The cover caught my eye, the storyline sounded interesting and it was the book suggested for a Buddy Read group I am in, so I double-tapped request on this one. I like to have the option to read the audio book I am listening to, in case a suspenseful or scary part comes up, so I am glad that I had both options for this one. There wasn't a lot that was scary or suspenseful, but for the few parts that were like that, it helped me out.

This is what I would assume is called "cottage-core" or "cozy fantasy". Low stakes, Found Family (FAVORITE. TROPE. EVAR!!!), light magic and world building. There are some heavier themes that are dealt with, as the MC is from a neighboring country and clearly does not resemble the people of the country she is in. There is also child kidnapping/endangerment, homophobia that a side character is dealing with and a potential war with said neighboring country, as well as being hunted/chased by employees of the country she is residing in, so there are some larger themes at play, but nothing is too stressful. It is all delivered very low-key, but not in a lackluster way. Hard to explain, but I guess it would fall under the sub-genre of cozy very well.

My favorite part of the whole book is the Found Family and how they all rally around one another in each's time of need. The book didn't wow me with action, but it was almost calming. Despite being somewhat slow moving, which is not what I usually go for, this was enjoyable and I am glad that it was the first book chosen for my reading group's Buddy Read.

4, super sweet and gentle, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group/Ace, libro.fm and Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group for an eARC and ALC of this book to read/listen to and review.

I absolutely adored this cozy fantasy book. Tao was an incredibly endearing main character to follow along with, and the found-family-along the way is a theme / trope that when done well, as in this book, makes my heart swoon. I found all of the characters in this plot enjoyable and delightful, although they do remain pretty surface level caricatures of what you might typically find in a fantasy book. The plot is very much not high-stakes, and it all wraps up with a happy little bow at the end, which for me is exactly what I was looking for in this book following a string of heavy reads. However, for any fantasy fans who want in-depth character analysis or development, or a fast-moving, intriguing plot mirroring the troubles of our own modern society, you will not find that here. This book is great for a cozy-reading session where you want to fall in love with characters, watch their bonds grow, and follow along on a fantasy-light adventure with a guaranteed happy ending.

I enjoyed the character development in the teller of small fortunes, the fantasy elements were just right for me. The pacing was slow at times and I wanted to give up. I'm glad I finished it and hope to learn more about this world and these characters in the future.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an electronic ARC of this book.

If you are a fan of cozy, heartwarming reads, this is for you. It brings to mind Legends & Lattes, The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, and The Spellshop. It just brings the warmth. What an endearing, comforting read.

I was swept away by this sweet but well-developed world and complex characters. The familiar tropes of cozy fantasy are spun with more than the usual depth, and yet the characters retained the goodness that we crave in cozies. I'll be looking forward to the next book by Julie Leong!

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc! 3.5/5 stars rounded down, a wonderfully cozy fantasy read

one thing I really appreciated about this cozy fantasy in particular was that there were some political tensions going on throughout the entire book - like yes, it is a cozy fantasy, but leong does a great job of balance the feel good coziness with the real world issues going on in the background and how they affect both the plot and the characters. it lent more gravity to a genre that tends to just be pure fluff, though there's nothing wrong with that. still, the plot was relatively low tension, low stakes - mostly just people handling the obstacles in their lives and finding ways to make connections and stay true to themselves despite it all. overall, a great cozy read if you're looking for fantasy to take your mind off things

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong [Berkley Publishing Group #egalley #gifted ; purchased physical copy ]

I love cozy fantasy titles and the past few years has been so good for this genre. The Teller of Small Fortunes falls right into this wonderful genre and does not disappoint. Tao is a traveling fortune teller, with secrets of her own that keep her traveling from town to town. As she travels, she begins to make connections leading her to eventually travel alongside three companions. As the three journey together and learn of each other's stories, they also discover more about themselves and what they desire from their lives. This was filled with magic, loyalty, and found family vibes that was absolutely perfect.

TBH - I skimmed this book. It wasn't bad but it just moved so slow in some parts that I couldn't keep reading it without falling asleep - like int he middle of the day it was putting me to sleep. So Maybe it's Tao's predictions being so lame and unimportant. The rain or good/bad news - the stakes felt so low that I guess I just didn't care what happened. It's an okay story and I obviously felt compelled to finish the book but will definitely not be reading another one from this author.

This is very much 'Legends and Lattes' meets 'Psalm for the Wild-Built,' but it's also assuredly it's own thing! It's a fabulous contribution to the cozy fantasy/high-fantasy genre, and I love seeing mainstream/trad-pubbed novels in the sub-genre that aren't Euro-centric/offer non-white takes on the genre. Can't wait to buy a physical copy of this to add to my own library!

This was such a wonderful, cozy fantasy full of adventure and friendship! I loved how rich and diverse this entire book was from the premise, the cast of characters, and all the settings and food! A truly wonderful read!

4.5/5 Stars

I absolutely loved this! We follow Tao, a traveling fortune teller, and her growing group of friends (and a cat!) on a magical journey. I felt completely swept away by their adventure.

