Here in the Northeast, it’s the season for wind chills, snow days and scraping frost off your car in the morning. The bite of winter is in the air, which makes it all the more enticing to curl up next to the fire with a hot beverage and a good book. If you’d like to bring some of that brisk, snowy weather inside — while still staying warm! — these ten fantasy novels are just the trick. Ranging from Young Adult to Adult, spanning from the snowy planes of Scandinavia to the ice-capped mountains of Eastern Europe and a chilly winter solstice in a world inspired by the Pre-Columbian Americas, these books will take you on a journey through ice-encrusted worlds alive with magic and unforgettable characters. So whether you’re snowed in from a blizzard or looking to cool off amid more temperate weather, these stories capture the cold weather of the northern hemisphere just in time for the start of winter.
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
It would be impossible to recommend winter-themed fantasy books without discussing Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale. This enchanting historical fantasy reads like a Brothers Grimm fairytale, with all its grisly horror and looming sense of dread. Arden uses the chilling winters of 14th-century Russia as the perfect backdrop for this foreboding, atmospheric story of Vasya, a girl caught in the crossroads of a changing world. As Orthodox Christianity encroaches on the pagan beliefs of her village, Vasya finds herself in possession of a magic that some would call unholy. But it’s this very power that she must harness in order to save her community from the dark forces that stalk the frozen forest, circling ever closer.
As dark as a winter night, this is definitely the kind of book you’d want to check content warnings for. But those who read this first entry in the Winternight trilogy will discover a captivating tale of one girl’s stand against stifling gender roles, threaded through with glimmers of magic.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
We’re staying in the realm of medieval Eastern Europe with this bestseller from the author of Uprooted and A Deadly Education. Set in the fictional country of Lithvas, Spinning Silver follows Miryem, the daughter of a moneylender unable to collect the debts he’s owed. With her family on the brink of poverty, Miryem steps up to do the job her father can’t — and in the process, gains a reputation for turning silver into gold.
But word gets back to the king of the Staryk, leader of the monstrous ice fairies that creep through the woods. As it turns out, the Staryk love nothing more than gold — and the king has just set his eye on Miryem, regardless of what she has to say about it. Imprisoned in his kingdom of snow, Miryem must use her wits and tenacity to survive and return home to the family she loves. Novik skillfully turns the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale on its head and into a powerful exploration of Jewish identity, and the bravery it takes to say no in a world that would prefer to keep you silent.
If you prefer listening to your books, check out what we have to say about the audiobook of Spinning Silver here.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
We’re now heading north to the fictitious Nordic island of Ljosland alongside Emily Wilde — a whip-smart, if curmudgeonly Cambridge professor and expert in the study of faeries. As winter winds buffet the island, Emily braves the fearsome weather to encounter all manners of supernatural creatures — from the lesser fae, as delicate and fleeting as snow crystals, to their far harsher courtly counterparts. But what first begins as a bit of field research soon turns into a perilous adventure when Emily discovers a dark presence around the town of Hrafnsvik — one that’s soon set its eyes on her.
On the outs with the townspeople thanks to her less-than-stellar interpersonal skills, Emily must rely on her hard-earned knowledge to protect her from the Hidden Ones. But she’s not entirely in it alone — at her side is her trusty wolfhound, Shadow, and Wendell Bambleby, a fellow Cambridge dryadology professor whose charm seems as uncanny as the fae he claims to study. An atmospheric read steeped in the rigors of academia, Heather Fawcett’s adult fantasy debut is sure to bewitch even the most unsuspecting reader.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
More than likely, I don’t have to tell you about Six of Crows — chances are it’s sitting on your TBR shelf or already rated as 5 stars on your Goodreads or StoryGraph. But despite its status as a beloved fantasy title, it doesn’t often feature on lists of captivating winter reads — even though the entire book hinges on a journey to a wintry fortress known as the Ice Court.
In case you weren’t aware, Six of Crows follows a gang of six teenage criminals as they journey from the city of Ketterdam to pull off the ultimate heist in the capital of Fjerda. But as the military stronghold of a combative nation, the Ice Court won’t be easy to crack. The criminals at the center of this conspiracy are no novices, however, each with their own reasons for seeing this mission through — and the payout of thirty million kruge doesn’t hurt. Led by mastermind Kaz Brekker, the team is prepared to infiltrate the Ice Court or die trying, uttering their iconic motto, “no mourners, no funerals.” First-time readers of Six of Crows will immediately see why this has become such a YA staple.
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Rebecca Roanhorse’s award-winning novel Black Sun immediately caught readers’ attention when it first hit the market in 2020, and for good reason. Set in a world inspired by the Pre-Columbian Americas, this sprawling adult fantasy novel intertwines four characters’ perspectives to tell a powerful story of religion, forbidden magic and political turmoil.
