內容介紹
★推薦給喜歡Legends & Lattes，溫馨療癒奇幻的讀者。
「即使是最微不足道的預言，也能改變人生。真正賦予我們希望的，是對未來的信念。」
流浪於艾許特拉(Eshtera)西部郊區的移民預言家陶(Tao)，與她忠誠的騾子為伴，專門占卜「小預言」，例如預測下週的天氣，或是母牛何時生產。她不接大預言，因為過去的經驗讓她意識到，這些大預言往往會帶來無法挽回的後果。她選擇過著低調而穩定的生活，不必承擔預言改變命運的風險。
陶平靜的生活在遇見一位(稍微)改邪歸正的盜賊和前傭兵後，迎來轉折，兩人希望借助她的能力來尋找一名失蹤的孩子。在這場旅途中，他們陸續結識了一位充滿冒險精神的烘焙師與一隻神奇魔力貓。他們不僅沿途克服重重困難，也開始正視各自的過去，並在彼此身上找到了歸屬感。
隨著故事發展，陶的過去逐漸浮現。她曾預言過一件大事，最終導致了無法挽回的悲劇。這段經歷讓她對自己設下限制，只願預測無關緊要的小預言。然而，當這次尋找孩子的任務變得越來越複雜，她開始意識到，「小預言」可能無法改變命運，而「大預言」雖然危險，卻能帶來希望。
陶的旅伴們都面臨著各自的內心掙扎，盜賊試圖贖罪，傭兵尋求救贖，烘焙師努力發掘自己的真正價值，而魔力貓則引領他們找到關鍵線索。真相浮出水面，他們發現孩子的失蹤與某個神秘勢力有關，而唯有陶突破自己的心理障礙，勇敢做出一個「大預言」，才能扭轉局勢，拯救所有人。
這場旅程不僅幫助陶找回了久違的自信，也讓她理解到，預言並非詛咒，而是一種力量，一種可以帶來改變的禮物。《小預言家》是一部充滿溫度的奇幻小說，帶領讀者踏上一場輕鬆卻深刻的冒險，探索自我認同、選擇家庭，以及勇於面對過去的重要性。如果你喜歡角色驅動故事的奇幻小說，又被療癒系的情節所吸引，那麼這本書絕對值得你細細品味。
「命運的織布上，往往是那一絲絲的織線，決定了整體的圖案。」
陶並非典型的主角，而是一個因過去的傷痛而選擇活在舒適圈的人。然而，在一次次挑戰中，她不得不直面恐懼，學習接受自己的能力，這樣的角色轉變讓讀者感同身受。陶作為一名移民，他的故事映射了許多人的心聲，對歸屬感的渴望、對過去的糾結，以及在新環境中尋找自己的價值。這部小說更強調「chosen family」，而非建立於血緣的家庭關係。主角們來自不同背景，卻在旅途中建立了堅定的羈絆，讓人想到《尋龍使者：拉雅》那樣「非典型家庭」。此書故事背景充滿異國風情，卻沒有大規模的戰爭或黑暗，而是透過輕鬆幽默的筆觸，帶領讀者感受世界的奇幻與美好。適合喜歡《霍爾的移動城堡》的讀者。
作者介紹
奇幻小說作家，在紐澤西州長大，父母為華裔馬來西亞移民，青少年時期曾居住於中國北京。她的正職涉及財務、策略及其他商業相關業務。目前，她與丈夫、被寵壞的貴賓犬，以及後院那棵總是結滿果實的神奇檸檬樹一起住在舊金山。當她不在寫作時，喜歡製作不必要的試算表和點烈酒來炙燒食物。
書評
"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 bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
"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
"With clever language, a stunning world, and uplifting characters, Leong expertly weaves the future of cozy fantasy: a diverse landscape where comfort comes in many forms, and friendship and belonging forms the heart of it all." —Rebecca Thorne, USA Today bestselling author of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
"Warm, welcoming, and endlessly inventive... feels like being invited in for tea with a dear friend (and expert storyteller!)."—Grace D. Li, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief
“A lovely cozy fantasy about tiny fortunes, baked goods, ugly cats, and all of the small things that matter.”—Olivia Atwater, author of Half a Soul
“Joyful, heartwarming, and utterly charming, Leong’s cozy fantasy debut is a cup of hot (fortune-telling) tea straight to the soul.”—Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times and international bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night
"A wonderfully warm, cozy, and immersive fantasy adventure that left me brimming with happiness."—Stephanie Burgis, author of Wooing the Witch Queen
“This whimsical and heartfelt tale is sure to win admirers.”—Publishers Weekly
"A warm and lovely book that will soothe your heart. Its gentleness and coziness are such a delightful gift."—India Holton, international bestselling author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
“An absolute delight from start to finish. Settle in for a cozy, heartwarming journey full of twists and turns, found family, and appreciating the little things alongside the big ones.”—Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch’s Heart
"A heartwarming adventure... feels like a breath of fresh air on the open road and a warm campfire surrounded by friends." - S.A. MacLean, author of The Phoenix Keeper
“An ultimate comfort read, this debut fantasy novel by San Francisco author Julie Leong follows an immigrant fortune teller who travels between charming villages, proving that adult readers are never too old for a good fairy tale.”—San Francisco Chronicle
"Lovely and sweet and comforting. But the most beautiful part was how it was not only about found family, but about finding your way back to your family."—Quenby Olson, author of the Miss Percy series
“As comforting as the scent of freshly baked bread, this is a hug in book form and the perfect comfort read.”—Nadia El-Fassi, author of Best Hex Ever
"A warmhearted, often cozy story about telling fortunes--and sometimes, stealing them. A delight."—John Wiswell, Nebula-winning author of Someone You Can Build A Nest In
“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.”—Shelf Awareness
Leong creates a world resplendent with charm, gentleness, reconciliation and love. So much love! There were many joyous cathartic tears shed. I adored every minute of it and now must read everything Leong writes!”—A.Y. Chao, author of Shanghai Immortal
"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)
"A warm hug of a book. The Teller of Small Fortunes is a curative journey of found friendship and diaspora feels, steeped in so much kindness that even the most cynical of readers will not be able to resist its charms."—Eliza Chan, author of Fathomfolk
"Very funny and incredibly charming. I found it impossible not to fall in love with this crew. If you loved Legends & Lattes but wanted more plot and feels, this book is perfect for you. I adored it!"—Frances White, author of Voyage of the Damned
"The Teller of Small Fortunes is a charming delight. It's the book version of a warm cup of tea, with the perfect mix of adventure, found family, and heart. Also make sure you have some sweets on hand, because this story will give you some serious pastry cravings."—Amy Avery, author of The Longest Autumn
“Tao and her band of charismatic companions (four-legged friends included!) won my heart completely on this deeply endearing and entertaining fantasy road trip. Charming, relatable, and tender, The Teller of Small Fortunes will delight readers looking for their next cozy adventure.”—Maiga Doocy, author of Sorcery and Small Magics
"Sweet without ever turning saccharine, and it tackles serious topics without ever losing its sense of humour. An utterly delightful debut."—Genoveva Dimova, author of Foul Days
"Filled with philosophizing trolls, little magics, and delicious (if lumpy) baked goods, The Teller of Small Fortunes is like one of those lift-you-off-the-ground, ribcage-cracking hugs—dizzyingly delightful, a little painful, and so incredibly therapeutic."—Jules Arbeaux, author of Lord of the Empty Isles
海外授權
US (Berkley); UK (Hodder & Stoughton); Czechia (Host); Germany (Heyne)
相關連結
