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Legends & Lattes
Tales from the Territory
Not yet published
Expected 30 Sep 26The world fell in the love with the cozy fantasy world of the No.1 New York Times bestselling series that started with Legends & Lattes and continued in Bookshops & Bonedust and Brigands & Breadknives.
Now award-winning storyteller Travis Baldree takes us back to the Territory in a heart-warming set of five stories, three making their first appearances in Tales from the Territory, that give readers a brand new look at beloved characters.
The delightful “Goblins & Greatcoats” is a tale of murder and intrigue that introduces Zyll, a goblin with too many pockets and a disturbing affinity for cutlery on a rain-soaked night that features four adventurers, a pair of corpses, a junk-drawer knife, some unfortunate taxidermy, and a beleaguered Gatewarden.
We all know what happened in Legends & Lattes, where retired-soldier Viv dreamed of opening a cafe and ended up with a found family and perhaps the love of her life. “Just a Thimbleful” tells us how one of the most beloved of those family members, Thimble, found his way from a frustrating and unhappy house to creating sweet treats that brought Legends & Lattes to life.
Tandri is a succubus and being a succubus comes with...well...certain expectations and pressures. In “Mirograph” we meet Tandri as an art student at Ackers University trying to find a way to be seen as something else, something more.
And in the longest story here, “Cavaliers & Coffees,” we get a glimpse of trouble for our cafe crew when a new and unscrupulous business comes into town, stealing all of Viv and Tandri's ideas, undercutting them for price and putting everything they've worked for in peril.
Tales from the Territory is another triumph of low stakes and high fantasy, of friends trying to make their way in a challenging world.
Now award-winning storyteller Travis Baldree takes us back to the Territory in a heart-warming set of five stories, three making their first appearances in Tales from the Territory, that give readers a brand new look at beloved characters.
The delightful “Goblins & Greatcoats” is a tale of murder and intrigue that introduces Zyll, a goblin with too many pockets and a disturbing affinity for cutlery on a rain-soaked night that features four adventurers, a pair of corpses, a junk-drawer knife, some unfortunate taxidermy, and a beleaguered Gatewarden.
We all know what happened in Legends & Lattes, where retired-soldier Viv dreamed of opening a cafe and ended up with a found family and perhaps the love of her life. “Just a Thimbleful” tells us how one of the most beloved of those family members, Thimble, found his way from a frustrating and unhappy house to creating sweet treats that brought Legends & Lattes to life.
Tandri is a succubus and being a succubus comes with...well...certain expectations and pressures. In “Mirograph” we meet Tandri as an art student at Ackers University trying to find a way to be seen as something else, something more.
And in the longest story here, “Cavaliers & Coffees,” we get a glimpse of trouble for our cafe crew when a new and unscrupulous business comes into town, stealing all of Viv and Tandri's ideas, undercutting them for price and putting everything they've worked for in peril.
Tales from the Territory is another triumph of low stakes and high fantasy, of friends trying to make their way in a challenging world.
224 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 1, 2026
About the author
Travis Baldree
327 books12.8k followers#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust, and Brigands & Breadknives. Audie-winning. Audiobook narrator. Erstwhile game developer. Made Fate, Torchlight & Rebel Galaxy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
Want to Read
February 15, 2026I'm not sure how well cozy short stories will work, but I will be there to find out.
tbr-arcs
May 7, 2026Just about choked on my diet coke when I got the ARC approval email
Want to Read
February 18, 2026Give me the ISBN for the physical book dang it. Instagram is taunting me. https://www.instagram.com/p/DUtKkCtiuvK/
April 16, 2026
I received a digital review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Sometimes you read a book, and when you’re done, you just want to close it, sigh happily, and hold it to your chest. Well, this is one of those books. I love the Legends&Lattes universe…it’s just so darn cozy and feel-good, absolutely perfect to read when you’re sad or stressed or just existing in the tire fire that is the world.
I think the story featuring Thimble was my favorite, it gave me all sorts of emotions. The stories gave us a little bit of backstory on characters that we know and love.
If you’ve enjoyed the other books in this series, give this one some love in October! Treat yourself to the book and a nice hot beverage to enjoy with it.
Sometimes you read a book, and when you’re done, you just want to close it, sigh happily, and hold it to your chest. Well, this is one of those books. I love the Legends&Lattes universe…it’s just so darn cozy and feel-good, absolutely perfect to read when you’re sad or stressed or just existing in the tire fire that is the world.
I think the story featuring Thimble was my favorite, it gave me all sorts of emotions. The stories gave us a little bit of backstory on characters that we know and love.
If you’ve enjoyed the other books in this series, give this one some love in October! Treat yourself to the book and a nice hot beverage to enjoy with it.
April 16, 2026
—Thank you NetGalley.com for the ARC—
These stories were such a treat! The collection includes five short stories from the perspectives of Zyll, Thimble, Viv, and Tandri. I’m a huge fan of these types of lore-expanding narratives—little snippets from the lives of much loved characters after their main story has been told. My favorites were “Just a Thimbleful” (a peak into Thimble’s life before he joined up with our fave coffee crew) and “Mirograph” (a surprisingly eerie glimpse into Tandri’s past at school, which distinctly reminded me of the ickiness of artificially generated art). Per usual, in this newest addition to the world of Legends & Lattes, Baldree has created stories that I will be returning to again and again.
These stories were such a treat! The collection includes five short stories from the perspectives of Zyll, Thimble, Viv, and Tandri. I’m a huge fan of these types of lore-expanding narratives—little snippets from the lives of much loved characters after their main story has been told. My favorites were “Just a Thimbleful” (a peak into Thimble’s life before he joined up with our fave coffee crew) and “Mirograph” (a surprisingly eerie glimpse into Tandri’s past at school, which distinctly reminded me of the ickiness of artificially generated art). Per usual, in this newest addition to the world of Legends & Lattes, Baldree has created stories that I will be returning to again and again.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
If you haven't read the Legends and Lattes series yet stop reading this review and go read all of them immediately!
As much as I love Travis Baldree I wasn't so sure about cozy fantasy short stories. There's just not enough space in the stories to really build anything cozy!
However I was wrong! And I've since learned to never not trust Travis Baldree ever again. I think this was a brilliant way to bring unseen gaps between books!
I don't think a newer reader of this universe would be able to get into this collection of stories but why would they be starting from here anyway!
This was such a delightful way to return to this world! I loved the illustrations so much!
I did want to make note that I read this arc on my kindle and the formatting was a little off which could make it a little hard to read. But that is one of those things I'm sure will be fixed before it is officially published.
Tales from the Territory is split into 5 short stories so I'm going to break the rest of my review up by story.
Varying degrees of spoilers below!
"Goblins and Greatcoats"
Right away I loved the little murder mystery with Zyll and the backstory of how she got "Breadlee" and why that tavern keep from the last book didn't want her around! I would love more stories about Zyll's life in the future!
"Just a Thimbleful"
Thimble's backstory isn't something I thought I needed but I was oh so wrong! I really loved seeing him make other sweets but I was sad and jealous to see that they didn't appreciate him for himself where he worked! I love knowing how valued he is working at Legends and Lattes! The only thing I was bummed by was that we didn't see what happened to Maddie! I started to feel for her and then we don't get to hear about her again? I really hope she's in a story in the future!
"Pages to Fill"
Not that any of these stories were bad, I really did thoroughly enjoy reading them all, but this one was my least favorite. Unfortunately, it just did not bring me into the story as much as I believe it could have. I would also love to see more of Viv's adventuring days in the future, but we know enough about her that I would love to learn about the other characters in this world more!
"Micrograph"
This is the short story I was the most excited about! I'm not aware if the author was specifically meaning to do this, but I immediately likened the story to the current climate surrounding AI. I think this was a beautiful way to share Tandri's backstory as well as touch on that subject (if that was the intention). I cannot stand to see AI take over so many artistic aspects in our world today! In the same way, Tandri had a hard time bringing up the topic of the micrograph, making her uncomfortable; I think many of us have a hard time expressing that about AI as well. For anyone reading this, it is a big deal, and we should be uncomfortable! A machine cannot create art!
Tandri said it best! "Art without the limitations of life wasn't art at all'
"Cavaliers & Coffees"
I love that we started off with Viv being so calm and understanding. I would definitely be more like Tandri in a scenario like this!
I absolutely loved that they turned to community instead of violence and brought back Pendry! It felt very full circle! We also got such a sweet scene where they shared all of the donations with the workers from the shop when they were fired without pay, and then on top of that, helped open the tea shop for them! And the Madrigal getting involved to close the other shop was a brilliant moment.
