This was such a cute cozy read! This band of unlikely friends and their hilarious cat kept me on my toes throughout. JL's writing style was engaging and heartwarming and I cannot wait to read whatever she publishes next!

The Teller of Small Fortunes was an enjoyable, cozy story with interesting characters and dynamic, which could have been even better if the pacing wasn't too slow. It had its up and down, with some chapters where nothing of interesting really happens, and more than once I found my attention slip away. The characters could have had more depth, too. But all in all, it was still a nice book to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC. 3.75⭐ for me as overall, I did have a really good time with this.

I really liked Tao the main protagonist and the charming found family she made for herself. It was a captivating, relaxing read that I never got bored of; so much so that I breezed through this in a little over 24 hours. Tao is a fortune teller who was born in Shinara and then grew up in Eshtera. She encapulates Chinese Malaysian-American author Julie Leong's immigrant experience, from the sinophobia she receives from other "trueborn" Eshterans to feeling out of place as she's caught between two homes. As Tao travels from town to town, her "small fortunes" lead to big effects; changing a variety of lives for the better — such as a closeted lesbian escaping comphet and a nihilistic troll seeking purpose.

While I found the cozy vibes and development of friendships immaculate, what bumped the rating down were the puzzling creative choices that Leong made. For one, Tao experiences racism by virtue of being Shinn, but this does not seem to apply other POC (e.g. the NPCs described as dark skinned) in Eshtera. Secondly, Tao's newfound friend Kina, whose ethnicity is not described other than her red hair but is most definitely not Shinn or East Asian, is credited to have invented this book's version of fortune cookies, when she was "inspired" by Tao. I personally found this in poor taste given the modern fortune cookie's Japanese/Chinese American roots. Tao also forgives her neglectful mother too quickly for my taste, but I get that this was consistent with her personality.

A wonderful fairytale for adults! I loved every moment of this book, there was a bit of everything mystery, friendship and magic! Hoping to read more from Julie Leong, as this was fantastic!

This is a book about small things, and it is comfy and nice and cute. It is not that we don’t have stakes, because we have them! And it is not like there is no conflict either. But it is all centered around the life of the people who our MC met. And it was glorious. And delightful.

We start the story with Tao and her donkey, but soon we meet other characters who slowly become part of the best found family (and it may not be the best found family ever, but it is the best I have read about this year). We have a former mercenary who is looking for his daughter and has a penchant for poems, we have a reformed (sort of) thief and a sweet-hearted baker who wants to see the world. And they together are so cute! We have a lot of sweet and funny moments. And it was delightful!

But mind me, I said that this book is about small things before, and I think it is true, but we also have deep themes in there, linked to the sense of belonging and identity, and we also have mentions of war, societal disparity, racism, grieving process and parental neglecting. And they are not just mentioned in passing, they are smoothly incorporated into the story. This book will make you think, but its dimension is just smaller, and more intimate, and I think that this makes things more relatable to us.

That said, this book is a constant surprise: we meet so many interesting characters, and they all are delicious or brilliant or they will make you laugh, and we also have a cat!
And let’s talk a moment about the characters that you’ll meet: there is a mage catcher who is allergic to magic and to cats (he was a tad annoying, but he made me laugh!), we have a troll who is cursed and now spend his (or her, I should say) time philosophizing and, last but not least, the High Mage. (I think this last one was my favorite!) You need to meet all of these characters (and more!).
And what’s best about the characters is that the MC will stay with you for quite a bit. They are decent people to the core, and they are so refreshing! I loved them all!

This book is like a warm hug, and it is the perfect book to read if you are in need of some pick me up. And it is the perfect book for the fall! Your couch, a warm blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and this book. Pure bliss!
It is fun, it is sweet and it is delightful! If you are in the mood for something nice please, please, go and read this book!

I was forgetting, but I would love a novella about the nunnery because it sounds like the best place ever!!! And the morsel we got was not enough! (But thank you, author, for it! It was precious!).

'We're not always cheerful and funny. We've sadness and anxiety, and all these other bitter things wrapped up inside, too, and that's what makes the sweetness all the sweeter.'

I absolutely adored this book! Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree and was even reminiscent of Becky Chamber's Monk & Robot duology (with a more developed plot).

The author did a great job creating well-rounded characters who's stories were touching and relatable. I'm a very fussy reader when it comes to 'good' writing and I very much enjoyed the clean prose. The author had a clear vision for the plot and this was executed well.

An absolute pleasure to read and a great addition to cosy-fantasy genre. If you enjoy reading about a rag-tag band of characters questing around the countryside and magically-inclined felines this is a must read!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this lovely book. 4.5 stars round up!

Delightful cosy fantasy - just what I was after.
The story follows the titular Teller of Small Fortunes, Tao, as she travels around telling (small) fortunes, and collects some new friends.