What I especially appreciated was the lack of a prominent romance—there’s only some minor flirting between two side characters. Instead, the focus is on Tao and the family she builds along the way. Since the story revolves around Tao telling small fortunes in different towns, we’re constantly introduced to new settings, which helped maintain a cozy, low-stakes vibe while still keeping things interesting.

I highly recommend this book to everyone! Many cozy fantasies (for me!) either rely too heavily on romance or the characters aren't doing anything new, making the story feel stale. But this book truly changed things up for me, and I’m so glad I enjoyed it as much as I did!

The Teller of Small Fortunes is a lovely cozy fantasy read for the winter!

Tao tells small fortunes, things like that your cow will fall in a hole, or the sun will shine on Sunday. But don't ask her to tell you who you will marry, or when you will die. She won't tell you.

Tao is trying to fly under the radar and avoid the mages who control magic from the capital city. She left there years ago, when she realized her stepfather would make her work with the mages and she'd lose her freedom. She has traveled around the country, alone, in her small caravan, setting up in town squares for a day or two.

One day, she meets two men, a former thief and a former soldier, who are looking for the soldier's daughter. She disappeared several months ago, and they've been searching ever since. In the town where they meet, they also meet a beautiful woman who is a baker's assistant. They all decide to travel together, to stay safe, and earn some coin together. Tao is rusty at being a friend, but she begins to open up as her traveling mates help save her (and each other) from danger.

This book has heart, and I really enjoyed the ways friendships blossomed.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

Actual Rating 3.5

I’ll admit, cozy fantasy and I don’t often get along and it’s usually because I want things to be more compelling, for there to be a little tension or something to make it engaging. While there were many strong aspects of this work, I still had that feeling with this. There wasn’t really anything to keep my full attention or to keep me fully engaged. While there were some conflicts throughout, they were always easily and quickly resolved, feeling too low-stakes to even count as conflict. Similar with the protagonist’s inner conflicts – it felt like they were lacking depth and exploration, probably to try and keep the work “cozier.”

There were some things I quite liked about this one. The author stayed away from unnecessary romance, which is always a plus. The last quarter of the book was a little faster paced with some more actual events occurring, which made for a stronger ending. I enjoyed the more fantastical elements that were included, though I wanted more from the worldbuilding overall. The baking aspect was fun as well.

Overall, if you tend to love cozy fantasy you’ll probably quite like this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong is a standalone novel, which is a cozy fantasy. Tao, our heroine, is an immigrant fortune teller, who travels with her mule, into many villages, offering only small fortunes. Tao was born as Shinn, but lived her whole life speaking only fluent Eshteran. The story follows Tao, as she finds herself a new found family, filled with adventure and friendship.
Tao meets Mash, is a mercenary, (who is looking for his 4-year-old missing daughter): and his friend Silt, who is an ex-thief, who is charming, witty and funny. Together the three of them travel to different villages, with Tao tells small fortunes, with Mash and Silt traveling with her; especially Mash continuing to look for his daughter. After visiting a few villages, they come across with Kina, who is sweet and loves baking, and decides to follow Tao, and become a part of the group. A short time later, we meet Fidelitus, who is a magical cat. As they continue visiting different villages, they all bond together, as their friendship becomes more like family.

Tao is approached by a mage, who wants her to join the Guild, but she manages to escape, and they all continue to avoid the mages, who are hunting her. Tao faces prejudice, as she wants nothing to do with the Guild, as she only does small
fortunes, knowing privately she does have ability to be a seer, which she avoids at all cost; as Tao is bitter and resentful against the Guild.
Eventually, the army and mage, will find her, and bring her to the Guild, as they need to use her true ability to help read the truths. When Tao meets the High Mage, she learns more secrets that they need her help with. She realizes that she is able to be a Seer, and help the Guild truly discover if there is war on the horizon. Tao manages to reveal the truths, and accepts the High Mage allowing her to move on, but be available in future cases. She manages to get some money, and free her friends, as well as the High Mage willing to find Mash’s missing daughter.
The Teller of Small Fortunes was a warm, wholesome, funny, cozy and wrenching story. It was an emotional and thoughtful story, that was a terrific read. The Teller of Small Fortunes was very well written by Julie Leong. A emotional comforting tale, with new found family, and wonderful secondary characters. I suggest you read this book.

*The Teller of Small Fortunes* by Julie Leong is a beautifully crafted novel that blends magical realism with poignant family drama. The story follows the protagonist, who possesses the unique ability to predict small, often overlooked moments in people's lives, offering glimpses of their futures. As she navigates her own personal challenges, Leong explores themes of fate, identity, and connection. The writing is lyrical and evocative, drawing readers into a world where the mundane meets the mystical. Though the pacing can be slow at times, the emotional depth and vivid characters make it a compelling and reflective read.

Asia-inspired cozy-adjacent fantasy! I enjoyed The Teller of Small Fortunes, and while it does give some cozy fantasy vibes, I wouldn't call it cozy per se from a subgenre perspective. There are quite a few things happening with the plot, but there is found family and a main character who reads like she might be ace.

Tao tells fortunes that come true, but only small ones. And that's kind of on purpose. She travels and lives alone, but ends up slowly building a sort of family along the way to searching for a missing girl. And she must reckon with the past she is running from.

