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.

This was absolutely adorable! I loved the found family elements and the magic system. While things did wrap up a little too easily, I was okay with it because the rest of the book was such a delight.

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences. Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and a slightly magical cat. Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.

This was a really cute, cozy fantasy about found family and friendship. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked it up since I was going in completely blind, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

This is a very low-stakes cozy fantasy that focuses on character development. I’d say it’s very comparable to Legends and Lattes, with the main difference being that the characters travel from town to town instead of staying in one fixed setting. I think the changing locations work well for this story as they let the main character meet new people and grow.

I really enjoyed how each character grew throughout the story and how they all became really close and learned to care for each other. Their friendship developed naturally and didn’t seem forced, making their bond feel genuine and heartfelt.

If you are a fan of Legends and Lattes, give this one a try! It has the same cozy vibes but with fortune tellers instead of orcs.

Thank you so much to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Narrated by Phyllis Ho, The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong delivered a delightful fantasy with found family, adventure and personal growth. If you love Travis Baldree stories as I do, you won’t want to miss this debut.

Tao tells small fortunes, only small ones for each comes with a risk and big ones can end in disaster as she very well knows. Tao told an enormous fortune only once and her village was destroyed, her father killed and from there her life fell apart. Her mother remarried and moved them to live with strangers. So Tao ran away and now travels alone, moving from town to town telling safe, small fortunes.

When Tao tells a small fortune, it changes everything. She tells traveling mercenary he will be greeted by his little girl in front of his home. Only his little girl has been missing for months and he has traveled in search of her. Along with his companion, a thief, they decide to travel with Tao in search of his daughter. As they go, small fortunes soon have others joining them, and Tao finds herself with a found family.

However, her stepfather has sent a mage to find Tao, and her small/big fortunes soon draw his attention. The tale that unfolds was rich, beautifully detailed with characters I couldn’t help but root for. I found myself ripped from reality and lost in the story. I absolutely love when that happens.

Phyllis Ho narrates and captures each character and their personality wonderfully. Her tone and pacing enhanced this enchanting tale. I highly recommend grabbing your earbuds for this story. While this appears to be a standalone, I welcome more stories from this author and world.

DNF. Perfectly pleasant, but pretty dull. None of the characters interested me, and neither did the stakes, which are so low and banal that I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to care. Even the missing child, objectively the most urgent problem that needs solving, completely lacks tension, and it's possible to forget about her for long stretches of time, which... is not really how missing kids should work!

If I contrast this to something like Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (also billed as cosy fantasy) - Spellshop has a snarky talking plant, lots of enchanting magical creatures (cloudbears, merhorses, winged cats), and the whimsy of opening and running a freaking jam shop, which is bizarre and also delightful. Teller has no equivalents to catch my interest, my sense of humour, or my desire for enchantment or whimsy. (The idea of a fortune teller of small fortunes has all of that, but then it becomes clear the MC *can* see 'proper' fortunes but doesn't because angst, which, lame and boring.)

Suffice to say, I don't get the hype.

I wanted to love this more than I did. The cover, the synopsis, the overall vibe - it felt like something I would be obsessed with. Unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. I found it hard to stay engaged, and the writing style felt a bit overdone. There were lots of smaller elements to love (the relationships between the characters for example) and I did laugh several times, so I think this book would be loved by the right person. That person just wasn't me this time.

10/10 will absolutely read again! The Teller of Small Fortunes is just the right combination of cozy fantasy adventure. It was heartfelt, and made me cry twice toward the end, and very seamlessly brought up the rampant issue of xenophobia that we have in the real world, but did it without feeling preachy. I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, but I am pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it.

I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to come up with the words to describe how wonderful it felt to read this.

It lightened my soul and my heart. It made me feel so content and happy. I’m honestly so glad I got to read this charming story.

Julie Leong you have a fan for life.