The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book Summary:
Seven-year-old Adara was born during the coldest chill of the coldest year ever, a chill that killed her mother during the girl’s birth. Ever since then, she has been a remote and chilly child, living for winter when the ice lizards come out and forming a bond with a mysterious ice dragon.
When war comes and dragon-riding invaders threaten her home and family, the ice dragon helps her to thwart them, leading to its own demise.
Filled with illustrations of swooping dragons and folks in medieval-type garb, this fantasy is a slim but rich introduction to the genre, one that should appeal to both boys and girls.
Book Review:
So yes, this book was written by George R.R. Martin.
And yes, it is a children’s book or a short story for adults.
It is also for anybody who has an inner child in them. It will transport you to a wonderful world of (child-friendly) imagination. This story will leave you wanting more. Martin, as we all know, is a pro at accomplishing that. It is definitely a book I would have loved to read as a child and adored as an adult.
No, it is not a part of the famous ‘A Song of Ice And Fire’, or ‘Game of Thrones’ series.
While the universe that is being described in this book will give you certain elements (dragons!!) that are similar to Westeros, you need no prior knowledge or interest in Game of Thrones to be reading this book or immensely enjoying it.
The Ice Dragon is about a little girl, Adara and obviously, the Ice Dragon. They are beautiful rarities in an ugly world that is too brutal to deserve them. Neither Adara nor the ice dragon fit in with the rest of the world. The ice dragon was seen as a bad omen, a sign of a bitter and brutal winter. Adara was a winter child according to the villagers – the cold had touched her, they said, and cold she seemed, to the villagers. But in finding each other, they complete each other and their journey.
PS: The art illustrations for The Ice Dragon has been done by Luis Royo – again, compared to his usual work, very child-friendly, yet hauntingly beautiful – so that’s definitely a point I thought worth mentioning!