I liked the inspiration this drew from Asian cultures as a way of talking about identity, immigration, and more. There are some things that are a little on the nose in a silly sort of way that I found charming, but others might be annoyed by. Like the creation of fortune cookies. Overall, I enjoyed this and would try something else from the author. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

3/5 stars - This was a nice book. The "cozy fantasy" element definitely takes center stage. I loved Tao - she gave me a bit of the "Monk and Robot" vibes, which I was very into. The slow addition of the band of characters was a little meh, but mostly okay. There were some slow moments in the middle where the story just became a bit more adventure-trekking than sorting stuff out, but again, not bad. I ended up tearing up at the end several times, so I guess it plucked a nerve! Cute.

This was such a cute, cozy fantasy book. I really wanted to love it but it took me awhile to really be pulled into the storyline. I started and stopped several times and it felt a little slow. I did eventually really get into the story as I bonded with the characters more. The group becomes a family as they travel and there is some character growth. It just felt like there was something missing at times, maybe some more risk or adventure/action. But overall it was a cute book!

*3.75 stars*

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC of this book.

Julie Leong tells a light tale of Tao, The Teller of Small Fortunes(paper from ace). She keeps moving because the fortunes she tell come true. Unfortunately the kingdom of Eshtera wants all magi registered and she soon has a witch finder on her tail. Two men, one a reformed thief and the other searching for his missing daughter join her. Then a young baker looking for adventure and two cats join the fun. After some adventures they are caught, but it all works out in the end. Fun

Review will be posted on FYA's blog on 12/9/24.

Cover Story: A Warm Glow

The warmth of yellow and orange lights against the blue darkness is what initially drew me to this book, and, after reading, I think the cover designer was pretty spot-on in finding a design that looks the way the book made me feel.

The Deal:

A few years ago, Tao quietly escaped her old, restricting life and disappeared into the countryside. She spends her time traveling with her wagon and her donkey, making just enough to live off of by telling small fortunes: benign, tiny details about a person’s future that give them just enough excitement to spare a coin or to trade for a night’s meal. Life takes a turn, however, when an seemingly innocent prediction about a father giving his daughter a kitten turns Tao’s solitary sojourn into a search for a missing child. And while looking for this missing girl, Tao may also find the pieces of herself she thought were long gone.

BFF Charm: Let Me Love You

Tao is a gentle soul hiding a lot of unresolved hurt from her past, and that’s made her quite reserved at the start of the novel. She initially chafes against so much human contact, but eventually she realizes having people genuinely care about you isn’t so bad. I adored Tao and wanted to give her a big hug.

Swoonworthy Scale: 0

There’s a side romance for a few of Tao’s companions, but her journey is about healing past familial hurts and making connections with people in general. There’s time for romance later, and this story doesn’t need it.

Talky Talk: Cozy Escapism

Real talk: I read this book the week of the election. (Fun (?) fact: I did have the ARC already, but it looks it actually released ON November 5th. It’s like the universe knew it was needed!) I craved some escapism, and I needed something hopeful. Cozy fantasy has been on a meteoric rise the last few years—gee, wonder why?—but I’m picky and a lot of it just doesn’t hit for me. I need good writing alongside the fluffy subject matter, but, luckily for me, Leong’s story had both. This book made me smile and made me cry (happy tears), and even when I could see where it was trying to tug at my heartstrings, it never felt manipulative. I just really, really needed its positivity and that happy ending, and it came about at a perfect time. Leong’s authors note said she wrote this for herself when she was deep in her father’s cancer battle during COVID (!!), and she’d run out of already published cozy fantasies to distract her from real life.

Bonus Factor: Found Family

Tao meets a pair of men, Mash and Silt, on the road who help her out of a tough situation, and agrees to help them on their search for a missing girl. Later on they acquire a baker, Kina, and a cat, Fidelitus, and soon it’s a full travel party. How the characters interacted and formed bonds were my favorite parts of the story, and reminded me of some of my favorite "the journey is the destination" fantasy books growing up.

Bonus Factor: Cozy World-building

Leong created a familiar enough fantasy world that takes its inspirations from our world, but tweaks them a bit. Her places and people are obviously stand-ins for real cultures, and while it did take a bit of adjustment on my end at times, with an occasional raised eyebrow here or there, ultimately the charm and coziness won out. It was easy enough to “just go with" her world-building and let the characters shine.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Prejudice

Tao is a Shinn (China-coded) living in Eshtera (White European-coded), where there are few people like her, so she’s a bit of an “oddity” wherever she goes. Aside from having to reconcile her own complicated issues with her gift, parents, and step-father, she occasionally has to deal with prejudiced behaviors of strangers. While this may be at odds with the idea of this being a cozy fantasy, goodness perseveres most often…which can sometimes feel like a fantasy in and of itself.

Relationship Status: Kindly Strangers

Book, you were there for me when I was feeling QUITE down in the dumps, and while nothing in the real world had changed after I emerged from my warm cocoon of friendship and gentle travels, at least my mental health had improved incrementally.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Ace. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. The Teller of Small Fortunes is available now.