Is there anything better than nestling up by the window with a hot beverage in one hand and a good book in the other? For some, there might be, but for others, this cozy feeling is as good as it gets. Everyone feels cozy in a different way, but they all share a similar feeling of warmth, comfort, and intimacy. Cozy fantasy is a subgenre that brings all of those feelings to life with words on a page. As such, everyone’s personal definition of what may or may not be cozy can differ greatly. But here? Whether you’re looking for a fluffy feel-good book, a small-town mystery, or a slice of life—sit down, cuddle up, and get cozy.
What is Cozy Fantasy?
Cozy fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy. If you’re new to cozy fantasy but not new to fantasy, you might be wondering how fantasy can be… well, cozy. This subgenre tends to feature plots with much lower stakes than other fantasy books. It also focuses more heavily on the characters and their relationships. A feel-good ending is an absolute must, and the setting usually takes place in a small, rural town. You’ll find magic in these books, characters of all shapes, sizes, and species, as well as magical sidekicks. Quirky humor, romance, or mystery are frequent devices in these books (and sometimes you’ll get all three). If you watch anime and enjoy a nice slice-of-life show, cozy fantasy books are for you. All in all, this fantasy subgenre focuses more on the characters’ day-to-day lives rather than epic battles and quests to save the world.
Common Tropes of Cozy Fantasy
Cozy fantasy tropes will bring out those feelings of warmth, comfort, and intimacy in the best ways. Some examples include:
- Found Family: Since cozy fantasy focuses on the main character’s relationships, found family is a common trope. The MC can have various reasons for being displaced from their biological family, but when they settle into their new home, the friends they make become their new family. Sometimes, the family you’ve chosen for yourself is the best one to have that feel-good ending with.
- Rural or Small-town setting: Most cozy fantasy books don’t go beyond the borders of the small or rural town where the main character has taken up residence. In these settings, everyone knows each other (or at least of each other) and the community as a whole is very tight-knit.
- Pets or Familiars: Animals tend to be featured often in cozy fantasy. They don’t have to be magical, and they don’t have to play a large part in the story, they can just be around. You’ll find stray cats that forced themselves into the main character’s trinket shop only to become a permanent fixture and tea dragons that get lost in these cozy little worlds.
- Mundane magic: Magic is a large part of the fantasy genre, but have you ever wondered how magic works for the rest of the world outside of the heroes and villains? Cozy fantasy shows just how magic affects the characters’ daily lives in the form of magical appliances and thirst tonics for vampires.
Why I love Cozy Fantasy
When it comes to reading books, I am an absolute masochist. I love books that rip my heart and soul to pieces—that leave me sobbing into the pages—but that can take a toll on even the toughest of people. I love cozy fantasy because reading something light and fluffy is a nice palate cleanser between all the heartbreak. On top of that, cozy fantasy offers me my absolute favorite part of reading a book: character development, dynamics, and relationships. Character-driven plots are my bread and butter, so this genre is an absolute gem in my humble opinion. Plus: who wouldn’t love random magical pets everywhere?
What YOU should explore Cozy Fantasy
If you’ve gotten this far and you’re still not sure if cozy fantasy is for you, here are some reasons it absolutely is.
- Quaint Aesthetics: Picture a small town, the snow crunching under your boots as you walk to the local tavern. It’s a little wooden cottage, covered in vines and when you open the door, warmth washes over you. The dull hum of voices fills the air, along with the wonderful scent of garlic and spices and cheese. You greet every patron by name and when you walk up to the bar, the bartender already has your usual ready to go. It’s the perfect ending to your day and this is the aesthetic that cozy fantasy is filled to the brim with.
- Character-driven stories: Cozy fantasy focuses on the characters in the story. You’ll get an in-depth look into their daily lives and what ails them. You’ll also get a front-row seat for their growth, and the relationships that they form with the characters around them. This gives you a chance to live, laugh, and love with them.
- Slower Paced Plots: Fantasy usually focuses on plots where the main character has to save the world and join in on epic battles where they tread the line of life and death. Cozy fantasy, on the other hand, focuses on plots that don’t have such high stakes. In these books, you’ll find mysteries that need to be solved, road trips where characters find themselves, adventurers that decide to settle down somewhere, and blooming romances.
If you find that you’re having a hard day, cuddle up with your favorite blanket, and pick up a cozy book to lose yourself in for a few hours. Cozy is always better.
Cozy Fantasies we love
I love the cozy aesthetic so much. Stardew Valley is my favorite game to play with my friends, and I love all things Ghibli. Still, most of my reading habits center on horror or otherwise very high-stakes stories, so I decided to use this opportunity to dive into cozy novels. In my search, I came across the Mead Mishaps series by Kimberly Lemming. This cute series follows the love stories of three women from Boohail. It’s a cute, light-hearted series that is full of laughs and a little spice for those who like that. (As I have made it clear, I do not enjoy spice, but that did not ruin my reading experience here.) If you want a cozy fantasy that leans a little more into the comedy side of things, this series could be for you.
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne is the coziest rebellion you’ll ever read—think of it as the love child of an overthrow-the-kingdom plot and a warm cup of chai. It’s a delightful mix of quiet moments and low-stakes drama, following a badass ex-assassin and her bookish girlfriend who swap political intrigue for baking scones in their dream teahouse. But don’t be fooled by the cinnamon rolls (both literal and metaphorical); this tale has just the right sprinkle of adventure and magical hijinks to keep things interesting. It’s perfect for anyone who believes you can take down a tyrant and host a quaint book club in the same week.
I’ve read and written dark fantasy, grimdark, and horror for quite some time now, but I’ve found a refreshing palate cleanser in the world of cozy fantasy. If you have any interest in this genre at all, you owe it to yourself to go over to Webtoon and check out A Spell for a Smith. Seriously, I cannot praise this adorably cute series enough. Watching a stoic, lonely smith as he falls for a misfit witch (and vice versa!) is such a fantastic journey—and one that is still in process!
Picking one cozy fantasy was rough because I’ve read so many great ones (and have so many more on my TBR) but I finally decided to go with Love Letters and Thirst Tonics by Hailey Blackwood. This cozy fantasy features a vampire with a trinket shop that gets destroyed in a freak accident, the hunky vampire woodworker that’s forced to help her, wonky thirst tonics, and letters sent through magical mailboxes. It was cute, quirky, and above all: cozy.