Overall I think this was a wonderful way to dive back into this world after Brigands and Breadknives and I would absolutely love to see more short story collections in the future!
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
If you haven't read the Legends and Lattes series yet stop reading this review and go read all of them immediately!
As much as I love Travis Baldree I wasn't so sure about cozy fantasy short stories. There's just not enough space in the stories to really build anything cozy!
However I was wrong! And I've since learned to never not trust Travis Baldree ever again. I think this was a brilliant way to bring unseen gaps between books!
I don't think a newer reader of this universe would be able to get into this collection of stories but why would they be starting from here anyway!
This was such a delightful way to return to this world! I loved the illustrations so much!
I did want to make note that I read this arc on my kindle and the formatting was a little off which could make it a little hard to read. But that is one of those things I'm sure will be fixed before it is officially published.
Tales from the Territory is split into 5 short stories so I'm going to break the rest of my review up by story.
Varying degrees of spoilers below!
"Goblins and Greatcoats"
Right away I loved the little murder mystery with Zyll and the backstory of how she got "Breadlee" and why that tavern keep from the last book didn't want her around! I would love more stories about Zyll's life in the future!
"Just a Thimbleful"
Thimble's backstory isn't something I thought I needed but I was oh so wrong! I really loved seeing him make other sweets but I was sad and jealous to see that they didn't appreciate him for himself where he worked! I love knowing how valued he is working at Legends and Lattes! The only thing I was bummed by was that we didn't see what happened to Maddie! I started to feel for her and then we don't get to hear about her again? I really hope she's in a story in the future!
"Pages to Fill"
Not that any of these stories were bad, I really did thoroughly enjoy reading them all, but this one was my least favorite. Unfortunately, it just did not bring me into the story as much as I believe it could have. I would also love to see more of Viv's adventuring days in the future, but we know enough about her that I would love to learn about the other characters in this world more!
"Micrograph"
This is the short story I was the most excited about! I'm not aware if the author was specifically meaning to do this, but I immediately likened the story to the current climate surrounding AI. I think this was a beautiful way to share Tandri's backstory as well as touch on that subject (if that was the intention). I cannot stand to see AI take over so many artistic aspects in our world today! In the same way, Tandri had a hard time bringing up the topic of the micrograph, making her uncomfortable; I think many of us have a hard time expressing that about AI as well. For anyone reading this, it is a big deal, and we should be uncomfortable! A machine cannot create art!
Tandri said it best! "Art without the limitations of life wasn't art at all'
"Cavaliers & Coffees"
I love that we started off with Viv being so calm and understanding. I would definitely be more like Tandri in a scenario like this!
I absolutely loved that they turned to community instead of violence and brought back Pendry! It felt very full circle! We also got such a sweet scene where they shared all of the donations with the workers from the shop when they were fired without pay, and then on top of that, helped open the tea shop for them! And the Madrigal getting involved to close the other shop was a brilliant moment.
Overall I think this was a wonderful way to dive back into this world after Brigands and Breadknives and I would absolutely love to see more short story collections in the future!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thought the best way to tackle a review for a short story compilation that I adored would be to write a little summary and review of each story and then finish it off with my thoughts as a whole, so that's what I've done... Apologies that it's lengthy. Here goes!
Goblins & Greatcoats - 'Goblins & Greatcoats' follows Zyll as she strolls into a pub, solves a mystery and steals some silverware while she's at it (obvs). This short story really solidifies my love for the chaotic little creature that is Zyll, and shows just how smart she really is.
Just A Thimbleful - Thimble, my beloved. This story plays upon the impact of working in environments that tries to keep you in a box that doesn't fit you, and how you feel when you finally find the place you belong. This may have been my favourite of the short stories in this book because it was filled with great hope, good friends, and delicious baking.
Pages To Fill - I have previously read and reviewed 'Pages To Fill', as it's at the end of Legends & Lattes, but here's a lil recap. This story follows Viv and her adventuring party before she followed her dream of opening Legends & Lattes. I really like this story as it shows that Viv was never some heartless orc that kills willy nilly, and was always full of kindness and empathy. It also allows us to see her dream coming into fruition, which is lovely for someone who wants allllll the background on their favourite characters.
Mirograph - This short story, following Tandri before she started work at Legends & Lattes made me feel a little tearful if I'm being honest. It made me think about how much I'd ignore my misgivings to please a friend, and a lot about love and loss. Having recently lost my Dad, this one hit me harder than it probably would have done at another time. It also brought to my mind thoughts of how AI impacts art and artist's work, although I'm unsure if this was Baldree's intention. Nonetheless, this story moved me greatly.
Cavaliers & Coffees - I won't say much about this one, as it isn't so much a flashback as a story between stories. This story falls somewhere between Legends & Lattes and Brigands & Breadknives, with a little unhealthy competition opening a coffee shop near Viv's. I enjoyed this story a lot as it got me back into the coffee shop that started my love for this series, and brought back lots of familiar faces.
Overall, I love how this collection of short stories builds upon the characters we all know and love from the previous books in the series. I feel like it's all well and good reading a novel, but that shows only a small snippet of any given character's journey, so it makes me really happy that Baldree gives us just a little more than that in this collection. It shows us how all of our favourite characters grew into the people they needed to be to end up coming together and making Legends & Lattes a place to call home.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to @netgalley, @travis_baldree, @panmacmillan and @torbooks for the e-ARC. I absolutely adore this series and feel so blessed that you continually allow me to read each installment early. You're the best<33
Goblins & Greatcoats - 'Goblins & Greatcoats' follows Zyll as she strolls into a pub, solves a mystery and steals some silverware while she's at it (obvs). This short story really solidifies my love for the chaotic little creature that is Zyll, and shows just how smart she really is.
Just A Thimbleful - Thimble, my beloved. This story plays upon the impact of working in environments that tries to keep you in a box that doesn't fit you, and how you feel when you finally find the place you belong. This may have been my favourite of the short stories in this book because it was filled with great hope, good friends, and delicious baking.
Pages To Fill - I have previously read and reviewed 'Pages To Fill', as it's at the end of Legends & Lattes, but here's a lil recap. This story follows Viv and her adventuring party before she followed her dream of opening Legends & Lattes. I really like this story as it shows that Viv was never some heartless orc that kills willy nilly, and was always full of kindness and empathy. It also allows us to see her dream coming into fruition, which is lovely for someone who wants allllll the background on their favourite characters.
Mirograph - This short story, following Tandri before she started work at Legends & Lattes made me feel a little tearful if I'm being honest. It made me think about how much I'd ignore my misgivings to please a friend, and a lot about love and loss. Having recently lost my Dad, this one hit me harder than it probably would have done at another time. It also brought to my mind thoughts of how AI impacts art and artist's work, although I'm unsure if this was Baldree's intention. Nonetheless, this story moved me greatly.
Cavaliers & Coffees - I won't say much about this one, as it isn't so much a flashback as a story between stories. This story falls somewhere between Legends & Lattes and Brigands & Breadknives, with a little unhealthy competition opening a coffee shop near Viv's. I enjoyed this story a lot as it got me back into the coffee shop that started my love for this series, and brought back lots of familiar faces.
Overall, I love how this collection of short stories builds upon the characters we all know and love from the previous books in the series. I feel like it's all well and good reading a novel, but that shows only a small snippet of any given character's journey, so it makes me really happy that Baldree gives us just a little more than that in this collection. It shows us how all of our favourite characters grew into the people they needed to be to end up coming together and making Legends & Lattes a place to call home.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to @netgalley, @travis_baldree, @panmacmillan and @torbooks for the e-ARC. I absolutely adore this series and feel so blessed that you continually allow me to read each installment early. You're the best<33
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I've only read Legends & Lattes prior to this short story collection, i found the main conflict was a bit unconvincing considering I had no context to the history of our proprietor or to the dangers her ex-bandmate held. I went into this one with higher hopes for the cozy vibe in a shorter, punchier format. This book does succeed in that regard, with just a few minor notes I had, but otherwise this was a great time, really delivery on the cozy.
Goblins & Greatcoats - Zyll is investigating a muer mystery in an inn on a rainy night. Fun and funny, but this one was too short, moving directly from point A to solved point B without enough meandering for a true murder mystery, or explanation to how Zyll new the answer. Side note, i didn't enjoy getting 5 detailed descriptions of new characters back to back listed to me in that way.
Just A Thimbleful - The backstory of Thimble the rattkin baker of Legends & Latte. This one was so very sweet, just like all the pastries described. One of my favorites.
Pages To Fill - Viv and her crew on a mission prior to her retirement, a great little background adventure that reinforces our coffee shop proprietor and all her values. We rushed a bit through the target's life and background and Viv's decision point but I still enjoyed this one.
