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by Julie Leong
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 starts 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 close in—and she'll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.
What are you reading this week? (11/14/2024)
...ut novel. It is the 1300's and the plague is in France. Engaging, albeit not light and cheery, read. (Ebook and audiobook) Also, started listening to The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong. I enjoy audiobooks but this narrator isn't working for me so I will be shifting to the ebook or physical book.
-Gabi_J
"Leong's debut is a delightful cozy fantasy that will appeal to fans of Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree and A Pirate's Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne." —Library Journal (starred review)
"This whimsical and heartfelt tale is sure to win admirers." —Publishers Weekly
"Leong is unafraid to head into deeply emotional territory in this sweet, earnest story of found family and finding one's truth. She strikes a lovely balance between high stakes, humor, and touching moments. Each character's growth feels logical and earned. Readers of Travis Baldree or T.J. Klune will enjoy following wherever Leong leads, and they can be sure she will only take them down dark paths to show them the light waiting at the end of the trail." —Shelf Awareness
"If you're running a little low on serotonin, trust me: brew yourself a hot drink, curl up with this treasure of a tale, and thank me later! It's the warmest, loveliest book I've read in ages." —Sangu Mandanna, national bestelling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
"It's such a delight when a book is every bit as wonderful as you hope it will be. The Teller of Small Fortunes is perfection! A lovely and comforting cozy fantasy about finding your own family and choosing your own path, this is a beautiful treasure of a book that will warm your heart and heal your soul. I absolutely loved every second of it!" —Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
"Warm, welcoming, and endlessly inventive, The Teller of Small Fortunes feels like being invited in for tea with a dear friend (and expert storyteller!). An utter and complete delight to read." —Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief
This information about The Teller of Small Fortunes was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Julie Leong is a fantasy author who grew up in New Jersey as the daughter of Chinese-Malaysian immigrants, and lived in Beijing, China as a teenager. In her day job, she does finance, strategy, and other business-y things. Currently, she lives in San Francisco with her husband Drew, her spoiled cockapoo Kaya, and a magical Meyer lemon tree in the backyard that somehow always has ripe lemons. When she's not writing, she enjoys making unnecessary spreadsheets and flambéing things.
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