I read THE TELLER OF FORTUNES at just the right time because this cozy fantasy perfectly suited my mood and worked well as I was distracted by being away on an extended trip. It was easy to slip into this tale, and I did come to care for the group of characters that gets assembled before the halfway point. I liked tagging along on their adventures, and seeing their relationships grow as they shared more experiences. And even though things escalated and wrapped up pretty quickly, it felt right for a tale that was meant to be slice of life(ish) and cozy.

Thank you so much to Berkley Pub for the copy of this book!

This is the exactly the type of fantasy I need in my life. I had heard that if you enjoyed Travis Baldree's books that you would enjoy this and I have to agree.

"One could choose to be nothing, or one could choose to be happy."

I will say this book kind of gave me The Wizard of Oz feel? Not sure if it's enough to say its a retelling but the vibes are very similar and I was here for it. You have Tao who travels city to city to do small fortunates and she meets Mash and Silt (both former thieves) along the way who join her and then eventually meet Kina, a baker. There's even a cat (Fidelitus) who they take care of on the travel. They meet a man who asks them to fulfil a quest. Just similar themes. There was a moment where Tao was separated from the rest of the group and they came to rescue her and it was just so sweet how they banded together to get to her (including the cat). They became each other's family.

I love the relationship between all the characters and how they were so determined to help Mash find his daughter. I was happy to see Tao re-establish her relationship with her mom after essentially running away.

If you are looking for a fantasy lite read with a cozy feel about a group of people traveling - give this one a try!

PS - They met a troll at a bridge! This was a very exciting encounter just because of it being stereotypical and I could picture it so vividly.

4.5

Cozy adventure fantasy. I wasn't expecting this to be a cozy fantasy, with semi low stakes. It was an interesting take on epic adventure fantasy.
I did enjoy this, especially the camaraderie that develops between the group members.
It is a bit slow paced, but not in a bad way, as it seems to fit. All in all a good solid fantasy read.
Thanks so much to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC

Huge thank you to @prhaudio @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.
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This audio sucked me right into the story! Tao is a fortune teller that travels with companions that become family. This one isn’t just about telling fortunes. There’s mystery, friendship, love and a bit of magic.

Rating: Loved It, 4.5 Stars

This book was such a quiet treat. I had a fantastic time with it - it made me chuckle and it made me cry. In this, we follow Tao, a teller of small fortunes who travels the country from town to town, never staying anywhere very long, and never creating any lasting connections with the people she meets. However, as we join her, we come alongside her as she slowly creates her own little found family consisting of a rogue, a baker, a mercenary, and a one-eyed cat. Tao is an immigrant from a different nation, and has always had to grapple with the reality that she never feels she fits in anywhere.

Overall, I really loved this book. I thought it was quiet and unassuming, but it really had me caring about the characters. It did a wonderful job of building their relationships with each other, and I loved the journey that Tao took. I think that the only thing that held me back from a full 5 stars is that it felt like there were a lot of different things happening, and like it was almost trying to do too much. There were threads that were started that never felt like they wrapped up all the way. And as far as I am aware, this is meant to be a standalone.

That being said, I didn't mind too much. This is a quiet, cozy fantasy with medium-level stakes and a really delightful found family. All in all, it was a fantastic book, and I am very glad to have read it.

I know it's overused a lot - but this is the epitome of a cozy fantasy. For some, that will cause you steer clear... But I continue to chase the whimsy, dammit!

Following a ragtag team of a fortune teller, a baker, and two reformed thieves who all come together, the forged friendships and chosen family vibes were so perfect. I really enjoyed Tao's opening up about her past and the relationship she has with her powers. The world building was also very compelling and immersive for a relatively short book, and i would be excited for more from this world.

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.