Rating: 
Summary: Compelling
Review: I loved this book. Richard Adams is widely acknowledged for 'Watership down', though I feel that he is not properly recognized for the rest of his works which are all equally as fulfilling and amazing to read.
The novel Shardik brings us into a unique land and takes us along on Kelderek's soul searching journey. I believe that there is symbolism present in this novel. I felt that fire held a symbolic importance. This book has it all: war, love, religion, adventure, suspense, proufound thought & morality. I am going to read Maia (the prequel) next. [Odd] that Shardik is available commerically, but Maia is not.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: I loved this book. Richard Adams is widely acknowledged for 'Watership down', though I feel that he is not properly recognized for the rest of his works which are all equally as fulfilling and amazing to read.
The novel Shardik brings us into a unique land and takes us along on Kelderek's soul searching journey. I believe that there is symbolism present in this novel. I felt that fire held a symbolic importance. This book has it all: war, love, religion, adventure, suspense, proufound thought & morality. I am going to read Maia (the prequel) next. [Odd] that Shardik is available commerically, but Maia is not.
Rating: 
Summary: Iniciation
Review: I read Shardik when I was 14 years old (now I am 40). It was the first book that introduce me to the mistery of live. Of violence, acceptation, divinity in a new way than I did not knew etc. In those times, I choose book by the history, not by the author. And hopely I did the good choice. The book is still with me. I suppose that any teenager (more male) will like it.
Rating:
Summary: A 604 page book that a twelve year old can understand! Za!
Review: I'm not going to talk like a fancy pants reviewer- I'm just twelve, and I don't know super big critic-type words. I'm just going to say what I think about this book. This is a good book. This book is fascinating, even to a kid. It's adventure, romance, but at the heart of it, it's wisdom of the human spirit- how man believes that anything unlike them is wrong; the lack of knowledge of your enemies and, in truth, how close they are to yourself; and how you never know who the "bad guy" is, especialy if it's you. It always holds your attention, so you are sure never to miss anything that will come up later on in the book, which is of the greatest importance to this story, so you don't ever wonder,"Who's that again?" This is a feat that Adams accomplishes almost easily, while I get lost in most other books and several chapters later am frustrated just because I wasn't paying attention for a page. This book, most importantly, though, is just fun. All you need to enjoy this book is a developed vocabulary and an understanding of human nature. Three and a half cheers for Richard Adams!
Rating:
Summary: An adult "Narnia" tale
Review: In an adult way, Adams does for faith and spirituality what C. S. Lewis does in his "Narnia" series...reveal the power of God through an animal avatar. This is no kids book, though children may enjoy it at some level. The Great bear Shardik, mystical blend of animal and God, on the one hand brute animal at its most naturalistic, on the other the palpable hand of God, stalks through the story like an Old Testament figure, avenging, redeeming, confounding human expectations for him..as God always does...until His will is done. Lives are shattered and reshaped...and a terrible, evil is ended. The villain of this book is one of the most chilling figures in all of literature. Though it drags in many places, SHARDIK is full of scenes of raw iconic power and beauty, vivid images of the power of God manifest through this great beast. This a wonderful book, one that inspires rereading, and gives one pause to think about the nature of good, evil, mankind, and the deity.
Rating:
Summary: Brace yourself.
Review: In the tradition of "Watership Down," Adams has created a gripping story that, while seemingly detached from our usual sphere of experience, manages to address a number of important social issues. His excellent storytelling ability paints a (mostly) barreling saga of religion perverted for human use and a king's morally questionable policies gone awry.
I loved the beginning and end of the book (it was in these sections that the action was most intense) but the middle was so dense I literally slogged through it. Adams' heavy philosophical tangents, intensely long and convoluted metaphors, and pages-on-end introspections by the principal character often bring the storyline to a complete halt. Still, if you have the necessary willpower to finish the book (I had to start it four times before I actually finished it), you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A moving, strange, fantasy unlike anything you've read
Review: Richard Adams followed up the success of his animal fable, "Watership Down," with this epic fantasy novel. However, you couldn't have imagined a more different novel from "Watership Down." This is a very stark, mature, and philosophical fantasy work that explores the nature of religion, human interpretations of god, and the sacrifices and compromises of a war fought for supposedly idealistic causes. With the exception of a disappointingly tepid finale, this is an astonishing, absorbing novel that deserves rediscovery. I promise, you haven't read fantasy like it before. Without magic, fantastic monsters, or any overt supernatural occurrences, Adams sweeps the reader into a world of brilliant imagination -- the mark of a great fantasy. "Shardik" occurs in a hidden world with a hint of the ancient Middle East. A great bear appears to the hunter Kelderek of the simple Ortelgan people. Kelderek declares that the bear is Shardik, a messenger of God, and soon the Ortelgan people rise to "follow" Shardik (who must often be coerced or drugged into fulfilling prophecies) to wage war against the mighty city of Bekla. Kelderek finds himself as the high priest of the great bear, but also learns the heavy responsibilities, and eventually, the doubts and fears. The novel is filled with war, a strange romance, bizarre and frightening new lands, and violent shifts in the story that rise from the heights of spiritual victory to the depths of slavery. Adams's prose is beautiful and inspiring. Unfortunately, after many excitement moments throughout the book, the lengthy last chapter sputters to a conclusion and probably should have been left out. Regardless, "Shardik" is a fantasy of great scope that leaves the reader with much to ponder. This new edition comes with a thoughtful introduction by author Robert Silverberg.
Rating:
Summary: An Epic Tale
Review: Richard Adams knows how to create worlds of originality and complexity with ease. Shardik is another one of his tales that thrusts the reader head first into a world of savagery. Religion and how one deals with the issue of it is, in my opinion, the underlying theme of the novel. Adams impresses upon the reader through his depiction of characters and events the negative role religion can have upon the individual and society. The story is a riveting ride of emotions as the reader is swept from various cities across Adam's world. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy literature that has something to say about the human condition and how it interacts with the spirit and laws of religion. Richard Adams is a spellbinding story teller with much to impart upon society.
Rating:
Summary: An Epic Tale
Review: Richard Adams knows how to create worlds of originality and complexity with ease. Shardik is another one of his tales that thrusts the reader head first into a world of savagery. Religion and how one deals with the issue of it is, in my opinion, the underlying theme of the novel. Adams impresses upon the reader through his depiction of characters and events the negative role religion can have upon the individual and society. The story is a riveting ride of emotions as the reader is swept from various cities across Adam's world. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy literature that has something to say about the human condition and how it interacts with the spirit and laws of religion. Richard Adams is a spellbinding story teller with much to impart upon society.
Rating: 
Summary: Bear or agent of God?
Review: Richard Adams next effort, after the wonderful 'Watership Down', attempts to transfer the sweep and mythos of that book to a human arena with mixed results. A huge bear fleeing a forest fire stumbles into a poor backward island of Ortelga and is proclaimed to be an agent of God heralding a return to fortune for Ortelga.
The book starts promisingly, but loses its sense of mystery and myth after a third of the story (after the conquest of Bekla). Adams has interesting points to make, mainly how a religion can be corrupted with even the best intentions. But its not done well enough to sustain the story...
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