This book started out surprisingly well, plot and style alike - I say ’surprisingly’ because found family is one of my favorite tropes and I tend to be quite picky about content here, and for a while I really thought I would give it a higher score. Alas.

So, we get Tao, a traveling fortune teller who comes from an ethnic minority and is extremely determined to never ever step out of the line and tell small fortunes only. She’s a little lonely but has her life more or less figured out when she meets two strangers on a mission of their own, Silt and Mash, who will later become her friends. This all has a bit of a fairy tale vibe, but not in a bad way; they all have no reason to trust each other and the bond builds slowly. Later, through an unlikely vision, they are joined by Kina, a baker’s apprentice who completes the group.

Eventually the bigger plot catches up with them and this is where it all went downhill for me. The tentative way the group acknowledges their friendship turns into regular regurgitations that quickly grew too cheesy for my liking, the side quest comes out of absolutely nowhere and serves no real purpose except I guess to prod Silt further along his character development path and to moralize at the audience. The big conflict - the real scope of Tao’s abilities and the tension around the country’s relations with its neighbor - is resolved so fast, in such a simple and neat way that it felt like a giant cop-out. And it’s all very so very neat, really. If you need a book that is gentle and kind and literally wraps up every single tiny storyline, including but not limited to a store owner who previously appears for several pages, then maybe this book is for you. I personally didn’t buy into this much human decency and joy, especially when it concerns issues related to higher-level politicking, but I guess that could just be me.

A whimsical, cozy fantasy read that shaped up to be a great debut! An ex-mercenary, a baker, and a completely REFORMED thief team up with Tao and set out on an adventure.

I will say I think their collection felt more convenient than playing into the plot. It felt a bit too simple, to have them all come together randomly. I felt myself disconnected from the plot in that sense, and felt more ‘okay, let’s just go with this.’ As an adult novel, I wasn’t fully satisfied with this. I understand the genre, but in this, it needed more of a challenge.

I did fall in love with all the characters, with their silly, compelling antics. And of course there was a cat to love on! Found-family vibes all around, though heads up, no romance with Tao and any of this cast.

(PS I love both the UK and US covers! Gotta hand it to both artists, well done!)

this book was an absolute delight to read!
I had been in a slump where i'd read 4 disappointing/unreadable books in a row, and i just needed something to get me out of that slump. this book was perfect!
it is, at it's core, a tale about unlikely friendships and found families. About being there, supporting and being willing to do anything (within reason) to help those you love (platonic or more).

first, the characters are great. we mainly follow Tao, Kina, Silt and Mash, who are each very different personality wise, an unlikely bunch of friends, but ultimately, the perfect combination. they were all very distinct and I never found myself (as i have with other books) thinking 'which character is this?' because often some writers end up with character clones. but there's none of that here!

the story is so lovely too. It has it's moments of peril, a little darkness, but nothing too over the top that makes this too dark a read. I've seen it described as 'cosy' and honestly, it is. reading it is like a nice little warm hug in a book. it has some wonderful morals too, and a deeper look into government than i've seen in many other books, without going too deep. there's just one section later on in the book that really made me think, and i appreciated it's simple addition to the tale.

it's honestly hard to explain why i enjoyed this so much, but just trust me, it's worth a read if you're needing something pretty relaxed. Not fraught with violence, war, sex etc. it's just chill and so, so enjoyable.

I loved this so much that I've already pre-ordered myself a copy. I didn't know cosy fantasy was my thing until I read this book. It was a hug in a book. I've read one other popular cosy fantasy before and didn't enjoy it. This was different. The different characters and the different stories made me fall in love with cosy fantasy and I'll be looking out for more.

I loved the whole group of characters. There was enough adventure and activity to keep me interested in the story. I can't say enough good things about this book.

I recommend this book to any fans of cosy fantasy.

This book was incredibly cosy and charming. It's one of those books I wish I could leap into and live. Excellent work! I can't wait to recommend it to everyone!

*Actual rating is 4.5*

The Teller of Small Secrets is a cozy fantasy with a sweet and heartwarming story. The characters are the stars of this book, and as soon as the gang was assembled I couldn’t put the book down.

