Cozy Fantasy books have recently become one of my favorite genres to read, especially when I need a palate cleanser from the dark and torturous fantasy that I usually go for. I read The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches last year and my heart immediately melted and I knew that I wanted more of this sweet genre in my life. Here is a list of 17 books that I feel fit the genre pretty well.
Before I tell you all the books that I would recommend, let me first point out an account that I feel every fan of this genre needs to follow.
She reigns supreme in giving book recs for this genre, and all together just exuding cozy fantasy Hobbit girl, fairy magic energy. If you are on TikTok I definitely recommend giving her a follow.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
As I mentioned above, I loved this book. It was honestly one of my top reads of the year, and has definitely become both a favorite cozy fantasy and a favorite romance. This is perfect for fans of contemporary romance who enjoy a little magic thrown in. This is not a high fantasy cozy read, it is a sweet romance about a witch, a grumpy librarian and a beautiful found family.
Related Link: Top Favorite Books of 2022 (I talk about The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy on this list and it’s another great option for fans of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches)
Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries
I would classify this as light academia, but it is still most definitely cozy fantasy. Emily, a professor, travels to Scotland to study the Fae folk in order to create an encyclopaedia and it is honestly one of the sweetest reads. Emily’s studies are something that my childhood self would have wanted to research as an adult, and there is something very magical about reading that.
It does feel very academic at times though and I kept comparing it to The Historian. This is the light academia alternative to the dark academia of the Historian. I think fans of one would enjoy the other though.
Related Link: Dark Academia list in contrast to this light academia
Legends and Latte’s
If you are looking for a high fantasy book with low stakes for your next cozy fantasy then this is it. I am actually in the middle of reading it now but I am LOVING IT! A battle-weary Orc decides she has had enough fighting and decides to open up a coffee shop.
I saw someone describe this book as Dungeons and Dragons meets Animal Crossing and I absolutely love that description. It is just such a wonderful big hearted story.
Redwall
I read this in middle school as required reading and it highly tainted my feelings on the book. You know how it goes, you want to read what YOU want to read, not what you’re being forced to read…
However, it’s actually a super cute and fun book. The peace loving mice take you on a journey to defeat their rat enemy. If you like adventurous cozy fantasies give this a try.
Eva Evergreen Semi Magical Witch
If you love reading Middle Grade and cozy fantasy you definitely need to meet Eva. She is a great character, and the book is fast and super fun to read. Eva is trying to prove her ability to be a witch by her 13th birthday before she loses her magic forever, the only problem is…she only has a small amount of magic.
If you are a fan of KiKi’s Delivery Service you will most likely love this one, it would make an adorable Ghibli film!
The Princess Bride
A book with sword fights, princes, and true love! It’s the best. The Princess Bride is a classic cozy fantasy and will always be one of my all time favorites. The movie might actually be slightly better than the book, but it would be a tragedy to not read this book because you’ve already seen the movie. The humor in the movie plays out so well in the book and it’s really quite fun to read.
The edition that I own also has plans for a “second book” to be written with a glimpse of the first chapter and guess who it was supposed to be written by??? Stephen King! Can you imagine?!? (The first chapter of this next book does take a dark turn quickly…) There is no actual second book it’s all meant to be a joke, it’s just one of the many great things about this book!
Related Link: Book Recommendations for Enneagram Types Type Nine
The Tea Dragon Society
Ok, so if you don’t think this is the most adorable book you have ever read after finishing than I NEED to know what fits that award for you because this is A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E! The pictures are cute, the adventure is cute, the dragons that grow little things of tea on their heads are cute.
It’s so sweet, so cozy and is for all ages of readers! The book is also very inclusive. Add it to your list for sure!
The House in the Cerulean Sea
This book grabbed onto my heart and squeezed the entire time I read it, but I loved every sweet and agonizing moment of it. It is a book that simultaneously feels like a hug and a stab to the heart all at once. You are transported to this small island of misfit fantastical children and are reminded that we are all different and all deserve love.
Listen, its sad and happy and sweet and cozy all at once.
Dealing with Dragons
This is such a fun and playful cozy fantasy series. I really enjoyed how it pokes fun at different book tropes throughout the story, and it feels like a classic fairy tale. The second book might even be better than the first one too! It is about a tom-boyish princess that gets bored and runs away to live with a dragon.
If you were a fan of Harry Potter you should give this one a try.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
This is really Japanese Magical Realism but it deserves a spot on this list! A magical coffee shop is literally the epitome of coziness to me so there is no way this was not making it on the list. When you walk into this shop you will have the ability to travel in time but there is one catch…you have to get back before your coffee gets cold.
This is one of the most unique premises I have ever read and I loved every second of it. Japanese fiction has a very special place in my heart, and I have yet to read anything that I have not loved.
Practical Magic
Speaking of magical realism, this book had to be included. I don’t know what it is about cozy fantasy/magical realism books turned into movies, but I tend to like them all as movies slightly better than their book counterparts BUT STILL…you should read the book too! Two witch sisters who are coming into their own in a world where magic is deemed as “other”. It’s beautiful and I still want to be a combination of Sally and Jillian Owens when I grow up.
Yes, I do realize that I am probably older than they were…that fact is irrelevant.
Stardust
As is evidently becoming a theme of this post, I liked the movie better. However, the book is worth a read as well.
The movie is lighthearted and humorous, where the book moves slowly and has a more subdued whimsy. It is still a magical book about adventure, and true love though.
*Warning/Spoiler: There is a Unicorn that is beheaded 🙁
The Hobbit
There is literally nothing more cozy than hobbits, so NOT including The Hobbit on this list would have been doing all of us a serious disservice. There are some dark moments in Bilbo’s journey, but this middle grade fantasy is definitely the most cozy you will ever feel in Tolkien’s world.
If you have not read anything by Tolkien yet and love fantasy I definitely think you should give at least The Hobbit a try!
The Following Cozy Fantasy Books are recommendations from people I highly trust, and are on my immediate TBR! I really can’t believe that I haven’t read Howl’s Moving Castle yet. I’m a bit ashamed of myself to be honest…
The following book blurbs are curtesy of Goodreads:
Howls Moving Castle
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.
A River Enchanted
Jack Tamerlaine hasn’t set foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind; plaid shawls can be as strong as armor, and the smallest cut of a knife can instil fathomless fear.
The capricious spirits that rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home. Adaira, heiress of the east and Jack’s childhood enemy, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, and she hopes Jack can draw them forth by song, enticing them to return the missing girls.
As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.
Nettle and Bone
After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.
Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.
On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra’s family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.
*Does contain triggers concerning child death though so please check warnings*
Half a Soul
It’s difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you’re a young lady with only half a soul.
Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment – a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season – but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.
If Dora’s reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.
