Name: Shardik
Rating: 3.5 (2 reviews)
ISBN: 9780715633311

Richard Adams

A reissue of a classic fantasy work by acclaimed author Richard Adams Shardik is a fantasy of tragic character, centred on the long-awaited reincarnation of the gigantic bear Shardik and his appearance among the half-barbaric Ortelgan people. A gripping tale of war, adventure, horror and romance, Shardik, on a deeper level, is a remarkable exploration of mankind's universal desire for divine incarnation.

Shardik

Richard Adams’s Watership Down was a number one bestseller, a stunning work of the imagination, and an acknowledged modern classic. In Shardik Adams sets a different yet equally compelling tale in a far-off fantasy world. Shardik is a fantasy of tragic character, centered on the long-awaited reincarnation of the gigantic bear Shardik and his appearance among the half-barbaric Ortelgan people. Mighty, ferocious, and unpredictable, Shardik changes the life of every person in the story. His advent commences a momentous chain of events. Kelderek the hunter, who loves and trusts the great bear, is swept up by destiny to become first devotee and then prophet, then victorious soldier, then ruler of an empire and priest-king of Lord Shardik—Messenger of God—only to discover ever-deeper layers of meaning implicit in his passionate belief in the bear’s divinity.

A well-built fantasy world filled with plausible flawed characters, with the giant bear Shardik the focal point of an outpouring of religious fervour which is abused for political ends (plunging the country into war), misunderstood (by the main character who is swept along on the political tide), or quietly and patiently contemplated (by the priestesses originally part and f his cult). While the revelation Kelderek (the central character) finally understands is nothing esoteric or challenging, the route his has taken to uncover it (simpleton hunter to priest king to slave to regional governor) has been a difficult one, forcing wisdom on him as he travelled. Adams is subtle with the use of the giant Shardik; though he is a corporeal being, his strength and stamina are enough to make him seem unstoppable. He is used sparingly, only appearing at pivotal moments, and his actions imply the correctness of the priestesses’ faith, but without making him anything other than a real bear. His death is genuinely tragic. A haunting tale of man’s greed, cunning and perversity, where a world is shattered by its political use and yet ultimately healed again by the simplicity of the faith itself. Gorgeously and compellingly written, this novel is easy to become immersed in, and swept along with the plot.

Shardik

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