I liked it; it was good
A nice short book to read at the tail-end of my busy work week! I’ve read this before, but decided to reread it so I can finally write my review.
Read: Jan. 30 2024
Genre: Fantasy
Audience: Children
Book contains: mild description of gore, war, battle, blood and death
Purchase a copy from Amazon.ca
Adara is a winter child, and while others are terrified of the coming of the ice dragon, she adores it. However, in the summer of her seventh year, the king’s war takes a turn for the worse and her family’s farm is threatened. Does the ice dragon come to save her?
When reading this children’s novella, it’s so obvious that there is a deeper meaning, but it’s not quite so easy to parse out what it is. Adara is always described as a “cold” child, born in winter, with very light-coloured features. The cold doesn’t bother her, and she doesn’t laugh, cry, smile, or scream. She’s very unnerving to others, which is a defining feature she shares with the ice dragons that come in winter. I really like the concept.
This novella is told in third person, focusing on Adara from the time she’s born to when she is seven years old. I fell in love with the beautiful illustrations throughout this book and on the chapter title pages.
It’s a short book, so I easily sat down and read it in my comfy recliner. I was all wrapped up in blankets with a cup of hot coco, so I wasn’t nearly as cold as the book is describing for the characters!
As mentioned, Adara is the main character. Her mother was mentioned briefly, though she died in childbirth. Adara lives with her father and two older siblings, a brother named Geoff and a sister named Teri. Her uncle Hal is a dragon rider for the king; he rides a “normal” fire-breathing dragon, and he stops by during the summer when he and his dragon come back from the south. The other characters are all similarly inclined against the winter, which sets Adara apart from them.
Because of this separation, their relationships are tense, and it’s mentioned several times how her father doesn’t love Adara as he ought, how “she is a cold child” that no one can get close to. I love how the relationships evolve throughout the story, though, and the ending was quite satisfying, if a bit melancholy.
I haven’t yet read the books that really brought fame to Martin as an author (A Song of Ice and Fire), but they’re on my list! So far, I really like his writing style, which is easy to understand (probably because it’s a children’s book!) but also holds hidden depth and meaning. He’s good at telling an important message in a fun, entertaining way.
It’s already a short book, but the pacing was excellent. You dive right in, learning about the ice dragons and what they are and when they come, as well as Adara’s backstory and how she is as a person. The introduction to the uncle and the war is early but not overpowering until it becomes important.
I highly recommend this book—especially if you’re already a fan of Geroge R.R. Martin’s work. I’d also recommend this book as a “tester” for those who want to get to know Martin’s work before diving into his massive series.
The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin
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