Winter Tales from Cozy Vales

Cozy Vales Collection #1

by Raymond Walker (Editor), Rebecca Buchanan, Selina J. Eckert

A delightful collection of cozy fantasy stories set in the coziest of worlds!

Grab your blanket and favorite hot beverage because this anthology of cozy fantasy stories has hours of holiday reading waiting for you! Winter Tales is set in Cozy Vales, an original fantasy shared world and home to the Heart of the Vale, the most delicious hot chocolate drink ever invented.

This debut collection features stories set during Winter's Tide, a two-week holiday of giving and gratitude that culminates with Lantern Night, an evening marked by the lighting of candles and the release of floating lanterns.

Explore the Cozy Vales holidays through nine different short

A Season of Giving - L.A. Scott
The Ballad of the Cat and the Silver - Rebecca Buchanan
Flagons and Dragons - K M Jackways
Sour at The Salt & Pickle - Cassandra Stirling
A Dress With Pockets - G Clatworthy
Dormant - Selina J. Eckert
Blizzards and Brews - Deanna and Angela Stuart
The Best Thief in Capital Vale - Nathaniel Webb
The Alchemist's Surprise - Bonnie Axton

Cozy Vales tales are low on stakes but high on adventure, excitement, mystery, and heartwarming storytelling!

Genres: Fantasy, Christmas, Short Stories, Cozy, Ebooks, Cozy Mystery, Anthologies

372 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 27, 2023

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have been wanting to try fantasy but are not sure where to start, this collection of fantasy stories set around the same world just might do the trick. I found them charming and fun, especially one story right before bed with a cup of chamomile tea. I found it free on Kindle.

[Aoife - Bookish_Babbling]

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Pre-review - not sure if anyone like me is way behind on their GR challenge for this year...but with the festive season upon us I had to snap up this lovely sounding cozy collection for FREE from amazon.com on 11/12/24. Thanks to the Fussy Librarian email blast putting it on my radar 🎅🎄☃️🤶🏻

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up as I love the cozy fantasy and this anthology just sounded so much fun. It has a winter theme with all the stories set around Winter's Tide, a two week winter celebration in cozy vales. Below follow my thoughts on each of the stories with a summary of my thoughts of the anthology as a whole at the end.

A Season of Giving - L.A. Scott
This was a cozy story about a heart witch and a project she's planning to make money so she can start her own bakery. I liked this one and it was fun to read about a heart witch. There were some instances were the writing wasn't fully to my taste with some fourth wall breaking notes to the reader, but luckily there were only a few of those. I liked how the story got wrapped up, although there is clearly more to come as well. The cozy vale setting was fun to read about as are the mentions of the upcoming winter festival.

The Ballad of the Cat and the Silver - Rebecca Buchanan
This was a fun one. It follows a pegacat, which I've never read about before. He's the constable of a flying vale city and something is wrong with the trees that keep the city afloat. There's a toad bard that follows along and some deputies that help. I liked reading this one and reading about the magical creatures and this flying city. It had a satisfying ending.

Dormant - Selina J. Eckert
This one didn't quite work for me. I didn't really get why her family still gave her a plot to make flowers when she didn't have any magic. And while I understood her feelings of missing her magic and wanting to be able to do so, what she tried felt very not so smart and ofcourse causes issues. the resolution and ending is on a high note, but I would've loved to see what happens next and how she makes her way going forward.

Blizzards and Brews - Deanna and Angela Stuart
I really enjoyed this one, it was so fun! Definitely look forward to more about these characters. The story was pretty straightforward, which I liked. A teashop owner gets stranded in a blizzard and opens his shop to others who get stranded, they go out and help some people and there are plenty of interesting side characters. It had a nice cozy vibe and I just really enjoyed this one. The shop was fun to read about and I liked the characters.

Sour at The Salt & Pickle - Cassandra Stirling
I was in the mood for a cozy story so I went back to this anthology and read another story. This one was a fun short mystery with a cozy vibe. I like how the story takes place in such a short time frame and thought the mystery was well done in such a short read and time. I liked the glimpse we got form the main character and her companion and the feel for their personalities and would like to read more by this author.

