Customer Reviews

GreeHee The Journey of Five - Tales of Tamoor Book One

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This is not my typical type of book to pick up...but I am sure glad I did!! From the moment I started reading, I craved more! I can see why so many children as well as adults enjoy this book!

GreeHee The Journey of Five, by Michele Avanti, took me to a whole different world. Every time I picked it up I forgot about the laundry, the bills, the to-do list... and just lost myself in the story.

GreeHee is a young dragon who seems to be born into the wrong form, as his heart is not that of what his father says a dragon should be - fierce. While practicing how to be fierce, GreeHee meets a young fairy, Loni. Intending to eat Loni and her family, GreeHee helps Loni find her way home. Along the way, the two become friends and face adventure together. I have to stop there or I'll give away too much information!

GreeHee The Journey of Five is a delight to read! Full of adventure, full of mystery, and full of magic ... you just won't be able to put it down! I highly recommend this for readers of all ages!!

-1smileycat :-)

Here is a recent review received from retired school teacher and member of Unity in Reno, Eda Hatfield. Because Eda doesn't use computers and does not have an Amazon account, she asked me to share it with you.

"Michele Avanti writes like an artist paints--visually. With words as colors, magical characters as texture, and an enthralling plot as form, the GreeHee canvas captivates and enchants. In the first chapter you're into the painting. You've mounted up on GreeHee's rippling back, behind the beautiful, kidnapped fairy, Loni. You join their quest--one seeks to return home, the other to prove a dragon's savage prowess. Then you're off and into Michele Avanti's masterful composition--gasping at the mystery, in awe of the fantasy, intrigued with the adventure, rolling in laughter, and enlightened by the wisdom."

NOTE FOR LIBRARIANS - if you are a librarian or would like to see this book in your local library, GreeHee is now available through QBI - the national library distributor for a very special library edition price.

As the author, I thought you might like to know more about the metaphysical depth of GreeHee The Journey of Five - Tales of Tamoor Book One.

GreeHee is a story that helps people understand how important they are no matter who they are, what they're like, how different they are from their family, their culture, their society. It helps each person realize they are important, and that we need to love ourselves.

It's a story about the power of love and cooperation.

GreeHee is an adolescent dragon wanting nothing more than love and approval from his father, Tereem the Terrible. But GreeHee is nothing like his father. He is a soft-hearted, deep-thinking dragon.

GreeHee, like most humans has no idea who he really is, or what gift there may be in being different. He has the difficult task of being the first and only dragon with a loving heart. Thus he is angry with himself.

What he doesn't understand is that his great heart is what will save Tamoor. He is part of a much bigger picture. He is part of a prophecy. Just as we each are part of a bigger picture, because soul is unified with the source of all life and each of us is soul wearing a human outfit - perfection cloaked in `Maya.'

GreeHee's journey is ours. It is the journey of soul. As GreeHee transforms, he discovers love is a powerful force, friendship is an amazing support, and cooperation with others helps overcome the greatest difficulties.

The journey begins when a fairy stumbles into GreeHee's world activating an ancient prophecy. GreeHee is unaware that war has begun or that he is the key to the prophecy that will unravel a secret path to defeat the evil Tana and win the war.

Tana is a representation of evil. So how does one overcome evil? That question is asked in the book. But why is anyone evil? That too is asked in the book. By the end of the book, the reader understands evil and discovers it is not conquered by anger, hate or bloodshed, but rather by love.

But why is GreeHee the key? He alone has the connection to the beast in Tana. GreeHee, being a dragon is part of the beast, thus he alone can have compassion for the beast. And here is another statement of truth, for we all carry a part of the beast. To what degree depends on who we are and our states of consciousness. By traveling with GreeHee, we discover that no matter what part of us is the beast, when we choose love, cooperation, unity; we choose to allow the sacred, blessed, wondrous part of us to grow. Then we personally win the war of loving ourselves.

Naturally GreeHee can be read at any level. It is fast paced. Every chapter is a cliffhanger. The characters are loveable, mystical, fallible, and refreshing. From the forests of Narsor to the fairy kingdom of Oberlon, through the Crystal Mountains on to Wizard's Web, you will find magical lands to transform and rejuvenate your heart. GreeHee The Journey of Five is the first book of a new genre - young adult metaphysical fiction. It is also Book One of a five book epic fantasy.

GreeHee is a gentle and fascinating flight into a unique imaginary world, and a lovely, uplifting, tale of self-discovery and the empowering, healing value of love, honesty, and friendship.

The narrative is brisk and uncluttered driven almost exclusively by concise , well realized dialogue as the characters interact, questioning events, and revealing their ideas, hopes and fears. The overall narrative structure is similar to a video game, moving from place to place, dilemma to dilemma, with a solution and a message at each turn. Thus the tale never flags or loses focus and pulls you in, and along, with it. Its a genuine page turner, you will have a hard time putting it down as it scurries along.

The author's occasional forays into description never obstruct this flow but serve to illuminate particular aspects of a marvelous highly imaginative dreamlike world as necessary to the narrative context. The sensation is one of running along with the events, sharing the lives of the generally agreeable, 'believable' imaginary characters and their need to reach the end of their quest of discovery. A quest which gently - descriptively rather than prescriptively - articulates a philosophy of faith and love, where evil cannot be overcome by violence but by its own lack of love which ultimately finds it helpless when confronted by a community of trusting friends who share their love honestly and willingly.

If you like a good fantasy tale, and/or if you like to read out loud and have children they will love GreeHee and company's journey of self-realization and understanding, and the wealth of characters and dialogue will give you a great opportunity to develop your skills at characterization.

