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. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Book Description "Shardik is a powerful work， dipping deep into old forms-allegory， epic， myth-resonating in the caverns of the readers' unconscious . . . It is an exciting story， the adventures compelling." (Los Angeles Times) "Grips with suspense， haunts with mystery . . . a memorable work， not to be read once only but to be reread as loved books are . . . a human saga." (The Wall Street Journal) 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 on 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. A gripping tale of war， adventure， horror and romance， Shardik， on a deeper level， is a remarkable exploration of mankind's universal desire for divine incarnation. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. See all Editorial Reviews