Cozy fantasy reading recommendations

by Isaac Tye

Sit down with a good cup of tea (or coffee), in your favourite place to read - the garden, a comfy armchair or a quiet cafe. I’d like to introduce you to the cozy fantasy genre.

These are books full of whimsy, good food and drink and most importantly, queer characters. What defines cozy fantasy?

Mystery readers may be familiar with the idea of the cozy murder mystery - television shows like Murder, She Wrote and books like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple are cozy mysteries. Like horror or thriller, what cozy describes is the emotional stakes of the story.

Cozy fantasy takes elements of the cozy mystery and transports it to the fantasy genres we know and love. What sets them apart from epic fantasy or the like is a focus on a sense of belonging and comfort. Generally they have a warm vibe, with plots full of friendship, community, family (found or otherwise), and moments spent by a warm fire or in candlelight with a good cup of tea or good food. They also often (though not necessarily) feature lower stakes plots and usually have guaranteed happy endings.

If this sounds interesting to you, then check out some of my cozy fantasy recommendations, all with queer characters, either as supporting characters or leads.

• Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by

Heather Fawcett

• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

• Lord of Stariel by AJ Lancaster

• The Nightingale Prince by Zack Bel

• A Little Blessing by R Cooper

• Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by

Rebecca Thorne

• Wyngraf, the cozy fantasy magazine.