Mirograph - Tandri's backstory about her time in university. This one has a more melancholic tone but probably one of my favorites, if not my favorite. My only gripe was my lack of understanding of the initial goal of the project. I felt like I was missing part of the story until about halfway through.
Cavaliers & Coffees - This one takes place after the first book and involves our beloved Legends & Latte crew taking on a competing coffee shop. No many notes, this one was the type of story we've come to expect, know, and love. Maybe a little more detail on the Cavaliers & Coffees baristas and their love/dislike for their beverage of choice would have made the ending more impactful.
This was 224 for 5 stories so on average less than 50 pages per story and I believe a number of them could have been longer. I may have been more clueless about some of the background because I've only read the first book in this series though. Overall, I had a great time in this world again and I think the format are great little tasters of the world.
Thank you to NetGalley, Subterranean Press, and Travis Baldree for the advanced ebook copy.
Goblins & Greatcoats - Zyll is investigating a muer mystery in an inn on a rainy night. Fun and funny, but this one was too short, moving directly from point A to solved point B without enough meandering for a true murder mystery, or explanation to how Zyll new the answer. Side note, i didn't enjoy getting 5 detailed descriptions of new characters back to back listed to me in that way.
Just A Thimbleful - The backstory of Thimble the rattkin baker of Legends & Latte. This one was so very sweet, just like all the pastries described. One of my favorites.
Pages To Fill - Viv and her crew on a mission prior to her retirement, a great little background adventure that reinforces our coffee shop proprietor and all her values. We rushed a bit through the target's life and background and Viv's decision point but I still enjoyed this one.
Mirograph - Tandri's backstory about her time in university. This one has a more melancholic tone but probably one of my favorites, if not my favorite. My only gripe was my lack of understanding of the initial goal of the project. I felt like I was missing part of the story until about halfway through.
Cavaliers & Coffees - This one takes place after the first book and involves our beloved Legends & Latte crew taking on a competing coffee shop. No many notes, this one was the type of story we've come to expect, know, and love. Maybe a little more detail on the Cavaliers & Coffees baristas and their love/dislike for their beverage of choice would have made the ending more impactful.
This was 224 for 5 stories so on average less than 50 pages per story and I believe a number of them could have been longer. I may have been more clueless about some of the background because I've only read the first book in this series though. Overall, I had a great time in this world again and I think the format are great little tasters of the world.
Thank you to NetGalley, Subterranean Press, and Travis Baldree for the advanced ebook copy.
April 27, 2026
Highly recommended. Caveat upfront - I have not read Legends & Lattes but I have admired it and other low stakes / “cozy” fantasy from afar. So when a collection of shorter stories from the Legends & Lattes universe popped up, I figured it was a good opportunity to see if this type of book is for me. The answer is a resounding yes.
The only prior knowledge I had going into this book was that Legends & Lattes is about an orc who hangs up her sword to run a cafe. I didn’t know any of the characters or any of the story, and I knew that meant my experience would be different and that I would miss a few things as a result. I am certain that for fans of the series, things like the origins of a talking knife will mean a lot more to them than to me.
This book collects five short stories, the first four focused on a different character, and the fifth story bringing them all together at the Legends & Lattes cafe.
Goblins and Greatcoats focuses on the goblin Zyll and is a comedic murder mystery where Zyll is playing a Benoit Blanc like detective. So much fun and a great way to kick off the collection.
Just a Thimbleful focuses on Thimble, a rattkin chef who is stuck in an unfulfilling dead end job where his creativity and aptitude for pastries goes unappreciated. This story had heart and was so meaningful, a true slice of life story.
Pages to Fill focuses on Viv, her teams chase of a high value bounty hunt, and her growing distaste for all types of mercenary work. This story provided great insight into the type of orc that Viv is, but didn’t do much more than that.
Mirograph focuses on Tandri, a succubus who is trying to find meaning and purpose for her life, and finds herself working with an eccentric professor on a magical device. This might just be my favourite story - it tackles the pitfalls of AI from an artist’s perspective, examines the various different ways people can build and leave a legacy, and has some strong emotional character work.
Cavaliers & Coffee is the final story and focuses on the Legends & Latte cafe as they respond to the challenge of a competitor setting up shop nearby. This story examines the nature of plagiarism, imitation vs the real deal, and delivers with a fantastic conclusion.
So yeah I loved this collection, and I can’t wait to read more from Baldree in the future!
The only prior knowledge I had going into this book was that Legends & Lattes is about an orc who hangs up her sword to run a cafe. I didn’t know any of the characters or any of the story, and I knew that meant my experience would be different and that I would miss a few things as a result. I am certain that for fans of the series, things like the origins of a talking knife will mean a lot more to them than to me.
This book collects five short stories, the first four focused on a different character, and the fifth story bringing them all together at the Legends & Lattes cafe.
Goblins and Greatcoats focuses on the goblin Zyll and is a comedic murder mystery where Zyll is playing a Benoit Blanc like detective. So much fun and a great way to kick off the collection.
Just a Thimbleful focuses on Thimble, a rattkin chef who is stuck in an unfulfilling dead end job where his creativity and aptitude for pastries goes unappreciated. This story had heart and was so meaningful, a true slice of life story.
Pages to Fill focuses on Viv, her teams chase of a high value bounty hunt, and her growing distaste for all types of mercenary work. This story provided great insight into the type of orc that Viv is, but didn’t do much more than that.
Mirograph focuses on Tandri, a succubus who is trying to find meaning and purpose for her life, and finds herself working with an eccentric professor on a magical device. This might just be my favourite story - it tackles the pitfalls of AI from an artist’s perspective, examines the various different ways people can build and leave a legacy, and has some strong emotional character work.
Cavaliers & Coffee is the final story and focuses on the Legends & Latte cafe as they respond to the challenge of a competitor setting up shop nearby. This story examines the nature of plagiarism, imitation vs the real deal, and delivers with a fantastic conclusion.
So yeah I loved this collection, and I can’t wait to read more from Baldree in the future!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
****NetGalley Review*****
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Perfect Return to Baldree’s Cozy, Clever Fantasy World
Tales from the Territory is another absolute triumph from Travis Baldree—warm, witty, and full of the low‑stakes, high‑heart magic that made Legends & Lattes such a phenomenon. This collection proves that Baldree doesn’t just write stories; he builds worlds you want to live in and characters you want to linger with.
“Goblins & Greatcoats” kicks things off with delightful chaos: a rain‑soaked night, two corpses, four adventurers, a junk‑drawer knife, some truly questionable taxidermy, and Zyll—a goblin with too many pockets and an unsettling love of cutlery. It’s a murder mystery wrapped in charm and mischief, and it sets the tone perfectly.
“Just a Thimbleful” is pure heart. We all know how Viv’s dream of a café blossomed into found family, but here we learn how Thimble—one of the most beloved members of that family—found his way from an unhappy home to the sweet creations that helped bring Legends & Lattes to life. It’s tender, hopeful, and quietly powerful.
In “Mirograph,” we meet Tandri before the café days—an art student at Ackers University, wrestling with the expectations that come with being a succubus and searching for a way to be seen as something more. It’s thoughtful, introspective, and beautifully human.
And then there’s “Cavaliers & Coffees,” the longest and most tension-filled tale. When an unscrupulous new business arrives in town, stealing Viv and Tandri’s ideas and undercutting their prices, the cozy café we love suddenly feels threatened. It’s a story about creativity, community, and the quiet courage it takes to protect what you’ve built.
Together, these stories form a collection that is everything Baldree does best: gentle, funny, heartfelt, and full of characters who feel like friends. Tales from the Territory is a celebration of kindness in a challenging world—and a reminder that sometimes the smallest stories leave the biggest mark.
Five stars, without hesitation.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Perfect Return to Baldree’s Cozy, Clever Fantasy World
Tales from the Territory is another absolute triumph from Travis Baldree—warm, witty, and full of the low‑stakes, high‑heart magic that made Legends & Lattes such a phenomenon. This collection proves that Baldree doesn’t just write stories; he builds worlds you want to live in and characters you want to linger with.
“Goblins & Greatcoats” kicks things off with delightful chaos: a rain‑soaked night, two corpses, four adventurers, a junk‑drawer knife, some truly questionable taxidermy, and Zyll—a goblin with too many pockets and an unsettling love of cutlery. It’s a murder mystery wrapped in charm and mischief, and it sets the tone perfectly.
