An Appreciation for Cozy Fantasy Stories

Hello and welcome to my end-of-month newsletter!

You can read last month’s newsletter here. 

Following the very loose pattern I decided to set, these posts are a chance for me to update you on my writing projects and write a few words about something to do with stories.

This month, I want to share some words of appreciation for cozy fantasy stories. 

If you’re not familiar with such tales, they’re set in fantasy worlds (that part is probably obvious) and the conflict/plot usually involve low stakes. 

In other words, if you pick up a cozy fantasy book, you shouldn’t expect to read about epic battles with world-ending, apocalyptic consequences should the heroes fail in their quest. Instead, you’ll likely read about a tavernkeeper opening their tavern in a new city, or a witch in a forest helping a woodland creature, or something along those lines. 

There’ll be consequences should the protagonist fail to achieve their goals, of course, because stories often need obstacles and the threat of failure to be engaging and entertaining, but they’ll be considerably less dire consequences than that of a story that is “epic” fantasy. 

For an example from my own writing, I’d call my Tales of Minz series cozy fantasy. There are still stakes, and there are still elements of danger and failure, but the plots revolve around humble characters and don’t involve cataclysmic, world-ending conflicts.

Why do people enjoy cozy fantasy stories? 

I’d imagine it’s for the same reason that we enjoy watching sitcoms and feel-good movies. Not everything we read or consume has to involve high stakes. Plots can be commonplace and grounded in realism. The real world is often crazy enough. Why not escape from some of that craziness with a good book that won’t add more stress and anxiety to our lives? 

At least, that’s often why I read and appreciate such tales.

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Here’s a quick breakdown of November and some things to look for in December:

I released the second editions for the first two books in The Tale of Rose and Ed with new covers and layouts. If you haven’t read them yet, click the titles to learn more about A House Named Haven and The Storytellers. If they sound intriguing, I’d be honored if you read them! 

I’m also pleased to announce that the third and final book in The Tale of Rose and Ed will be released in early to mid December! Working on The Knight Who Remembered (yes, that’s the title) has been a labor of love for the past three years, and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s turned out. If you’ve read the first two books and have been waiting to see how Rose and Ed’s story ends, I’m excited to finally be able to share this book with you!

What else? 

Edits continue on the fourth book in the Tales of Minz series. I’m hoping to get those all done by the end of the year. 

More information on that (and future projects) will be found in December’s upcoming “Ebenezer Post,” which is what I call my year-end post. I bring attention to what I’ve all worked on in the past year, give some updates on what I’m currently working on, and share some teasers for future things to look for in the new year.

I’ll also be posting the final short story of the year, keep an eye out for that. You can read past short stories set in Minz here, and a whole bunch of other short stories here. 

Until next time, read a good book or two, and stay cozy! 😊

Al