Flagons and Dragons - K M Jackways
This one was fun enough, although mostly felt like a set up for a story. I am curious to read more about the inn and how she runs it going forward. It was a nice enough story and I liked the theme of following your dreams and your heart. I also liked reading about a heart witch.

A Dress With Pockets - G Clatworthy
I liked this one, the main character makes clothes and it was interesting to read about. I especially liked the theme of following your dreams and how she had to take a chance on the unknown or stay in a safe place that stifled her creativity and passion. It felt like the start of a larger story and I hope there will be more.

The Best Thief in Capital Vale - Nathaniel Webb
I really liked this one, it was so fun and I was impressed with how the author pulled off such a satisfying romance story in such a short amount of time. I could relate to Hunter's troubles of talking to people face to face and it was so interesting to see him connect by talking with someone through a wall. I really liked the resolution and the ending was sweet and made me smile. Definitely want to check out more by this author.

The Alchemist's Surprise - Bonnie Axton
This one was great. It follows a struggling alchemist apprentice who follows her mentor along on a trip to see his old friend. There is some travel, visiting a new place and then some mystery as they arrive and find the friend's shop in shambles. I liked reading about the main character and seeing the story play out. I liked seeing how everything got resolved at the end and the role the main character had in it.

To summarize: I really enjoyed this anthology. I don't read a lot of anthologies, but this one was great, probably the best anthology I've read so far. One thing I appreciated a lot was how consistent the theme and vibe was, every story felt so cozy and had a similar feel. I also loved the fact all stories are set in the same world, it added some internal cohesion to the anthology which was lovely. And on top of that it's also set around the same holiday so that caries over throughout the stories and also shows different ways the different vales celebrate the holiday as well as some things like the traditional saying that are the same everywhere.

I had a lot of fun making my way through this one and there are a lot of great stories. A few that I enjoyed less, but most of these I really enjoyed and I look forward to reading more books set in Cozy Vales as well as more by these authors. I can't recommend this one enough for fans of cozy fantasy or those wanting to get a feel for the genre.

[TS Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of cozy and most season appropriate tales.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story collections can be really hit or miss for me, but this was definitely a hit!

Each story added a fun and new element to this cozy world, and I loved learning more about the different magics and cultures of the setting.

I would say the anthology format sometimes made it difficult to understand the context of the characters' stories. I understood the broad strokes of the worldbuilding, but there were a few sections I had to reread to fully grasp!

If you're looking for a cozy read (especially for the wintertime - this would be perfect curled up with a hot chocolate at Christmastime), this is well worth a try.

Books with similar vibes - Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree, A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, Winterfrost Market by Jenny Sandiford, and The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was free on kindle when I got it! And I would tell everyone that has a kindle to get this book for the winter season. All of the short stories are in the same world and happening at the same time of year, fantasy lantern festival. The authors all have their own interpretations and additions to the world. I really enjoy when people do whatever they want in fantasy worlds and put cafes on turtles, add wings to their cats, and a floating island of flying creatures. Another refreshing aspect was that most of the main characters were not human. There was a gnome, pegicat, plant person, and pixie as main characters. All of the characters were different in some way, profession, age or time in life. The diversity in the role of the characters was refreshing. The stories were unique and fun. Some were more typical than others, such as the first one, but the more traditional were still enjoyable. Overall, a lovely collection from small authors that deserves a read.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was full of the cosiest stories full of fun, warmth and adventure and I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite. I really can’t wait to read more from the Cozy Vales!

[Tiny Dragon Books~ Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter Tales from Cozy Vales
Set in the Queendom of Cozy Vales, this fantasy anthology was chock full of winter vibes and whimsy. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in a world of magical hot chocolate, freshly fallen snow and stories of kind hearth witches, policing pegacats and all manner of fantasy creatures.
Perfect to read as a palate cleanser between large series and when in need of comfort.