“Just a Thimbleful” is pure heart. We all know how Viv’s dream of a café blossomed into found family, but here we learn how Thimble—one of the most beloved members of that family—found his way from an unhappy home to the sweet creations that helped bring Legends & Lattes to life. It’s tender, hopeful, and quietly powerful.
In “Mirograph,” we meet Tandri before the café days—an art student at Ackers University, wrestling with the expectations that come with being a succubus and searching for a way to be seen as something more. It’s thoughtful, introspective, and beautifully human.
And then there’s “Cavaliers & Coffees,” the longest and most tension-filled tale. When an unscrupulous new business arrives in town, stealing Viv and Tandri’s ideas and undercutting their prices, the cozy café we love suddenly feels threatened. It’s a story about creativity, community, and the quiet courage it takes to protect what you’ve built.
Together, these stories form a collection that is everything Baldree does best: gentle, funny, heartfelt, and full of characters who feel like friends. Tales from the Territory is a celebration of kindness in a challenging world—and a reminder that sometimes the smallest stories leave the biggest mark.
Five stars, without hesitation.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Tales from the Territory comprised of five short stories. It was so fun to enjoy some time back in the cozy world of Legends & Lattes and I especially loved the addition of the art for each story. I think this collection is perfect for fans of Travis Baldree’s books.
The first story was Goblins & Greatcoats. I realized as I started this I had read it before, but liked this quick tale set in an inn with a particularly fun goblin named Zyll as the main character with a murder mystery to solve.
Next is Just a Thimbleful, the story of Thimble from just before the time of Legends & Lattes when he works in the kitchen of a grand mansion. I loved the cozy baking vibes and this quiet story of a mouse who wants to bake his own recipes and create a little baking magic. This was my favorite story in the collection.
Pages to Fill tells a story about Viv and her old crew as they hunt down a wanted thief. This story was enjoyable, more of an adventure than really cozy, but I liked it and it was full of action. I did really like the ending.
Mirograph was unusual and I didn’t really enjoy it. We get to know more about Tandri from Legends & Lattes, which was nice, but the professor and the machine were odd. I tried to get into it but couldn’t and then it got a little strange at the end. It felt more like a science fiction story than cozy fantasy.
The final part of the collection was Cavaliers & Coffees. The separate stories about Thimble, Viv and Tandri earlier in the book come together this this last short story set at Legends & Lattes. A copycat coffee shop has opened up nearby and the L&L crew has to decide what to do about it. I really enjoyed this and felt it fit right in with the L&L vibe.
I would like to say a sincere thank you to the publisher Subterranean Press, author Travis Baldree, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The first story was Goblins & Greatcoats. I realized as I started this I had read it before, but liked this quick tale set in an inn with a particularly fun goblin named Zyll as the main character with a murder mystery to solve.
Next is Just a Thimbleful, the story of Thimble from just before the time of Legends & Lattes when he works in the kitchen of a grand mansion. I loved the cozy baking vibes and this quiet story of a mouse who wants to bake his own recipes and create a little baking magic. This was my favorite story in the collection.
Pages to Fill tells a story about Viv and her old crew as they hunt down a wanted thief. This story was enjoyable, more of an adventure than really cozy, but I liked it and it was full of action. I did really like the ending.
Mirograph was unusual and I didn’t really enjoy it. We get to know more about Tandri from Legends & Lattes, which was nice, but the professor and the machine were odd. I tried to get into it but couldn’t and then it got a little strange at the end. It felt more like a science fiction story than cozy fantasy.
The final part of the collection was Cavaliers & Coffees. The separate stories about Thimble, Viv and Tandri earlier in the book come together this this last short story set at Legends & Lattes. A copycat coffee shop has opened up nearby and the L&L crew has to decide what to do about it. I really enjoyed this and felt it fit right in with the L&L vibe.
I would like to say a sincere thank you to the publisher Subterranean Press, author Travis Baldree, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a fun, cozy collection of short stories set in the Legends & Lattes universe. It would be a bit of a weird place to start, but the stories are standalone. It’s probably best read at least after book 1.
In Goblins & Greatcoats, Zyll (the goblin from Brigands & Breadknives) shows up at a tavern after a murder, and we learn more about her love of stealing flatware. Just a Thimbleful features Thimble, the ratkin baker from Legends & Lattes, and explores their old job and love of baking. In Pages to Fill, Viv’s old crew has one last job in the town where she first tries coffee. Mirograph is succubus Tandri’s story at university with an important mentor. And last but not least, Cavaliers & Coffees is the longest story, set after Legends & Lattes, when a competing coffee shop comes to town.
I really loved this collection and getting a little more time in this universe. I liked seeing some of the smaller side characters again, and the larger story felt like a nice “how are they doing now?” check-in. It kept the cozy fantasy vibes, but also included not only some action, but somber and touching moments. Each story had its own charming illustration, which was a nice way to visualize the characters.
Overall, a delightful companion to the series. There is so much going on in this universe and so many compelling side characters, I could read a dozen more of these stories. I hope to see more full-length and short stories from Baldree in the future.
Art 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
My Enjoyment: 5/5
*** I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
This is a fun, cozy collection of short stories set in the Legends & Lattes universe. It would be a bit of a weird place to start, but the stories are standalone. It’s probably best read at least after book 1.
In Goblins & Greatcoats, Zyll (the goblin from Brigands & Breadknives) shows up at a tavern after a murder, and we learn more about her love of stealing flatware. Just a Thimbleful features Thimble, the ratkin baker from Legends & Lattes, and explores their old job and love of baking. In Pages to Fill, Viv’s old crew has one last job in the town where she first tries coffee. Mirograph is succubus Tandri’s story at university with an important mentor. And last but not least, Cavaliers & Coffees is the longest story, set after Legends & Lattes, when a competing coffee shop comes to town.
I really loved this collection and getting a little more time in this universe. I liked seeing some of the smaller side characters again, and the larger story felt like a nice “how are they doing now?” check-in. It kept the cozy fantasy vibes, but also included not only some action, but somber and touching moments. Each story had its own charming illustration, which was a nice way to visualize the characters.
Overall, a delightful companion to the series. There is so much going on in this universe and so many compelling side characters, I could read a dozen more of these stories. I hope to see more full-length and short stories from Baldree in the future.
Art 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
My Enjoyment: 5/5
*** I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Travis Baldree was my first exposure to the Cozy Fantasy genre. Since that first Legends and Lattes book, I have dipped my toe into some TJ Klune, some Kingfisher, but nothing quite hits like this universe has for me. And to break a book from this world into short stories just feels like it makes sense.
Goblins and Greatcoats: Felt like the appetizer. Fun little story which walks the reader back into the Legends and Lattes world. This story does feel like the odd one out compared to the other four, not prominently featuring our most familiar characters, but has the familiar air of the other short stories.
Just a Thimbleful: The appertif. Probably the purest, most snug story of the bunch. Thimble is my guy...err rattkin
Pages to Fill: You know, at first I wasn't entirely sure I liked the direction of this story, but by the end it may have been my favorite of the bunch. Ended up feeling like the main course of the meal. This story brought the most characterization of the bunch.
Micrograph: The mysterious story. The story I think about the most having finished the book. The sipping drink with the meal
Cavaliers & Coffees: And of course, the warm, buttery, and sweet dessert. Look, we knew where this story would end up, but this is one I read straight through without putting the book down.
If I had a criticism, this cozy fantasy is so cozy that it often cozied me to sleep despite me wanting to read on.
HUGE shoutout to Subterranean Press as well as NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Books like these are the reason I signed up for NetGalley.
Goblins and Greatcoats: Felt like the appetizer. Fun little story which walks the reader back into the Legends and Lattes world. This story does feel like the odd one out compared to the other four, not prominently featuring our most familiar characters, but has the familiar air of the other short stories.
Just a Thimbleful: The appertif. Probably the purest, most snug story of the bunch. Thimble is my guy...err rattkin
Pages to Fill: You know, at first I wasn't entirely sure I liked the direction of this story, but by the end it may have been my favorite of the bunch. Ended up feeling like the main course of the meal. This story brought the most characterization of the bunch.
Micrograph: The mysterious story. The story I think about the most having finished the book. The sipping drink with the meal
Cavaliers & Coffees: And of course, the warm, buttery, and sweet dessert. Look, we knew where this story would end up, but this is one I read straight through without putting the book down.
If I had a criticism, this cozy fantasy is so cozy that it often cozied me to sleep despite me wanting to read on.
HUGE shoutout to Subterranean Press as well as NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Books like these are the reason I signed up for NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an ARC of Tales from the Territory from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Every time I pick up a new book by Travis, it feels like a warm hug from an old friend who I haven't seen in a while. Tales is a collection of short stories featuring the beloved characters from his previous books and it scratched an itch I wasn't aware that I had.
