By Samantha Pak
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
The Teller of Small Fortunes
By Julie Leong
Ace, 2024
As an immigrant fortune teller from Shinara, Tao travels around the country of Eshtera, going from village to village with only her trusty mule for company. She sticks to “small” fortunes—the weather, romantic encounters, and the like—because she knows from experience the big consequences big fortunes can have.
And while it’s a lonely life, it’s still better than the one she left behind. But then a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when she meets Silt, a (semi) reformed thief, and Mash, an ex-mercenary, as they search for the latter’s lost daughter. Before long, they’re joined by Kina, a baker in search of adventure and—as with any good fantasy tale—a somewhat magical cat. But as Tao lets down her walls and begins to form a family with her new companions, her old life begins to catch up with her and she has to figure out how to preserve what she’s worked so hard for.
“The Teller of Small Fortunes” is a cozy fantasy story about found family. The stakes are fairly low, but sometimes, that’s just what we need in a book—especially when the stakes in real life can be so high. This being said, this is also a story about taking your life into your own hands, and it’s so satisfying to see the characters do this. Whether it’s Tao choosing to let people in after so many years on the road alone or Kina deciding to leave her hometown for the first time, you can’t help but cheer the characters on as they try to create their own fate.
And while this takes place in a fictional world, Leong does a great job of highlighting the immigrant experience through Tao. From the skepticism and distrust she sometimes encounters in villages that have never met someone who looks like her, to the slight excitement she feels when she meets another person from Shinara, these are all pretty universal things anyone from an immigrant background can relate to—in any world.
The Silvered Serpents
By Roshani Chokshi
Wednesday Books, 2020
In this sequel to “The Gilded Wolves,” we return to Séverin and his team months after they successfully thwarted the Fallen House. But their victory came at a horrible cost—the loss of one of their own—and the remaining five are really only a team in name (and just barely that, honestly). In other words, everyone is in a very bad place. So, in a desperate attempt to make amends, Séverin decides to follow a dangerous lead to find the Divine Lyrics, a long lost artifact that may or may not grant its possessor the power of God.
The hunt takes the quintet from Paris to Russia, to a world of ice animals, forgotten palaces, broken goddesses with deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders that will have them wondering what is myth and what is reality. And along the way, the crew will learn things about themselves and each other—and that there is more to each of them than meets the eye.
Told from various points of view, “Silvered Serpents” is a story of grief as Séverin, Laila, Zofia, Enrique, and Hypnos cope with Tristan’s death. Each of them wonders where things went wrong, and if there was anything they could’ve done to save their friend and (in Séverin’s case) brother. Chokshi does a great job of showing that there are different ways to grieve and everyone has their own process. In addition, we also see how all of these characters try to be there for each other—in their own way. So while the team is somewhat fractured at the beginning of the story, it’s heartwarming to see them make their way back to each other as the book progresses.
And like most people, all of these characters have their insecurities and worry they’re not enough for the people they love. But they work to overcome this and it’s a very satisfying journey to read as they work through their personal issues—something many of us can relate to.
Spin the Dawn
By Elizabeth Lim
Knopf Books, 2019
Maia Tamarin has dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land. But as a girl, all she can hope for is to marry well. So when a royal messenger summons her ailing father—once a great tailor—to court, she decides to pose as a boy to take his place. Although Maia knows she could be killed if she’s found out, she’s willing to take the risk to save her family from ruin. And to make things even more difficult, once she arrives at the palace, she learns she’s actually one of 12 tailors competing to become the imperial tailor.
The competition is cutthroat as backstabbing and lies run rampant. Then there’s Lord Enchanter Edan, who seems able to see right through Maia’s disguise. And in the final challenge, Maia is tasked with sewing three magic gowns based on a divine legend for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the sun, moon, and stars. This seemingly impossible task takes her on a journey to the far corners of the kingdom that will leave her changed forever.
Set in the same universe as “Six Crimson Cranes,” “Spin the Dawn” takes place in another kingdom. As a fan of the former series, it was fun to revisit the realm and see how this story fits in the overall world—from how the societies’ views on magic differ, to their shared belief systems.
This is also the story of a young woman who refuses to accept the life she’s “supposed” to have, just because she’s female. Maia is strong and independent, but she can also be stubborn and doesn’t always think things through. So relatable. She reminds readers that it’s okay to want more for yourself, and that it’s okay to be scared to want more. It’s not easy to step out of your comfort zone—and that’s the point.