Matthew's Journal

The cover promises "High fantasy, low stakes, good company", and certainly delivers. Viv is an Orc who retires from adventuring to run a coffee shop, in a city where no-one has heard of coffee (so supplies including the necessary machinery have to be bought from far-off gnomes). It's an entertaining take on the coffee shop AU beloved of fanfic authors, and it is lovely to watch Viv building a new life and family around her coffee shop (including a visiting dire-cat!).

It's frothy fun, and I enjoyed reading it, but I'm not sure it's really award-winning material...