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The Ordinary Magic in Extraordinary Tales
The Ordinary Magic in Extraordinary Tales combines fourteen delightfully cozy fantasy stories with three research-backed essays on how to pull coziness out of the stories and into your own life.
Inside you'll find a young woman who only fully sees herself after a wish turns her invisible, an elderly man who braves an apocalypse out of love for his wife, and a pair of witches who quietly work to honor the natural world in the face of artificial creation. You'll also find an unlikely chosen-one, a loyal dragon, and a magical gift, among many others.
The short essays complement the stories thematically, and focus on how to embody coziness in your environment, through introspection, and among your relationships.
Inside you'll find a young woman who only fully sees herself after a wish turns her invisible, an elderly man who braves an apocalypse out of love for his wife, and a pair of witches who quietly work to honor the natural world in the face of artificial creation. You'll also find an unlikely chosen-one, a loyal dragon, and a magical gift, among many others.
The short essays complement the stories thematically, and focus on how to embody coziness in your environment, through introspection, and among your relationships.
206 pages, Paperback
Published September 12, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is an ARC review.
I'm one of the authors, so of course I'll give it a 5/5. I tend to view these anthologies with rose tinted glasses at any rate.
A collection of cozy fantasy short stories organized by theme. Each theme culminates in a thoughtful essay. There's suggested reading as well which I appreciated.
My personal highlights in no particular order:
Priestess Hilda and the Novice (I admit... it is mine) - a quiet priestess on a mission to save the shepherd's goats is accompanied by an extremely talkative novice priestess
Enough Rope to Hang Himself by Chris Cornetto - a young man tries to explain to the baron how precisely he found himself behind bars. (Have you ever wished Lies of Locke Lamora was cozy? This is it)
The Queen of Cups by Nikki Blakely - a chance encounter so soon after tarot reading is a bit coincidental even for Cassie. (Urban fantasy + cozy = :D)
Gift by Rudy Clark - a princess always kept inside where it's safe acquires a mechanism to explore strange new worlds. (This one surprised me in really fun way. I wasn't expecting a splash of this particular genre to sneak its way in...)
Like all anthologies, some stories resonate more than others, but I was still excited to read them all.
Thank you so much the ARC! Can't wait for the book to come in!
I'm one of the authors, so of course I'll give it a 5/5. I tend to view these anthologies with rose tinted glasses at any rate.
A collection of cozy fantasy short stories organized by theme. Each theme culminates in a thoughtful essay. There's suggested reading as well which I appreciated.
My personal highlights in no particular order:
Priestess Hilda and the Novice (I admit... it is mine) - a quiet priestess on a mission to save the shepherd's goats is accompanied by an extremely talkative novice priestess
Enough Rope to Hang Himself by Chris Cornetto - a young man tries to explain to the baron how precisely he found himself behind bars. (Have you ever wished Lies of Locke Lamora was cozy? This is it)
The Queen of Cups by Nikki Blakely - a chance encounter so soon after tarot reading is a bit coincidental even for Cassie. (Urban fantasy + cozy = :D)
Gift by Rudy Clark - a princess always kept inside where it's safe acquires a mechanism to explore strange new worlds. (This one surprised me in really fun way. I wasn't expecting a splash of this particular genre to sneak its way in...)
Like all anthologies, some stories resonate more than others, but I was still excited to read them all.
Thank you so much the ARC! Can't wait for the book to come in!
September 17, 2026
Such a warm and inviting read. The stories are light and pleasant but still engaging and interesting and give a nice variety of characters and settings throughout the book. The unique thing about this anthology is that it's not only fantasy fiction, but it's also a nonfiction self-improvement too. It seems like such an odd combination, but it works so well! The nonfiction essays compliment the stories and are just enough to give you time to pause and reflect, but not so heavy that they're a drag to read. I'm not a nonfiction fan, and I enjoyed the essays. Overall, this book was a great reminder that it's okay to pause and enjoy life sometimes.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’m normally more of a hard scifi fan, but I was offered an advance copy of this book so I thought I’d take a chance on cosy fantasy and it was a great decision. The stories are almost universally excellent, particularly “All I Need Is A Good Brew (And You),” which really stuck with me, and “Enough Rope to Hang Himself,” which had me laughing out loud. The essays are also particularly thought provoking, which I didn’t expect. Take an evening off from exploding planets and world domination and get this book. You’ll be glad you did.
October 9, 2026
I received a digital Arc in return for honest review.
These short stories were as promised, cosy, engaging and unique. A lot of them left me longing for more of their workd/story! There certainly were ones I would have loved further exploration of, and some that I thought being short suited them. A few characters outshine others in their personalities but that didn't make the others less interesting or important. These small worlds are easy to sink into and I hope there is another book like it in the future.
These short stories were as promised, cosy, engaging and unique. A lot of them left me longing for more of their workd/story! There certainly were ones I would have loved further exploration of, and some that I thought being short suited them. A few characters outshine others in their personalities but that didn't make the others less interesting or important. These small worlds are easy to sink into and I hope there is another book like it in the future.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Living cozy is a new concept for me. I’ve been in survival mode for so long, I just didn’t know this was an option! The cozy stories are sweet and enjoyable and fall into one of three themes that enhance personal essays written by Amanda Pica. I enjoyed the opportunity to slow down and savor a new mindset.
Thank you to Amanda for a free ARC copy. This voluntary review is my honest opinion.
Thank you to Amanda for a free ARC copy. This voluntary review is my honest opinion.
September 20, 2026
A combination of thought provoking fantastical short stories with with helpful essays between every few stories. From the Middle Ages to modern times these stories will all entertain and get you thinking.
Each story holds a special place in my heart and the essay about making a space for yourself is one I intend to implement soon.
Each story holds a special place in my heart and the essay about making a space for yourself is one I intend to implement soon.
September 13, 2026
Sometimes you just need to snuggle up with a nice cozy book and take yourself away from the real world and rewire your brain
This book is a collection of cozy short fantasy stories that are organized into certain themes that help you view things in a different mind set.
5⭐️
This book is a collection of cozy short fantasy stories that are organized into certain themes that help you view things in a different mind set.
5⭐️
October 14, 2026
Blown away by this. The stories were each so different, but in the best way. Like a warm hug at the end of each one. The essays were insightful, too. I enjoyed those just as much as the stories!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews