We’re thrilled to welcome back Mariana Costa today!

‘Cosy’ fantasy has been growing in popularity since the pandemic, with a demand for stories with low stakes. Mariana joins us to explore this ‘new’ subgenre, and the possibility that it’s not so new at all. Before we do that, let’s take a look at Mariana’s upcoming fantasy novel, Shoestring Theory:

The kingdom of Farsala is broken and black clouds hang heavy over the arid lands. Former Grand-Mage of the High Court, Cyril Laverre, has spent the last decade hiding himself away in a ramshackle hut by the sea, trying to catch any remaining fish for his cat familiar, Shoestring, and suppressing his guilt over the kingdom’s ruin. For he played his part – for as the King, Eufrates Margrave, descended further and further into paranoia, violence and madness, his Grand-Mage – and husband – Cyril didn’t do a thing to stop him.

When Shoestring wanders away and dies one morning, Cyril knows his days are finally numbered. But are there enough left to have a last go at putting things right? With his remaining lifeblood, he casts a powerful spell that catapults him back in time to a happier period of Farsalan history – a time when it was Eufrates’s older sister Tig destined to ascend to the throne, before she died of a wasting disease, and a time when Cyril and Eufrates’s tentative romance had not yet bloomed. If he can just make sure Eufie never becomes King, then maybe he can prevent the kingdom’s tragic fate. But the magical oath he made to his husband at the altar, transcending both time and space, may prove to be his most enduring – and most dangerous – feat of magic to date…

Featuring a formidable Great Aunt, a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, an awkward love quadrangle and a crow familiar called Ganache, this charming story is imminently easy to read and sure to satisfy fans of fanfiction who like their fantasy lite.

Shoestring Theory is due for release 8th October 2024 from Angry Robot. You can pre-order your copy HERE

My Take on Cosy Fantasy

by Mariana Costa

  I´m always a little reticent of labelling Shoestring Theory as “cozy” fantasy, because it literally starts with a guy killing himself.

           Like, I know he doesn’t die for real, but if you start your novel with a content warning, I don’t think you’re legally allowed to claim a place in the sacred halls of cozy fantasy. I think it’s stolen valour (LOL).

That being said, I understand why some people would still argue that it counts and to those people, I´m very grateful, because I love the genre! I grew up reading pretty dense fantasy stories with a lot of worldbuilding and politics and lore and all the good stuff that ends up going hand in hand with what people traditionally associate with fantasy, but sometimes! Sometimes I want to read a romcom dressed up in fantasy costume. Sometimes, I want a coffee shop AU, but there’s magic in there.

           I think my first brush with anything that would nowadays would be considered a cozy fantasy book would be Howl’s Moving Castle. Fellow HMC fans (castleheads? No, I hate that) might spot the extremely unsubtle nods to one of my favourite book series of all times tucked away in the crevices of Shoestring Theory, so this is hopefully not a surprise to anyone. Diana Wynne Jones’s books changed my life! They got me to see fantasy as something romantic and fun and silly. I love being silly. I love being silly to my own detriment.

           The rise of cozy fantasy books like the Howl trilogy (and others! A lot of Terry Pratchett’s books come to mind!), for me, meant that not only could I enjoy a genre that’s always been so close to my heart, I could also participate in it.

           The stories I’ve been drawn to telling have always struck more of a chord with fairytales than fantasy. Fairytales tend to play pretty fast and loose with the rules. The magic is soft, the characters are nonsensical, the vibes are deeply unserious. It’s the type of world that makes me feel warm and hopeful even when things take a turn for the worst. As I grew as a storyteller, I ended up merging that love for fairytales with more structured fantasy (stuff like Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings) to allow my worldbuilding to grow and evolve and strike at something in between.

           I know I keep harping on about how much I love things, but I really do love cozy fantasy as its own genre. It’s always existed, even when it didn’t have a name, but making it identifiable lets a lot of people dip their bitty little pinkie toes into fantasy in a way that feels good and comforting. And I’m all for that. I’m all for making fantasy accessible. Everyone should be able to experience being transported into a world where there’s magic and swords and knights and princes and drama and true love.

           Finally, and forgive me for dropping the whimsical persona for just one paragraph, I also find the genre allows more marginalized people to participate in fantasy writing/consumption. Traditionally hard magic/high fantasy is very much a heterosexual, male-dominated genre, but if I see a CF book, nine times out of ten it’ll be written by a woman or queer person or both (that’s me!). I always end up relating more to the stories coming from those voices, so I’ll gravitate towards them first. It’s wonderful to see this softer side of fantasy gain popularity over the years with consumers. It opens doors to a wider diversity of books. And more diverse books means more books period, so it’s a win for me, someone who eats audiobooks at 3x speed like she’s going to die tomorrow.

           Was I supposed to relate any of this back to my work? Uhh… Read Shoestring Theory! I promise after you get past the suicide it really does feel like a very goofy, silly little romp for true love!

Shoestring Theory is due for release 8th October 2024 from Angry Robot. You can pre-order your copy HERE

Mariana Costa 

Mariana Costa is a Brazilian-born author and illustrator now based in Portugal. A professional illustrator, she has sold several graphic novels in the US.