Cozy – Page 2 – Marked for Plot

Mana Mirror

I’ve been a big fan and advocate of Tobias Begley’s previous series (Journals of Evander Tailor) in the progression fantasy space. I appreciated how they balanced small scale magic-school stuff with overarching plots, included quality queer rep, and had a clear grasp on characterization within a breezy writing style. So after binging book 3 in that series and seeing he had a new one coming out, I was overjoyed to see he had a new book coming out! Mana Mirror is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it was definitely mine.

Read if Looking For: side quests, magic systems, wholesome family dynamics

Avoid if Looking For: action heavy, plot driven, or deeply thematic books

Floating Hotel, by Grace Curtis

I picked up Floating Hotel thinking it would be the newest in a string of cozy fantasy/sci fi books. Generally my expectations for these are relatively safe, since the purpose of this genre is more about comfort and safety rather than being boundary pushing. Interestingly, Floating Hotel ended up being neither of those things, and it’s very much the better for it.

Read if Looking For: quirky and loveable characters, light mystery elements, surprisingly dark twists, found family

Avoid if Looking For: strictly cozy vibes, extensive worldbuilding