#and the cozy vibes

[ansonmountdaily]

Anson Mount on his podcast 'The Well'

Anson at his home discussing film, music and documentaries with podcast co-host Branan Edgens - December 7 2023

Source: The Well Drop #18 clip

[ur-daily-inspiration]

[happyheidi]

[proserpinangel]

fifty shades of coffee

[artndetails]

— stillness.

[ilta222]

it's officially fall! 🍂 best season time

[spookyasmr]

[bookcub]

Cozy Fantasy and Why It Doesn't Work

I think I am among many who feel like they should love cozy fantasy and have found it an incredibly lacking genre.

This newly branded "cozy fantasy" genre that has taken readers by storm since 2020 and while it is new that books are now marketed as cozy, the genre itself isn't new. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a great example of the genre before it was labeled and also how to make it work.

Cozy fantasy is defined by many as fantasy with low stakes. Fantasy aesthetic but less sword fights. On paper, it sounds great. But the execution has been less than stellar for readers like me. The lack of physical stakes has also impacted the emotional stakes of these books, creating forgettable characters with boring problems. As a romance reader, I find this frustrating. Romance is known for being a predictable and formulaic genre, the now defunct Romance Writers of America defined romances as needing happy endings, a term romances have continued to follow. Yet these romance texts manage to have low physical stakes (how to date your neighbor, how to confront your toxic friends, etc) while still maintaining high personal stakes that keep readers invested and begging for more. So I was initially confused why cozy fantasy authors struggle to write texts that connect to readers like me.

I think I have found the answer which is the genre is just here for vibes. It is all about aesthetic, not even worldbuilding that fantasy is known for as most cozy fantasy I read have so many problems as soon as you ask one question. It is hard to acknowledge that a genre that is pitched to work for readers like me doesn't work for many of us. Especially because occasionally there is one that works beautifully to my taste.

I often say my favorite cozy fantasies that are more contemporary are short and visual, which I plays into the idea of the genre being an aesthetic. The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz is a good example because it is a simple story that is given the perfect amount of pages and gorgeous visuals without dragging on when the message is very clear and easy to understand. Books like The Phoenix Keeper and Legends and Lattes have absolutely nothing for me, their very clear message hitting the reader over and over so the readers don't miss it and focusing on the aesthetic of worldbuilding rather than the reality of the fantastic elements within the world.

I guess my point is. . . I realize this genre isn't for me since I have realized it is more of an aesthetic than anything. .. .but I want it to be. Should I let it go and put my efforts elsewhere? Or should I keep exploring this new trend and find the hidden gems?

[cozy-vibess]

My dream autumn cabin🤎

[ohjessmarie]

winter wishes 🏠🌲🧦✨ | prints

[bymossypine]

🍂🐈 Quilt

[ur-daily-inspiration]

[kittymeiga]

Atmospheric zen video of my cat trying not to fall asleep sitting up next to a window while it rains. Keeping this one to relax me on stressful days

[autumnaffinity]

North Algona Wilberforce, Ontario, Canada

October 2019

[theeroticlover]

Mhmmm !!! Mood right now !!! 😘