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A review by emmawight
Shardik by Richard Adams
5.0
Pros:
-Richard Adams really leans into his languid, metaphorical writing in this book and, while it isn't for everyone, I adored it.
-Treatment of women in this book is wonderful. There is pain and regret and abuse, but also recovery and patience and diversity. While it isn't said directly I do believe there was at least 1 lesbian couple. They are allowed to develop on their own outside of "hero" characters, and some have absolutely harrowing journies, but there's no glorification of their pain and suffering.
-Having only read the sleeve for the plot I really did not expect the book to develop as it did. The world building is spectacular and there are some twists and turns that struck me out of nowhere.
-There is still a substantial mystery at the end of the book and, by the themes that it touches on, you learn that you don't need to know the answer.
-Richard Adams really leans into his languid, metaphorical writing in this book and, while it isn't for everyone, I adored it.
-Treatment of women in this book is wonderful. There is pain and regret and abuse, but also recovery and patience and diversity. While it isn't said directly I do believe there was at least 1 lesbian couple. They are allowed to develop on their own outside of "hero" characters, and some have absolutely harrowing journies, but there's no glorification of their pain and suffering.
-Having only read the sleeve for the plot I really did not expect the book to develop as it did. The world building is spectacular and there are some twists and turns that struck me out of nowhere.
-There is still a substantial mystery at the end of the book and, by the themes that it touches on, you learn that you don't need to know the answer.