Baldree's writing is the definition of cozy fantasy- low stakes, light hearted, whimsical, and clever. His characters are so well written that it's easy to forget they aren't well established characters from a long running series.
The stakes may not be high, the solutions are usually pretty simple, and the villians are more like angry marshmallows, but the world building is top tier and the characters pull you right in. I really enjoy the depth he builds between characters with heavy emphasis on family, love, and acceptance.
Zyll is a literal chaos goblin and brings me untold amounts of joy. I sincerely hope to see more of her in later books, because she's probably one of the best characters I've ever read. Unapologetically quirky, she just bops along to the beat of her own drum and everyone else can either bop with her or get out of her way. (probably minus their silverware)
Viv and Gallina also make an appearance, and we get a little more backstory for Thimble and Tandri. I really enjoyed this quick little journey back to Thune.
If you're looking for sweeping love stories, epic battles, or larger than life heroes, you won't find them here... but if you're looking for easy, comfortable, and feel-good, I HIGHLY reccomend this and all of his other books. 10/10
Every time I pick up a new book by Travis, it feels like a warm hug from an old friend who I haven't seen in a while. Tales is a collection of short stories featuring the beloved characters from his previous books and it scratched an itch I wasn't aware that I had.
Baldree's writing is the definition of cozy fantasy- low stakes, light hearted, whimsical, and clever. His characters are so well written that it's easy to forget they aren't well established characters from a long running series.
The stakes may not be high, the solutions are usually pretty simple, and the villians are more like angry marshmallows, but the world building is top tier and the characters pull you right in. I really enjoy the depth he builds between characters with heavy emphasis on family, love, and acceptance.
Zyll is a literal chaos goblin and brings me untold amounts of joy. I sincerely hope to see more of her in later books, because she's probably one of the best characters I've ever read. Unapologetically quirky, she just bops along to the beat of her own drum and everyone else can either bop with her or get out of her way. (probably minus their silverware)
Viv and Gallina also make an appearance, and we get a little more backstory for Thimble and Tandri. I really enjoyed this quick little journey back to Thune.
If you're looking for sweeping love stories, epic battles, or larger than life heroes, you won't find them here... but if you're looking for easy, comfortable, and feel-good, I HIGHLY reccomend this and all of his other books. 10/10
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Tales from the Territory was a charming return to the world of Legends & Lattes, offering a collection of short stories that instantly brought me back to the cosy, low-stakes vibes I love so much about the series.
Having recently read "Goblins and Greatcoats", I wasn't sure if it would be too soon for a reread, but it turned out to be just as delightful the second time around. It helped me ease back into the world quickly, and set the tone well for the rest of the collection.
The standout for me was "Just a Thimbleful". I'm definitely biased (Thimble is my favourite character) but it perfectly demonstrated everything that makes him special. His unrelenting urge to bake the most delicious treats imaginable, and his quiet rebellion in the face of the strictest and most culinarily-boring of employers. His steadfast, heartfelt determination to do what he loved, and seeing how that ultimately led him to the doors of Legends & Lattes, made my heart feel so full.
Viv's story, "Pages to Fill" was another highlight, giving us a glimpse into the pivotal moment when she first encountered coffee. Watching the seed that would eventually grow into Legends & Lattes being planted was such a treat.
I also really enjoyed "Mirograph", following Tandri's time helping a university professor with her experiments. I will say, it felt quite different tone-wise. Just as beautiful, but with a layer of tension and sadness to it. Also, I'm pretty sure just witnessed the almost-development of fantasy ChatGPT, and I'm very glad about that "almost".
The last story, "Cavaliers & Coffees", about the arrival of a new competitor for the coffee shop, felt like coming home. It captured all the cosy, low-stakes charm that defined Legends & Lattes, packed into a smaller, but still satisfying narrative. It was cosy, comforting, and a lovely note to end on.
Overall, I loved every story in this collection - not a single miss! This will be an absolute treat for fans who want more time with these characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor for this arc <3
Having recently read "Goblins and Greatcoats", I wasn't sure if it would be too soon for a reread, but it turned out to be just as delightful the second time around. It helped me ease back into the world quickly, and set the tone well for the rest of the collection.
The standout for me was "Just a Thimbleful". I'm definitely biased (Thimble is my favourite character) but it perfectly demonstrated everything that makes him special. His unrelenting urge to bake the most delicious treats imaginable, and his quiet rebellion in the face of the strictest and most culinarily-boring of employers. His steadfast, heartfelt determination to do what he loved, and seeing how that ultimately led him to the doors of Legends & Lattes, made my heart feel so full.
Viv's story, "Pages to Fill" was another highlight, giving us a glimpse into the pivotal moment when she first encountered coffee. Watching the seed that would eventually grow into Legends & Lattes being planted was such a treat.
I also really enjoyed "Mirograph", following Tandri's time helping a university professor with her experiments. I will say, it felt quite different tone-wise. Just as beautiful, but with a layer of tension and sadness to it. Also, I'm pretty sure just witnessed the almost-development of fantasy ChatGPT, and I'm very glad about that "almost".
The last story, "Cavaliers & Coffees", about the arrival of a new competitor for the coffee shop, felt like coming home. It captured all the cosy, low-stakes charm that defined Legends & Lattes, packed into a smaller, but still satisfying narrative. It was cosy, comforting, and a lovely note to end on.
Overall, I loved every story in this collection - not a single miss! This will be an absolute treat for fans who want more time with these characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor for this arc <3
May 13, 2026
Thankyou so much to BookBreakUK, Pan Macmillan and Tor Books for the physical copy of this book and the opportunity to read and review this it early, I am forever thankful.
I’m sorry but I quite literally NEVER want to leave this world, I want to spend every single day curled up in a booth in Legends & Lattes with a good coffee, one of Thimbles pastries and a fabulous adventure book!
This collection of short stories was not only cosy, but filled a little hole in my heart. I think I experienced every single emotion imaginable within these pages, it was so lovely to see the beginnings of some characters alongside the development of others throughout time.
Zyll and her story made me laugh uncontrollably. The comedic murder mystery vibes alongside an insatiable need for cutlery theft, absolutely perfect. And Thimble??? Thimble has my whole heart. I wanted to step into the pages within the book and throttle the masters for sleeping on such a sweet and talented little mites skill (and cuddle him because he is honestly the most adorable character I honestly would die for him).
This is a series of books that I hold dear to my heart, the ONLY cosy fantasy that has ever really gripped me. Viv and Tandri are perfect - and let me tell you now Tandris story absolutely broke my heart (I was sobbing by the end of it, an absolute blubbering mess like honestly Travis why do you want to see me cry so much??).
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about a short story layout, unsure if I could truly get the same vibes from short snippets, but this SOLD it to me. 10/10, no notes.
I’m sorry but I quite literally NEVER want to leave this world, I want to spend every single day curled up in a booth in Legends & Lattes with a good coffee, one of Thimbles pastries and a fabulous adventure book!
This collection of short stories was not only cosy, but filled a little hole in my heart. I think I experienced every single emotion imaginable within these pages, it was so lovely to see the beginnings of some characters alongside the development of others throughout time.
Zyll and her story made me laugh uncontrollably. The comedic murder mystery vibes alongside an insatiable need for cutlery theft, absolutely perfect. And Thimble??? Thimble has my whole heart. I wanted to step into the pages within the book and throttle the masters for sleeping on such a sweet and talented little mites skill (and cuddle him because he is honestly the most adorable character I honestly would die for him).
This is a series of books that I hold dear to my heart, the ONLY cosy fantasy that has ever really gripped me. Viv and Tandri are perfect - and let me tell you now Tandris story absolutely broke my heart (I was sobbing by the end of it, an absolute blubbering mess like honestly Travis why do you want to see me cry so much??).
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about a short story layout, unsure if I could truly get the same vibes from short snippets, but this SOLD it to me. 10/10, no notes.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Tales From The Territory by Travis Baldree
Rating : 4⭐
Format : eBook 💻
Released : Not Yet
Pages : no idea, let's say 160
Duration : 5 days
----------------
Wooohooo more stories from the world of Legends and Lattes and I am here for it, I love this world and every word that has been written in it, every image it creates in my mind and every smile I get when reading them. I don't however love how hungry I get every time Thimble enters the page.
5 short stories set in the territories, old friends get a bit of a padding and a chance to shine. We see Zyll stealing cutlery (whilst solving a murder) We find sweet little Thimble creating more delicious recipes, Viv find coffee, Tandri sends a tear at university and finally Viv learn that there's an imitation coffee shop out there.
