The Ghattis Tale, Book 1: Finders-Seekers

Drawing you in from the very start, this book is difficult to put down. Don't forget to get the next two in this set. After I had finished this one, I just had to get the rest. Cat lovers will love to get their hands on this, but I don't believe you have to love cats to enjoy this book.

I've been devouring "fantasy" books at a high rate for 23 years, completed a Bachelor's in Fantasy (English) Lit at UC Berkeley, and I have to say that "Ghatti's Tale" is quite possibly the best one I've encountered. Unlike many other fantasy tales, it has a completely logical, realistic world in which people act of free will, rather than as mere pawns for the plot or the gods. None are unrealistically blinded by lust/love, though they all have close friendships that could evolve into more in another tale. The Ghatti-cats are similarly portrayed as intelligent creatures with distinct feline personalities, rather than as furry humans or dumb beasts. (I've been rescuing cats for 15 years, so I know their mentality quite well. :^)I have only two complaints. One was that it is ridiculous to assume that "the seeds of evil" in a feline mind are any more inborn than they are in a human -- vicious behavior in animals is almost always the result of abuse. The other was that despite having strong female characters in abundance, Greeno failed to have any that weren't interested in giving up their active life to become mothers. Not every woman is interested in childbirth or parenthood... :^P

I hadn't read epic fantasy for years, and had gotten stuck in a morbid rut of True Crime when I picked up this first book of the series. I was originally drawn by the picture of what appeared to be a cat on the cover, then dove in. Bear in mind, I had lost my 32nd friend to AIDS and nothing was able to let me "escape". I stayed up all night and read. If you love cats, you will love ghattas. They are much larger, bond telepathically to the individual they choose (and nip) as a ghatten, and then that pair becomes a "Seeker Veritas" - literally a circuit-riding judge pair. The fact that the ghattas can read the "litigants'" minds helps the human to make accurate decisions. Gayle Greeno is the finest author on this planet. She paints "word pictures" that literally take you "away". You can see and hear and feel what she wants you to feel. You will find yourself transported to that world, you will be amazed at her ability to weave several "strands" at the same time, you will learn to love the characters, and her command of the English language is like painting a "masterpiece". I used to think H.P. Lovecraft was the most complex and intense author that ever lived - I was wrong. If you buy this first one, you might as well buy the rest of the series at the same time, because "buyer's remorse" will hit you BIG TIME if you don't. Whether you like cats or not, this series is fantastic!!

Once I read the first page, I was hooked. The action, building romance, and suspence made it worthwhile. Also the fear, I can't help but think of this book and cringe when I hear that certain word, which if you have read it you'll know. The suspence of the sequel nearly drove me mad.

I originally bought this book because of the cat on the cover. (I had just finished reading "Tailchaser's Song", "The Wild Road", and "Book of Night With Moon" and needed another cat-related fantasy book, and quick!) I am SO happy I found this book. I read the trilogy within a matter of weeks and was ecstatic to find "Sunderlies Seeking" on the shelf soon thereafter. I strongly recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy fiction, especially if they are an animal lover as well. The characters, both human and Ghatti alike are all knowable and memorable. The series is full of suspense, adventure, laughter, sadness and I am sure most readers, like myself, didn't want them to end. Greeno really weaves the reader into the world of Methuen and it is hard to leave. I am anxiously awaiting Book Two of Ghatten's Gambit!