One of my favourite things about having Marisha as the protagonist in The House of Frost and Feathers was discovering the marvels of Baba Zima’s chicken-legged house with her. I love a story that leans into the feeling of wonder, discovery, and exploration of a new world.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh is the book that probably most inspired that sense for me in recent years. In this retelling of the Korean folktale, The Tale of Shim Cheong, Mina throws herself into the sea as a sacrifice to the Sea God and finds herself in the underwater Spirit Realm. It is an enchanting and beautiful world, where one’s fate can be bound by a red string and one’s soul turned into a magpie. I absolutely adored it! Incredibly lively and warm, it’s a story about choosing your destiny, finding your tribe, with a sweet and swoony romance.
As readers, we love a world that hinges on book magic and The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix has plenty of it. It features a young woman getting tangled up with magical booksellers who police the Old World. Swords, goblins, and mythical giant wolves abound. Lighthearted, playful, and bursting with action—this is an entertaining read!
Continuing with the bookish theme, Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library series centers around incredibly dynamic setting: a library portal to parallel worlds, where rare books provide stability to the megaverse. Irene the librarian visits various worlds with her grumpy dragon apprentice to retrieve these dangerously unique books. Discovering the different worlds throughout the series is a huge part of the fun.
Infusing The House of Frost and Feathers with feel-good, cozy elements brought me immense joy. My favourite ingredients for a heartwarming read are a healthy helping of whimsy, a large dollop of found family, and a dash of romance—all of which I hope shine through in my book. I want to share with you some reading recommendation that inspire that don’t-want-to-leave-these-characters-and-this-world-feeling.
One of my perennial favourites is Soulless by Gail Carriger. It’s a steampunk paranormal comedy run mad, set in an alternate Victorian London populated by witty, trendsetting vampires and swoony werewolves. The series features sizzling romance, lots of banter, and a cast of colorful characters who come together in the best book hug way.
Speaking of witty banter, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton is a fever dream of prose, where lady pirates with Jane Austen-esque manners command flying houses. After finishing the Lady Scoundrels trilogy, don’t forget to pick up the first book in her new series, The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, for more ridiculous laugh out loud language and Victorian manners, light academia, and romance. These books never fail to make me giggle while reading.
Finally, one of my favourite reads from this past year was A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall. Blending mystery and light academia, it’s an epistolary novel set in an enchanting underwater world. As a marine ecologist, I am a sucker for a story with scientific exploration, add in an incredibly heartwarming romance between gentle, earnest characters and I swoon.
I hope these recommendations ignite that same sense of wonder, warmth, and adventure that I aimed to weave into The House of Frost and Feathers. May these stories transport you to enchanting worlds and introduce you to delightful characters you’ll never want to leave behind.