The message of love, faith in self, trust in others, honesty, community and willingness to listen and accept difference even as our cultural training tells us to be suspicious is one that needs to be told. This book tells it very well and makes for joyful, enlightening, heartwarming, reading (maybe someone might send copies to a number of our political leaders, we could certainly use a few "friendly dragons").

Highly recommended lovers of the heart, fantasy world travelers, and children and of all ages.

What an amazing book! Michele has outdone herself! In this fantasy adventure, the formula for the ultimate triumph of love and good over evil is revealed. You won't be disappointed!

One of my best friend's has a child who never reads but loves dragons, magic and fairies. While at a show I saw this book - really beautiful, signed and numbered with a map and a list of characters. It even has an author's interview in the back. I was intrigued and thought it might be the book to encourage this ten year old to read. It also says that some of the money is donated to the SPCA, so I felt I would be helping out through my purchase and Charlie loves dogs so that was another consideration.

At any rate, I bought it and decided to read it before giving it to him. I found it a fun journey, not as gory as Tolkein and not as controversial as Potter - no witchcaft here. It is an easy read, fast paced filled with interesting and rather unusual characters. The author creates an amazingly visual world. You feel like you are really there and after I shared some of the scenes with Charlie, he was hooked so I gave it to him and IT WORKED! He read the book in ten days. Now he wants to know when the next one will be available.
I am so glad to see it here on Amazon, so I know where to go to get it. If you are considering this book for anyone who reads fantasy, I know you can't go wrong with GreeHee.

I am not a fantasy reader but when the rage over Harry Potter got to me I picked up the first book, read it, and enjoyed it. But when I read Michele's GreeHee The Journey of Five I felt that I discovered a new J.K. Rowling.

The lovable characters and their nightmarish adventures stemming from Michele's imagination - dragons, fairies, giants - are etched in your memory long after you close the book.

Like Harry Potter, Michele's fantasy will appeal to both children and adults. It's only a matter of time when the U.S. version of Ms. Rowling takes hold in America.

Francine Silverman, author of Talk Radio for Authors (Infinity Publishing 2007).

You have to read GreeHee the Journey of Five! It is so uplifting and inspiring! The characters in the book were filled with such goodness, love, hope, faith and tolerance. In a world filled with greed, war, anger and judgement, it was so refreshing to read this book. It takes you away to a better place - a place filled with the kind of awe, love and joy our own planet and people should possess more of.

The messages contained within the book are so important to our every day lives. We have to stay centered, balanced and fearless so we can find our inner selves and fight the internal/external battles that plague us daily. Only if we stay true to ourselves and love ourselves without judgement, and not cave in to pressures and expectations of others, do we win the war of life. If we stay true to this tenet, we will find ourselves surrounded by those who hold similar beliefs and values and love us for who we are as well, just like the five in the book.

I related to GreeHee the most because he had a difficult upbringing - parents who were not supportive of him and wanted him to conform to their twisted beliefs. Even though their conditioning didn't feel right inside, he was still fearful that maybe he was the one who was wrong - he was the one who was defective. But instead of just living a lie and going along with what others told him he should be, he struck out on his own, forged his own path and discovered his own belief and value system that was right for him. And because he stayed true to himself, he was able to conquer his fears in a way that others could not. His faith stayed strong, he was drawn to others who supported his search and in the end, he succeeded in conquering his demons - the ones we all face in our own lives.

There's something for everyone in GreeHee The Journey of Five - fantasy, magic, mystery, intrigue, adventure and especially wisdom. I still think about the wisdom contained in this book and try to apply it to my own life daily. I can't wait for book #2 to come out!

I couldn't stop reading this wonderful fantasy. I read it in one sitting through the night. Every character in the book touched a part of my soul as if I had been this character or at least lived the same experiences, feelings and thoughts at some time in my existence in this lifetime or in another. GreeHee, a young dragon, who wanted to be cruel like his father comes upon Loni,a young fairy, who helps GreeHee follow his heart. Together their adventures help them learn to love, overcome obstacles and be true to their hearts. This book is not just for children. Every adult should read this book. It helps us go back to our childhood where fantasy and dreams are always alive and real. You will love GreeHee, Loni and their adventures in Tamoor. I am looking forward to Michele Avanti's next book in the series. Thank you, Michele, for your vision and sharing it with us.

I'm a retired teacher. I've worked with elementary/middle school children and have tried to choose books to read to them or to recommend that would enhance their self esteem and encourage them to make good choices. GreeHee is an excellent book for these age groups. GreeHee is very unsure of himself in the beginning of the story but he grows into a self assured dragon because he learns to trust the love of his friends which helps him to learn to love himself. He learns that one can get through difficulties through teamwork and making good choices. He learns that following rules is essential to survival and doing well. I enjoyed watching GreeHee evolve into a happy and trustworthy dragon (friend). This story is uplifting and the loving qualities of the characters persist throughout. I felt better for having read it and I highly recommend it to any age group-even us big kids.

While I am not a fan of Epic Fantasy, I read GreeHee: The Journey of Five, at the insistence of my 20 year old son. I'm glad I did!
My journey with GreeHee (a teenage dragon) took me to distant magical lands, introduced me to memorable vibrant characters and kept me reading till dawn! GreeHee faces a crisis of self-awareness, character and growth within a colossal tale laden with mystery, prophecy, perilous journeys and encounters with evil.
As an educator and former counselor of teens and young adults, I recommend GreeHee as a book that is fun to read; keeps one involved from opening to close; and teaches without preaching many important, positive life lessons including the greatest secrets for living a fulfilled life. It's a sure bet as a gift for pre-teens, teens, young adults and the young at heart!