I read this book over 20 years ago and then revisited it recently. I loved it just as much the second time around.

What a truly fabulous tale it is! It is filled with adventure, romance, heroes, villains, political intrigue, and internecine wars. All of this is set in the fantastical world of the Beklan empire.

The novel features a beautiful albeit naive heroine that you can't help but root for. It is an incredible journey that follows her from her humble beginnings to her becoming the most feted woman in the empire.

Throughout the story, one witnesses the character growth of a young and somewhat superficial girl into a brave heroine capable of great depth of feeling and incredibly valiant acts.

If you want to plunge headlong into another world, experience another time, lose yourself for a bit, and emerge with the satisfaction of having completed a memorable journey, then ‘Maia’ is definitely for you.

It will transport you to a different realm and keep you engaged from start to finish.

This is a re-read of a book that I initially read during my junior high school days. I vividly recall that I only read it once back then. Truly, after that initial reading, I would simply skim through it, mainly focusing on the so-called “dirty” parts.

The book consists of a whopping 1,000 pages and seems to be a male fantasy. It’s like a strange combination of Lolita with a complex sci-fi world-building that ultimately leads nowhere. It feels as if it’s the fevered imagination of some guy sitting in his parents’ basement, binge-watching Labyrinth, Xena, and Ladyhawke, yet it’s really sexist and racist.

To be fair, the world-building aspect is complex. However, the main character is just an empty vessel. She’s like a playboy bunny, with nothing in her brain except the thought “wow - sex is fun!”. It’s as if the author had a strong desire to write sex scenes but fell short because he perhaps hadn’t had much, if any, real sexual experience.

This is the same author who wrote that devastating book about bunnies. I wonder if this particular book was written before that one. The main character should really be Occula, but the author constantly refers to her as “the black girl” without any hint of irony. Meanwhile, the actual main character, who is white and blonde, doesn’t even notice when major plotlines are unfolding right in her own story. I initially thought that maybe the author was attempting to make some kind of ironic point about that type of character, but perhaps I’m being too generous in my assessment.

I initially discovered Maia within the confines of a used bookstore. For the past few weeks, I have been delving into its pages on and off.

This particular book is an extremely lengthy one. My paperback copy contains just over 1200 pages. It chronicles the life of Maia, a charming country girl who unfortunately gets sold into slavery and later becomes a concubine in the household of the High Counselor of Bekla. Along her arduous journey, she befriends Occula, an alluring bed-girl who is not much older than Maia and is plotting revenge. Amid the complex web of court intrigue, which Maia gradually becomes cognizant of, she showcases herself through heroic and erotic acts, embarking on adventures that verge on the unbelievable. Her inherent goodness and beauty seem to serve as her saving graces, along with a significant amount of luck.

The descriptions within the book are rich and vivid, and the characters are as stereotypical as one might anticipate from high fantasy. The use of "slang" adds an element of amusement without being overly intrusive. However, I would have preferred to see a bit less emphasis on the political adventures. At times, it felt as if the book was attempting to be two distinct entities - Maia's ascent to fame and the battles and intrigues of the Empire. While sometimes the stories meshed seamlessly, at other times the transition was rather abrupt.

In my humble opinion, it is not Adams' finest work, yet it is far from being his worst. I would recommend checking it out from the library and perhaps having a wrist brace at the ready.... :^)

One of the best stories I’ve ever read.


This book holds a special place in my heart as it is truly one of my all-time favorites. It is a remarkable piece of literature that encompasses a plethora of elements. There is the thrilling adventure that takes the reader on a wild ride, filled with unexpected twists and turns. The theme of love is also beautifully intertwined, adding a touch of warmth and tenderness to the story. Additionally, it presents a wonderful mythical tale of persevering over evil. The characters are well-developed and their struggles and triumphs are truly inspiring. I find myself drawn to this book time and time again. Sometimes, when I'm feeling low, I'll pick it up and lose myself in its pages. It has a way of lifting my spirits and reminding me of the power of hope and determination.

Wonderful Novel, but Poorly Edited for Kindle

I have been a passionate admirer of this novel ever since its initial publication. When I discovered that it was available on Kindle, I was overjoyed. However, for an unknown reason, every Kindle book that I have obtained in the past couple of years, not just the self-published ones, has suffered from atrocious editing. It is extremely exasperating when a word or name is spelled both correctly and incorrectly within the same sentence. This lack of proper editing detracts from the overall reading experience and makes it difficult to fully immerse oneself in the story. I hope that the publishers will take note of this issue and invest in better editing to ensure that the quality of the books matches the excellence of the content.

This is one of my top 10 books of all time. I managed to finish all 1127 pages, which was truly a remarkable feat for me. In fact, I can safely say it's the longest book I have ever read.

The plot of this book is incredibly intricate, with numerous twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. Adam's writing style is so engaging that it can leave you constantly craving for more. His command of the English language is truly outstanding. There were several words, such as "verdurous" and "sobriquet", that I had to look up as they appeared towards the end of the book.

When I finally reached the end, I was left with a sense of longing, wishing that the story could continue. So, I have decided to take a week or two off and then get stuck into "Shardik" next. I'm really looking forward to exploring another world created by this talented author.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good read. It's a literary masterpiece that will surely leave a lasting impression on you.

