Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this lovely novel. Tao's journey and her found family are warm and cozy without too sweet and cloying. Rather like her tea. Reminiscent of Becky Chambers' Psalm for the Wild-built, there is adventure mixed with tenderness, and an ending that gives hope for all our futures.

Oh hello cozy fantasy book. I love this book that moves at a perfectly cozy and content pace, even when there is danger or drama. It truly is a story of finding you family, finding where you belong and feel safe and happy. It is full of characters who are just trying to do their best, and this is why I love cozy books. There is never anything heart-pounding, but there are a lot of emotions (I absolutely teared up at the end) and lots of growth for all the characters. The splashes of magic are lovely and well thought out. The comradery between the MCs is something that we all search for in life and I especially am drawn to in stories. Tao's struggle between her past and figuring out her present and future are so relatable in so many different aspects (no spoilers). I smiled almost the entire time and enjoyed reading this so much.

Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC; my thoughts and review are my own.

Tao uses the accoutrements of a carnival fortune teller to conceal the fact that she is actually a powerful psychic. She only tells small fortunes, terrified of her own abilities. Her perambulatory lifestyle does not encourage companionship, until suddenly it does. Tao finds herself traveling with Mash, an ex-soldier looking for his missing daughter, Silt the reformed thief, and Kina, an apprentice baker with wanderlust. These strange companions soon become a found family, their adventures together helping each face their greatest challenges in life. This heartwarming cozy fantasy hits all the right notes. There's even a cat.

Tao travels a land she was brought to as a small child telling small fortunes. Nothing too big because the one time she did, something awful happened. This is a gentle story of found family and making peace with the past.

At the onset A Teller of Small Fortunes was everything I could want in a story. Tao, a fortune teller, is a traveler by necessity, as her magic makes her a target. It's safer, she thinks, to be alone--that is, until she makes some friends. She meets Mash and Silt, erstwhile thieves, who are searching for Mash's missing daughter. Then she meets Kina, a baker, and is adopted by a cat called Fidelitus. Together they make a charming chosen family, and I grew to love them.

The premise is wonderful, but the resolution of the plot really let me down and knocked my rating by at least a star. You can't tell me that the bad guys are actually just well-meaning bureaucrats in the end! Come onnnnnnnnnnn. I think this would be better marketed as Middle Grade.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Cozy fantasy is having a real renaissance in 2024 and we are truly blessed!

The Teller of Small Fortunes is a story about a young woman named Tao who makes her way as a traveling fortune teller. She keeps her predictions small and inconsequential (despite having the ability to do more) in order to avoid the notice of the government which conscripts all magic users. In her travels, Tao comes to meet Mash and Silt (a mercenary and a thief) and who are looking for Mash’s kidnapped daughter, and Kina, a baker that Tao foretells will leave her home and take up baking on the road! The little band sets off to find Mash’s daughter and to make some money telling fortunes and baking questionable scones.

Adventure and hijinks ensue!

I loved all of the characters, the found family element was strong with this one and totally gave me all the feels! The plot is on the slower side, as with many cozy fantasy books, but there were some surprisingly tense moments and the second half of the book really picked up. Some plot points were resolved rather easily, but again, this feels common in cozy fantasy. You read it for the feels and we definitely get lots of feels in this one! I was totally teary by the end.

I also loved that there was no big romance plot in this one. No idea if Tao is aroace but I like the possibility!

I loved that I felt like I was in the middle of a DnD campaign while reading this.

Rating: 4 ⭐️

"Theres no such things as greater good-there's just good, and the more of it we can do, the better."

The Teller of Small Fortunes begins with our main character, Tao, as she goes from town to town telling life-changing fortunes such as, you will receive a new green tunic, or your neighbor will dent your pan. The important things. And of course, as with any cozy fantasy, she meets friends along the way!

This book had a little bit of everything for the cozy fantasy reader: found family, animal sidekicks, magical creatures, and baked goods! Sometimes I need a book that makes me feel happy. It was light-hearted and funny, filled with quips and a cast of slightly ridiculous characters. And that's what cozy fantasy is all about.

