Ok so wow, cozy fantasy may be for me in a way I never thought it would. It wasn't that I doubted a compelling plot could be crafted from the less action-packed parts of a fantasy, Dungeons & Dragons-inspired world, but more so that I wouldn't be kept interested in a slower-paced plot. I think it was the geniusly-crafted characters and fantastic dialogue from the first few pages that really made me stop and sit up . I was intrigued by the stone Viv hides under the floor of her livery turned coffee shop from the start, aware it was important in a magical way as well as symbolic for Viv---will things go right for this retired ranger intent on making a dream come true and settling down in a town that could be hers? I had to know! 
I liked learning how the mechanics of this fantasy world worked in terms of the technology Viv, Cal, and Tandri used to build and create not only the shop itself, but the machinery necessary to make and maintain coffee. I was very happy to see the appearance of an iced latte (that may have been my main gripe in this review if such an appearance had not been made). The descriptions of community among the shop's patrons, the town at large, and the sense of camaraderie that emerges from the presence of the establishment and good beverages really warmed my heart.
From a writing perspective, this novel also just hits all the right beats at the right times, rolling right along with a plot that spreads forward like a fancy red carpet. I felt such satisfaction at seeing a physical end product of Viv's patience and perseverance in the coffee shop (and such despair when the inevitable happens). I was also so so delighted to find that what I thought may have been hints at a romance were, in fact, hints at a romance. Three cheers for a nearly-concealed slow burn I didn't realize I was rooting for until it was right in front of me!



One of my favorite quotes from Legends & Lattes:

"I was just thinking that you don’t have to forget who you were… because that’s what brought you here."

I've been seeing a lot of resounding praise for this novel including the word "masterpiece," and I definitely can say I agree with the use of the word here. While this book holds oh so much, and so well (I loooooved the consistent footnotes), it also tells a story that resonated with me for its beautiful moments of simplicity regarding making friends in a place of learning. 
From the very beginning, Robin's journey to Oxford felt like one I wanted to believe would go as smoothly as possible. But, because Kuang is the fantastic writer she is, and the undertones of colonialism's destruction permeate the narrative from the very first page, I knew this couldn't be the case. I loved, despite this heavier aspect of the novel, how the wonders of academic camaraderie were crafted. The shared exhaustion, codependency in coursework, late night swapping of thoughts, and everything in between---it made me desperately miss grad school. It also made me think about the unique quality of Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty's group, seeing how they butt heads harmlessly in the beginning and terribly at the end due to the environment of the institution they were in and the work they were doing. Victoire quickly became my favorite character, and Letty quickly became the character I was the most fascinated by---from her complicated relationship with Ramy that we really only get to examine from Robin's limited scope, to her Interlude near the novel's end. Yes, she's a white woman in a country that supports her existence for the most part, but the intricacies of the oppression she felt she faced as a woman at Babel (in the shadow of her late brother) really made me stop and ponder her perspective as it related to Ramy, Victoire, and Robin's situations as students in the same country at the same school. When things really started to hit the fan, I knew the group couldn't all see a happy ending, but I wonder what happened to Letty on the other side.
I haven't even touched on this book's completely unique magic system yet, but maybe that's because all I really have to say is that it blew me away. Not once, or twice, or three times, but pretty much any time a new facet of it was explained or demonstrated in a scene or footnote (I really loved those footnotes). The amount of research as well as fascination with and innate knowledge about language and translation it took to write this, and write it well, increases my already vast appreciation for Kuang as an author and human being. I think I need to add The Poppy War to my to be read list.



Some of my favorite quotes from Babel:

"He pulled on his English accent like a new coat, adjusted everything he could about himself to make it fit, and, within weeks, wore it with comfort."

"He enjoyed novels more than anything else."

"Never, Robin thought, would he understand these men, who talked of the world and its movements like a grand chess game, where countries and peoples were pieces to be moved and manipulated at will."

"If they're going to tell stories about you, use it to your advantage. The English are never going to think I'm posh, but if I fit into their fantasy, then they'll at least think I'm royalty."

"It felt now as if they had all the time in the world to do nothing but be happy, if they could just remember how."

"Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world, No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation -- a necessary endeavor, however futile, to move between them."