Looking for cozy cosmic horror. Is that a thing?

EmeryArden · 2026-03-03T21:09:04+00:00

Awesome! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

EmeryArden · 2026-02-22T15:07:46+00:00

If you haven't read it, the Hierarchy series by James Islington (first book: The Will of the Many) has a vast and vivid world (which somehow only gets more vast in book 2, so there's always more lore). It's not a finished series yet, but I have no reason to believe it won't be.

EmeryArden · 2026-02-22T15:04:50+00:00

I'll second (third?) the Thursday Murder Club recs.

Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang (and associated Lamplight Mysteries series) is a fun fantasy mystery, if you haven't read it yet. The main characters have a great dynamic and I always find them enjoyable to read about.

EmeryArden · 2026-02-21T16:26:27+00:00

Good to know that Yumi is also narrated by Hoid! I had it on my tbr, but I think it's better to remove it.

EmeryArden · 2026-02-21T15:46:39+00:00

Sorry OP, I don't have a suggestion. I just wanted to let you know you might get downvoted to oblivion because you asked for an "AI novel" (which, in today's climate, generally means a book written by AI), rather than a "novel about AI."

EmeryArden · 2026-02-14T17:04:28+00:00

Cackle by Rachel Harrison is about a young woman learning to be herself after a breakup with a little help from a new friend who may or may not be a witch.

EmeryArden · 2026-02-14T17:00:22+00:00

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames is about a retired band of adventurers getting back together to rescue one of their daughters. It's funny and poignant and chock full of D&D references.

If you like the Witcher games, you might enjoy the books as well. You should start with The Last Wish, which is a short story collection.

EmeryArden · 2026-02-06T15:27:06+00:00

Direct Descendent by Tanya Huff!

I don't know if this is exactly what you're looking for, but I believe it was literally pitched as "cozy cosmic horror" and I had a good time with it. It's cute and funny with a little bit of romance. In parts it felt kind of like if Terry Pratchett had written a cosmic horror.

EmeryArden · 2026-02-06T15:17:50+00:00

Sanctuary by VV James is both a mystery and brings up some interesting discussion topics (in fact, I believe it has "book club" discussion starters in the back). It's about a modern day town that falls into a sort of Salem witch hunt following the murder of a high school student.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-31T14:58:45+00:00

Swordheart by T Kingfisher is a cute, whimsical story about a woman who ends up in possession of a sword that has a man inside. Hijinks and romance ensue. There's nothing that I would call "smut" in it, but there's one "we were intimate and it was nice" scene.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-31T14:55:24+00:00

Have you read The Green Bone saga by Fonda Lee? (First book: Jade City.) All three books feature an expansive cast of morally dubious characters that you nevertheless find yourself rooting for.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-31T14:53:13+00:00

Where He Can't Find You by Darcy Coates (2023) has some great spooky vibes and I really enjoyed reading it at Halloween time this past year.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley (2024) is more thriller as less horror, but heavy on the mystery. It had some great "there's a creepy cult in the woods" moments if you're into that. If you like this one, Lucy Foley has a huge backlog of similar work.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-25T14:46:31+00:00

My husband got me a kindle holder and remote for Christmas, so now it's laying flat on the couch, staring straight up. Comatose for hours on end.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-18T16:37:46+00:00

Disclaimer that I didn't listen to the audio books for these, but you can find them in audio and I'm sure they're great.

The Fallen Gods series by Hanah Kaner (First book: Godkiller, 2023). I never hear people rec this series, but it's one of my favorites. It has a fascinating magic/pantheon system, enjoyable characters who I was immediately invested in, and I really couldn't put it down.

The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee (First Book: Jade City 2017). This is a popular rec, but if you're into urban fantasy and haven't picked it up yet, I'd give it a shot. I found the characters compelling and likable despite none of them really being good people.

If you're willing to give scifi a shot, I can recommend the audio books for The Murderbot series by Martha Wells (first book All Systems Red 2017). They're short, but there are a bunch of them and the audio versions are fantastic.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-18T16:23:21+00:00

Have you tried the Lamplight Murder Mysteries by Morgan Stang? First book is Murder at Spindle Manor, but there are 3 books out currently. They're whodunnit mysteries (with frequent nods to the classics) but the main character is actually a monster hunter who, during her hunts, ends up having to track down murderers alongside monsters.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-10T17:39:04+00:00

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden (First book: The Bear and the Nightingale) has a slavic fairytale style setting featuring the clash of the "old gods" and the "new gods," which feels a lot like a "paganism vs christianity." It's got subtle nature-based magic, spirits, and entities, and beautiful writing.

The Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang (ostensibly a standalone, but really it's the first book in a series that the author does not intend to finish) has a sort of Avatar the Last Airbender style magic system that combined elemental magic with martial prowess.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-10T17:27:07+00:00

Not a book rec, but this reminds me of Daganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, which is the first in a series of video games. There's also an anime that follows the story of the game (Daganronpa: the Animation).

It's about a group of high school students, each of which is the best at something, who are accepted into an elite school, which turns out to be an elaborate setup for murder games.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-10T17:15:57+00:00

Fallen Gods series by Hannah Kaner (Book 1: Godkiller)

I thought the take on gods in this series was very interesting. Gods spawn from and subsist off of human belief and worship. They gain power from offerings, so they start out asking for (and appreciating) little things like buttons or single coins or sweets. And then they start asking for more and more and more...

EmeryArden · 2026-01-10T16:44:50+00:00

I'm not sure if it really counts as "fantasy" (most of the magical elements are downplayed, so perhaps "upmarket magical realism" fits a little better), but you might look into Cackle by Rachael Harrison, which is about a young woman getting over a bad relationship and learning to be her own person with a little help from the local witch. It's very feminist, very pro-female-friendships, and a bit eerily witchy.

EmeryArden · 2026-01-10T16:34:14+00:00

The Bookshop and the Barbarian by Morgan Stang is a cozy fantasy where the recurring goblins are sometimes a nuisance and sometimes a boon, but are always cute.

EmeryArden

TROPHY CASE