[S.M.]

DNF. The stories were fine, but I had a hard time getting invested in them.

[Ana-Liva · Rating 3 out of 5]

je suis dumb j’ai mis longtemps à capté que c’était de la fantaisie, mais bon mixt up avec murder donc slay

[Phi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire anthology was such a cozy, wonderful adventure! I love how each story varied in genre, but they all felt like they fit together super well. It was the perfect cozy read for the holiday season!

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A Season of Giving by L.A. Scott

This was such a wonderful, cozy story! I loved the vibes and the characters, and the ending was perfect! I can't wait to read more about these characters.

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The Ballad of the Cat and the Silver by Rebecca Buchanan

From the very start, this reminded me of The Wind in the Willows. It became a bit more perilous throughout, but had a fantastic ending!

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Dormant by Selina J Eckert

This was such a lovely, interesting story! I love the unique fantasy race and the themes of this story. As always, Selina's writing is top-notch and absolutely wonderful. This was such a delight to read!

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Blizzards and Brews by Deanna and Angela Stuart

I really enjoyed this snowy tale! Very cozy, and I adored Kittle! I loved all the different fantasy races in this one.

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Sour at the Salt and Pickle by Cassandra Stirling

This was an interesting cozy fantasy mystery! It kept me guessing throughout, and the ending was absolutely wonderful. I love these characters, and I can't wait to read more in this series!

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Flagons and Dragons by K M Jackways

I was intrigued from the time I read the title, and the whole story was absolutely charming! I can't wait to read more about these wonderful characters, and see the main character pursue her passion.

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A Dress with Pockets by G Clatworthy

This was such a fun story! I love dresses with pockets (who doesn't?), and the main character was such a great one! I love that she had such a drive to let herself shine through.

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The Best Thief in Capital Vale by Nathaniel Webb

This story was not at all what I expected based on the title, but it was so incredibly charming! I absolutely adore these characters, and I hope to read about more of their ventures in the future. Such a cute, fun tale!

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The Alchemist's Surprise by Bonnie Axton

This was such a fun read! It reminded me a lot of the movie The Ultimate Christmas Present, which I absolutely loved as a kid. What a fantastic way to end this incredible anthology!

[Sasha's Cosy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing holiday read!
Just what I needed, curling up with a hot chocolate and this collection of cosy stories.
Definitely brought on 'Legends & Lattes' vibes for me but with a festive sprinkling and oh so heartwarming stories! I can't wait for more (I hope there will be more).
Perfect way to finish off a good year.

[Mariahmmm · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cozy collection of short stories! Set in the same queendom of Cozy Vales around the festival Lantern Night, each story follows the adventures of different mythicals and magicals, including petalborns, hearth witches, pegacats, and more. Each story is only the start of the adventure, and while some were a great setup for further stories, others felt a little abrupt in where they ended. I really enjoyed following along each new character and their story, and will definitely look for more adventures for many of them!

A Season of Giving- 2 stars
Genever Wells, a hearth witch, and her friend Trill, a sprite, are only days away from launching their secret project. But will Genever's kind-heartedness bite her after she lets a stranded goblin, Nort, into their secret?
Foolishness of characters and unbelievable decisions made this a little too over the top.

The Ballad of the Cat and the Silver- 5 stars
Constable Itaniph, a pegacat, must uncover why their floating sky island is sinking, all the while being followed by a bard toad who is assured Itaniph's day will lead to an epic tale.
Filled with magicals, mystery, and heroic adventure, this was the cozy adventure I was looking for!

Dormant- 3 stars
Faren, half petalborn half human, hasn't yet tapped into her plant magic and decides a potion might be the answer to helping her family's flower business.
I was hoping for Faren to tap into her magic during the "big crisis", but instead this story reflected that sometimes we aren't meant for magic and should instead be happy with our lot in life.