It's told against a backdrop of international tension, but most of the story is focused on the group and their character journeys.

Reading this felt like curling up with a blanket on a rainy day. It's a story full of warmth and heart, yet laced with meaningful reflections on belonging and identity. Tao’s journey of finding friendship and navigating life as an outsider resonated deeply, as her quiet resilience and kindness shone through the adversity she faced. The mix of cozy fantasy and real-world struggles like immigration made the book feel both comforting and thought-provoking. By the end, I felt uplifted, touched by the characters’ bond and hopeful in the way they found light in the darkest moments.

The power of kindness and the strength in vulnerability. Tao’s journey reminded me that even when life is full of challenges, it’s our ability to open ourselves to others and form meaningful connections that makes us stronger. The book beautifully highlights how love and friendship can heal old wounds, and how the struggles we face—whether as immigrants, outsiders, or simply individuals seeking belonging are softened by compassion and understanding. It reinforced the idea that no matter where we come from, we all need the same things: love, acceptance, and a place to call home.

It’s a cozy fantasy vibes and i quite enjoy the story. Tao is a wandering fortune teller that tells you small fortune instead of big one! When she’s wandering, she meet Mash & Silt, an ex-thief! Reformed, as Silt says. And ofc Kina the baker! Who knows that the fortune cookies was founded by her! 😉 always love a family found trope, in this one for sure have it.

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover alone sold me on this book but I honestly love everything about it. The characters, the world, the tiny moments of drinking tea or eating pastries.

Tao and her four new friends travel the world as they discover more about who they are and the things they seek. Tao's fortunes help to guide them but it's her love for her friends that helps her get what she wants in the end.

The Teller of Small Fortunes is the perfect cozy read to go with a cup of tea and a cat by your side. Don't forget to look at your fortune in the tea leaves once you finished your cup. Maybe you'll find a small fortune.

The Teller of Small Fortunes is a beautifully written, cozy, light fantasy and I loved every second. I don't really know what else to say about it, except that I adored it and would recommend it to anybody looking for a book to fall in love with!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This delivers exactly what you want from a cosy fantasy. It has a lonely main character who's been travelling alone for a while, and who steadily gathers a group of people around her. They go on an adventure together, slowly becoming a found family. It's a quick read, with a really fun writing style, that packs a surprising emotional punch. I had a really good time with this, and I think it makes for an excellent comfort read.

I loved this! Cozy fantasy is very hit and miss for me so I wasn't sure about this going in, but I loved every second and will definitely be rereading at some point.

The world is a simple and familiar fantasy setting, but holds up the story and has enough details to feel lived in. The characters are flawed but very lovable, and the dialogue is funny and purposeful. The story is tropey but well executed - especially the found family trope, which I often find lacking in other books which include this trope in their marketing.

The plot is simple but gripped me early on. It's not quite as low stakes as other cozy fantasies (maybe that's why I enjoyed it) but still small scale. There is no real violence but serious topics such as racism and family member death are part of the themes. There are cats.

I would recommend this to everyone, except maybe people who need their fantasy worldbuilding to be very elaborate. The ending made me cry, so this gets an automatic 5 stars from me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

It took me ages to finish this book, not for lack of interest but things kept happening irl that I couldn't focus much on reading.
It's a cozy fantasy, a sub-genre I hadn't read before. I generally like my books with more tension and conflict but this was a nice change of pace for me.
It's well-written and engaging, with a bunch of likeable characters. I liked how they stood on their own, each of them had their battles to fight and dreams to pursue. It was Tao, the teller of small fortunes, that brought them all together, quite reluctantly at the beginning only for them to become a real found family by the end.
I very much liked how the book explored the theme of otherness and belonging and home. It was gentle and casual on the surface but touched on the big truths that define each of us.
If I have to pick one word to describe this book it would be hopeful - there is hope for happiness and love and acceptance for everyone out there.

A sweet and cozy litte story about found family in a classic fantasy world setting.
It's a light read with a very whimsical feel that progresses rather slow and lives from its endearing characters and their personal development.

The teller of small fortunes follows Tao, a fortune teller who travels between different villages telling small fortunes for small prices. After a particular told fortune, she is lead on an adventure that changes her life in many different ways.

I will start by saying that the story telling and world building is very detailed and vibrant. I think the premise of this book is brilliant and has a lot of potential, however it just moved a little too slow for me. That’s not to say the characters and their dynamics aren’t interesting because they are and I believe it’s the best part of the story. For me personally, I wanted a little more action to drive the plot forward. I do like the elements of friendship in this book though. That’s another strong point for this book.

This will be a perfect book for anyone who’s looking for a light, cozy fantasy.

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.