Probably the greatest fantasy/adventure book I have ever read just happens to be for young adults and is about talking rabbits in search of a new home. I initially thought I'd be overcome with unintentional laughter and an inability to suspend my disbelief. I thought wrong. By the book's end, when this ragtag collection of refugees from the obliterated Sandleford warren reaches the end of their journey, I was figuratively elevating Mr Adams to the gold medal platform of fantasy writers, just above even the Holy Trinity of Tolkien, Lewis, and Rowling. Seriously.

In creating a new world with its own culture, history, and folklore, nothing matches Watership Down's consistent inventiveness. Interestingly, this is a lean world, devoid of unnecessarily intricate machinations or cluttered details reflective of authorial indulgence. The characters are each distinct, richly drawn, yet refreshingly free of cliche. There are heroes and villains to be sure--"good" and "bad" rabbits as well as other animated creatures--but none lack depth or interest, none descend into parody. The storytelling pace, furthermore, is brisk, consistent, always thrilling. In short, I, without reservation, recommend this book to that broadest of all demographic groupings: children of all ages.