Something that would be considered cozy if not for the hard hitting deaths. So I guess the prose has a cozy storyteller style to it?
Characters feel real and evolve in unexpected ways to take on new roles (assassin, pirate, spy, queen, jester, whatever).
One character at least is a knight.
One is a more roguish type.
With a pacing that makes it impossible to put down.
BTW already read ASOIAF.
by hunter1899
8 Comments
*Firelord* by Parke Godwin.
*Beloved Exile* by Parke Godwin.
*Sherwood* by Parke Godwin.
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. It is meticulously researched historical fiction, the premise of which is that time travel exists and historians use it to study the past first-hand. This particular story (one of several in the Oxford Time Travel series) takes place in the 1300s and is “a record of life in the middle ages” ‐- with a twist.
Between Two Fires is a picaresque delight. Bonus: mystic child with strange abilities slowly revealed over time.
– **The Realm of the Elderlings** – *Robin Hobb*
Deeply immersive, character-driven fantasy with a cozy yet heartbreaking storyteller style; follows Fitz, a royal bastard-turned-assassin, and his evolving fate.
– **The First Law Trilogy** – *Joe Abercrombie*
Dark, fast-paced, and full of morally gray characters, including a cynical ex-knight, a barbarian rogue, and a bitter torturer—brutal yet addictive.
– **The Temeraire Series** – *Naomi Novik*
Napoleonic-era adventure with dragons, featuring an honorable captain and his fiercely intelligent dragon in a series full of war, politics, and evolving roles.
– **The Curse of Chalion** – *Lois McMaster Bujold*
A beautifully written, courtly fantasy with a world-weary knight navigating divine intervention, political intrigue, and personal redemption.
Maybe The Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb? It’s fantasy, and some parts are definitely not so cosy lol but Hobb’s writing absolutely has that kind of atmospheric quality to it that draws you right into her world! It’s a rather long series (and a bit of a slow burn tbh) consisting of multiple trilogies (to be read in chronological order!), some with different casts of characters but it’s all connected and pretty brilliantly written.
You could try The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. There are like 15 books in the series. I only made it to book 10.
The Black Company – Glen Cook.
Highly recommend “The Circle of Ceridwen Saga” by Octavia Randolph. Historical fiction with excellent characters set in 9th century England and Danemark.