Let's talk about books and surprises today, !

Do you define yourself as a cozy fantasy reader...or perhaps you think cozy sounds boring? Some of you are women’s fiction or historical readers and maybe haven’t thought about this genre at all—but you might find it intriguing. After a deep dive into primary texts, what I’ve found in is not what I expected. Read on—and let me know if any of this surprises you, too!

(NB: the amethyst is in honor of Tamora Pierce's Alanna, an OG Cozy Fantasy 😉)

In this newsletter:

• What surprised me about “Cozy Fantasy”
• Two free books for you: love letters and dogs
• What I’m working on
• Bibliography

Join me for a cuppa tea and a book!

Cozy Fantasy: What surprised me

I scoured blog posts, Reddit threads, and social media trends, in order to read the top recommendations for cozy fantasy. Although the genre is extensive, the same few books are recommended over and over, so this is an evaluation of those top books. I also read blog posts, Reddit threads, and industry articles about what "Cozy Fantasy" means.

My conclusion: What is in the books is different from what people say when they’re talking about the books. As a former literature and history scholar, I know…always trust the primary sources!

I confess—I was expecting cute fairies and slice-of-life plots.

But the new genre designation of “cozy fantasy” is more about the emotional journey. 

Yes, the “coziness” has some thematic elements, like found family. But fantasy has always featured found family; in the tropes like a magical school, the quest, and the underdog enemies joining forces against a larger evil. I have been reading fantasy for decades, and the genre has always included the personal journey.

But the thing is, crafting a book is just as much about what you leave out as what you put in. In order to have an epic quest with tons of trials and monsters, the character- and relationship-building only has room to be lightly sketched.

Therefore, “cozy fantasy” is not so much because the plot is mellow, but because the authors include more character depth. To me, this means that the stakes feel even higher—I was racing through the last quarter of these books!

Three levels of stakes

When I started to consider whether to market my books as “cozy fantasy,” I was worried that my stakes are too high and some scenes are too dark. After exploring these titles, I think the Castle in Kilkenny books are coming in right where readers expect—plenty of adventure and lives at risk.

Some reviewers describe Cozy Fantasy as super-mellow, slice of life books. This is where the writing about cozy fantasy diverts dramatically from what is in the top books. Google AI currently scoops the definition: “prioritizes a comforting, low-stakes, and often heartwarming experience for the reader.”

But other librarians put cozy fantasy in three levels of stakes: low, medium, and high. (Just like most other genres!) 

But the top books are not at all "slice of life" -- they're all medium or high stakes. They include arson, kidnapping, avalanches, gory monsters, and even a full-on battle against an army who destroys everything in its wake. The main characters have deep inner wounds, and backstories forged in war, discrimination, and poverty. 

So what makes them cozy?

Well, first of all, let me confess that I don’t like that descriptor at all. I think—like “women’s fiction”—it implies something that is not found in the text, and makes it easy for people who actually would like the books to dismiss the genre. So we’re taking “cozy” as a genre term and not a dictionary definition.

A happy ending

When you read these books, you have the feeling that everything is going to work out in the end. I’m racing through the last section of the book because I want to see how the characters resolve the problem, not because I’m worried the narrator is actually going to be trapped or murdered.

Strong character & relationship development

To me, this is key. This is fantasy where we really know the characters deeply, and resolving their internal wounds is just as important as escaping the endless winter. 

Characters beyond the tropes

The characters in these books are not the tropes we have been reading about for the last fifty years: bold, heroic, big tall men falling in love with voluptuous women. These characters are gay, older than the typical heroine, and socially awkward. I would go as far as saying that every single book on this list has reversed gender stereotypes and a character coded as not neurotypical. 

Focused location with emphasis on building a home

These books didn’t need a world map in order to keep track of what was happening, but they often begin with a dramatic move to a unique location. So the stakes can be high (the marauders are coming! the children are being stolen!) while the main characters are trying to protect their own home, community, and loved ones. 