Some brilliant elements are present in this work, yet it is at least 500 pages too long.

It is incredibly repetitive, often dull, and I ended up skimming a significant portion of the final third.

A few potent characters and rousing set-pieces manage to bring it to life at times, but they are overshadowed by all the tedious padding.

After placing his heroine in legitimate peril with two imposing foes seeking her death around page 16,978, Adams promptly whisks her miles away from the danger, effectively killing off any trace of suspense.

The final passages lack intrigue, focusing on a painfully obvious conclusion to a half-baked love triangle in which Maia is a clueless participant.

Reams of pages are dedicated to the discussion of battles and militaristic overthrow, but we never actually see any of it unfold.

And the evil, perverse queen, who serves as a solid primary villain, meets her predictable end well out of sight, so we only get to hear about it in a long, rambling soliloquy after the fact.

Yawn. It's been decades since I read Watership Down, but I remember it being a truly tense tale of last-minute escapes, bloody animal warfare, and surprise heroics.

Adams shows little interest in that kind of high drama here, preferring to wander semi-aimlessly through his admittedly rich fantasy world until he either runs out of typewriter ribbons or simply gets bored.

Few books I've read are in more desperate need of an editor than this one.

A uniquely detailed and imaginative novel

This is a work that stands out for its extraordinary attention to detail and vivid imagination. Every element within the story seems to be precisely placed, contributing to a seamless and engaging narrative that truly works wonders. However, it cannot be ignored that the novel is excruciatingly long. The sheer length of it might pose a challenge for readers who wish to revisit the story one day. Nevertheless, despite this drawback, it is certain that such a rereading would be really rewarding. The depth and complexity of the plot, the well-developed characters, and the richly described world all hold the promise of offering new insights and experiences upon a second encounter. It is a novel that demands patience and perseverance, but one that is likely to leave a lasting impression on those who are willing to invest the time.

I read this book for the first time when it came out and I was about 18.

I had never read a book like it because of the subject matter. It was truly unique. What's more, it was the longest paperback for sale that day.

It is completely amazing. I have re-read it over the years and am always amazed at how Richard Adams could make each part of the Empire feel so defined.

He wrote about a topic I'd generally find tragic, yet it was also incredibly beautiful. The way he crafted the story and the characters was masterful.

This book is definitely one of my top five books of all time. And I have easily read 50 - 100 books each year since. It has had a profound impact on me and continues to be a favorite.

I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good story, regardless of the subject matter. You won't be disappointed.

As the portrait of a decadent empire divided against itself by the issue of slavery, this work is reasonably interesting and entertaining, albeit perhaps a bit overlong.

However, the protagonist, a sixteen-year-old girl, presents quite a few problems. From a plot perspective, she continuously stumbles through a complex political environment, never learning to accurately assess the situation or envision how others might view her.

Moreover, from a writing standpoint, the older male author frequently and disturbingly describes the body and sexuality of this underage girl. This aspect not only makes the reading experience uncomfortable but also raises questions about the author's intentions and the appropriate treatment of such sensitive themes.

Overall, while the work may have some redeeming qualities in terms of its portrayal of the empire and the political turmoil, the issues surrounding the protagonist and the author's writing style cannot be ignored.

If Adams had the opportunity to pen this work in the present day, in the company of other renowned fantasy authors such as Martin and Sanderson, I firmly believe it would have achieved great popularity. Instead of being a largely forgotten foray into the fantasy genre by the so-called "rabbit-man." Additionally, Maia is a Mary-Sue character crafted by a middle-aged man. She is a nubile teenager who not only enjoys sex but also has no qualms about using and being used for sexual purposes once she overcomes the trauma of being sold into slavery. Somehow, she manages to be both alluringly innocent and devastatingly erotic. She has an intuitive understanding of men and how to manipulate them, yet she is so "nice" about it that the men seldom notice or care. By the age of sixteen, she rises to the position of the Heroine of the City simply by...letting things unfold and occasionally praying to her goddess.

Look, I found it engaging enough to read all nine hundred pages of the book, and I will be actively seeking out a copy of the other book set in the Beklan Empire. However, it is important to be aware that there will be more sexual content than one might anticipate. All of it features an enslaved (at least for the first three-fifths of the book) teenager and is written by a seemingly straitlaced British man who clearly thought he was pushing the boundaries of sexual exploration in his writing.

I love this book immensely.

The characters are incredibly rich and real. The cast is vast, yet each character is so unique that they all stand out to me vividly. Even those with smaller roles and fewer pages, like Ogma, Brero, or Tharrin, have their own distinct personalities. When Maia takes an action, it feels exactly like something Maia would do, not just a convenient plot device or strategy. I truly believe that Richard Adams has an amazing talent for creating such distinctive characters.

The story itself is also wonderful, filled with intrigue, politics, sex, fun, fear, and love. I initially thought that Maia couldn't surpass Shardik, and I still wouldn't say it has, but it is definitely on the same epic level. I love them both equally.

I like Watership Down, I really do. But sometimes, I can't help but feel a little (angry? Indignant? Sad) that Adams' other, arguably greater books seem relatively unknown in comparison. I guess the popularity of a book partly depends on luck, and people don't often think to explore other works by authors they've enjoyed. It's truly a shame.