distinction being the appearance of magic and other fantastical elements. It’s beloved by readers for its low-stakes plots that are resolved with whimsy and barely any violence. One of the most popular books in this subgenre is Legends & Lattes. If you haven’t heard of it, you might have seen the cover in your local library or bookstore.
What Is Legends & Lattes About?
Written by Travis Baldree, the story follows Viv, an orc, who’s exhausted from adventuring and decides to settle down and open a shop. In said shop, she introduces the city of Thune to a wonderful, hot new beverage: coffee (or, as they call it, “bean-water”), and while residents are initially hesitant to try it, she soon wins over the town and her co-worker, Tandri. This novel has all the hallmarks of a cozy fantasy: sweet romance, a small conflict, and a happy ending.
If you’ve already breezed through this book and its prequel and are in search of something to fill the void, here are eight other fantasy books with similar themes, topics, and characters. Oh, and some have delicious food too!
More Book Recommendations Similar To Legends & Lattes
A Psalm for Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Cursing, Injury, Death, Mental illness, Blood (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
On Panga, robots have become elusive, almost a myth, after their claim for independence. No one’s seen them for centuries. That’s until Dex, a tea monk, stumbles across Splendid Speckled Mosscap in the wilderness during one of their travels. What follows is a deeply philosophical journey through the forests and mountains as the two try to answer the question, “What do people need?”
If you liked the calmer moments in Legends & Lattes, those quiet character scenes in between the busyness of the business, then you’d love Psalm for Wild-Built. Part of a duology, Becky Chambers creates such a cozy atmosphere for us readers, one that always makes me want to curl up with a blanket and a cup of tea.
While this short fantasy book has no romance, the Dex and Mosscap’s dialogue about life and our purpose establishes a deep connection between the characters that you’re sure to be invested in.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End by Kanehito Yamada and Abe Tsukasa
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Death, Grief, Violence, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
When the grand adventure comes to its close, what happens next? That’s the question Frieren, an elf, faces after her adventuring party defeats the Demon King and finds themselves without any more quests or enemies to chase after.
As they all go their separate ways, Frieren wanders the lands until the death of one of her friends causes her to confront her immortality and purpose in life.
Don’t let the large volume count scare you away from this series! If the DnD “this is totally a side-quest” vibe in Legends & Lattes sparked your interest or you wanted a deeper look at the various races and lore within the DnD world, this would be a great addition to your TBR.
Frieren’s journey through the world as she explores death and life, two sides of the same coin, is quiet, poignant, and very cozy. Her relationship with Fern, a young mage, becomes an early mentor/mentee arc that helps Frieren find purpose outside herself.
This series was adapted into an animated TV show available on Netflix and Crunchyroll if you want to watch along as you make your way through each volume! With gorgeous visuals that feel right out of Studio Ghibli, the show carefully adapts the manga for the screen. Two seasons are out so far, with the third set to premiere in October 2027, giving you plenty of time to catch up.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Violence, Death, Animal death, Blood, Kidnapping, Child abuse (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
Professor Emily Wilde is a bright researcher who lets nothing get in the way of her intellectual pursuits. That gumption leads her to Hrafnsvik to study the Fair Folk, a project throughout which she butts heads with some of the townsfolk. But a sudden visit from Wendell Bambley, another academic who’s extremely (and annoyingly) charismatic, causes her to question everything, from his motivation to the secrets of the Hidden Ones.
There’s a reason why this cozy romantasy series is so popular! From the “frenemy” romance to the mysterious and intimate atmosphere, Fawcett creates a world that reminded me a lot of Baldree's Thune.
Both books include intellectual conversations about history and myth and balance mystery and conflict with sweeter relationship moments. Wilde and Bambley's push-and-pull relationship—where despite being so different they’re presented as two pieces that fit well together—mirrors Tandri and Viv’s dynamic which drew me into this book.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries was one of the first cozy fantasy books I ever read, and it’s a great segue into the genre. If you end up loving it as much as Legends & Lattes, you'll find plenty of books and series similar to it as well.
Full Moon Coffeeshop by Mai Mochizuki
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Death, Infidelity, Grief, Alcoholism (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
In Japanese culture, if you treat cats well, they’ll return the favor; you just don’t know when or where. For a select few, their kindness earns them an invitation to a mysterious cart that never stays in one place, where six-foot-tall cats serve coffee and cakes. Those with an invitation are lost souls, stuck at the fork in the road, but on special nights when the Kyoto moon is visible, the Full Moon Coffee Shop is open for business.
While this book takes place on Earth, magical six-foot-tall cats serving coffee and pancakes are not something you see every day! The problems each patron/visitor faces are similar to those faced by characters in Legends & Lattes. They’re all at crossroads in their life, trying to discover a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to move forward. By opening up to others over food and drinks, they find solutions to their problems, which made this book interesting to read.
The quiet nights and comforting cups of coffee at the shop created a serene, familiar atmosphere (trust me, you’ll want coffee after reading this!). I didn’t want the story to end, but luckily more interconnected standalones were waiting for me as part of the series when I reached the end of book one!