I would like to thank Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me The Teller of Small Fortunes in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Ace/Berkeley publishing group and #NetGalley for the chance to read an egalley of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book, in part because I had so liked [book:A Psalm for the Wild-Built|40864002] but this is a very basic quest story with interesting characters, but nothing so original and engaging that you can't put it down.

I did like the characters, and some of the dialogue, but I couldn't really get over knowing the ending before I was through the first chapter.

Recommended for someone new to fantasy who cares more about characters than plot.

Tao is a teller of small fortunes. She roams the western part of the empire, never staying long in one place and always on her own until one day she meets two wandering mercenaries who are searching for a lost child. As they travel together they are joined by a young baker looking for adventure and eventually a lost cat looking for a home. As they travel together searching for the child and avoiding the magic users searching for Tao they are soon faced with choices and changes they may not welcome.
This is a slow moving story, almost totally focused on character growth. There is only one real “dangerous adventure” incident and is mostly a cosy and warm story of friendships and found family. I really liked all the characters and how they grew and changed as they forged ties with each other. Recommended

This was a super sweet, low stakes, cozy fantasy that will pull you in from the first page. The author does an amazing job blending Asian culture into a traditional fantasy setting in a way that will feel both familiar and unique while reading.

Tao was a great protagonist, and her journey does a great job of delicately highlighting the difficulties immigrants can face in a new culture and the importance of acceptance. I loved how she remained compassionate throughout her trials and worked hard to remain kind despite how she’s treated by others.

Although Tao was my favorite, none of the other MC’s were far behind. Each one will capture your heart as you’re reading and you can’t help but cheer as they overcome their own personal challenges on their journey together.

This books has so many layers to uncover while reading, each with its own beautiful message for you to find. Reading this book felt like a warm blanket or a big hug from an old friend. If you need a story to bring some light into your life, pick up The Teller of Small Fortunes. Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: November 5, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for my free e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This satisfying, quiet story follows a teller of small fortunes--those day-to-day events that often change lives--as she travels her adopted country and finds surprising friends along the way. Tao is a Shinn outsider in the kingdom of Eshtera, brought there as a child by her widowed mother. Although she was raised in Eshteran ways, due to her appearance and background, she never fit in. When her Eshteran stepfather tries to force her into either a marriage or to join the Mage Guild where her ability to foresee the future would be used for the Crown's advantage, Tao runs away and becomes a travelling fortune teller. This is where the story begins and how she meets the people who become her friends, the adventures they have, and the growth all of them achieve with the help of each other makes for a wonderful story. It's well worth travelling with them as they go.
Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. This blog post includes affiliate links.
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong is a sweetheart of a fantasy that left me with a full heart & the reminder that friendship is so important to life happiness.

When the book opens, Tao is a solitary teller of small fortunes who left her remaining family for a life on the road. She soon runs into Mash & Silt, who are looking for Mash’s missing daughter, & later, Kira, who’s a baker with a desire to travel.

As the group travels together, they run into mysterious/magical/annoying figures along the way, all encounters building the friendship that Tao has never had before.

If you like low-stakes fantasy, you might like this one. With that being said, Tao is dealing with emotional pain & a ruptured relationship with her surviving parent, but it all wraps up fairly nicely & leaves the reader feeling the love.

4.5⭐️. Out 11/05.

CWs: previous death of parent; ruptured relationship with surviving parent; discord with step-parent.

[ID: Jess wears a blue floral dress & holds the ebook while standing next to orange flowers.]

“Something within her ached at the sound, and the ache was almost like hunger—an odd, familiar longing for someplace she had never been; for something she did not know.”

This book has been one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I was so excited to dive into the charming coziness of The Teller of Small Fortunes! Here are some things I enjoyed about the book:

✨ A beautiful ragtag found family group made up of characters finding their place in the world. I loved seeing them grow around each other, especially when hard truths needed to be voiced.

