Greeno, Gayle
THE
GHATTI’S TALE: BOOK ONE: FINDERS-SEEKERS
Gayle Greeno
DAW Books 1993
Pb 504 pgs
ISBN#
0-88677-550-7
This fat fantasy is for cat lovers and world-building aficionados. It is not for action-adventure addicts. FINDERS-SEEKERS is a murder mystery set on a far distant and future world where stranded humanity has adapted to the local environment. The focus of the story is the Ghatti, large cats with telepathic powers and a passion for truth. They also delight in telling stories to each other, much as Richard Adams had his rabbits do in WATERSHIP DOWN. There was more action in WATERSHIP DOWN, however, than there is in FINDERS-SEEKERS. Basically, FINDERS-SEEKERS follows Seeker Doyce and her ghatta bondmate Khar on their circuit to find out who murdered Doyce’s lover Oriel and scooped out his brain. Doyce and Khar have friends that help them, as well as unexpected allies gained along the way. They are going to need this help, for their enemy has an awesomely terrible power that threatens all of Canderis.
There are several lengthy flashbacks in FINDERS-KEEPERS (two of which I found difficult to follow), for this is a story bent on details that meander slowly and carefully so as to thoroughly engage an interested reader. The characterization is good. The editing is acceptable though not perfect. It’s the world-building that drives this book, so if you are into fat fantasies about cats, you might want to pick this one up.
A quote from the book: “‘He kept staring at me and I knew he wanted to claim my mind! As if he would devour me and the me-ness inside me! Bondmates share but they do not consume!’ The ghatt panted in dread at visions that he would not share. ‘The Bond was broken.’”Return to Reviews