You may have heard of cozy mysteries, but did you know that there are cozy fantasies as well? As we head into the colder months, nothing sounds quite as good as reading a warm and fuzzy story under a warm and fuzzy blanket. What does cozy mean exactly when applied to book genres, specifically fantasies?
There are three main characteristics of cozy fantasies:
- Gentle content. Sex and violence, if present, occurs off-page and isn’t explicit.
- Simpler and easy-to-follow plots. Fantasy novels often have complex world-building and lengthy character lists. Cozy fantasies usually have simpler and easy-to-follow plots. Oftentimes, they take place in worlds similar to ours, but with magical elements like spells or cursed objects.
- Happy endings and tidy conclusions. Cozies also tend to end on a happy note. Similar to a sitcom or a harlequin romance novel, most cozy fantasies end with a happily ever after and the plot wrapped up.
Think you aren’t a fantasy fan? Cozy fantasies can also fall into other subgenres, including historical fiction, romance, mystery or any blend of the three! They make a great entry point for new fantasy readers and are a great landing spot for readers that can’t get into high fantasy novels. Check out our list for recommendations!
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