16 Must-Read Winter Fantasy Books To Keep Your Spirits Bright
Winter Fantasy Books To Keep Your Spirits Bright This Season
There’s nothing like a good fantasy book to boost those serotonin levels. Especially when the sun sets sooner and the days are shorter. Seriously. In the wise words of @bookhuddle:
“Not to be dramatic, but I feel 8,000 times better when I’m reading a fantasy book.”
And it’s so true for me!
When the nights are longer and darkness falls sooner, having a tale of magic to dive into makes all the difference for my mental health and well-being. There’s nothing better than an immersive fantasy read in the heart of winter and I’ve got 16 winter fantasy book recommendations lined up below – for every type of fantasy reader — to keep your spirits bright this chilly, cozy season.
And these books I’m sharing today have it all! Winter magic. Frosty landscapes. Epic fantastical worlds. Enchanting (and yet sometimes tragic) romance.
For a taste of winter magic, these fantasy reads are snow joke.
Okay, I’m done 🤣
Tap on any book cover below to head on over to Goodreads to check it our further and add it to your neverending TBR and shop all books available for purchase at the end of this post!
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Winter Fantasy Reads
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If you’re an Epic Fantasy Reader…
T H E T I T L ES
A Game of Thrones needs no introduction with its legendary tv show, but each of these are set (at least somewhat) in frosty landscapes, have vast, immersive worlds and epic storylines with lots of main characters and players, eternal kings of night and winter, and all the action, romance, high stakes intrigue, and dark magic. It’s an impossibility to not fall head first into these stories and not come up for air until spring.
While both are incomplete, the third book in the Empire of the Vampire trilogy is coming in (hopefully) 2025, possibly 2026. The final books in A Game of Thrones… well… that’s harder to say. Whether they’ll ever come or not is a mystery, but here’s to hoping. AND, don’t forget — there’s always the TV show!
If you’re a Young Adult Fantasy Reader…
THE TITLES
Set in wintery woods with curses and magic, both of these evoke ultimate coziness in a frozen tundra — while you’re curled up by the fire of course. Winterwood leans more magical realism with witches and a paranormal mystery to boot while A Curse so Dark and Lonely is classic young adult fantasy with a spin on the classic Beauty and the Beast fairytale.
If you’re a Fantasy Romance Reader…
THE TITLES
While these are all wildly different in terms of fantastical elements and storylines, each are perfectly perfect for this winter season.
Quicksilver, set in a world of winter, is an epic romantasy tale with a huge plotline and a monster twist to boot — one of my favorite fantasy tropes.
Walking in a Witchy Wonderland is an anthology of our favorite witchy couples from the Stay A Spell series set around the holidays.
When The Moon Hatched, set a world of aurora lights partially covered in snowy landscapes, is an incredibly special tale of forbidden love with dragons and sacrifice.
If you’re a Classic Fantasy Reader…
THE TITLES
Neither of these need much introduction, but if you’re looking for an enchanting, magical escape this winter with dark magic and epic battles between good and evil, in the young adult sense, these are it! Expect seasonal changes and holidays to celebrate in every Harry Potter book as well as snow-capped landscapes in Narnia, especially in book one.
If you’re a Historical Fantasy Reader…
THE TITLE
The Bear and the Nightingale is an exceptionally magical story. It’s a retelling of the classic Russian fairytale King Frost & The Twelve Months and is set in a magical, wintery landscape in each and every book of the trilogy. There are some harder, more mature themes in this tale, but the underlying message boasts feminism, individuality, and freedom.
Bonus: if you also love Paranormal Thrillers…
T H E T I T L E
Not quite a fantasy story, BUT it does have a supernatural and fantastical twist!
Extra Bonuses:
more Winter Fantasy Reads that have caught my eye…
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I’m Leah. Book blogger and content creator, I love guzzling coffee and endlessly reading fantasy books while thinking up and designing bookish content. I'm just a bookdragon and homebody at heart with a knack for content creation and cozy shots. This is my creative space.
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