Not all speculative tales need to be about saving the world. Not all conflicts need to be external—defeating a dark lord or facing down an army of orcs. Not every supernatural narrative requires a twisty plot, or constant action, or high stakes.
Sometimes, the greatest stories are about the simplest things—the day-to-day affairs in a magical household, contemplative characters learning a new skill, quiet interactions among townsfolk that reveal volumes about the kinds of societies they inhabit. Slice-of-life narratives focus on the mundane and the ordinary, softly revealing layers of magic and wonder that we may not have otherwise noticed. More often than not, such stories do have an overarching plot or tension propelling it forward, but the focus is more on the everyday experiences, rendered in immersive and evocative prose.
Have you ever wondered about the inner workings of a magical school or wanted to do maintenance work on a spaceship? Are you an animal lover wishing for magical beasts to tame? Do you dream of opening a quaint tavern in a Middle Earth-esque setting? If you’ve answered yes, then our list of slice-of-life sci-fi and fantasy novels will surely transport you to a more magical dimension and let you live out your cozy fantasies!
The Incandescent
Dark academia novels are all the rage now, and Emily Tesh’s The Incandescent puts a fresh spin on the magical boarding school narrative by focusing not on the students, but on the teachers imparting the occult education. The story follows Dr. Walden, the Director of Magic at Chetwood Academy as she goes about her daily life—teaching Invocation to senior students, attending meetings with other staff members, protecting the school from demonic attacks, while also nursing feelings for a certain Chief Marshal. The magical worldbuilding is rewarding and detailed, and Tesh really focuses on the small moments—student drama, bureaucratic drudgery, quiet moments of intimacy—that ultimately make for a vividly engaging reading experience.
The Beast Player
Although aimed at children, Nahoko Uehashi’s The Beast Player shimmers with a quiet maturity that makes it ideal for adults as well, especially those invested in narratives about taming and rearing magical beasts. The novel focuses on 10-year-old Elin, who belongs to a lineage carrying secret knowledge about taming dragon-like creatures—knowledge that rival players seek to weaponize. As Elin slowly becomes a revered beast doctor, she learns more about the warring political factions and strives to find a peaceful resolution. The descriptions of caring for magical creatures are particularly poignant, and overall, this book is sure to tug at your heartstrings.
Temple Alley Summer
Sachiko Kashiwaba is a prolific Japanese author, writing for children and young adult audiences; sadly, most of her works have not been translated to English yet. Of the ones that have been translated, Temple Alley Summer is definitely worth checking out. The story is told through the eyes of young Kazu as he slowly realizes that not everything is what it seems in his sleepy hometown—such as the fact that one of his classmates is a ghost whom no one else remembers.
What follows is a thoroughly engaging mystery involving a story-within-a-story, temple deities and delicious Japanese street food. A wonderful feat of the imagination highlighting the sublime in the mundane.
Central Station
If you have a soft spot for mosaic novels or interlinked short stories, Lavie Tidhar’s Central Station set in a near-future Tel Aviv (that has become a sort of bustling interplanetary hub) should be on your TBR list. Each story highlights a different facet of the ingenious worldbuilding while also focusing on the quiet struggles and hopes of the cyborgs and data-vampires that inhabit the constantly shifting landscape.
The technologically advanced setting of Central Station becomes a sort of primary character that holds the disparate narrative strands together, even as it is populated with moments of introspection, mundanity and communal living.
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
For those curious about everyday life aboard a spaceship, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers will surely cater to your escapist space-faring dreams. The story follows Rosemary Harper who is determined to start afresh as she joins a motley crew of humans, aliens and an AI aboard The Wayfarer, tunneling wormholes across the galaxy and accomplishing various missions. Chambers richly imagines a multicultural and queer-normative world, with a strong focus on inter-personal relationships among the crew members and interesting flourishes of xenobiology, making it a rather cozy and exciting read.
Fire and Hemlock
First published in 1984, Diana Wynne Jones’ standalone fantasy novel, Fire and Hemlock combines a unique magic realist coming-of-age narrative with a Tam Lin retelling, and remains far ahead of its time. Magical folklore and modern life interweave in and out of the narrative, and it’s rather difficult to say where mundane ends and the magical begins. The story primarily focuses on Polly, who has two sets of memories—one where she has a boringly ordinary school life, and another where she has befriended a cellist called Tom Lynn whose soul is ‘owned’ by the evil fairy queen.
The Goblin Emperor
If you enjoy high fantasy novels with court intrigue, Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor is a book that you’ll definitely enjoy, that focuses on the day-to-day workings of a magical court. The story focuses on Maia, a half-goblin son who has lived his life in exile far away from the Imperial Court—who must now ascend the throne following his father’s assassination and deal with all the sycophants and schemers.
The novel deftly highlights the constant political machinations and the utter loneliness that the gentle-hearted Maia has to contend with as he struggles to consolidate his power and rule over the kingdom.
Legends and Lattes
Legends & Lattes is a cozy, low-stakes fantasy novel that follows Viv, an orc mercenary who decides to retire from adventuring and open her own coffee shop. But setting up and running a café isn’t that easy, and Viv runs into all sorts of hurdles; but with the right help and support, she’s able to eventually run a thriving business. If you want to take a break from reading about fearsome battles and long-drawn-out quests and instead focus on the gentle comings-and-goings of a coffee shop against an epic fantasy backdrop, give Legends & Lattes a read.
