What Is Cozy Fantasy?
I thought I was pretty well informed about the various sub-genres of Fantasy until someone mentioned “fantasy cozies” in a conversation one day. I knew what “cozy mysteries” were, but cozy fantasies were a new concept for me. So of course, I had to go internet-diving to learn more!
Cozy fantasies, and cozy SF, are a relatively recent phenomenon, only growing into their own sub-genres as recently as a year ago. Is this in response to dystopian fiction flooding the market? Perhaps a reaction to the burning dumpster fire mainstream media has become?
According to BookRiot’s R. Nassor, cozy fantasy can be defined as “a fantasy book with slice-of-life scenes that center on community or familial relationships: anything from immediate family to found family to friendships to any other close relationship in a character’s life. Cozy is an emotive modifier like horror or thriller, where the category informs readers what emotional effect the book builds.”
Moriah Richard at Writer’s Digest tells us, “Cozy fantasy features low-stakes conflicts that are usually resolved through characters working together and leaning on each other. Special attention is paid to the creativity and resourcefulness of the characters to problem-solve as issues arise. Instead of world-ending troubles, plots tend to focus on personal development and interpersonal relationships. Magical elements will usually be integrated into the daily lives of the characters in a non-threatening way. Instead of having a non-magical character discover the world of magic, these fantastical elements are generally already fully integrated into the characters’ lives. These elements should appear in common instances like meals, transportation, celebrations, professions, and other slice-of-life moments....”
In fact, cozy fantasy might be the perfect genre to find some very specific tropes such as soft magic, quirky characters, magical pets, retired adventurers, and friendship-centric quests. Settings are important too. The most popular ones are reportedly taverns, inns, libraries, bookstores, or archives.
One of the things that I love about the Fantasy genre is the wide range of tropes it serves. Not into Grimdark? That’s okay, there are a lot of lighter options out there, and cozy fantasy fills that niche very well. With a very brief search on any book-centric website, or even the wider web, a reader can find a list of recommendations sure to build their TBR pile. But here are a few to get you started if cozy fantasy sounds appealing;
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne (sapphic cozy)
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
Leslie Gonzalez shares “A report from Publishers Weekly showed fantasy book sales grew by 45.3% in 2021 compared to 2020 and had a 17.4% jump in sales since 2021. Today, those sales continue to climb.” So I don’t doubt that we’ll have a lot more cozy fantasy books to read in years to come!
Have you read any cozy fantasy books? Share your recommendations with us in the comments section.
Thanks for sharing a little bit of your day with me. May your worlds be as boundless as your imagination.