What is a Cozy Fantasy?
Featured book: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
Welcome to Sleuth Hero Alien! In these weekly posts I share:
What’s making my reading life enjoyable this week
Deep dive topics on cozy mysteries, cozy fantasies, and charming sci-fi
A cozy book recommendation
What I’m reading this week
What’s making my reading life enjoyable this week
For the past few days, I’ve been reading the first chapters of books, and then vaguely not returning to them. This happens sometimes. It’s when the books I choose don’t match my mood, so I keep drifting, hoping to find one that will stick.
When I don’t find the right book for a while, I lose focus. What am I reading right now? Eh, I don’t know, I’ll just watch some shows, even though I’d rather be reading.
Today, I tried something new to end the cycle. Instead of waiting and drifting, I took out my journal to reflect on my reading life. I asked what I was craving and what qualities I was looking for in my books.
After reflecting, I made a list of reading intentions for August. Now, instead of drifting, I can go through this list. It’s ok if I don’t finish these books, but at least I know what I’ll be reading next.
Bookish Deep-Dive: What is a cozy fantasy?
Cozy fantasy is a popular term in the book community right now.
This subgenre has actually been an under-the-radar gem for a while now; though in the past they often leaned more toward the absurd, like Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series or Robert Asprin’s Myth-Adventures series.
But In 2022, Travis Baldree took the reading world by storm with his cozy fantasy, Legends & Lattes, and since then we have all been banging down publishers’ doors asking for more.
In L&L, Viv, an orc, is weary of being a mercenary. So, she changes her life, moves to a city, and opens a coffee shop.
The story starts with a bang. In the first chapter, Viv is on a mission with her mercenary team. There is violence, theft, and gore. With the setup, a reader might think they are smack dab in the middle of an adventurous high fantasy, but Baldree quickly flips the script.
In chapter 2, the stakes get much lower and the world gets much cozier, when Viv arrives in the city to begin her life as a small business owner.
This fantasy has lovable characters (many of whom are mythological creatures), small town vibes, delicious food, and very little violence. There is some adventure, because it’s a fantasy after all, but what you know from the outset is things are probably going to go well for Viv. And that’s a cozy fantasy.
It’s a story with wizards, witches, or magic but without the violence or high stress of darker fantasies.
Authors sometimes amp up the cozy vibes with a quaint small town, lovable characters, and tea or coffee or books.
There’s also an adventure. There’s a dragon to slay, a dark lord to oust, or a magical community to defend.
Because it’s cozy, you will not feel highly anxious or grossed out while reading. Instead, coziness is about those fun and safe vibes.
I’ve been running an online Cozy Magical Book Club for the past year and a half, and here are three of the club’s favorites:
Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper. A reluctant witch returns to her hometown to arbitrate a magical competition between the founding families. There are small town vibes, a sweet romance, and benevolent mischief.
House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. A social worker is sent on a mission away from his dull gray cubicle job, to a home for magical children on a beautiful island. There are many sweet, funny, and mischievous scenes with the kids, plus a lovely romance.
The House Witch by Delemhach. A cook, who’s also a witch, gets a job at the castle. He tries to hide his magic, but eventually hijinks and political intrigue rule the day. There are descriptions of delicious food, fun magical times, and lots of laughter.
I love fantasies. I’m happy to read a high fantasy, a low fantasy, or a witchy tale. But as a sensitive reader, I vet my books carefully for how gruesome the violence will be, and sometimes fantasies can get pretty dark.
For me, cozies are a fun and comforting subgenre where I can relax and enjoy a good tale without having my guard up.
Have a cozy fantasy recommendation? Share it in the comments!
Cozy Book Recommendation: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
In this prequel to Legends & Lattes, Viv has just started working as a mercenary. She’s hungry for adventure, but she gets injured in her first battle. Now, she’s stuck in Murk, a small town in the middle of nowhere, and there’s nothing to do but read, make friends, and have a couple adventures.
I absolutely loved this story. We follow Viv as she heals from her wound, reads, helps renovate a bookshop, has a sweet romance, and makes friends with a cast of fun characters.
I read this one twice, once in print and once on audio. Travis Baldree does the audio narration, and it’s great. I couldn’t stop listening, even though it was my second time reading the book!
If you read this one, you can expect:
A book about books, as Viv discovers the joy of reading
An exploration of healing, and what it means to pause when you don’t want to
Curmudgeonly friends, who band together
A fun adventure
I especially recommend this for folks who enjoy books about bookstores. You won’t be disappointed.
What I’m Currently Reading
These are all the books I’m reading right now. Some are cozy, some aren’t. You can look up content warnings on thestorygraph.com.
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood. Cozy mystery. A small town in England, a couple murders, and three women who need to figure out what happened.
Be a Revolution by Ijeoma Oluo. Nonfiction. Interviews and stories of current-day activists who are making an impact.
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald. Narrative nonfiction. The story of Macdonald’s grief journey after losing her father and subsequently getting a goshawk.
Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson. Narrative nonfiction. Everything you ever wanted to know about eels told in stories both personal and historical.
Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. High fantasy. A slow and epic journey with a dark lord and a complicated magic system. (This one is not a cozy, so check the content warnings.)
Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon by Nancy Atherton. Cozy mystery. A renaissance fair comes to the village of Finch, but so does murder!
What are you reading right now? Share in the comments!
Hi! I’m Emma Veritas. I’m a voracious reader and writer. As a reader, I enjoy all things cozy. I love dropping into the world of a small town, with found family, and murder or dragons or aliens! As a writer, I share my reflections on the reading life at Sleuth Hero Alien, and I share my reflections on the writing life at enchantedwriting.com. When I’m not blogging, you can find me playing with writing fiction in my notebooks, hanging out with my pet bunny, and drinking lots of hot chocolate.