Shardik - by Richard Adams (Paperback)

About the Book

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).

Book Synopsis

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).

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.

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.,

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.