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Fantasy Worlds to Get Lost In This Winter

Jenni 15th Jan 2026

The mornings are arriving veiled in fog and frost, the dark nights are lingering for longer, and the chill in the air has become bitter and crisp. We’re truly in the midst of winter now, and this cold season provides the perfect backdrop to read a thrilling fantasy. ❄️🗡️

If you’re ready to fully indulge in the season, we have some fantastic fantasy recommendations for you that are all set in wintry worlds! Curl up, get cosy, and transport yourself to these chilling magical realms. 🏔️✨

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

There is a village at the edge of the wilderness in northern Russia, where the wind blows cold and snow falls for many months of the year. Here, an elderly servant tells tales of sorcery, folklore, and the Winter King, but for our young and wild main character, Vasya, they are more than just stories. Not only can she see house spirits guarding her home, she can sense dark magic coming from deep within the woods.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

In Lithvas, where the populace endures long, harsh winters, Miryem has a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. But her fate is forever altered when she is set an impossible challenge by the nameless king of the Staryk, who are grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh.

Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto

In the Dominions, a cold and snowy land, the dead linger and are violent and unpredictable unless a Bonesmith severs the ghost from its earthly remains. Wren, a disgraced ghost-fighting warrior, must journey into a dreary, chilling wasteland to rescue a kidknapped prince in order to reclaim her family’s respect.

💜 You can buy the FairyLoot Exclusive Edition of the sequel, Ghostsmith, here.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Kaz Brekker is a criminal prodigy who has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But there’s a catch — to claim it, he has to pull off a seemingly impossible heist. Needing a crew desperate enough to take on a suicide mission, he brings together six of the deadliest outcasts his city has to offer. Together, they venture to Fjerda, a cold and icy northern country heavily inspired by Scandinavia, which is home to the notorious Ice Court Kaz plans to break into.

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

Long ago, the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands known as Arks, and each has developed in distinct ways. Ophelia lives on the Ark of Anima, where objects have souls, but her peaceful existence there is disrupted when she becomes promised in marriage to Thorn. She must travel to the cold and icy Ark of the Pole and soon discovers that she is a pawn in a deadly plot.

Nectar of the Wicked by Ella Fields

There is no escaping the middle lands, the gloomy buffer between the human kingdom and the faerie realms. But when her guardian is killed by the Wild Hunt, our FMC has no choice but to try as to find those who discarded her at birth, she must sneak into the Winter Kingdom of Faerie, Hellebore, and deal with the Winter King.

💜 You can buy the FairyLoot Exclusive Edition of the sequel, Wrath of the Damned, here.

The Winter Garden by Alexandra Bell

The Winter Garden opens at the stroke of midnight with no great fanfare, for all virtuous folk should be in bed. But for the few curious souls that brave the opening of its gates, enchantment awaits. By flickering lamplight, visitors can discover magic fish, ghost butterflies, and a tiger made of stars. And for a small extra cost, there is a forest of plum trees ripening against the snow, bearing a magical fruit that can tell your fortune if you dare to take a bite.

The Snow Song by Sally Gardner

Atop a mountain in a land of ancient forests is a village rife with secrets. Cut off from the outside world, it is run by the elders, men to whom tradition is all. This village becomes isolated in a sea of snow, and main character Edith loses her power of speech. This enchantment not only has consequences for Edith, but for everyone in the snowy village.