What makes a fantasy book “cosy”

A book nestled between a mug of marshmallow-filled hot chocolate, a lit candle, sticks of cinnamon and autumn leaves.
Photo by Leeloo The First on Pexels.com

I’m currently reading a fantasy novel for a book club I’m part of that is pure autumnal cosiness. It’s called A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney, and it’s perhaps the cosiest book I’ve ever read, barring Legends and Lattes.

When I started it, the level of cosy was almost too much for me… I felt like the author was packing in absolutely every cosy thing you could possibly think of – delicious food and drinks, a quaint cottage, a cat, a fireplace, books, festive decorations, a friendly witch, even some crafty crochet moments – and I wasn’t willing to be wooed by her obvious tricks! Soon enough, however, I found myself falling under the story’s spell and wanting to return to it every evening to mentally curl up next to that warm fire.

All this brought up a question for me that I’ve often pondered and discussed with friends – what, exactly, makes a book cosy?

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Winter Is Coming: But What About Other Seasons?

A while ago on Fantasy Faction I attempted to answer the question: is winter in fantasy always evil? The conclusion I came to, in short, was no – but its arrival is almost always a double-edged sword: sometimes beautiful and enchanting, sometimes dangerous and sinister. An unnaturally cold or prolonged winter in particular signals dark forces at work, and the season does seem to spawn more fictional evil than any other (prime examples being A Game of Thrones and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). This makes sense, given the challenges winters have long presented for humankind, particularly in medieval Europe, which inspires many fantasy settings.

So I expressed my doubts as to whether the phrase “summer is coming” could ever strike fear or foreboding into the hearts of fantasy readers. But this got me thinking… wouldn’t it be interesting to see a focus on other seasons running rampant, instilling fear, or being manipulated in a fantasy world? Continue reading →