In a bitterly divided world, a giant bear becomes an object of worship in “the extraordinary fantasy novel by the author of Watership Down ” ( The Guardian , UK).

In a burning forest, Kelderek the hunter encounters a gigantic bear unlike any he’s seen before. Surely this is the reincarnation of Lord Shardik, the messenger of god whose return has been anticipated by the primitive Ortelgan people. In service to Shardik, Kelderek becomes a prophet, then a soldier, and finally an emperor-priest. Swept up by fate and his impassioned faith, Klederek will come to discover ever-deeper layers of meaning implicit in the bear’s divinity.

Written after his bestselling debut novel Watership Down , Richard Adams’s Shardik is an epic fantasy of tragic character. A fascinating depiction of the power of belief, it explores themes of faith, slavery, and war.

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.

From Library Journal

Shardik was Adams's 1974 follow-up to his phenomenally popular debut, Watership Down. The title character is a gigantic bear who is the god of the primitive Ortelgan people. The hunter Kelderek becomes Shardik's greatest disciple and, eventually, ruler when the bear finally does make its return. On the surface, the book works as a fantasy adventure; on a deeper level, it explores our relationship with the divine. No matter what you want to see in it, Shardik is a good read.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Richard Adams grew up in Berkshire, England, the son of a country doctor. After an education at Oxford, he spent six years in the army and then went into the civil service. He has written many novels and short stories, including Watership Down and The Plague Dogs.