Sensory depth

Rather than sounding like a food blog, these books used sensory experiences to deepen the character and heighten the impact of the stakes. The characters frequently had skills with baking, reading, sewing, and concocting. The descriptions were just as plot-important as forging a sword is to epic fantasy.

What I didn’t find at all

There was really no evidence of cute fairies, baby dragons, or adorable pixies. There were plenty of fae, but they were dark, tricksters, or politically persecuted.

Basically, if you could find it at a third-grader’s birthday party, it was not in these books. 

Conclusions

I find the new term of “cozy fantasy” to be a logical descendent of what many of us have been reading for years: uplifting, character-driven fantasy. The name doesn’t make sense to me, but I support having terms that help readers find the books they want. 

As for myself, I will be seeking out more medium/high stakes cozy fantasy with complex, diverse characters! 

Here's some of my recent stitching. Some cheerful colors for spring!

This is a Sue Spargo kit with my own additions and changes.

Free books for you this month

Both of these are cozy-fantasy adjacent and look lovely! They each have a clear, smooth narrative voice, and fit what many of you like to read.

Eleven Letters is a love story with contemporary fantasy elements

I went to read some of this to blurb it for you, and was sucked into the story. Courtship through disintegrating marriage in three letters—boom! But my personal rule is “no reading books when the house is quiet enough to work,” so you will have to claim this book to figure out when the fantasy elements come in!

Claim my copy of Eleven Letters

Tail of Humanity is narrated by a dog

And it’s still a story of love, loyalty, and found family. You know we love dog books around here!

Claim Tail of Humanity

Us, we like dogs very muchly! More dogs, please!

What I’m working on (my slice of life!)

My husband just left for a business trip to Croatia, which means my life gets hectic! I’m thankful that my oldest son can now drive, but all five kids have some sort of doctors appointment/meeting/special event this week, so I’m kind of holding on by my fingernails — and missing some non-essentials. That’s the life of a big family mom; sometimes some things don’t get done, and that’s the best you can do.

Are any of you musicians? Two of my kids have their big piano adjudication on Friday. (Four of my kids take piano, but the others aren’t doing the adjudication this year.) I have a degree in music and used to be a piano teacher, and I love hearing their musicianship grow through the years. That said, the week before big events usually involves some tears. Not mine, yet—we’ve still got two days to go!

I am working on getting The Squire and His Magical Library ready for release next month. The exciting part is that I have figured out how to work in the story of Nessa, which will make it a nice companion to The White Deer in regards to highlighting the perspective of a woman who is sidelined in Irish mythology. Like Saba, Nessa's history immediately goes into the child she bore rather than her own amazing adventures, but there's even less available about Nessa! I'm having fun developing her.

The bad news….is that my story is missing a piece. I need one more element to raise the stakes, and it’s like a swarm of mosquitos buzzing at me! What’s that one last thing? 

Castle in Kilkenny: Fairy Tales

In light-hearted news, I’m excited about this new batch of pink wools (waiting on threads to go with it!) and this monthly box of tea with so many special varieties to sample! Malin thinks they look good too.

Happy spring, and happy reading!

Let me know if you would like more newsletters like this (historical fantasy, maybe? cozy romantasy?), or my reviews for the specific books mentioned. And most important of all…what else would you recommend?

Christy & the Shelties

(You have to imagine me, behind the camera with many cookies.The dogs were very skeptical of this pose until they discovered the quantity of cookies involved)

Bibliography:

These are the books that I compiled and read for this article, listed here in approximately the order I see them recommended.

Legends & Lattes (Travis Baldree)

The House in the Cerulean Sea (TJ Klune)

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Heather Fawcett)

The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking (T. Kingfisher)

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (Sangu Mandanna)

The Spellshop (Sarah Beth Durst)

Howl’s Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones)

Half a Soul (Olivia Atwater)

The Midnight Bargain (C.L. Polk)

The Invisible Library (Genevieve Cogman)

Tea & Sympathetic Magic (Tansy Raynor Roberts)

Still on hold on my Libby account (but I researched the themes)

Apprentice to the Villain

You Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea