When I started writing the Chronicles of Osmaria, I didn’t write to market. I wrote, and still write, the story I feel needs to be told. Which put me in a difficult spot when I went to market based on the fantasy subgenre.

I quickly realized that my fantasy writing style doesn’t fall neatly into a fantasy subgenre. Sure, there is some romance, but it’s not romantasy. Echoes of Bellek falls into the category of low fantasy but it’s set in a high fantasy world.

It got even more complicated when I realized that I mix cozy fantasy elements (my writing style, character-driven storyline, and a focus on day to day life) with dark fantasy elements (mental health rep, traumatic events, and the repercussions).

I didn’t know how I could market without upsetting readers at some turn. If I marketed as a cozy fantasy, it could backfire if readers felt that some of the storyline was too dark. If I marketed as epic fantasy, readers may bow out when the first book doesn’t deliver that much magic (I promise the rest of the series does).

So I did the only reasonably crazy thing and leaned into the chaos. I designated my own genre.
Chaotic Fantasy.
A blend of all the things I love in my fantasy and a subgenre that encapsulates my writing style.

Since then, I’ve even found some other books who I feel fall into this subgenre quite nicely. Some key things I look for in a book that is Chaotic Fantasy are:
– Diverse representation including queer, neurodiverse, disabled, or BIPOC characters
– Mental health representation where there is no magical “fix”
– Character-driven plots with character growth/self-discovery as an important aspect
– The world doesn’t have absolutes. Characters have to wrestle with morally grey dilemmas and don’t always make the right/best choice
– Cozy, everyday moments highlighted in the story
– Some angst or darkness to offset the cozy

Despite the unorthodox method of creating my own sub-genre, it has been widely well-received and generates conversation at events. It’s been nice to lean into the aspects that make bring my writing to life without worrying about marketability in a subgengre. And while I may write something “to market” in the future, Chaotic Fantasy will always hold a special place in my heart.

Do you have any book recs that fall into the Chaotic Fantasy sub-genre?