We’re currently in the midst of a “cozy” revolution. Cozy hobbies. Cozy gaming. Cozy fantasy. The people just want to relax and unwind with a low-stakes story where they know their favorite characters will return from adventures alive and relatively unscathed.
I’d argue that the rise of cozy, well, everything, started with the pandemic and the urgent need to escape the grim reality of COVID-19. Animal Crossing: New Horizons truly ushered in a whole new era of gaming, but the pandemic also helped countless people reconnect with their passion for reading. TikTok’s book-centered community, dubbed “BookTok,” has grown in popularity throughout the past few years, to the point that booksellers like Barnes & Noble often set up “BookTok” tables for those who want to keep up with the latest trends.
That’s not to say TikTok invented the cozy genre; these types of lower-stakes stories have always existed, but now we have an official subgenre. About a year ago, author Sarah Beth Durst (whose own novel The Spellshop is wonderfully cozy), published an article for Reactor about the rise of this niche subgenre, describing these books as a reader’s “sanctuary,” and I think that’s an apt description.
Sometimes I wonder if the search for cozy storytelling stems from pushback against the dark, “anyone can die” vibes on television popularized by shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Sure, having stakes in your story is important for investment, but do they always have to be life or death?
One thing is for certain: cozy fantasy isn't going anywhere any time soon. If anything, the current state of the world only leaves more room for storytelling that feels like a warm hug.
If you're looking to dip their toes into cozy fantasy (come in, the water's fine!), I welcome you to try some of the most popular books of the moment, detailed below:
1. Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) by Travis Baldree
Legends & Lattes was the book that introduced me to the cozy fantasy subgenre. I remember when it first started gaining traction on social media and people quickly flocked to it. Since its publication in 2022, Baldree has published a prequel novel. A direct sequel, Brigands & Breadknives, is expected out this November.
Billed as "a novel of high fantasy and low stakes," Legends & Lattes tells a charming, queer story about an orc who has seen her fair share of battle and who wants to hang up her sword in favor of opening up a coffee shop in the fictional land of Thune. It's ideal for fans of Dungeons & Dragons or anyone whose ever wanted to see what happens to their beloved heroes after the final pages of a book.
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads
2. Tress of the Emerald Sea: A Cosmere Novel by Brandon Sanderson
Have you ever wanted to pick up a Brandon Sanderson novel and then paused because you felt overwhelmed by the many books within his expansive Cosmere Universe? Tress of the Emerald Sea is here to save the day. As a standalone novel, you don't need to have any knowledge of Sanderson's other books to dive into this one.
Tress of the Emerald Sea is a young adult "romantasy" novel following a sheltered girl named Tress who has only ever known her quiet island home where she awaits tales from distant lands told to her by her friend Charlie. One day, Charlie and his father set out on a voyage to find a bride and something terrible happens, forcing Tress to step out from her comfort zone and embrace the sea for an epic rescue mission.
The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads
3. Howl's Moving Castle (Howl's Castle #1) by Diana Wynne Jones
Most people know the story of Howl's Moving Castle from Studio Ghibli's beloved Academy Award-nominated animated film, but the story began as a trilogy of books comprising the Howl's Castle series. Discover the original classic fantasy tale in this clever story about a girl named Sophie and her quest to find the wizard Howl and his moving castle, in the hopes he can help her break a witch's transformative curse.
Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle.
To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye. What will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?
In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads
4. The Spellshop (Spellshop #1) by Sarah Beth Durst
Since I mentioned Durst's Reactor article about cozy fantasy, it only seemed right to add her book to this list. It helps that The Spellshop is also very popular, becoming an instant New York Times bestseller upon publication. The Spellshop marks Durst's "romantasy debut," though she has previously written multiple high fantasy books.
The Spellshop takes place in a fantasy world where a controlling empire has dominion over all things magical, locking up the most powerful spellbooks inside a library to keep them safe for the city's wealthiest citizens. Enter Kiela, the librarian tending to these books. She and her sentient plant sidekick Caz are suddenly thrust into a dangerous situation when a revolution against the empire leads to the library being burnt down.
Kiela and Caz do their best to save as many books as they can, packing them up to return to Kiela's childhood home. There, she opens a secret spellshop to bring magic to the townsfolk, risking a brush with the empire.
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.
When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.
In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.
But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.
Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic,The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads
5. The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #1) by TJ Klune
The House in the Cerulean Sea is a wholesome and delightfully whimsical tale following lonely social worker Linus Baker, a strict rule follower and employee of the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. It all feels a little Harry Potter-ish at times, albeit more charming. Linus is tasked with visiting an island to evaluate an orphanage home for magical children, one of whom is supposedly the Antichrist.
As these stories so often start, Linus is initially reluctant and sometimes even aghast at how the eccentric head of the orphanage runs things, but as he warms up to the children, he learns how freeing life can be when one occasionally throws out the rulebook.
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.
When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads
More about Books:
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.