First there’s the Fortune teller of the title, Tao. After a traumatic experience seeing the future as a child, she restricted herself to only seeing small fortunes while being on the run from the Mage Guild. Tao deserves a big hug, and I’m happy that she grew from guarding her heart to allowing people into it. These people are the “reformed” thief Silt, the mercenary Mash and the baker Kina. Not to mention their cat companion Fidelitus. Seeing them grow a found family type of friendship was beautiful, and made me happy to see Tao being surrounded by love and support after everything her life had put her through. My favourite side character was Kina as I have a soft spot for sweet, cinnamon roll characters that are still badass in their own right. Seriously, Kina’s speech to the troll made me cry, because I needed to hear those words as well.

There’s so much heart and funny small moments in this book that makes it cozy, while also dealing with topics of racism and not fitting in in a country different from the one you grew up in. The book has a slow pace, at least to me, but I’m happy that I pushed through because the story was worth it. Not to mention the ending was so wholesome and tied up the threads of the different people the group’s actions had affected. Sister Gravel will always have a special place in my heart.

What an absolute burst of joy. The characters are vivid and diverse, the dialogue flows beautifully and has so much humour. The ending was great and I shed more than a few tears so how could I ask for any more! Highly recommend for fans of a cosy fantasy!!

Cozy fantasy is tricky, there's a fine line between cosy and boring and unfortunetely this book leaned more toward boring. The characters were great but i wish we got more it felt surface level

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for accepting my request to read and review this book early!

I saw the description for this book and immediately knew I had to request it: I ADORE cosy fantasy and I knew this would be such a great pick me up read and I was not wrong.

This book definitely gave legends and lattes vibes.

I felt like this book perfectly wove together cozy elements with some deeper subject matter and hidden messages, while also not overwhelming the reader.

The found family element was something I deeply connected with and really felt.

But anything with magic and baking is automatically a win in my books 🩷

Definitely recommend this one!

I really enjoyed this cosy fantasy romp! Some lovely characters and settings. I thought about half way through it was setting up further books in the series but I'm quite glad it finished the plot up so it could be a standalone. That being said I do think there is scope in the world and characters for more.

For more see my tiktok review.

Thanks so much for an early copy of this book!!

This was such a wonderful and cosy read! It was such a lovely escape with light conflict and characters that you become so invested in.

The UK cover is stunning and I think this book should be read by all to escape from reality and fall in love with magic. And maybe a slightly magical cat .....

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good cozy low stakes fantasy and this one upped the game and hit the spot. If you’re craving all the feel goods, The Teller of Small Fortunes is your gal. This book was like a warm fire and a cup of hot chocolate for the soul. Tao and her charming “small fortunes” (that a lot of the time inadvertently revealed much bigger answers) are so thoughtfully constructed and well written it made the book hard to put down. Also, I realize the enormity of what I’m getting ready to say, but I’m gonna say it any way… This might be my very favorite found family story ever. I know, but it’s true. There’s just something about this book that hit home and never has a similar journey felt more deserved and genuine. I’ll 100% be buying a copy of this when it comes out, 5 stars

You know how there are certain books that you just know that you are going to love? That was me when I started reading The Teller of Small Fortunes . This book is so delightfully charming and so full of heart, which made it so easy to fall in love with. To me, this book had the vibes of a Studio Ghibli film mixed with a cozy fantasy-esque DND campaign. There’s just this comforting quality about Teller, which makes you feel like you are being wrapped up in a warm embrace.

At the centre of this story is a cast of truly amazing characters. There’s Tao, the teller of small fortunes, Mash the former mercenary, Silt the (maybe) reformed thief and Kina the baker. There is also a magic animal companion; a wonderful, clever cat. They are a found family in every sense of the world; all of them so very different, having very different goals but coming together as one in the end. And no spoilers, but this is one found family that you want to read about.

I found this to be such an incredible cozy fantasy tale, with some hefty stakes (including the search for a missing daughter) and I know I will be thinking about this for the foreseeable future. Julie Leong’s writing is so impressive and so wonderful, and also very immersive, taking you straight into the adventures of Tao and her newfound family.

A cozy fantasy full of heart, hope and the determination to not give up on your goals and letting yourself change, The Teller of Small Fortunes is an incredible debut. I, for one, cannot wait to read more of what Julie Leong has in store for us.

