Have you ever read or watched something like The Lord of the Rings or Practical Magic and thought, “I want to live there?” Maybe you imagine yourself as a retired adventurer or just a normal person in fantastical circumstances, but the idea of living a low-stakes life in these worlds is appealing.
That’s where cozy fantasy comes in: a book genre combining our love for fantasy novels with characters and plots that evoke the feeling of drinking hot chocolate in a warm bed on a rainy night. If that sounds like your jam, check out any of these 10 books and get comfortable—nay, cozy.
10. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
If you’ve ever wished dark academia was less dark, you’ll enjoy the first book in Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series. Cambridge professor Emily Wilde, the world’s leading authority on faeries, is creating the first comprehensive encyclopedia on all things fae. Her research brings her to the small village of Hrafnsvik, where she meets the infuriatingly handsome Wendell Bambleby, an academic rival who charms the local townspeople in a way socially awkward Emily could never.
The book picks up in action in the latter half, so I hesitate to rank it high on the cozy scale. Still, if you don’t mind a little violence, the winter vibes and competent characters make this a delightful read.
9. Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
Rewitched, the debut novel of YouTuber and freelance writer Lucy Jane Wood, is perfect for fans of the ‘90s Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Practical Magic. Belladonna Blackthorn has one of the witchiest names in fiction, but she couldn’t feel less witchy as her 30th birthday approaches. She’s stuck working under an awful boss while trying to keep her bookstore, Lunar Books, from going under, and she has no time to work on her long-forgotten magic. So when her coven summons her to test her magic, she risks losing it forever if her skills aren’t up to snuff.
I enjoy when protagonists embark on a journey to discover themselves at any age, but especially when they’re past their early twenties. If you love friendships between women, found family, and a good romance, you’ll devour this one.
8. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
Olivia Atwater self-published her debut novel Half a Soul in 2020, much to the delight of readers of cozy fantasy everywhere. Set in Regency-era England, the novel follows Theodora “Dora” Ettings, a girl who can no longer feel or express her emotions after the faerie Lord Hollowvale takes half of her soul. When she moves to London, she informs the magician Elias Wilder of her condition, and he promises to help her find a cure. If only investigating the mysterious sleeping plague affecting local children wasn’t keeping him busy …
As someone who read Pride & Prejudice and thought it could use some magic, this was right up my alley. It’s perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle.
7. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Reader, please forgive me for this entry, as it’s technically cozy science fiction, but Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild-Built is worth your time. The first in the Monk & Robot duology, the book is set on Panga, a moon on which humans and robots once lived and worked together in a technologically advanced society. Centuries before our story takes place, the robots left to live in the wilderness, leaving humans to create a more sustainable (and super-cool!) solar punk society.
The highly relatable Dex decides to change their vocation and becomes a tea-serving monk, traveling near and far to provide their services. While traveling, they meet a robot named Splendid Speckled Mosscap, and the unlikely pair set out on a journey together.
6. Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
Quenby Olson’s self-published novel stars a 40-year-old self-described “spinster” named Mildred Percy, who has lived her life in the pursuit of pleasing family members rather than herself. That changes when she inherits a golden dragon egg from her great-uncle, and that egg ends up hatching into an adorable menace of a dragon named Fitz. With her dragon in tow, she embarks on an adventure she never knew she was allowed to have, complete with romance and self-discovery.
The novel unfolds at a leisurely pace and is perfect for fans of historical fantasy and romance. It’s rare to see a woman like Miss Percy as the heroine of a Regency-era novel. I love that she learns how to stand up for herself without changing everything about herself in the process.
5. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Mika Moon is a 31-year-old witch who has become accustomed to obeying rules, keeping her head down, and hiding her magic—as all good witches do. Aside from irregular meetings with her society of witches, nobody knows Mika’s secret, except for the social media platform where she posts videos “pretending” to be a witch. Those videos attract the attention of the Nowhere House, a hodgepodge group of magical people who desperately need a tutor for the young witches who live there.
Despite her reservations, Mika takes the job, hoping the residents of Nowhere House can be the family she’s always dreamed of. If the eccentric cast of characters doesn’t win you over, the slow-burn romance will.
4. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea is such a cozy fantasy; it’s basically a Hallmark movie. The story follows Linus Baker, a 40-year-old case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth who has spent most of his adult life focused on his career with little to show for it. One day, he is given a highly classified job by Extremely Upper Management: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage and decide whether the orphanage can be made functional or whether it should be shut down.
The orphanage, the children it houses, and its caretaker, Arthur Parnassus, are a mystery for Linus to unravel. While this is a light-hearted read, Linus’ assignment will keep you on the edge of the seat, wondering what decision he’ll make.
3. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Much like the movie it inspired, Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle is a delight from beginning to end. The atmosphere and characters are just as cozy as their film counterparts, and the story is arguably more engaging. Sophie is the eldest of three daughters and, like all of the residents in her fairytale town, believes the eldest child is cursed to a life of misfortune. As a result, she resolves to never seek out adventure and work dutifully at her family’s hat shop.
Adventure finds her, however, when she inadvertently upsets the Witch of the Waste, who turns Sophie into an old lady as punishment. In an effort to undo the curse, Sophie ventures to the wizard Howl’s Moving Castle and strikes a bargain with the heartless wizard’s fire demon. Though the premise is basically the same, the book is a different experience than the film.
2. The Tea Dragon Society by K. O’Neill
First published as a webcomic by author and illustrator K. O’Neill in 2016, The Tea Dragon Society is all sorts of adorable. The story begins when Greta, a young blacksmith-in-training, finds a small, cat-sized dragon about to be eaten by hungry animals. Her father tells her it’s a tea dragon and introduces Greta to its owner, Hesekiel, a man who runs the local tea shop. He explains that taking care of tea dragons is a dying art, and he and his partner Erik are the last two members of the Tea Dragon Society.
Greta understandably wants to know more about this world (tiny tea-making dragons? Hello?!) and gets acquainted with Hesekiel, Erik, and the soft-spoken Minette, a girl with memory loss who’s been living with the couple.
1. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes is the book that popularized the term cozy fantasy, so it’s only fitting it gets the number one spot. The story’s protagonist, Viv, is an Orc mercenary who dreams of laying down her sword and opening a coffee shop. After one last successful monster-killing, Viv quits her adventuring group and sets about introducing coffee to the people of Thune.
It isn’t long before Viv attracts a like-minded group of characters to help her run her shop, including hob carpenter Cal and succubus artist Tandri. The story is low-stakes, but a desire to see Viv succeed keeps you engaged. I loved the characters in this book, and Vivi’s coffee shop is a winner in my eyes.
Published: Feb 15, 2025 12:51 pm