Welcome friend! Ariel and I adored Julie Leong’s debut, The Teller of Small Fortunes during our buddy read for November. If you are a fan of cozy fantasy and quests, this is one to check out. Here is what this book is about.
Julie Leong | Goodreads
A wandering fortune teller finds an unexpected family in this warm and wonderful debut fantasy, perfect for readers of Travis Baldree and Sangu Mandanna.
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—of course—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.
The Teller of Small Fortunes – Discussion
After we highly enjoyed Legends and Lattes, we’ve been keeping our eyes out for some other cozy books to offset some of the more intense reads. The Teller of Small Fortunes is exactly the type of small-scale adventure that emphasizes the friendships that are made along the way.
The tale is from the point of view of Tao, a fortune teller that tells “small” fortunes such as when someone will stub a toe, or if a teenager’s crush will end in a kiss or not.
I enjoyed how the novel began and Tao’s introduction. A young boy had lost a farmer’s goats and she helped him find them. This makes the village welcome her. There are a number of techniques she uses to tell her fortunes – stones, tea, palm reading. I also liked the description of how her powers work. I loved how the story is set in small villages around the kingdom and the low stakes of the situation.
As she journeys from town to town, her little cart becomes full of people she meets along the way. Mash, a rugged adventurer looking for his daughter, Silt, a thief trying to reform his ways, Kina, a baker who’s goods are delicious but look unappetizing, and a cat who often gets into trouble. Their bonds and character arcs all grow and develop throughout the story in a satisfying way.
The Seller of Small Fortunes beautifully unravels Tao’s past, her hesitancy to make friends as well as her choice of only telling small fortunes. There are quests scattered throughout the book that highlight other members of the travelling party and flesh out their characters. I particularly liked the encounter with the phoenix. The characters ponder existential questions, how they want to live their lives and the things that stop them from doing so. The Guild that manages people with magic and the potential of war with Shinara add tension to the plot.
The crew have one main goal: to find Mash’s daughter. However, their meandering adventures lead them to various side quests that ultimately bring them closer to their main objective.
The story concludes well, coming full circle to Tao’s past and her powers, giving more insight into her relationship with her mother and the ways in which people handle grief.
As a whole, this book is a great addition to the “cozy fantasy” subgenre. There’s baked goods, an animal companion, the true treasure of friendship, and a tearfully happy ending. Reading this as an audiobook was also quite fun, and it helped the pacing move along.
This is a debut novel, and I truly hope the author ends up writing more cozy fantasy!
We will be reading more by this author. While we wait for another story, add this one to your Goodreads.
Thanks for reading our discussion! Let us know what you think of this book!
I really want to read this one!
I hope you enjoy it when you get to it! Really good audiobook too. 🙂