We’re still snowed in around here, so today feels like a perfect time to talk novels that deliver a strong sense of cozy. You’ve probably heard of cozy mysteries but are you familiar with cozy fantasy? It’s a burgeoning genre and I’m here for it. The plots are low-to-no-stakes; the vibes are heartwarming and, well, cozy. These novels are about an immersive experience, not about an exciting journey: you get to experience a real slice of the (fantastical) characters’ lives and can trust that nothing too bad will happen to them.
Some of us like to distract ourselves from our own Stuff with stories of other people’s messy drama (raises hand), but reading realistic depictions of stress and turmoil are too much for other readers. Enter cozy fantasy: while the emotions in cozy fantasies feel real, the worlds they take place in don’t, which makes this genre feel perfect for readers seeking a comforting, peaceful escape.
I hope you enjoy checking out this starter list of cozy fantasies. What’s your relationship with this genre? Do you have any favorites to share? Please tell us in comments!
7 cozy fantasy novels for when you need a comforting escape
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Legends & Lattes
The Lost Story
Something Close to Magic
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
The Teller of Small Fortunes
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat
What are your favorite cozy fantasy novels? Please share in the comments.
P.S. Science Fiction/Fantasy for beginners and Science Fiction and Fantasy that is fabulous on audiobook.
41 comments
Another great one is The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst!
Yes! I read that one a couple months ago too, definitely gave cozy vibes and while there was intrigue and character development it was low stakes.
Agreed!
I was going to comment with this recommendation, also!
This is a great list! I would also add: Everything by Becky Chambers!
Yes! The Monk and Robot series is especially gentle and cozy.
Great recommendation! I loved A Psalm for the Wild-Built.
Last year I read The Grace of Wild Things (imagine if Anne of Green Gables was set in a fairy tale instead in Canada) and enjoyed it a lot.
I loved the book, The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies is my absolute favorite in the genre, but I have read and adored most of these!
Same re. Emily Wilde! Really need to get to the next book in that series!
Love this category and your suggestions! Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea is a wonderful one and absolutely second Becky Chambers.
I would include one of my all time favorites novels, (with just a touch of fantasy and magic) Harry’s Trees by Cohen.
Oh my gosh yes! I think I’ll re-read that this winter!
Yes, this is one of my very favorite books!
Harry’s Trees was so sad and beautiful and magical. I’ll have to add it to my list to re-read!
I would also recommend the The House by the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. So adorable! A sweet found family. For those of us that are already fantasy readers, I’d recommend Tresa of the Emerald Sea- a swashbuckling fairytale with a charming main character.
Tress that is! By Brandon Sanderson
Loved this one as well. The dragon scene was incredible.
Tess and the Emerald Sea was so cozy, beautiful, and sweet!
Christina Baehr’s Secrets of Ormdale series is cozy gothic fantasy, and is absolutely charming. I’d also recommend Martin Millerson, by AM Offenwanger, which is a cozy retelling of Puss in Boots (full disclosure: Offenwanger is my friend and editor, but I’d recommend her books even if she weren’t). Her Septimus series is also delightful, but I’d wait to dive into that until she’s finished with her rewrite of the first book. I’m currently in the process of re-reading Victoria Goddard’s Greenwing and Dart series, which also fits the cozy fantasy bill quite well.
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat was my first 5 star read of 2025. What a fun, silly, heart warming story, especially for cat lovers!
My fantasy loving daughter has broadened my reading horizons. I have very much enjoyed the following:
Legends and Lattes
The Teller of Small Fortunes (a Christmas present for her that I read first)
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
The Wishing Game.
Right now I am listening to Paladin’s Grace and loving it.
I have also branched out into some a little less cosy with Voyage of the Damned/Frances White and I am looking forward to The Games Gods Play.
Love Harry’s Trees, one of my faves!
I would add The Wee Free Men by Terri Pratchett. It’s part of the Discworld series but it and the other books about the young witch, Tiffany Aching, can be read on their own.
Also, Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (the inspiration for the movie but there are differences).
And all the Tamora Pierce books.
All are ostensibly YA but other than some of Pierce’s books that are actually written for younger children, none felt particularly YA to me.
I’ve been thinking about my response and think that the Tamora Pierce books don’t fit well with the others. They wouldn’t be cozy for everyone. I stand by The Wee Free Men and Howl’s Moving Castle though.
Deirdre, thanks for the follow-up comment!
I love this genre.
I’ve been enjoying two series in the cozy fantasy genre: Helen Harper’s Firebrand series and the Magical Midlife Leveling Up series by K.F. Breene.
What a fantastic list! I added so many titles to my library holds list. Thank you!
I would add Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow!
I loved this book too!
I loved Ten Thousand Doors sooo much!
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking is such a good one for this list!
Anything by Sarah Addison Allen!
I loved We’ll Prescribe You a Cat and shared the book with others in our book club….cat people really connected with this book.
I also love The Teashop Mysteries by Laura Childs.
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr offers all you could ask for a cozy read!
I’ve been wondering about this one! It’s been on my radar for some time but I haven’t read it yet.
I’ve never thought of this as a genre and I love it! I would add Garden Spells, by Sarah Addison Allen. I heard it described as a great gateway novel into the fantasy genre.
Such a good list! I would add The Singing Hills Cycle series of novellas by Nghi Vo. They remind me a little of The Psalm of the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, as the protagonist is a cleric in an order that records stories and histories (they have a talking bird sidekick!). The audiobooks are amazing and the narrator, Cindy Kay, has become a favorite of mine.
To Catch A Dragon’s Breath was astonishingly good, a favorite read of last year for me–a lower key fantasy (though not without danger), Indigenous, dragon-based tale. Loved the characters and the retelling of a steam punk colonial past with dragons and lots to learn about Indigenous culture and values and fantasy from an Indigenous point of view.
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