The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong – Review

Published: November 5, 2024

Publisher: Ace

Series: N/A

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 336 (Paperback)

My Rating: 4 Stars

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
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.

---

I really can’t resist a cozy fantasy anymore. I love the knowledge that no matter what, there’s likely to be a happy ending for the characters and this provides the perfect escape from busy daily life. The Teller of Small Fortunes initially caught my eyes because of the vibrant cover art and the title itself, which intrigued me.

The Teller of Small Fortunes follows Tao, a young immigrant woman who ran away from home after getting tired of her stepfather controlling her life and her mother’s emotional distance. She set off to become a fortune teller, using her gifts in small ways to earn money and fund her nomadic lifestyle. When we meet Tao, she’s been traveling alone with only her mule for company when she’s joined by two men called Mast and Silt. Mast is searching for his five year old daughter who was stolen away by bandits and Silt is his friend and companion in this quest. Though Tao at first dislikes the company, she soon finds the companionship welcome, even when their group gets a little bit bigger.

This is a relatively low stakes story that still has enough danger and minor conflict to keep the pace moving and the story engaging. Despite Tao’s care in only telling minor fortunes, a mage hunter is still after her and determined to bring her back to the Guild tower. She’s constantly on the lookout for him and has to periodically hide so she isn’t taken back and forced to join the guild and use her magic against her will. Mast is always on the lookout for information about his daughter and Silt is trying to figure out who exactly he is aside from a semi-reformed thief. Another woman, Kina, joins during their travels and she’s looking to see more of the world and hone her baking skills. 

Overall, The Teller of Small Fortunes is a charming story with meaningful character relationships and barely any romance at all (for those of you wondering). As with many cozy fantasy stories, the drama is small scale which is a nice change of pace from epic fantasy where everyone is worried about saving the empire or the world. There is a particular scene where the characters seem like they’re about to embark on a more epic quest, but it turns out to be rather short lived. This didn’t quite fit with the overall vibe of the story, but I think the author made it work out well in the end.