The Ice Dragon
by George R.R. Martin
112 pp. Starscape. $12.95
Reviewed by Paul Stotts
George R.R. Martin has been widely acclaimed for what is hailed as the best current ongoing series, "A Song of Ice and Fire". "The Ice Dragon" is a children's novella that has no connection with his better known and more adult series. However, there is still enough Martin goodness for fans and those looking for an introduction to Martin to give it a look.
Adara is a young girl who loves the winter and the cold. She is a content with feeling isolated and different from her family, enjoying her time alone immensely by playing in the snowy, winter fields surrounding her house. Her life is changed, though, when she befriends an ice dragon, a creature of fearsome repute. War and an invading army intrudes upon Adara's childhood world and family life, spurring Adara and the ice dragon to risk everything in order to survive.
Though this is a children's novella, Martin does not shade away from the uglier aspects of life. While not as dark and adult as "A Song of Ice and Fire", tragedy and sadness does abound in this tale. Parents will want to read this book first to decide whether it is appropriate material for their children and to anticipate any difficult questions that may arise from certain aspects of the story.
Martin's writing is simple and straightforward, almost stark in its tone, eschewing excessive description that constitutes most adult epic fantasy. He hits the mark, though, in terms of the audience he is writing for. The story itself is beautiful and sad, and while there is nothing groundbreaking or novel here, the writing is definitely top-notch. Yvonne Gilbert contributes some stunning artwork to the story, advancing Martin's storytelling and description along tremendously through her gorgeous illustrations.
Last Word:
If you are a George R.R. Martin fan, you will no doubt be please with his take on a children's story. For the non-fans of Martin, "The Ice Dragon" is a stark but beautiful and bittersweet story that does not shield the audience from some of the uglier aspects of life, and reaffirms Martin as one of his generations great fantasy storytellers.
Final Grade: 71 out of 100
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