Absolutely sublime and I loved it entirely, the only reason I didn't 5 star this? Well 2 of the stories exist in either tacked onto the end of Legends @ Lattes or as free to read short story, so put of the 5 I had already read 2. Still they are damn good stories but I just want more, there better be more.
Stand out story for me was Viv and Tandri one, Cavaliers & Coffee, I just love the world, the characters and everything
Dive into this world, it's really sweet and well worth a read.
I still don't like coffee
----------------
This is due to be released 1st October, if this interests you then add it to you want to read list
----------------
You can find more reviews on my blog here : https://bookshelf018.wordpress.com/
----------------
Rating : 4⭐
Format : eBook 💻
Released : Not Yet
Pages : no idea, let's say 160
Duration : 5 days
----------------
Wooohooo more stories from the world of Legends and Lattes and I am here for it, I love this world and every word that has been written in it, every image it creates in my mind and every smile I get when reading them. I don't however love how hungry I get every time Thimble enters the page.
5 short stories set in the territories, old friends get a bit of a padding and a chance to shine. We see Zyll stealing cutlery (whilst solving a murder) We find sweet little Thimble creating more delicious recipes, Viv find coffee, Tandri sends a tear at university and finally Viv learn that there's an imitation coffee shop out there.
Absolutely sublime and I loved it entirely, the only reason I didn't 5 star this? Well 2 of the stories exist in either tacked onto the end of Legends @ Lattes or as free to read short story, so put of the 5 I had already read 2. Still they are damn good stories but I just want more, there better be more.
Stand out story for me was Viv and Tandri one, Cavaliers & Coffee, I just love the world, the characters and everything
Dive into this world, it's really sweet and well worth a read.
I still don't like coffee
----------------
This is due to be released 1st October, if this interests you then add it to you want to read list
----------------
You can find more reviews on my blog here : https://bookshelf018.wordpress.com/
----------------
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this text in exchange for an honest review!
Short stories aren't usually my thing (I'm more of a 500+ pages girl), but when I saw this was set in the world of Legends and Lattes with some of our favorite characters, I knew this was a set of short stories I wanted to read. We get to revisit some of our favorite characters from the series (mainly the cast from Legends and Lattes, though there is a Zyll story to kick things off which was very funny), and read more about what they were doing before joining the crew, and how things have been since. Once again, this is a very cozy fantasy that makes you want to curl up under a big fluffy blanket with a mug of hot chocolate. I particularly enjoyed Thimble's story, I think because he was the character I wanted to know more about after finishing the first book. Also, it's just adorable.
I think if you've read and enjoyed Legends and Lattes, and particularly if you've enjoyed the whole series, you will enjoy this book. It's a return to the land and feel that we've come to expect from Mr. Baldree, and adds some new fun details to the mix. If you're new to the series, I'd recommend reading Legends and Lattes first, but don't think you need to read Bookshops and Bonedust or Brigands and Breadknives to know most of the characters in this (with the exception of story 1) and have a good time. Happy reading everyone!
Short stories aren't usually my thing (I'm more of a 500+ pages girl), but when I saw this was set in the world of Legends and Lattes with some of our favorite characters, I knew this was a set of short stories I wanted to read. We get to revisit some of our favorite characters from the series (mainly the cast from Legends and Lattes, though there is a Zyll story to kick things off which was very funny), and read more about what they were doing before joining the crew, and how things have been since. Once again, this is a very cozy fantasy that makes you want to curl up under a big fluffy blanket with a mug of hot chocolate. I particularly enjoyed Thimble's story, I think because he was the character I wanted to know more about after finishing the first book. Also, it's just adorable.
I think if you've read and enjoyed Legends and Lattes, and particularly if you've enjoyed the whole series, you will enjoy this book. It's a return to the land and feel that we've come to expect from Mr. Baldree, and adds some new fun details to the mix. If you're new to the series, I'd recommend reading Legends and Lattes first, but don't think you need to read Bookshops and Bonedust or Brigands and Breadknives to know most of the characters in this (with the exception of story 1) and have a good time. Happy reading everyone!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A great read for fans of the Territory.
In full
I am a fan of Travis Baldree's books so I was really pleased to get a copy of this book of short stories. There are five stories here, none are particularly short, about the Territory. Assuming you have read the previous books, the characters will be familiar to you. I guess to enjoy these at their best having read Legends and Lattes before this and probably Brigands and Breadknives would be good.
The first story - Goblins and Greatcoats - is about one of my favourite fantasy characters. Zyll is the goblin in Brigands and Breadknives and I just loved this story which takes place just before the main book I rather think - something of a backstory. In addition to this you get a good Viv backstory and the same for Tandri. The last story looks ahead from the books and concerns Legends and Lattes. It called Cavaliers and Coffees and I enjoyed that too.
Special mention as far as I am concerned for the 2nd story. It's called Just a Thimbleful and is Thimble's backstory. Thimble is the exceptionally talented baker in Viv coffee bar. For me this was the stand out story of the collection. I loved getting to know Thimble better Brilliant, understated and powerful writing I thought - Travis Baldree at his best as far as I am concerned.
I do realise that these books are categorised as "cosy fantasy". For the first two book I do get that. For me Brigands and Breadknives was a little less cosy and a bit more edgy. Zyll's story in this follows that for me. However it's Thimble's story that really moved me. Highly recommended for fans of this great and developing series.
My thanks to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book
In full
I am a fan of Travis Baldree's books so I was really pleased to get a copy of this book of short stories. There are five stories here, none are particularly short, about the Territory. Assuming you have read the previous books, the characters will be familiar to you. I guess to enjoy these at their best having read Legends and Lattes before this and probably Brigands and Breadknives would be good.
The first story - Goblins and Greatcoats - is about one of my favourite fantasy characters. Zyll is the goblin in Brigands and Breadknives and I just loved this story which takes place just before the main book I rather think - something of a backstory. In addition to this you get a good Viv backstory and the same for Tandri. The last story looks ahead from the books and concerns Legends and Lattes. It called Cavaliers and Coffees and I enjoyed that too.
Special mention as far as I am concerned for the 2nd story. It's called Just a Thimbleful and is Thimble's backstory. Thimble is the exceptionally talented baker in Viv coffee bar. For me this was the stand out story of the collection. I loved getting to know Thimble better Brilliant, understated and powerful writing I thought - Travis Baldree at his best as far as I am concerned.
I do realise that these books are categorised as "cosy fantasy". For the first two book I do get that. For me Brigands and Breadknives was a little less cosy and a bit more edgy. Zyll's story in this follows that for me. However it's Thimble's story that really moved me. Highly recommended for fans of this great and developing series.
My thanks to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Tales from the Territory" is a collection of 5 short stories set in the "Legends and Lattes" world, following characters we know an love from the series. I was so excited to be back in this world to learn some of my fav characters backstories!
I LOVED the first story, following Zyll - I could read 10 books about Zyll, she is one of my favorite characters of all time. It always entertaining to see what she's up to.
I also enjoyed reading Thimble's story - and how he came to be at Legends and Latte's as the baker. One of my favorite hobbies is baking, so I could really relate to his need to try new recipes and share them with others.
I had previously read the short story about how Viv first found her love of coffee, but as I didn't remember much of it, it was a pleasant reread. I also thoroughly enjoyed the last short story about the cafe in competition with "Legends and Lattes".
However, I HATED the Tandri short story. It was on the verge of being a horror/thriller - the entire thing made me uncomfortable from the very first page to the very last. This is NOT what I expect from the Legends and Lattes universe - especially considering how this series kicked of the cozy fantasy trend. I had to take a star rating off for this short story collection it bothered me so much. I also was really confused by the machine the entire time, and the relationship between Tandri and her mentor felt really weird, even though nothing weird happened. It also left a lot of questions unanswered and I'm just going to have to pretend this didn't exist because it's so wildly out of sync with the rest of the Legends and Lattes world.
Overall, really enjoyed 4/5 stories, and am giving this short story collection 4/5 stars.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED the first story, following Zyll - I could read 10 books about Zyll, she is one of my favorite characters of all time. It always entertaining to see what she's up to.
I also enjoyed reading Thimble's story - and how he came to be at Legends and Latte's as the baker. One of my favorite hobbies is baking, so I could really relate to his need to try new recipes and share them with others.
I had previously read the short story about how Viv first found her love of coffee, but as I didn't remember much of it, it was a pleasant reread. I also thoroughly enjoyed the last short story about the cafe in competition with "Legends and Lattes".
