I’m fairly new to the genre of cozy fantasy fiction. Though I’ve read some seminal works that influenced it The Hobbit and Redwall. I actually discovered the term from reading Wyngraf’s flash fiction on their website and then jumping into their bi-annual magazine (and Legends and Lattes.)

I was really excited to see their website’s flash series would be put to the page in its own collection and with new stories. Especially, since reading the flash stories on the website was how I discovered the genre. Many of these stories have a nostalgic place for me as I would read them each Friday while the series was still being published.

The format is extremely short. 2-5 pages each. Some feel more experiments than stories but that’s not necessarily a detraction. Those that do tell full stories in that tiny space do so with tremendous grace and you can’t help but smile at the bite-sized portion of fiction you’ve just devoured.

I’ve enjoyed Wyngraf’s main series quite a bit but I think there is something about cozy where if the author nails it just right, flash fiction is the perfect format for the genre. I don’t think the majority of these stories are better than what’s appeared in the main magazine, but when they nail the landing, I think they do end up being better than the longer format.

I think that’s because the goal of this genre is to leave the reader feeling better or pull them away from their troubles for a moment. Something bite-sized really fits that bill. It’s a deep breath or bite of candy after a bad day. It just works nothing else.

There’s 27 stories in this volume so it’s very hard to talk about them all but I’ll try to highlight a bunch that touched me.

A Stubborn Friend by George Jacobs was the first story I read on the website (as I’m a big fan of his writing) and the story is just so darn wholesome. Just makes you feel better and want to do a good deed.

The Knowing by Jamey Toner is both an action-packed adventure with a really cool battle system and also comforting.

The Great Spell by Simon Kewin is a really spectacular story. The amount of world building and adventure packed into such a tiny space is just incredible. This to me is an example of how cozy flash fiction is the perfect expression of the genre.

The Wood-Folk Do Not Want to Marry You by Jess Hyslop was laugh-out-loud funny. It’ll put a big old smile on your face.

The Sword of Our Fathers by Stew Shearer is just so darn wholesome and charming. Another tale that makes you feel hopeful about human nature.

A Cry on the Battlefield by Cora Buhlert is beautifully written. Man it buried the cozy lead. The opening is hauntingly metal and then the twist is charmingly hopefully and wholesome. Also love the homage. Another example of how this genre and flash were made for each other.

Moving Day by LD Whitney is a charmer too. It’s take on the classic barbarism archetype and making it wholesome is clever and endearing.

There’s a wealth of stories here and when the author gets it just right I think you’ll find the ‘flash’ format and cozy fantasy fiction were made for each other.

Hope to see a volume two.2 s Cindy Richard385 9

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