I am discovering a new favorite genre: cozy fantasy. Cozy fantasy is a subgenre that invites readers into a warm and enchanting world, where magic seamlessly intertwines with everyday life. Unlike epic or high fantasy, which often feature grand battles and vast, complex worlds, cozy fantasy focuses on creating a sense of comfort and familiarity. It is a genre that prioritizes charm, whimsy, and a delightful escape from reality. It’s the perfect cozy read to curl up with when you want something light and heartwarming.
If you’re looking for books to add to your TBR, here are seven of my favorites:
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries
About the Book
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Genre: Cozy Fantasy, Fairytales
Book Review
This is perfection in book form! This made my list of instant favorites.
Emily Wilde is a misanthropic, introverted researcher working to write the first conclusive encyclopedia of fairies, which of course exist in the world of the book. She and her dog Shadow travel to a tiny village in Norway that’s within the Artic Circle to research the local fae population, much to her colleague Bamblesby’s dismay. Emily enjoys her solitude, but when she manages to insult the village headwoman, she’s grateful for the charming Bamblesby’s arrival to smooth things over with the villagers. Indeed, Emily may need his help, because all her usual rules for dealing with fae and their curses may not be enough here. Bamblesby’s secrets may be the only thing that can save her.
From a friendship with a common fae named Poe to changelings in the village to the legend of the Fairy King trapped in a tree, the further Emily gets immersed into her research, the greater the dangers.
Emily’s dialogue with Bamblesby is a delight. Their dynamic consists of her being grumpy and unable to fall for his charms, and him finding her company completely delightful because of her abrasiveness. They both struggle with basic survival skills, as one of them manages to cut another with an axe while trying to chop wood. Emily’s convinced of Bamblesby’s laziness, as she knows of at least one scholarly paper that he’s faked, but his charm gets him invited everywhere, making him her key to scholarly success. He’s also her only friend.
Here’s a sampling of their dynamic:
“Get inside! You’re bleeding!”
“I will not bleed any less indoors, you utter madwoman.”“The worst of it was that Bambleby had warned me away from the tree – if I descended into a murderous rage, or turned into a tree myself, he would be very smug about it.”
This was an interesting take on the fairy world, with Emily’s perspective as a researcher providing a new angle. It’s written from Emily’s perspective, as she’s giving the account in her diary, though Bambleby writes a few entries – without permission, of course! Emily also gives us fairy stories throughout the book, as she thinks the stories are the closest thing the fairy world has to rules and laws.
This book deals out the charm in spades. You will not regret reading it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill
About the Book
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowenna Miller
Genre: Cozy Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Book Review
A charming, cozy fantasy about two women who get more than they bargain for when they use fairies to change their lives.
The veil between fairyland and our world is thinner on Prospect Hill, and Alaine’s family has always bargained with the Fae: silk and silver to reverse luck or a coin and a sheath to keep the rain away. Her grandmother warned them to never wander from the approved bargains. But when Alaine’s problems grow, no longer content to summon rain for the harvest or a good crop, she creates a fairy ring to summon the Fae to her, face to face. As her courage grows, she stretches the bounds of what she thought possible, until the day her sister steps into the fairy ring to rid herself of her abusive husband. The consequences threaten to destroy them all.
Alaine’s fierce, willing to do whatever it takes to save her struggling orchard and protect her family. Delphine’s sympathetic, as the new society wife struggling to find a place in a society that shuts its doors on her. The fairies add a level of intrigue that keeps the reader guessing.
This delightful fantasy brings the fantastic and the scary right to the doorstep of a homey rural community. It also makes me wish I could bargain with fairies!
The Cat Who Saved Books
About the Book
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
Genre: Cozy Fantasy, Friendship Fiction
Book Review
This is a charming, quirky, quick read featuring a talking cat who takes a high school boy on adventures in labyrinths.
Rintaro has lived his life in Natsuki Books, avoiding all people besides the grandfather who is raising him. But when his beloved grandfather dies, Rintaro feels all alone. That is, until a talking cat named Tiger takes him through a portal in the back of his grandfather’s bookstore. In each scenario, the books need to be saved, but what needs to be saved most of all is Rintaro himself.
The characters love to philosophize with each other – and with the cat. The book had quite a few quotable passages, dishing out as much self-reflection as it did whimsy.
It also introduced me to the Japanese concept of hikikomari, which is a severe form of social withdrawal. This book shows the importance of showing up for each other, whether the other person realizes they need it or not.
It also had a lot to say about publishing, how we consume books and which books are most worthy. While not fully agreeing with the author’s premise, I still found the story very interesting.
Other Birds
About the Book
Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
Genre: Cozy Fantasy, Magical Realism
Book Review
Quirky, sensitive and delightfully magical, this book gives each of its characters the ending they deserve.
Zoey moves into a condo inherited from her mother, hoping to find a way to feel closer to her. Instead, after an unexpected death her first night, she gets pulled into the orbit of the unconventional people who make the Dellawisp their home. When a bookcase falls on a resident and kills her, Frasier hires Zoey to clean out the apartment. Despite the fact that Lizbeth was obviously a hoarder, she was also the personal assistant to famed, reclusive author Roscoe Avenger. Zoey is charged with finding a mysterious manuscript that may lie within the apartment’s walls.
