Five Fantastic “Cozy Fantasy” Books
There’s a new genre trend in speculative fiction, and I couldn’t be more excited for it. What is “Cozy Fantasy”? Think all the warmth and quaintness of “Cozy Mystery,” subtract that pesky murder plot point and add some fantasy elements. Those elements could be creatures, like shifters or fairies, or a whole fantastical world. Here are five of my favorite cozy fantasy books.
Legends and Lattes – An ogress slays a fierce monster in order to retrieve a good luck stone. She wants the good luck because she plans to open a coffee shop. Then, the rest of the book is devoted to said ogress running her coffee shop, and the wonderful cast of creatures—employees, friends, and customers—that she meets there. This one has taken the world by storm and it’s well deserved. It’s an absolute joy to read.
A Psalm for the Wild Built—Okay, so this is technically science fiction rather than fantasy, but it’s as cozy as it gets. Generations ago, robots peacefully left humanity behind and ventured forth into the wilds to have their own experiences and live their lives in freedom. This story is about a tea monk (one who pours tea and listens to the troubles of anyone who needs it) who becomes tired of civilization and takes off on a quest to see a forgotten monastery on top of a mountain. He meets a wild-built robot along the way, and this is the story of their unlikely friendship and their curiosity and good will for each other. It’s gentle, sweet and wonderful, and it’s such a beautiful vision of the future.
Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord—The narrator of the story is a village storyteller, and again and again while I was reading it, I thought of tales told be itinerant storytellers at fairs, fiestas, and other events during my childhood in small town New Mexico. Many of the characters are familiar—the kind and loyal heroine, the trickster, the fool. The story is told with both laughter and compassion for the absurdities of the world and the ridiculous people in it. This is a kind and gentle tale about a woman that many people might overlook and would be wrong to do so. It’s a lovely story with the comforting rhythm of a folk tale.
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by Ursula Vernon—This one is a bit on the edge of cozy. It contains murder and attempted murder, but it’s also just a lot of fun, and throughout I always had the sense that our bread wizard, Mona, would be just fine. Here’s how it’s described by Wikipedia: “When teenage bread wizard Mona discovers a corpse in her family's bakery, it triggers a chain of events that leads to her managing the city's defense against military assault, with the aid of animate gingerbread men and her familiar — a sourdough starter.” Read it! It’s fantastic!
Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede—I know, this one’s really old, and you’ve probably already read it. Read it again! Ridiculous princes and knights, a no-nonsense princess who has no time for them, dragons, wonderful witches, awful wizards, cats—so many cats! This is the first cozy fantasy book I ever read (long before there even was such a category,) and it remains my favorite of all time. It’s appropriate for kids but totally readable by adults. I read it again recently and loved it just as much as the first time.
