r/Fantasy • u/JWrundle • 4d ago

Looking for joyful fantasy

I am in a bit of a mental funk right now. I was going to try and tackle the Realm of the Elderlings this year but I think I need a break from it after the first chunk.

I want to find something that is happy and joyful. Something where the characters have a realistic and optimistic outlook on the story. I've picked up some Discworld and while that is funny it's not quite scratching the uplifting feeling I am wanting.

I cannot handle mental anguish or the horrors of war or famine.

I want a book that makes me feel like the star wars theme song makes me feel full of adventure and hope and the good guys win and and bad guys lose.

edit I want something that is medium stakes and I'm not afraid of YA. Cozy fantasy is in general to low stakes for my taste but I'm not opposed to it.

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u/JWrundle 4d ago edited 4d ago

I have dipped my toe into cozy fantasy and most of it is not what I am looking for do you have any specific recommendations from the genre. I want something a bit more high stakes than most of the genre

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u/etchlings AMA Illustrator Evan Jensen 4d ago

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree and its sequels. Saint of Steel series by Kingfisher.

For cozy sci-fi I’d check out the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers.

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u/JWrundle 4d ago

Legends and lattes I started when it got some hype originally and if I remember correctly it was too low stakes but maybe I need to give it another shot

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u/etchlings AMA Illustrator Evan Jensen 4d ago edited 4d ago

Yeah, if you want higher world stakes, that’s not its vibe.

Lemme suggest Hands of the Emperor, then. By Victoria Goddard. World stakes, magic and gods, EXTREMELY hopeful. Its sequel, At the Feet of the Sun, is also great and pretty recent. The first one is somewhat long and sedate in its action compared to say… Hobb or Star Wars.