All the characters are converging on the holy city of Tova for the winter solstice festival. This year, the solstice happens to coincide with a rare solar eclipse — one that’s the subject of a disquieting prophecy from a cult thought to be wiped out. From an illustrious Sun Priest targeted by assassins to a man investigating his mother’s mysterious death, and from a disgraced ship captain to the mysterious man she’s been tasked with to escort to the winter solstice festival — in the snowy streets of Tova, these characters soon discover that the mysterious Odohaa cult of the Carrion Crow clan is anything but gone. Roanhorse’s evocative writing, lush descriptions and impeccable worldbuilding make Black Sun an unforgettable read that will have you reaching for the sequel the moment you’re finished.
Check out our other coverage of Black Sun here.
The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne
Set in a bleak, snow-swept world known as Vigrið, The Shadow of the Gods has swiftly gained a following of devoted readers in love with this tale of mythology and court intrigue. This epic fantasy story reads like a Norse saga, unfolding in the aftermath of a fight that’s driven the gods of this world to extinction, while mortals are left to pick up the pieces.
Amid all the uncertainty of this new era, three characters — a huntress, a noblewoman and a thrall — must survive in a harsh and uncaring land. They each have their work cut out for them, as the threats to their life include more than backstabbing nobles and violent mercenaries. Fearsome monsters reside in the wild, waiting to strike unsuspecting travelers, and the bones of the dead gods hold an otherworldly power that is as potent as it is dangerous. With the new release of the final book in the trilogy, now is the perfect time to dive head-first into the icy waters of Vigrið.
East by Edith Pattou
Also published under the title North Child, Edith Pattou’s spellbinding Young Adult tale has captured readers in his hold for over two decades. This novel reimagines the Norwegian fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, firmly anchored in 16th-century Scandinavia while still retaining the magic of the original legend. Within East’s pages, main character Rose has always been different, something her superstitious mother has known ever since the mysterious circumstances of Rose’s birth. Rose, in turn, has always had a spark of adventure inside her — one that ignites when a white bear comes to the door and offers to save her ailing family if she accompanies it into the snow. Rose agrees and soon finds herself in an abandoned castle, occupied only by herself and a mysterious nightly visitor. With magic, mystery and a hint of romance, East casts a spell over the reader with all the atmosphere and magnetism of an old legend told by firelight on a cold winter evening.
The Bright & the Pale by Jessica Rubinkowski
Winter tales are full of frost-covered forests and arctic tundras, populated with a host of otherworldly dangers. But what about a tale of a snow-covered mountain that holds magical secrets? In her debut Young Adult fantasy, Jessica Rubinkowski throws readers into a world woven together by Russian folklore, where the enchanted Knnot Mountain has unleashed a sheet of ice over the nearby village. Seventeen-year-old Valeria somehow avoided the freeze, but the rest of her family wasn’t so lucky — and with the czar on a warpath for anyone who survived, Valeria must fend for herself in a cruel and uncaring world. Her only protection is the Thieves Guild she joins, and her only solace is the company of her childhood friend and fellow survivor, Alik.
But when Alik is imprisoned, Valeria must bargain for his freedom on a perilous mission up the very mountain that started it all. With an icy climb, cutthroat companions and sinister force cocooned in the heart of Knnot Mountain, Valeria must put all her survival skills to the test with both her and Alik’s fates hanging in the balance.
Check out some other books we think would pair well with The Bright & the Pale here.
The Winter Road by Adrian Selby
Compared to the works of Mark Lawrence and Joe Abercrombie, this adult fantasy standalone follows Teyr Amondsen, an ex-soldier who’s determined to bring prosperity to the common people of the Circle. What is the Circle, you may ask? It’s a thousand-mile stretch of dangerous forests, made all the more dangerous by the warring clans who reside within its cold, shadowy hold. Teyr isn’t one to back down from a fight, however — and with her caravan of battle-hardened mercenaries, she sets off to forge a trading road through the perilous woods. The Winter Road is as evocative in its wintry descriptions as the name would suggest, with snowdrifts piled high by the fierce winds. But even more dangerous than the unforgiving weather is a particularly violent warlord who would pay dearly to see Teyr fail. While it toes the line into grimdark fantasy, The Winter Road nevertheless shines with Teyr’s earnest hope to better the lives of those around her, even if it means facing down a threat the likes of which she’s never seen.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
While it’s technically a children’s book rather than a Young Adult novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe simply cannot be left off a list of winter-themed fantasies. First published in 1950, this beloved tale begins when four siblings — Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie — step through a wardrobe door into the magical world of Narnia, where the White Witch has frozen the land in an eternal winter. Allied with Tumnus the faun, Aslan the talking lion and even Father Christmas himself, the children must outsmart the cold-hearted witch and break her hold on the land of Narnia. With well-known sequels like Prince Caspian, the prequel The Magician’s Nephew and even a film adaptation, the Chronicles of Narnia have solidified their place in the cultural zeitgeist of fantasy. And it’s easy to see why, when reading this enduring tale will feel as though you’ve sank into the book pages — or perhaps climbed through a wardrobe — into another world entirely.
For more books like C.S. Lewis’ classic, you can check out our Tall Poppies article of some additional winter reads that will give you all the chills of this cold-weather season.
