Escape to the Enchanted Worlds of Our Favorite Cozy Fantasy Books
In the hustle and bustle of the modern day, it’s important to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. Lucky for avid readers, there’s a newly emerging genre designed to help you do just that! If you’re a fan of dashing knights and powerful witches but want a break from a massive series or heavier material, we’d like to introduce you to cozy fantasy books.
What is Cozy Fantasy?
Fantasy is one of the most well-known book genres, so what is this cozy BookTok subgenre all about? Cozy fantasy books offer readers all the best parts of classic fantasy reads with one significant difference: the plot is designed to be feel-good from start to finish, featuring low-stress scenarios and relatable characters. With an extensive selection available on your favorite Audible alternative and at our Rochester, Michigan, bookstore, there’s something for everyone interested in this warm and tingly genre!
Elements of Cozy Fantasy:
- Character-focused narratives
- Low-scope settings
- Easy to understand magic systems
- Low-stakes plots
- Positive outcomes
- Themes of community and belonging
- Enchanting aesthetics
An Ongoing List of Our Favorite Cozy Fantasy Books
The need for escapism has never been more prevalent, but the good news is that cozy fantasy books are on the rise! Swing by one of our book clubs to shop and discover a few of our old (and new) favorite cozy fantasy books today:
A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner
Have you ever watched The Great British Baking Show and thought, “What this really needs is a bit of magic”? Well, Penner’s cozy fantasy book, A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic, is all that and more!
As a human baker, Arleta Starstone has to work twice as hard at perfecting her apothecary herb-based creations. When her orc neighbor secretly enters her into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle, Arleta is forced to face the potential scowls of her more magical opponents and prove her talent for good. With heartwarming friendships, mouthwatering pastries, and a potential romance brewing, she’ll have to decide whether winning the Battle is really worth it.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, 40-year-old Linus Baker leads a quiet life overseeing the well-being of children in government-run orphanages. When he’s given a highly classified and unique assignment to travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where a gnome, sprite, wyvern, were-Pomeranian, unidentifiable green blob, and the Antichrist reside, he must set his fears aside and determine whether or not the group of children is likely to bring about the end of days.
But in The House in the Cerulean Sea, the kids aren’t the only secret—the enigmatic caretaker Arthur Parnassus will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer together, long-held secrets come out, and world-ending choices must be made.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Ah, perhaps the most well-known cozy fantasy book, Legends & Lattes, is a can’t-miss read! After a lifetime of battles, bounties, and bloodshed, Viv the orc is ready to start fresh, opening the first coffee shop in Thune.
But with old and new rivals standing in her way and the very important fact that no one in town has any clue what coffee actually is, Viv is going to have to pull out all the stops and find partners she can trust. Soothing, magical, and delightful, this TikTok-favorite title is the ultimate comfort read.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Sarah Beth Durst’s first cozy fantasy book, The Spellshop, is nothing short of captivating. Kiela, a librarian of the Great Library of Alyssium, has spent the last decade preserving the most precious spellbooks for the city’s elite alongside her trusted assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant.
When the library goes up in flames as the revolution begins, they flee with all the books they can carry to the remote island she grew up on. But starting her new life won’t be that easy, not with a nosy and handsome neighbor constantly checking in on her and her dream of opening the island’s first-ever secret spell shop coming to fruition!
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
Reyna and Kianthe dream of opening a beautiful and welcoming book and tea shop. But with Reyna working as one of the queen’s private guards and Kianthe living as the most powerful mage in the world, leaving their duties behind isn’t so easy.
When an assassin takes Reyna hostage, the two decide to finally put themselves first and flee all responsibility, settling in the tundra town of Tawney to open the shop of their dreams. With cozy mishaps, mysteries, and one murderous queen and her massive temper tantrum, the sapphic romance Can’t Spell Treason without Tea is an instant hit in the cozy fantasy book genre.
The House Witch by Delemhach
No one knows where Finlay Ashowan came from or how he ended up on the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, but he’s not complaining! Finlay is perfectly content serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy folks out of the kitchen, and crafting delicious meals.
But as his secret powers as a house witch are discovered by the court, he and his kitten familiar, Kraken, find themselves involved in the middle of fights, assignments, and secret missions. With his past catching up with him and his love life getting complicated, Finlay has more than his next recipe to worry about in the first of Delemhach’s cozy fantasy book series, The House Witch.
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
In The Honey Witch, 21-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the meadow spirits to any potential suitors. So, when her grandmother whisks her away to their family cottage on the Isle of Innisfree and offers to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts without hesitation.
She quickly finds out that newfound independence comes with a price: no one can ever fall in love with the Honey Witch. A few weeks earlier, that wouldn’t have been a problem—but when Lottie Burke, a grumpy skeptic, shows up on her doorstep, Marigold can’t resist trying to prove to her that magic is real—even when she begins to care for Lottie in ways she never saw coming.
A Few Cozy Fantasy Books for Children
If you’re searching for a new audiobook for your kids, consider these child-friendly cozy fantasy books:
- A Spoonful of Time by Flora Ahn
- Thunderbird: Book One by Sonia Nimr (translated by M. Lynx Qualey)
- Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traoré
From magical baking competitions to enchanting bookstores and beyond, losing yourself in cozy fantasy books (and their audiobook versions) is easy. Stop by Novel during normal business hours or during an event to browse our favorite titles today!