Blizzards and Brews- 4 stars
Melsymar, a gnome, and his meandering turtle-carried teahouse, The Tinkers Tea, provide shelter and rescue for other travellers when a sudden snowstorm rolls in.
This was so cozy and would be the story I would have loved to be part of! I had hoped the key "gap" of finding a new teahouse owner would have been solved before Melsymar retired, as the ending felt like abandonment rather than a fulfilling ending.

Sour at the Salt and Pickles- 2 stars
Kit, an elf (?), and her travelling companion, Frangipani, a sprite, are thrust into the middle of a murder mystery and must prove their innocence.
This was a little too drawn out with gaps and odd clues.

Flagons and Dragons- 4 stars
Flora, half human, half ogre, and a single mum, had given up on her dreams of using her skills as a Tasters guilder to make the famous Heart of the Vale chocolate drink. But when she stumbles upon a cursed rundown inn that calls to her for help, is this an opportunity of a lifetime?
This had such a cozy, gentle setting and storyline and was a solid setup to a novel, but I wish it had gone on for much longer!

A Dress with Pockets- 1 star
Crimson, an orphaned teg, feels stifled in her strict apprenticeship. How will her creativity guide her and the decisions of those around her?
This was my least favourite story, with heavy themes of abuse, neglect, and betrayal.

The Best Thief in the Capital Vale- 3 stars
The neurodivergent human (?) Hunter's night shift in the bookshop/cafe Rustic Reads is rudely interrupted by the worst thief in Capital Vale who is stuck in the wall.
From a promising start with a cozy setting and inclusive character, this story was let down by an unnecessary romance.

The Alchemist's Surprise- 3 stars
Mabel, an apprentice alchemist, struggles to control and focus the aether magic that pulses around her. Will a journey with her mentor to help a fellow alchemist in need help Mabel understand her powers?
This adventure felt a little detached from the beginning setup, and again I was waiting for the main character to tap into her magic during the "big crisis".

[Cindy Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of cozy fantasy stories. Set in a fictional realm called Cozy Vales, they each mention some of the same things but each of them have their own distinctive flavor (mainly because each of the stories was written by a different author). My favorite story involved a tea shop which travels from place to place on a gigantic turtle's back. That story had lots of elements I love - good food and drinks, a community working together to overcome an obstacle (in this case, an unexpected blizzard), and characters who are able to perform magic which is unique to that individual. All of the villages mentioned are preparing for a special winter festival called Lantern Night, and we get to read about preparations that people are making for it - special hot chocolate, dressmaking competitions, baking competitions, growing special plants/flowers, and so on. Each of the stories were well-paced, interesting, and felt complete when they came to an end.

I took my time reading this stories, dipping in and out of the book over time as I felt the desire to read something cozy. I was excited to learn that there is another collection about the summer months which has been published, along with some stand alone novels which expand on some of the short stories included in this collection. If you are a fan of cozy fantasy, I think you will find this collection to your liking.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection with so many fascinating stories and characters.

One of my favorites was Cassandra Stirling’s “Sour at the Salt and Pickle”.

Kit and Frangi are each other’s found family with personalities and abilities that complement each other…especially as they solve a murder mystery!

Another favorite was Gemma Clatworthy’s “A Dress with Pockets” in which MC Crimson learns, through sadness and betrayal, to follow a different path than the one she anticipated.

Ms. Clatworthy also writes the “Rise of the Dragons” series and the “Omensford” series - both of which are fantastic.
Seeing that Ms. Clatworthy had a story included actually was what lead me to read this collection.

Although it was my pleasure to receive this free book, it was completely my choice to share my honest review.

[SabrinaTheBookDragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combined rating of all the Novellas is 4 🌟. I enjoyed it and will definitely check out some more fantasy in the future!! 😀
I listed each novella separately down below with it's own star rating:

1. A Season of Giving- L.A. Scott, 3 1/2 🌟
2. The Ballad of Cat and Silver- Rebecca Buchannan, 3 🌟
3. Dormant- Selina J. Eckhert, 4 1/2 🌟
4. Blizzards and Brews- Deanna and Angela Stuart, 4🌟
5. Sour at the Salt and Pickle- Cassandra Stirling, 4 🌟
6. A Dress With Pockets- G. Clatworthy
3 1/2🌟
7. Flagons and Dragons- K. M. Jackaways
4 1/2 🌟
8. The Best Theif in Capitol Vale- Nathaniel Webb, 5 🌟
9. The Alchemists Surprise- Bonnie Axton
4 🌟

These are all beautiful stories and I would definitely recommend!! ❤️🤩

[Bassouma_gangstar · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a quite good collection of cozy fantasy stories... most of them are 4 stars stories, but the only reason i dropped the rating is that i dnfed 3 of the stories in the collection which also made me almost dnf the whole collection.... i had to dfn the 2nd, 4th and 9th stories either because it was too boring or the writing was not as engaging...
But on the other hand, my favorite stories were "A Season of Giving", "Dormant" and "Sour at the Salt and the Pickle"!!! The first two were really fun to read because they also had subtle life lessons and the third was a cozy mystery!!!

[Taaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, to me the collection suffers from being overly long. Most stories are on the longer side (and I think a few do cross the line from short story into novellette), and having almost 400 pages of those just feels like a chore after a while. I'm sorry to the later authors, even though the stories I objectively liked best are later on, I couldn't really enjoy them anymore, because I was SO tired and longed for the dopamine of finally finishing the book.

[Cheryl Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of winter tales is a perfect collection of interesting short stories about a person who is facing an uncertain future and how they deal with it. Each story is by a different author, but set in the same world, it's a wonderful easy to read fantasy piece with a proper hardship or difficulty that needs resolving and how they do it. Superb and well written.

[M.L. Dunker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect little cupful of cozy!

This anthology is unique in that all the stories are set in a shared world. A light mix of mystery, slice of life, and fantasy each author puts a singular twist on the worldbuilding. I like to savor a cosy book on my Sunday afternoons, and this just fits the mood perfectly.

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this collection of stories about Cozy Vales and cannot wait to check out the other books about this magical kingdom. Highly recommend if you're in the mood to read some short stories that will have your imagination soaring and leave you deeply and suddenly craving the biggest mug of hot chocolate imaginable.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

cozy fantasy collection

It took a while for me to decide that I really wanted to finish these stories. Then I realized that there was a great similarity Aesop’s Fables. I hope that everyone sees what I do.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read-I usually don't read books with a lot of little stories in them but I really enjoyed this one. Something different I guess. I wouldn't want a steady diet of this type of book but I really did enjoy this one.

[Christina H · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise of the short stories all set in the same world at the same time of year drew me in. The stories themselves varied from ok to dull and I had a hard time finishing this one. I often found myself dozing off while reading so it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

[Timothy Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good anthology!

The stories in this anthology are amazing. Only one didn't seem to fit the profile but it was still highly entertaining. I will be seeking out the books of the various authors for further entertaining reading.

[Christine Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

winter tales of cozy vale - magic delight.

A light read, well written. A real page turner for all that enjoy magic!
Each chapter takes part in different areas of the Vale. Very enjoyable.

[Estelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.
Je pensais que c’était une histoire, ou plusieurs petites histoires, mais finalement c’est plein de début d’histoires on dirait. J’en ai lu une, j’ai commencé la deuxième, et finalement ce n’est pas pour moi.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm, winter holiday themed cozy fantasy? How could I refuse?

A fine little collection of stories, and though not all of them were great, I'd say the majority of them were rather enjoyable. Well worth a read if you enjoy cozy fantasy and Christmasy type settings, much like I do.

[Catherine Yezak · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable collection of cozy fantasy stories that will make you want to curl up with cocoa and a warm blanket.

[Georgia Browning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stories were very cute and cosy, but there wasn’t a lot of places you could stop and some of the stories were 2 hours long so I found myself not wanting to read it and it feeling like a chore.