Best Winter Reads for Fantasy Nerds

Welcome, Fantasy Nerds!

What better time to curl up with a good book than the cold winter months? We thought we would share some of our favorite wintery reads with you. So break out the hot cocoa or a warm cup of coffee, and get ready for an adventure in a fantastical snowy world.

Spinning Silver

I had been saving this book to read in the winter, and it’s what gave me the idea for this post. I was whisked away into this mesmerizing and wintery world, and the struggles of the characters just doing their best to survive and protect those they love. The wintery setting and icy Staryk villain make this the perfect cold-weather read.

The people of Lithvas struggle against an unnatural winter, amid fear of attack from icy fey creatures, called the Staryk. The cold, icy world of the Staryk is both beautiful and terrifying. The plot of the book kept ramping up until I wasn’t sure how our heroines would manage to save their people. The contrasting forces in this book made for a tense conflict and a satisfying conclusion to the story.

Game of Thrones

Speaking of snowy settings and icy villains, we have the Song of Ice and Fire series, which begins with A Game of Thrones. Any of the books in the series would make a great winter read. Most of the main characters, the Stark family, live in a town in the north called Winterfell. In case that isn’t wintery enough, their house saying is “Winter is Coming”! 

A medieval castle in the snow is a great setting for a winter read, but we can’t forget about The Wall, which is literally made of ice. The Night’s Watch, mostly criminals and outcasts, stands watch at the frozen wall to protect the realm. Then, there are the white walkers and the Night King, by far the creepiest winter monsters. All of these elements make this series the perfect winter read!

A Court of Frost and Starlight

The characters in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series are some of my favorites, so I was thrilled when I learned of the release of this wintery novella. You will want to read that trilogy before you start A Court of Frost and Starlight, but I highly recommend the entire series. This novella is set at Winter Solstice and is a great hopeful read for the holiday season. 

To me, reading it felt like revisiting old friends for the holidays. The whole book just brought me such happiness to see these beloved characters get to experience peace for a time. But it wasn’t all snowflakes…there were definitely some icy moments that were the perfect bridge to the spin-off series that was recently released. If you skipped this novella, or have yet to start the ACOTAR series, winter is the perfect time to read it!

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

Who doesn’t love to re-read a childhood favorite? And the eternal winter of Narnia is the perfect setting for a winter read. Just thinking about it makes me want some Turkish Delight. Plus, books with furry critters are always great to curl up with on a cold night. Then you have the White Witch, who is the perfect winter villain. So many elements of this story make it a great one to revisit this winter!

Murder on the Orient Express

Saying we are huge fans of Agatha Christie is an understatement, and Murder on the Orient Express is certainly one of her most famous novels. Set on a luxury train in the middle of winter, a snowstorm stops the train in its tracks, and one passenger is discovered dead. If you’re a fan of mysteries this is the perfect one to read curled up in a blanket on a snowy day. The twist and turns will have you second-guessing who you think the killer is, and when you find out you’ll definitely be shocked. The setting is exquisitely described, and the characters you get to know are vastly different but equally intriguing. If you haven’t read this book yet, this is your call to read it this winter!

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What did you think of our list? Did we leave any out? Let us know in the comments below! If you enjoy our site feel free to buy us a cup of coffee, writers run on coffee! 

Thank you so much for reading!

-Clever&WTF