✨ Social commentary on the immigrant experience of simultaneously feeling “not enough” and “too much,” all while grappling with a new culture and everything that comes with it. This is woven into the book in a way that is poignant without being overbearing.

✨ Studio Ghibli vibes: a whimsical yet quiet adventure story. I’d love to see Ghibli adapt this one into a movie!

I enjoyed this book as a charming addition to my cozy fantasy collection. It’s got all of the right elements for this type of story, from cozy food descriptions to delightful side characters to magical elements to coming to terms with identity. There were a few high stakes moments, but the majority of the story is very much a fuzzy blanket + cuppa tea experience.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕥:
Tao, an immigrant fortune teller, travels with her mule, telling small fortunes to avoid big consequences. Her lonely life changes when a reformed thief and an ex-mercenary involve her in the search for a lost child. Joined by a baker and a magical cat, Tao embarks on a new journey.

As she bonds with her companions, the shadows of her past close in, forcing her to decide whether to risk everything for the family she never thought she could have.

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
✨ 𝘊𝘰𝘻𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺
☕️ 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥
🫶🏼 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺
🥰 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺
🐱 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘵

𝕊𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕣 𝕍𝕚𝕓𝕖𝕤:
📚 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝘀 ʙʏ ᴛʀᴀᴠɪs ʙᴀʟᴅʀᴇᴇ
📚 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 ʙʏ sᴀɴɢᴜ ᴍᴀɴᴅᴀɴᴀ

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
This was the book equivalent of being wrapped in a hug inside the warmest and coziest blanket. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘀 is wholesome and cozy, despite some of the heavier themes it touches on.

I absolutely adored the ragtag cast of characters; a fortune teller, an ex-mercenary, an ex-thief, a baker, and a magical cat. There was so much depth and development within each character- they were all so well-rounded and very lovable. Found family is one of my very favorite tropes and Julie Leong accomplished this so well with Tao’s story.

I highly recommend reading this magical, cozy, adventurous book. Do yourself a favor this fall and grab a comfy blanket, warm coffee, and this beautiful story when you are in need of some cheer- it will do the trick!

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄.

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (𝟱/𝟱)

A sweet, cozy fantasy about a young woman trying to find a place to just be herself. Along the way she gathers a rag tag bunch of found family, including a wonderfully silly cat and a baker who makes delicious and ugly baked goods.

This reminded me in many ways of Legends & Lattes, and would recommend it to people who really enjoyed that book. This is the author's debut novel, and I think she shows a lot of promise. I look forward to reading her future books!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

This is a very fun, very sweet book about found family and fitting in. Tao travels around the country in her wagon with her trusty mule Laohu telling fortunes to villagers in the communities she passes through. Small fortunes only, though, because big ones have gotten her into terrible trouble. She's trying to keep her head down--not only is she an ethnic Shinn among the Eshteran people, she's running from a past that might catch up with her at any time. Along the way she finds herself beginning to collect people-- a warrior, a thief, a baker-- with whom she goes on adventures. When her path leads her back to the capital city, she tries to figure out a way to use the full extent of her powers to help her friends. Cozy fantasy continues to expand as a genre and this title is a good recommendation for someone interested in getting started.

This is a fast paced cosy fantasy. It would be an excellent introduction to readers wanting to try the genre. This book is also suitable for teens to adults.
Although this book explores the protagonist's journey and immigrant experience, I would have liked more exploration of the characters Tao meets on the way.
It was a quick read and quite enjoyable.

I am really enjoying all the cozy fantasies that have been coming out in the last couple years and I appreciated unique spin this author had, while still embracing the tropes that most cozy fantasy fans love the most. I would have liked a bit more character development for some of the supporting characters, and I also found that there were a few scenes that felt completely unnecessary but overall, I had a great time reading it.

Absolutely loved this one! Highly recommend for fans of Becky Chambers's Monk and Robot series and for anyone who liked Legends and Lattes but wanted a bit more plot.

The journey made them stronger, made them a family, but in the end, the most dangerous things were the idea of something rather than the reality. Bonus points for Laohu and the small fortunes :)