This book was completely unexpected. I didn't know what to anticipate when I started reading and I certainly didn't know where the book was going to end up.
Much like the main character Tao's meandering route, in her wagon, through Eshtera it took the reader along for an unexpected journey that picked up some odd acquaintances along the way who became fast friends by the end.
The book slowly unveiled Tao's motivation and reasons for travelling solo through a foreign land as a young vulnerable female, viewed with suspicion by the people she was trying to help and sell fortunes to.
It dealt with complex themes such as loneliness, estrangement, prejudice, racial discrimination and the importance of the bonds of friendship and family.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt like I was on an emotional journey with the main character that made me evaluate how some of those themes affect my life.
I felt it was extremely apt given the current racial dissonance occurring in the UK and globally and it provided a unique insight into the emotional exploration that this young woman experiences.

Are you looking for a slow-paced and cozy fantasy story similar to 'The Spellshop' by Sarah Beth Durst and 'The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches' by Sandu Mandanna? A story about a bunch of random people being through together, going on a journey together?
Then look no further. Imagine this story, This is an example of meeting the right people along the way, choosing one's family, of deep friendship and solidarity and of belonging. It is also a narrative that evokes a strong sense of adventure and wanderlust. A book that translates kindness, compassion and empathy onto the page. It is the journey that counts - a long arduous one but one filled with laughter, mischief, trouble, and love.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher.

What a wonderful charming, wonderful and wholesome book! It features one of my favourite tropes of all time, found family. This is a lovely book for fans of cosy fantasy such as books by Travis Baldree and T.J.Klune.

This is a fantasy world setting featuring a person on the run from their old life. She travels with a wagon and a mule stopping in different towns and setting up a stall to tell fortunes. She only tells small fortunes through various methods such as palm reading and tea leaves. She only predicts things that will come true but are small in scale, things that generally are meaningful to people and make them happy or help them to make a decision. Her life is changed when she makes some new friendships and gains new companions after years of solitude. Her new friendships give her strength and a reason to face her past fears.

This is a book about the power of kindness and doing good to help others. It is about making good choices that help, not harm. About not being selfish and recognising where you have opportunities to make life better for other people. It’s lovely. We do see themes of xenophobia in here too and lack of acceptance, however it’s countered by the bonds formed between friends. I really enjoyed this book and I’ll look out for more by this author.

Does telling a fortune twist destiny? Tao, a traveling 'teller of small fortunes' worries her gift could bring what she sees into being. Her fears, along with her country's prejudices, have driven her into a lonesome road... but things are about to change!

This book was sweet and bold in equal portions, and I delighted in the mix of characters. Tao is careful but kind, Mash is brawny and sensitive, Silt is exuberant yet lost, and Kina bakes with joy. Add a jealous mule and a clever cat, and you're ready for an adventure.

And that's just what this story is - it's a good old fashioned hero's journey, just with a cozier atmosphere. This is all about the journey, as the stakes are relatively low and the outcome relatively predictable. There aren't any huge shock moments or twists, but everything is interconnected which was impressive. Plus, The Teller of Small Fortunes tackles some big issues including racism and family trauma which opens up larger conversations, and it has some really emotional moments that are just so heartfelt.

It was so satisfying to see everything come together at the end, and I really liked how constructive and positive this story is overall. Definitely one to check out if you like cozy fantasy or want a more laid back read.

This was such a cozy low stakes read.
Although low stakes isnt really my cup of tea, I was indeed curious of Taos adventures, and her found family.
I also thoroughly enjoy whymsical language and the "dumb but in an adorable way" type of boys in these kinds of books. I cant get enough of those.

This book was honestly such a treat to read! Full of cosy side quests and low stakes journeys it’s the perfect book to curl up with a cup of tea. Going into it I wasn’t expecting to be so emotional but this got me in the feels!

What a delightful tale of found family, growing friendship, opening up and discovering one's self this was! I had the best time following Tao and her travels alongside her band of improbable mates, and the feeling I got from this novel was very reminiscent of the one I always came away with when I first discovered Brian Jacques' Redwall series. There's something so sweet, so wholesome, so relaxing and at the same time, so dreamy and adventurous and exciting about this book! It's the kind of story where you tag along with a sense of going on wondrous adventures, but with a sense of utter safety, don't know if that makes any sense to you - perhaps this is what low stakes means, but I've always had an issue with most low stakes fantasy books because they tended to very... broing? This one was far from boring. The way it's written is pure delight, and more than going on an adventure, it's the manner in which the characters open and develop and become real before our eyes that makes the difference, I think. There were instances when I had tears in my eyes, and moments where I had huge grins on my mug, but never a moment when I wanted to put this book down.