This book delivers whimsy in spades. After the death of her mother a decade ago, Zoey was joined by an invisible bird, Pigeon, who makes sure she’s okay. Another character is gently haunted by the ghost of the woman who raised him, waking up covered in cornmeal so he knows she still cares. The characters’ pasts are dealt with gently, even as the mysteries surrounding them add suspense to the book.
It’s the characters who really make this book. There’s Charlotte, the henna artist who moves every time a place starts to feel like home, and Mac, the chef who wants to find a way to tear down her walls. There’s Frasier, the do-good building maintenance man who looks out for everyone, but especially the flock of dellawisps who rule the roost. There’s Lucy, the shut-in, who doesn’t talk to anyone, but especially not to her sister, Lizbeth. Then there’s handsome Oliver, who’s done everything he can to flee the Dellawisp, but may finally be pulled back by the death of his mother, Lizbeth, and Zooey’s persistence.
The heart of this book is the love the characters have for each other, and it’ll leave you sad when it ends.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy of this book.
The Ogress and the Orphans
About the Book
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
Genre: Middle Grade Cozy Fantasy
Book Review
This book charms its way right into the hardest of hearts. Both the ogress and the orphans are an absolute delight, and the dragon is a perfect villain.
Fifteen children live in the orphan house in Stone-in-Glen, being cared for by a pair of aging former orphans who found love with each other. But the town has been failing since the burning of its library (possibly by a dragon), with everyone getting meaner and less neighborly. The only thing holding it together is the Mayor and his dazzling personality. On the outskirts of town, a lonely ogress plants her garden, bakes, and watches over the town. She doesn’t know the orphans’ names, but she knows their personalities from what she can see from her telescope. But the orphan house is running out of food and money, and the offerings the ogress leaves in secret aren’t enough to tide them over. When one of the orphans runs away so there will be more food to go around, the ogress finds her sick in the forest. The ogress’s lonely life collides with that of the children, the villagers, and the Mayor, and none of them will never be the same again.
This story is narrated by a mysterious, all-seeing character, who engagingly shares the history of the town and the Ogress interspersed with delightful scenes showing the big hearts of the children and the Ogress. You’re rooting for their inevitable meeting. You’re also hoping for the children to be believed, as they know much more than any of the adult characters about what’s really going on in the town.
Barnhill’s lyrical prose brings the story to life, as evidenced by this description of the library fire:
“Books flew out the melting windows like panicked birds, their wings bright and phosphorescent. They were beautiful for a moment, the town remembers, the way a heart is beautiful in the moment before it breaks.”
She also brings the orphans to life, from mom figure Anthea who believes in logic and science and making sure all the babies are taken care of, to head in the clouds Bartleby who doesn’t notice changes until it’s too late, to Cass, who doesn’t talk much but her actions speak louder than her words.
This touching story shows what can happen when characters set their misconceptions aside and open their hearts to each other.
Thank you to Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Beautiful Ones
About the Book
The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Book Review
Told with the sweeping style and stately pacing of the classics of old, this book brings you back to a time when the Season was filled with balls where eligible men and women attempted to make a good match. The author called it a “comedy of manners” and the love triangle at times reminded me of Anna Karenina and at other times of Heathcliff, Cathy and Isabella from Wuthering Heights.
In a world where no one is as they seem, guileless country girl Nina has not learned to hide her opinions and interests. She’s unprepared to engage in the battle of wits society delights in. This earns her the scorn of her married cousin Valerie and the admiration of newly-wealthy telekinetic performer Hector. However, Hector has another reason for seeking Nina’s acquaintance: years earlier, he was engaged to Valerie, and now that he has made his fortune, he hopes to win her back. Nina provides him with entry into Valerie’s world.
Nina must learn to navigate the world of Hectors, Valeries and others who may not have her best interests at heart, to see if her heart can be the victor in the end.
This is a definite departure from the style of Mexican Gothic, but I think I enjoyed this one even more.
The Magician’s Daughter
About the Book
The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Book Review
In a world where magic is fading, Biddy, an orphan, lives in one of magic’s last refuges – the hidden, legendary island of Hy-Brasil. Biddy and her two companions, Rowan and his familiar, never leave the island because Rowan is wanted by the council of magicians. But after the search for Rowan intensifies and nearly finds the island, Rowan convinces Biddy to return to the mainland as bait. After all, there’s a mysterious magic spell in her heart that will sing to the council like a siren song. But once they leave the island and encounter Rowan’s ex-fiancé, nothing goes as planned.
I enjoyed the descriptions of old magic – a chalk circle that can trap a mage, a stone that can allow a person to turn into a raven and a ring that lets you visit someone’s dreams.
Rowan’s familiar, Hutchincroft, is an absolute delight, both as a rabbit and a person. Morgaine, Rowan’s former love, is interesting as someone who knows the system is corrupt and cruel but tries to change it from within. Rowan’s the tragic hero who wants to find a way to make magic be for everyone. These characters fight fiercely for what is right and love each other equally fiercely.
When it’s all over, this book will leave you with a warm glow.
Need more to read? Find all my fantasy recommendations here.
