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read247_instyle_inca's review
5.0
Maia is probably my favorite Richard Adams' book, which makes finally reading this a joy. I enjoyed learning more of the history of the Beklan Empire, as well as a few moral lessons along the way.
lesserjoke's review
4.0
I loved this 1974 story of a Stone Age civilization treating a giant bear as the incarnation of their god, a sprawling feat of worldbuilding that feels wholly different from the author's better-known classic Watership Down. It's slow but engaging, and I appreciate the ambiguity that its title animal can be read as either a divine agent or not. This is a fantasy story with no overt magic, set in a prehistory so deep it may as well be another world, and it carries an epic feel as though it really were a surviving relic of those times. The prose can be a little clunky to modern ears, and the story could certainly have been tightened up, but this is a tome that really rewards readers for falling into its world.
abomine's review
4.0
Perfect Musical Pairing: Pharao by Freedom Call
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Reading this book is a journey, in which you invest your heart, soul, and mind. It's a long, bloody, and arduous trek, across rivers and mountains, through cities and slums, all the way to the very heart of faith and humanity and forgiveness. You come to love these characters as friends, and to see them suffer so hideously throughout the course of the novel almost makes reading unbearable at times, but the ever present thoughts of "What happens next? Will our beloved characters earn their respective happy endings" keep you turning the pages. Once you reach the end, there's a certain exhaustion and exhilaration you feel, like after running a marathon, and the novel ends on a beautifully hopeful and optimistic note.
Shardik is not for everyone, though. This is a VERY long read (like, [b:Moby-Dick|153747|Moby-Dick; or, The Whale|Herman Melville|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327940656s/153747.jpg|2409320]-long, at least that's how it felt as I was reading it), and it is considerably dark and gruesome at times (sometimes a bit overly so, especially in the treatment of a certain female character, hence my four-star rating instead of a five-star), but trust me, it is completely worth the venture.
This is the third book I've read and enjoyed by Richard Adams, the other two being [b:Watership Down|76620|Watership Down (Watership Down #1)|Richard Adams|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405136931s/76620.jpg|1357456] and [b:The Plague Dogs|12442|The Plague Dogs|Richard Adams|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388951112s/12442.jpg|826957], and Shardik most certainly did not disappoint.
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Reading this book is a journey, in which you invest your heart, soul, and mind. It's a long, bloody, and arduous trek, across rivers and mountains, through cities and slums, all the way to the very heart of faith and humanity and forgiveness. You come to love these characters as friends, and to see them suffer so hideously throughout the course of the novel almost makes reading unbearable at times, but the ever present thoughts of "What happens next? Will our beloved characters earn their respective happy endings" keep you turning the pages. Once you reach the end, there's a certain exhaustion and exhilaration you feel, like after running a marathon, and the novel ends on a beautifully hopeful and optimistic note.
Shardik is not for everyone, though. This is a VERY long read (like, [b:Moby-Dick|153747|Moby-Dick; or, The Whale|Herman Melville|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327940656s/153747.jpg|2409320]-long, at least that's how it felt as I was reading it), and it is considerably dark and gruesome at times (sometimes a bit overly so, especially in the treatment of a certain female character, hence my four-star rating instead of a five-star), but trust me, it is completely worth the venture.
This is the third book I've read and enjoyed by Richard Adams, the other two being [b:Watership Down|76620|Watership Down (Watership Down #1)|Richard Adams|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405136931s/76620.jpg|1357456] and [b:The Plague Dogs|12442|The Plague Dogs|Richard Adams|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388951112s/12442.jpg|826957], and Shardik most certainly did not disappoint.
nicholasbobbitt1997's review
4.0
On quickly skimming this book, as I've been skimming the last few books to attempt to figure out whether I want to bring them home with me from college, I found myself enjoying Adams' writing, so I'll probably be keeping a copy of this book. Maybe not this copy, though, as it's kinda falling apart.
readingsengi's review
3.0
Not bad, and some powerfully visceral writing (particularly in the end section). There were quite a few needlessly complex similes though, which is one of my pet hates. You know, the sort where "His eyes were green like leaves, but not like ordinary leaves, like the leaves the man sees after a long homecoming on a particular Tuesday in October, but only if he's facing towards the west after he's abandoned the love of his life. That green."
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