Recipes For An Unexpected Afterlife by Deston J. Muden
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Violence, Racism, Slavery, Death, War, Child abuse (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
When you’re given a new chance at life, what do you do with it? For Rottgor, it means finally following his passion and opening a restaurant. At this new place, he hopes the undead and the living can come together as one while sharing a hearty meal or drink by the fire.
Just as the community seems to have put their differences aside, Rottgor learns of a secret that, if exposed, could tear the entire town apart.
If you miss the cafe setting, the beginnings of a business, or even the found family theme, look no further than Recipes For An Unexpected Afterlife from the new indie publishing house Bindery Books. The premise follows a similar arc to Legends & Lattes, with both main characters deciding to settle down after a grand adventure and start a bakery-esque restaurant.
Muden’s cozy worldbuilding focuses on the town and the residents who stop by the establishment. It diverges a little into political issues and mystery, but I would say this book is definitely a good choice for the cozy genre.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Fire, Death, War, Grief, Violence (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
Spells, seclusion, and secrecy are all things that Kiela understands, especially after she moves back to the island where she grew up. On Caltrey, she risks everything by illegally selling spells in her shop, and it doesn’t help that her next-door neighbor Larran is always in her business, even if it’s to offer a helping hand.
When a storm washes up a mysterious stranger, Kiela must confront her own past and fears to stand up for what’s right.
With a timely theme of access to knowledge and censorship, The Spellshop is a great follow-up if you liked the more political aspect of Legends & Lattes or the themes of rebuilding one’s life.
This book’s atmosphere sits right in that signature cozy vibe, complete with a talking plant and secluded location. It does tend to lean more into the cozy versus the fully fantastical, but don’t worry, there’s definitely magic to be seen (or read) here!
I also really enjoyed how the romance was portrayed as quiet support, rather than some grand gesture in the end to profess love. Larran is always there to assist without making Kiela feel inferior. Their relationship could’ve leaned into a sappy, one-dimensional romance, but Larran’s starry-eyed demeanor is never written as stereotypical or over-the-top.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Death of a parent, Abandonment, Death, Child abuse, Racism (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
Mika Moon is different… Not in the quirky way, but in the witchy way (quite literally). When she gets an invitation to tutor three young witches at Nowhere House, she jumps at the chance, and everything seems to be going well—everything besides Mika’s relationship with Jamie, the librarian. Soon, however, the two must put their differences aside and band together in hopes of saving the home she never knew she needed.
I remember when this book came out, and I immediately thought, “This sounds like a perfect cozy fantasy.” From the beloved tropes to the plot, Mandanna balances whimsy and humor throughout. The main relationship is such a quintessential grumpy x sunshine pairing, where you can’t help but ruffle Jamie’s hair and laugh when he gets peeved. But the main reason why I think you’ll love this one if you enjoyed Legends & Lattes is for its found family.
Mika’s experience tutoring the girls at Nowhere House bonds all the characters together as they learn each other’s quirks. She cares for them while also relying on others for help (both emotionally and with chores around the house). Just like with Viv, opening up to others helps Mika find a solution at the end of the story, one that is heartwarming and just.
Asiri and the Amaru by Natalia Hernandez
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers):
Emotional abuse, Death, Injury, Grief (Note: This list doesn't include all content warnings. Please do your own research before reading this book.)
Speaking to animals was supposed to be a gift, but to Asiri, it became a curse since everyone wants her help. She makes the difficult decision to flee home and live on the coast, hoping to be alone without prying eyes and requests.
But when she and Dario, an animal healer who happens to always run into her, find an injured mythical creature, she must walk the thin line between keeping her gift and the bird a secret while saving its life.
This novel is a great showcase of Peruvian culture and mythology, something that feels very unique in the book world and especially in romantasy. It’ll be a great choice for you if you loved the themes of acceptance and authenticity in Legends & Lattes, or if you’re looking for cozy fantasies with more romance.
This book has some spicy scenes that’ll definitely make you blush, but it never loses the core of the story, and the dual POV lets you see into the minds of both MC’s, making Asiri and Dario’s relationship stronger.
While we wait to see what could happen next in the Legends & Latte universe, these eight books can hopefully fill that void. Each has something in common with the classic cozy fantasy book, from a delicious food setting to a sweet and funny central romance to a band of ragtag and integral friends who support the main character. The books combine all the best tropes with fresh ideas and perspectives on love and family. You can’t go wrong with any of them. Just curl up under a nice blanket, get your favorite drink, and happy reading!
All book cover images are sourced from Goodreads/Storygraph.
This article was commissioned and paid for by OwlCrate.
Where mentioned books are available from the store, they may be linked for convenience.
The titles featured have been selected and recommended by the author of this blog,
and do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of OwlCrate.
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Comments
If you want another cozy read with fantasy and game vibes, I recommend reading ‘Demon World Boba Shop’ by R.C. Joshua
Or if you want something set on Earth, ‘Evergreen Academy’ by Heather Schneider
Happy reading owls!