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A review by sapphirestars
Shardik by Richard Adams
4.0
I really enjoyed this book :] Writing a review for it seems hard because much of the subject matter was philosophical and metaphysical in nature. Religion, civilization, divine intervention, truth, fate, slavery, as well as duty and honor were all explored in this book. There is much to ponder when reading this novel and while there is external action, the internal conflicts of the characters are great as well.
I did enjoy revising the Beklan Empire. Because Shardik was written ten years before Maia, I did not feel that the world was as expansive or glorious as it later became. I often feel this is true of fantasy novels, as it often seems the author matures and progresses as he continues to write and strengthen the world he has created. The list of characters present in Maia was missing from this novel which I feel would have much helped. (There are many characters and titles and it becomes hard to keep track at times). In this regard, the Beklan languages were not as developed as they later became.
However I would definitely recommend this novel. I am glad to have read Maia first, as that is a prequel to this story, thus reading Shardik made sense in chronological order in relation to the book I had just read. I relished recognizing characters such as Santil-kè-Erketlis, Bel-ka-Trazet, Elleroth, Ta-Kominion, Genshed, and even Melathys. I was able to understand their motivations better and to see how they had progressed and related to the story last time. I also enjoyed learning more about the Northern and Eastern parts of the Empire as well as a bit more about surrounding countries (such as Zakalon) which was heretofore unexplored.
The journey of Shardik is moving and intriguing and brings up points about superstition and barbarianism. There is much focus on Shardik and not as much on individuals and politics. However when these are focused on, it is exciting. Certain parts of the novel show descriptions of violence that were more so than in Maia and added to the tension and danger of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed it very much :] I feel it was the perfect book to read before starting The Dark Tower series, as Shardik is mentioned in these books as well.
I did enjoy revising the Beklan Empire. Because Shardik was written ten years before Maia, I did not feel that the world was as expansive or glorious as it later became. I often feel this is true of fantasy novels, as it often seems the author matures and progresses as he continues to write and strengthen the world he has created. The list of characters present in Maia was missing from this novel which I feel would have much helped. (There are many characters and titles and it becomes hard to keep track at times). In this regard, the Beklan languages were not as developed as they later became.
However I would definitely recommend this novel. I am glad to have read Maia first, as that is a prequel to this story, thus reading Shardik made sense in chronological order in relation to the book I had just read. I relished recognizing characters such as Santil-kè-Erketlis, Bel-ka-Trazet, Elleroth, Ta-Kominion, Genshed, and even Melathys. I was able to understand their motivations better and to see how they had progressed and related to the story last time. I also enjoyed learning more about the Northern and Eastern parts of the Empire as well as a bit more about surrounding countries (such as Zakalon) which was heretofore unexplored.
The journey of Shardik is moving and intriguing and brings up points about superstition and barbarianism. There is much focus on Shardik and not as much on individuals and politics. However when these are focused on, it is exciting. Certain parts of the novel show descriptions of violence that were more so than in Maia and added to the tension and danger of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed it very much :] I feel it was the perfect book to read before starting The Dark Tower series, as Shardik is mentioned in these books as well.