Not a Kissing Book: 6 Non-Romantic Cozy Fantasy Books

I love cozy fantasy with my whole heart. It’s truly a genre I can’t get enough of. But I’ve noticed that the genre, or at least the more publicized parts of it, is saturated with romance. To be clear, I love a little romance, and cozy fantasy romance is great. But cozy fantasy and cozy fantasy romance aren’t synonymous, and they don’t have to be.

Not everyone wants to read romance all the time, whether because they’d rather a book with a little more action or because they just don’t enjoy romance-heavy plots. In the words of Fred Savage in The Princess Bride movie: “Are you trying to trick me? Is this a kissing book?”

The good news is, plenty of non-romantic cozy fantasy exists! It’s out there just waiting for you to find it. But since it often gets mixed in with cozy fantasy romance, sometimes parsing out which books are kissing books and which books aren’t can be a little tricky.

Rest assured, though, these six non-romantic cozy fantasy books have minimal mentions of romance, if any at all. You can sit back and relax without having to worry about a romance subplot jump scaring you halfway through your reading.

Nine Goblins by T Kingfisher

What’s a goblin sergeant to do when her soldiers are stuck behind enemy lines after a run-in with an evil wizard leaves them stranded and injured? Well, hopefully get her stupid, stinking (literally) troops back to their side of the Goblin War in one piece, which is easier said than done when there are elves and humans and wizards standing in their way. But with the unlikely help of an animal-loving elf named Sings-to-Trees, they just might make it out of this terrible, if highly improbable and desperately ridiculous, situation alive.

This is exactly the sort of wonderful writing and enchanting world-building I expect from a Kingfisher novel, but along with the heart, it’s got a heaping helping of silliness that cozy fantasy fans will love. For another non-romantic cozy fantasy novel from Kingfisher, check out A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking.

The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell

A recently decapitated once-four-headed-now-three-headed dragon decides to suck up their pride and fake a bit of domesticity to join the stables of an elite dragon riding academy, despite the fact that they are decidedly undomesticated and not at all tame. Garrodigh only plans to stay there long enough to do some healing, get some grub, and maybe escape the ire of their fellow dragons for a while. But a student named Rania might just be desperate enough for a dragon to ride that she’s willing to overlook Garrodigh’s less-than-desirable attributes. It’s not that Garrodigh likes her or anything, but it’s not so bad here after all, and when the same raiders that took one of Garrodigh’s heads return, they can’t stand the thought of anyone doing the same to their human.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

Tao is a traveling fortune teller who moves from town to town to tell people about their future. She’s always careful, though, to keep her fortunes small and stay away from the big cities where her abilities might get her noticed. It’s a lonely existence, but it’s the one she chose. When she’s recruited by a somewhat reformed thief and an ex-mercenary in their desperate attempts to find the latter’s missing daughter, however, she finds that living a life with friends makes everything better, even, and especially, when danger comes to call.

Marigold Mind Laundry by Yun Jung-eun, translated by Shanna Tan

In this cozy tale from South Korea, a woman conjures up a magical, healing laundromat in her village where she helps her customers cleanse painful experiences. This book is a part of a growing “healing novels” trend coming out of Korea and Japan wherein a character or characters go on a healing journey in a fantastical setting to overcome their grief, self-doubt, or hardship, often with a mystical guide to help them on their way. Honestly, that genre could, and probably should, be a whole article in and of itself, now that I think about it.

The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson

The Chosen One is usually a plucky young hero ready, if unwilling, to set out on a quest. Nobody expects an octogenarian like Edna Fisher to be the one to save the day. But when Edna, who has never handled a sword, cast a spell, or taken down an evil wizard, becomes the prophesied Chosen One meant to end the reign of a dragon-riding sorcerer, they’ll have to rethink everything they thought they knew about what makes a great hero.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee, translated by Sandy Joosun Lee

At a magical department store that sells dreams to customers looking for the perfect night’s sleep, new-hire Penny has finally found her dream job and a purpose in life. Soon, she begins to learn the inner workings of this incredible place as she befriends customers and dream designers alike, even getting to know the wise and mysterious owner of the shop, Dallergut himself.

Want even more cozy reads? Here you go!

What Counts as Cozy Fantasy?

Cozy Fantasy Mystery Books

Must-Read Cozy Fantasy Books

A Guide to All The Cozy Genres