However, I HATED the Tandri short story. It was on the verge of being a horror/thriller - the entire thing made me uncomfortable from the very first page to the very last. This is NOT what I expect from the Legends and Lattes universe - especially considering how this series kicked of the cozy fantasy trend. I had to take a star rating off for this short story collection it bothered me so much. I also was really confused by the machine the entire time, and the relationship between Tandri and her mentor felt really weird, even though nothing weird happened. It also left a lot of questions unanswered and I'm just going to have to pretend this didn't exist because it's so wildly out of sync with the rest of the Legends and Lattes world.
Overall, really enjoyed 4/5 stories, and am giving this short story collection 4/5 stars.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5 stars, more if I could. A superb addition to the fantasy Legends and Lattes series books from author Travis Baldree.
I have loved the main books, and I loved the little extra insights and back stories in this one, Tales from the Territory.
Read these stories and you will understand the blend of characters and humour that the author is able to pour into the narrative for our enjoyment. I’m not a coffee drinker, but they have all been my cup of tea. (Pun intended. Please note: I’m not a tea drinker either. Which is pertinent to the Cavaliers story.) But I really liked the satisfying flavour that steeped into my soul from this potted collection.
Zyll was, for me, a laugh out loud character in Brigands and Breadknives. She is such a kleptomaniac where cutlery is concerned. So I knew the first story was going to make me happy. It did, big style.
The other four stories are all excellent too. In particular Travis takes a swipe at our modern world
in Cavaliers & Coffees. The outcome/ending of each brought me a little bit of joy.
If you have read and enjoyed this series you must read this one too. If you haven’t started reading them, what are you waiting for. Fun easy read fantasy, all.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
I have loved the main books, and I loved the little extra insights and back stories in this one, Tales from the Territory.
Read these stories and you will understand the blend of characters and humour that the author is able to pour into the narrative for our enjoyment. I’m not a coffee drinker, but they have all been my cup of tea. (Pun intended. Please note: I’m not a tea drinker either. Which is pertinent to the Cavaliers story.) But I really liked the satisfying flavour that steeped into my soul from this potted collection.
Zyll was, for me, a laugh out loud character in Brigands and Breadknives. She is such a kleptomaniac where cutlery is concerned. So I knew the first story was going to make me happy. It did, big style.
The other four stories are all excellent too. In particular Travis takes a swipe at our modern world
in Cavaliers & Coffees. The outcome/ending of each brought me a little bit of joy.
If you have read and enjoyed this series you must read this one too. If you haven’t started reading them, what are you waiting for. Fun easy read fantasy, all.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Delivers on what Baldree does best: Cozy!
This book is for those who've already read all the other books in the Legends & Lattes world. If you try to read this without context, then it won't land as well as it should. Each story has a character we've already met and involves a situation that is either just before or just after one of the novels. The stakes are low, and the conflict is subtle.
The one story that really stood out for me was centered on Tandri and her time at school before meeting Viv. There's an AI allegory I wasn't expecting, and it captures the creepy feeling artists may experience when interacting with AI-generated works. By using magic and a professor whose physical form diminishes over time, the story captures the soul-sucking feeling of watching AI-generated art take over our beloved human creations. As I said, unexpected commentary!
But not all the stories will make you reflect on current issues. The others are pure escapism. There's still love, friendship, and mystery aplenty in this small book.
I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Theme: 4 stars
Writing: 5 stars
This book is for those who've already read all the other books in the Legends & Lattes world. If you try to read this without context, then it won't land as well as it should. Each story has a character we've already met and involves a situation that is either just before or just after one of the novels. The stakes are low, and the conflict is subtle.
The one story that really stood out for me was centered on Tandri and her time at school before meeting Viv. There's an AI allegory I wasn't expecting, and it captures the creepy feeling artists may experience when interacting with AI-generated works. By using magic and a professor whose physical form diminishes over time, the story captures the soul-sucking feeling of watching AI-generated art take over our beloved human creations. As I said, unexpected commentary!
But not all the stories will make you reflect on current issues. The others are pure escapism. There's still love, friendship, and mystery aplenty in this small book.
I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Theme: 4 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of Tales from the Territory!
These were powerful, emotionally charged stories that pulled me deeper into the beloved characters of this series.
The first story is a delightfully engaging murder mystery where nothing is quite what it seems. It’s a mix of intrigue: a who’s who of suspects, betrayal, and plenty of plot twists. It’s amazing how much is packed into such a short story.
The second story, at its heart, is about taking a leap of faith and following your dreams. I adore Thimble so much!
The last three stories bring us back to Viv and Tandri. We follow Viv as she discovers the inspiration behind Legends and Lattes, and Tandri during her time at Acker’s University. These stories explore the idea that life is too short not to seek purpose and strive for something better. They also grapple with questions of morality, with even deeper themes, particularly those touching on artificial intelligence in the arts and sciences. That really hit me hard.
The final short story left me deeply emotional, stirring a mix of anger, frustration, hopefulness, and a sense of rightness.
So many important messages are tucked within these pages. It was truly a beautiful read.
These were powerful, emotionally charged stories that pulled me deeper into the beloved characters of this series.
The first story is a delightfully engaging murder mystery where nothing is quite what it seems. It’s a mix of intrigue: a who’s who of suspects, betrayal, and plenty of plot twists. It’s amazing how much is packed into such a short story.
The second story, at its heart, is about taking a leap of faith and following your dreams. I adore Thimble so much!
The last three stories bring us back to Viv and Tandri. We follow Viv as she discovers the inspiration behind Legends and Lattes, and Tandri during her time at Acker’s University. These stories explore the idea that life is too short not to seek purpose and strive for something better. They also grapple with questions of morality, with even deeper themes, particularly those touching on artificial intelligence in the arts and sciences. That really hit me hard.
The final short story left me deeply emotional, stirring a mix of anger, frustration, hopefulness, and a sense of rightness.
So many important messages are tucked within these pages. It was truly a beautiful read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Tales from the Territory is a delightful and, of course, extremely cozy return to the world of Legends & Lattes. Fans of the series or cozy fantasies in general can't miss this!
It was a two-way tie for my favorite story of the five. "Goblins & Greatcoats" - imagine Knives Out but with Zyll the goblin from Brigands & Breadknives instead of Daniel Craig as the eccentric, ingenious detective - is a hoot, with a delightful cameo by the Elder Blade. "Just a Thimbleful" brings us the sweet story of how Thimble, the timid little baker from Legends & Lattes, gathers the courage to follow his dreams to bake bigger and finds his way to Viv's cafe. It was also great to see Viv in action again (true to her old bounty-hunting form in "Pages to Fill" and then in her coffee-slinging capacity in "Cavaliers and Coffees") and to learn more about Tandri's background in "Mirograph."
I adore these characters and each one of their charming, heartwarming stories, and would read about them endlessly. The illustrations are also a wonderful way to bring even more life to their world - I'll absolutely be buying this in print when it comes out. (Also can't wait for the upcoming graphic novel version of L&L!)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!
It was a two-way tie for my favorite story of the five. "Goblins & Greatcoats" - imagine Knives Out but with Zyll the goblin from Brigands & Breadknives instead of Daniel Craig as the eccentric, ingenious detective - is a hoot, with a delightful cameo by the Elder Blade. "Just a Thimbleful" brings us the sweet story of how Thimble, the timid little baker from Legends & Lattes, gathers the courage to follow his dreams to bake bigger and finds his way to Viv's cafe. It was also great to see Viv in action again (true to her old bounty-hunting form in "Pages to Fill" and then in her coffee-slinging capacity in "Cavaliers and Coffees") and to learn more about Tandri's background in "Mirograph."
I adore these characters and each one of their charming, heartwarming stories, and would read about them endlessly. The illustrations are also a wonderful way to bring even more life to their world - I'll absolutely be buying this in print when it comes out. (Also can't wait for the upcoming graphic novel version of L&L!)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGally and Subterranean Press for the ARC
Having been a fan of the Legends and Lattes since the first book came out, I deeply enjoyed this book! It expanded excellently on characters we had little about beforehand, which I love out of books like this. Many of the short stories left me with a hopeful feeling, which is nice out of a cozy book. I'm glad that the book was still able to keep the coziness factor in this style. My favorite aspect of the stories were the single page illustrations that came included on kindle, it's not something that has been in the books previously.
My only complaint, and the reason for my rating being 4 stars instead of 5, is the fact that this anthology series contains short stories that were previously published in other materials. In my eyes, I've already paid for that material. Although I am not really upset by the recycled stories, it is something that I feel other readers should know, and something I feel like other readers might be put off by. Especially given the price of the book at $48 (as listed on NetGalley's website) Even with that, I would gratefully read the book again, and when the book fully releases it I will be buying it at my favorite local bookshop!
