This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong Narrator: Phyllis Ho
Published by Penguin Audio on November 5, 2024
Genres: Cozy Fantasy, Fantasy, Mystery
Length: 9 hours and 57 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Purchase Links: Amazon*Libro*Kobo*Chirp*Audiobooks.com*B&N
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" 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 by Julie Leong is a sweet heart-warming standalone cozy fantasy about found family, friendship and magic.
Tao, a fortune teller who strictly avoids predicting major events, wanders Eshtera with her wagon and mule, Laohu. Born in Shinara but raised in Eshtera after her mother’s remarriage, she fled home as a young woman to live in solitude. Her quiet life is upended, however, when she accidentally reads a significant fortune for a former mercenary.
Swept up in Mash’s quest, Tao reluctantly joins him and Silt, a former thief, to search for Mash’s missing daughter. As they traverse the lands of Eshtera, the unlikely trio grows into a family, but a shadow soon falls over their journey. Tao discovers that using her gift has drawn the gaze of the Mage Guild—agents she has evaded for years—putting her new companions directly in the line of fire.
The three major side characters we meet are delightful. The novel feels very much like a D&D-style adventure—though low on both violence and evil creatures. The party does encounter a few potentially dangerous situations which they manage together. I also appreciated how the villains turned out to be worse in Tao’s imagination than in reality.
The Teller of Small Fortunes shows us the hardships of finding oneself, belonging and racial identity through the character Tao. It’s a warm, beautiful, and ultimately comforting debut fantasy.
Narration: Phyllis Ho is a new narrator to me. I thoroughly enjoyed her narration of The Teller of Small Fortunes. Her voice is crisp, clear and soothing. It captures each character and their personality wonderfully.
Rated: 3 Stars
Was this review helpful? If so, please consider liking it on Goodreads (Angela)!
About Phyllis Ho
American neutral/ Chinese, Warm, Nostalgic,
Packed with Warmth & a Familiar Current delivery, Smooth, Dependable, Young, Positive mixed with a hint of nasal, even tone.
Phyllis was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Vancouver, Canada, where she worked as an actor and violinist for many years before moving to London where she attended the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
She works in her native Canadian accent as well as General American and RP, and being Canadian also has a good level of French and speaks Cantonese fluently.
About Julie Leong
Julie Leong is the USA Today and Sunday Times internationally bestselling author of cozy and cozy-adjacent fantasy novels. The daughter of Malaysian Chinese immigrants, she split her childhood across suburban New Jersey and Beijing, China. Her debut novel, The Teller of Small Fortunes, was published in the US/UK in November 2024, with translations forthcoming in German, French, Spanish, Czech, Portuguese, Hungarian, and Ukrainian.
Julie graduated from Yale University with degrees in Economics and Political Science. She lives in San Francisco, California with her husband and their spoiled rescue pup, Kaya. When she’s not writing, she enjoys making unnecessary spreadsheets and flambéing things.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Discover more from Angel's Book Nook
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I want to read this eventually. I’ve come to appreciate the cozy fantasies now and then.
It was enjoyable. I hope you enjoy. The audiobook is good.
Only 3 stars? That’s too bad. But you did enjoy some parts it sounds like, so that is good at least. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2025/11/07/e-galley-review-if-you-claim-me-toronto-terror-5-by-helena-hunting/
3 Stars is A good read! Just one I won’t read again. I enjoyed it and found it well written. I’m just more particle to fast-paced reads with action. This is more of a laded back read.
I have this on my TBR after I read Anne’s review.
Hope you enjoy. Thanks for checking out my review.
I liked this more than you. It was cozy and I liked the characters developed.
Yes, I read your review. It was a very nice cozy and I did like it’s development, but I do lean and enjoy more action-packed reads. It was a nice change of pace, but not my usual read. Thanks for checking out my review and visiting.