The Teller of Small Fortunes

Mash is a gruff, hulking ex-mercenary whose primary motivation throughout the novel is finding his missing daughter, Leah. Despite his intimidating physical presence and battle-hardened exterior, he reveals himself to be deeply compassionate, loyal, and surprisingly poetic. His relationship with Tao becomes particularly meaningful as they share a connection through loss: Mash understands the weight of grief Tao carries, while she empathizes with his desperate search for his child. As the physical protector of the group, Mash’s capability for violence is balanced by his emotional vulnerability, especially when discussing his family or reciting his earnest poetry.

Mash serves as both protector and emotional anchor for the group. His unwavering devotion to his family humanizes him beyond the “warrior” archetype, particularly when his emotional vulnerability emerges in moments like weeping over finding the kitten he’s destined to give to Leah. Mash’s character demonstrates that strength isn’t just physical but also found in perseverance and the courage to be emotionally open. He tells Tao, “[I]f there’s anything you ever wanted to talk about […], we could help carry the load,” showing his willingness to share burdens. This also reveals the wisdom he’s gained from years of hardship and establishes him as the group’s paternal figure who helps create the foundation of their found family.

Silt is a charming, quick-witted “reformed” thief whose morally ambiguous past belies a deep yearning for purpose and acceptance. While he initially serves as comic relief with his constant flirting and sleight-of-hand tricks, his character gains depth when the phoenix forces him to confront his own identity beyond thievery. It condemns him as someone who “steal[s] because [he] know[s] nothing else—because [he] fear[s] the emptiness of being not even a thief, but nothing at all” (210). This judgment strikes at Silt’s core insecurity: Without the identity of “thief,” he doesn’t know who he is or what value he brings to the world.

Silt’s loyalty to Mash and his growing affection for Kina and Tao reveal his true character beneath the roguish façade. His rejection by Kina and subsequent humility in accepting her friendship represent a turning point, while Tao’s vision of him returning a stolen necklace suggests a future of genuine redemption. He tells Tao about his painful childhood, saying that he was raised by a resentful mother and forced to fend for himself from a young age. This explains both his survival skills and his desperate need for validation. By the novel’s end, he transforms his talents into entertainment rather than theft, finding a way to be valued for bringing joy rather than thieving. His character arc demonstrates the possibility of reinvention and finding honest purpose after a life defined by deception.

Kina is a warm-hearted baker who leaves her uncle’s bakery in Shellport seeking adventure. Initially uncertain about her baking skills due to the messy appearance of her creations (despite their delicious taste), Kina gradually gains confidence, finding her voice and developing the courage to stand up to both external threats and interpersonal conflicts. Her creation of “fortune cookies” blends her Eshteran baking skills with Tao’s Shinn heritage, symbolizing her creativity and growing self-assurance. 

While appearing sweet and somewhat naive, Kina demonstrates surprising boldness. For instance, she stands up to the nihilistic troll with an impassioned speech about finding joy in small moments, and later, she directly confronts Silt about his superficial flirtations. Her assessment of Silt as a “macaron”—sweet and light but lacking substance—demonstrates her perceptiveness beneath her cheerful exterior. Her emotional intelligence and optimistic worldview provide a moral compass for the group. She articulates the novel’s philosophical heart in her speech to the troll: “We can be nothing, and choose to be miserable about it, like you—or we can be nothing, but choose to be happy, and let that be purpose enough” (128). This perspective embodies the novel’s theme about creating meaning through choice rather than grand destiny. 

By the novel’s end, Kina has evolved from an uncertain apprentice into a confident woman who knows her worth and finds fulfillment in her craft while embracing the joy of adventure.

Leah, Mash’s missing four-year-old daughter, serves as both a narrative catalyst and a symbol of hope throughout the novel. Though physically absent for most of the story, her character drives the plot forward through Mash’s desperate search and Tao’s eventual sacrifice to help find her. The vision of Leah receiving a kitten from her father—Tao’s first prophecy to Mash—becomes the thread of hope that sustains him through his darkest moments. When she finally appears—a spirited, yellow-haired child with her father’s brown eyes—Leah’s personality shines through in her immediate acceptance of the group and enthusiasm for adventure.

Her desire for the group to stay together pushes the story toward its unconventional happy ending—it is not a traditional homecoming, but the choice to continue adventuring together. This embodies the novel’s central theme that home is found in connections rather than places.

High Mage Melea defies the expected archetype of the powerful, aloof magical leader. Instead, she’s presented as a “fortysomething-year-old woman, bespectacled, with crow’s-feet on the outer edges of her eyes and the grimace of someone suffering from a perpetual headache” (256). Despite her unimpressive appearance and surprisingly mundane magical ability—she can speak with rats—Melea possesses sharp intelligence, political savvy, and a pragmatic approach to governance that makes her truly formidable. Her no-nonsense attitude and blunt honesty provide a refreshing counterpoint to both Tao’s idealism and the pompous pageantry of the Guild.

What makes Melea compelling is her complex moral positioning. She’s manipulative and willing to use Tao’s abilities regardless of personal cost, yet she’s motivated by genuine concern for Eshtera’s people rather than personal ambition. Her frank admission that she’s “manipulative, and selfish, and treats people as tools” because she “must” (260) reveals the burden of leadership. Through Melea, the novel explores nuanced questions about the greater good versus individual needs, ultimately suggesting that both perspectives have validity.

Lord Desmond, Tao’s Eshteran stepfather, represents the cold privilege and cultural prejudice that drove Tao to flee Margrave. His treatment of Tao and her mother as commodities rather than family members—valuable primarily for their connections to Shinn trade—establishes him as an antagonistic figure. His attempt to force Tao into the Guild without regard for her wishes demonstrates his prioritization of status and wealth over genuine care for her wellbeing. Lord Desmond’s harsh criticisms of Tao during her childhood reveal his obsession with appearances and propriety over emotional connection.

However, the novel avoids making Lord Desmond a one-dimensional villain. In their final confrontation, his admission that he “never wished to make [Tao] so unhappy” (235) suggests a limited capacity for self-reflection, even if he remains fundamentally unable to understand her perspective. His character serves to illustrate how prejudice can be perpetuated not just through overt malice but through the casual dehumanization that comes with privilege and cultural bias. Tao’s ability to eventually see him as “nothing more than a pale shadow from the past” (235) shows her growth beyond the power he once held over her.