Having been a fan of the Legends and Lattes since the first book came out, I deeply enjoyed this book! It expanded excellently on characters we had little about beforehand, which I love out of books like this. Many of the short stories left me with a hopeful feeling, which is nice out of a cozy book. I'm glad that the book was still able to keep the coziness factor in this style. My favorite aspect of the stories were the single page illustrations that came included on kindle, it's not something that has been in the books previously.
My only complaint, and the reason for my rating being 4 stars instead of 5, is the fact that this anthology series contains short stories that were previously published in other materials. In my eyes, I've already paid for that material. Although I am not really upset by the recycled stories, it is something that I feel other readers should know, and something I feel like other readers might be put off by. Especially given the price of the book at $48 (as listed on NetGalley's website) Even with that, I would gratefully read the book again, and when the book fully releases it I will be buying it at my favorite local bookshop!
April 25, 2026
NOTE: This is an ARC review though Netgalley.
I absolutely love Travis’ books, Legends and Lattes was my first cozy fantasy book and now I really enjoy the genre. The only reason this one is not 5 stars is because there were a couple of the stories that were hard to follow and slow. But Thimble’s story was so cool. It made me completely imagine a perfect cup of coffee and the amazing cozy feeling of smelling and drinking one amazing cup. But the only thing more amazing that coffee is coffee with a freshly baked pastry. What I would give to eat a cinnamon roll freshly baed by Thimble. I absolutely loved the last story will all characters and a perfect little story about Legends and Lattes, so cozy, comfy and lovely. I will read any book Travis writes forever. Every book is just like drinking a perfect cup of coffee in a cozy cabin. I don’t know a better feeling than that.
Overall rating: 8.2/10
Type: Cozy Fantasy
Unputdownable (pace): 4/5
Ease of reading: 3/5
Writing style 4/5
Wisdom/Interesting phrases: 3/5
World building/ Creativity: 3/5
Characters: 5/5
Romance level: 2/5
Bloodshed level: 1/5
Funny/laughter level: 2/5
Spice level: 1/5
Cry/tears level: 2/5
I absolutely love Travis’ books, Legends and Lattes was my first cozy fantasy book and now I really enjoy the genre. The only reason this one is not 5 stars is because there were a couple of the stories that were hard to follow and slow. But Thimble’s story was so cool. It made me completely imagine a perfect cup of coffee and the amazing cozy feeling of smelling and drinking one amazing cup. But the only thing more amazing that coffee is coffee with a freshly baked pastry. What I would give to eat a cinnamon roll freshly baed by Thimble. I absolutely loved the last story will all characters and a perfect little story about Legends and Lattes, so cozy, comfy and lovely. I will read any book Travis writes forever. Every book is just like drinking a perfect cup of coffee in a cozy cabin. I don’t know a better feeling than that.
Overall rating: 8.2/10
Type: Cozy Fantasy
Unputdownable (pace): 4/5
Ease of reading: 3/5
Writing style 4/5
Wisdom/Interesting phrases: 3/5
World building/ Creativity: 3/5
Characters: 5/5
Romance level: 2/5
Bloodshed level: 1/5
Funny/laughter level: 2/5
Spice level: 1/5
Cry/tears level: 2/5
May 14, 2026
Tales from the Territory is a warm cup of cocoa on a cold, rainy afternoon. It contains a series of short stories featuring the characters we all know and love from Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust, and Brigands & Breadknives. What’s even more fun is that many of these are origin stories or stories of events that happened before “the gang” got together in Thune.
For example, one is about Thimble at the job he had before Legends & Lattes, learning to make his beautiful baked creations that were just not appreciated properly. Another is of Viv as a bounty hunter in Azimuth, a gnomish city, and her first taste of coffee. There are stories of Tandri back when she was a student at university, and another of Viv and Tandri at Legends & Lattes, when a rival coffee operation breezes into town, threatening to take their business.
The stories are short but wonderful, giving you more world-building and character building of Thune, Azimuth, and the lands and people beyond. Each story comes with a fantastic, sketchy illustration, which I loved. Overall this book is short, but heartwarming and wonderful, and makes me look forward to diving back into the world of Legends & Lattes again just to reexperience it.
Thanks to Travis Baldree and Subterranean Press for this advanced reader copy.
For example, one is about Thimble at the job he had before Legends & Lattes, learning to make his beautiful baked creations that were just not appreciated properly. Another is of Viv as a bounty hunter in Azimuth, a gnomish city, and her first taste of coffee. There are stories of Tandri back when she was a student at university, and another of Viv and Tandri at Legends & Lattes, when a rival coffee operation breezes into town, threatening to take their business.
The stories are short but wonderful, giving you more world-building and character building of Thune, Azimuth, and the lands and people beyond. Each story comes with a fantastic, sketchy illustration, which I loved. Overall this book is short, but heartwarming and wonderful, and makes me look forward to diving back into the world of Legends & Lattes again just to reexperience it.
Thanks to Travis Baldree and Subterranean Press for this advanced reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Having read the three books set in this universe already, this was a lovely, cozy addition to the world. I was surprised at how quickly it read, but I just kept wanting to see what the next story was. There are five in all, one each about Zyll, Thimble, Tandri, and Viv from their lives before the action of their respective novels, and then a final story set after Legends and Lattes as Viv and Co. encounter some business competition. I enjoyed the Zyll and Thimble stories the most, as they are two characters we don't get to see much of generally, so it was nice to spend a little more time with them. I wasn't as keen on Tandri's story, but it was still interesting; it just didn't engage me as much as the others.
Overall, this has the same cozy vibes as the other books, and if you enjoyed any of those, there's no reason why you wouldn't like this as well. I suppose you could read it as a standalone, but I'd really recommend reading the other books first, unless you want miss out on lots of context and history.
Having read the three books set in this universe already, this was a lovely, cozy addition to the world. I was surprised at how quickly it read, but I just kept wanting to see what the next story was. There are five in all, one each about Zyll, Thimble, Tandri, and Viv from their lives before the action of their respective novels, and then a final story set after Legends and Lattes as Viv and Co. encounter some business competition. I enjoyed the Zyll and Thimble stories the most, as they are two characters we don't get to see much of generally, so it was nice to spend a little more time with them. I wasn't as keen on Tandri's story, but it was still interesting; it just didn't engage me as much as the others.
Overall, this has the same cozy vibes as the other books, and if you enjoyed any of those, there's no reason why you wouldn't like this as well. I suppose you could read it as a standalone, but I'd really recommend reading the other books first, unless you want miss out on lots of context and history.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is cute, and fans of the series will get a kick out of this very quick read. Only 4 stars from me, because I didn't feel like it added a lot to the universe. (One story appeared in conjunction with a previous novel, so this feels like padding the collection.)
The stories work as pick-ups or mini prequel bites. Readers should be familiar with all 3 (current) books (Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust, and Brigands & Breadknives) before starting.
eARC from NetGalley.
The stories work as pick-ups or mini prequel bites. Readers should be familiar with all 3 (current) books (Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust, and Brigands & Breadknives) before starting.
eARC from NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5*
'Tales from the Territory' is a lovely addition to the Legends and Lattes series, giving us a warm and immersive collection of short stories that deepens the world and its characters in all the best ways.
As soon as I started reading it felt like slipping into a warm bath - comforting, familiar and truly cosy! We're getting some rich background stories for some beloved characters and I loved getting to spend more time with them all. As with all short story collections, not all the stories were instant favourites but there weren't any bad ones which for me makes this one of the strongest collections I've read in a long time. Thimble’s tale was a clear standout, with Cavaliers and Coffee a very close second but each story adds texture to the world we know already, giving us yet more warmth, humour, adventure and found family.
This book honestly made me want to go back and reread the entire series and is a must-read for fans of the L&L world.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor for a digital review copy of "Tales from the Territory" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
'Tales from the Territory' is a lovely addition to the Legends and Lattes series, giving us a warm and immersive collection of short stories that deepens the world and its characters in all the best ways.
As soon as I started reading it felt like slipping into a warm bath - comforting, familiar and truly cosy! We're getting some rich background stories for some beloved characters and I loved getting to spend more time with them all. As with all short story collections, not all the stories were instant favourites but there weren't any bad ones which for me makes this one of the strongest collections I've read in a long time. Thimble’s tale was a clear standout, with Cavaliers and Coffee a very close second but each story adds texture to the world we know already, giving us yet more warmth, humour, adventure and found family.
This book honestly made me want to go back and reread the entire series and is a must-read for fans of the L&L world.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor for a digital review copy of "Tales from the Territory" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
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