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The Ice Dragon
The ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember.
Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold. In her fourth year she touched it, and in her fifth year she rode upon its broad, chilled back for the first time. Then, in her seventh year, on a calm summer day, fiery dragons from the North swooped down upon the peaceful farm that was Adara's home. And only a winter child--and the ice dragon who loved her--could save her world from utter destruction.
The Ice Dragon marks the highly anticipated children's book debut of George R.R. Martin, the award-winning author of the New York Times best-selling series A Song of Ice and Fire and is set in the same world. Illustrated with lush, exquisitely detailed pencil drawings by acclaimed artist Yvonne Gilbert, The Ice Dragon is an unforgettable tale of courage, love, and sacrifice by one of the most honored fantasists of all time.
Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold. In her fourth year she touched it, and in her fifth year she rode upon its broad, chilled back for the first time. Then, in her seventh year, on a calm summer day, fiery dragons from the North swooped down upon the peaceful farm that was Adara's home. And only a winter child--and the ice dragon who loved her--could save her world from utter destruction.
The Ice Dragon marks the highly anticipated children's book debut of George R.R. Martin, the award-winning author of the New York Times best-selling series A Song of Ice and Fire and is set in the same world. Illustrated with lush, exquisitely detailed pencil drawings by acclaimed artist Yvonne Gilbert, The Ice Dragon is an unforgettable tale of courage, love, and sacrifice by one of the most honored fantasists of all time.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
About the author
George R.R. Martin
1,465 books116k followersGeorge Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,257 reviews
September 4, 2020
(B+) 76% | Good
Notes: A latter-day Grimm’s tale, it’s endearing and atmospheric, though its symbolism’s peculiar and its message abstruse.
Notes: A latter-day Grimm’s tale, it’s endearing and atmospheric, though its symbolism’s peculiar and its message abstruse.
January 29, 2021
The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin
This is a good story for young readers about the sacrifice for the loving one. In the tale, the girl had an ice-dragon who will do anything for the girl to keep her safe. Just as the girl will risk anything to protect her family. Besides, Each illustration in the book was so beautiful. And the art convened Martin's every word amazingly. Enjoyable, unique, and the story has a bittersweet conclusion. Though the tale was for young readers, I believe it's still enjoyable for people of all ages.
Adorable story.
This is a good story for young readers about the sacrifice for the loving one. In the tale, the girl had an ice-dragon who will do anything for the girl to keep her safe. Just as the girl will risk anything to protect her family. Besides, Each illustration in the book was so beautiful. And the art convened Martin's every word amazingly. Enjoyable, unique, and the story has a bittersweet conclusion. Though the tale was for young readers, I believe it's still enjoyable for people of all ages.
Take me away, take me to the land of always-winter.
Adorable story.
November 27, 2017
First, I have had this little book FOREVER. I got it from BookOutlet and it has a little tear in the dust jacket and until I picked it up and read it, I had no idea there was an awesome poster on the other side of the dust jacket. I will show y'all after I get it laminated, tear be damned!! Here's what it looks like though!! I freaking love it!!
I fell in love with Adara who loved Winter (like me). She was cold to the touch and could play with the ice lizards and was friends with the ice dragon and eventually would ride him during the winter.
Adara's family loved her but not as much as the other children because she wasn't warm and whatever, until all of that changed.
Anyway, the book is filled with beautiful pictures!! I love them!
I'm going along, loving the book and thinking yeah, lets go show them and then show the fam the dragon. Wellllll, it didn't happen that way!!!
At that point I wanted to throw the book!! BUT, I still gave it 4 stars for the beginning and the illustrations!
Happy Reading!
Mel ❄️
I fell in love with Adara who loved Winter (like me). She was cold to the touch and could play with the ice lizards and was friends with the ice dragon and eventually would ride him during the winter.
Adara's family loved her but not as much as the other children because she wasn't warm and whatever, until all of that changed.
Anyway, the book is filled with beautiful pictures!! I love them!
I'm going along, loving the book and thinking yeah, lets go show them and then show the fam the dragon. Wellllll, it didn't happen that way!!!
At that point I wanted to throw the book!! BUT, I still gave it 4 stars for the beginning and the illustrations!
Happy Reading!
Mel ❄️
July 3, 2017
Of all of George R.R Martin’s short stories this one is by far my favourite. It may be because it is the only one with dragons in it or it may be because it is an early prelude to A Song of Ice and Fire. The publishers have hinted that this is set in Westeros. It’s not. There is no mention of an actual setting, but what is does show is an early application of an idea that he eventually used in his wonderful fantasy series: it shows us dragons that are ridden into combat at the service of Kings.
An unlikely friendship
Adara is a winter child; she has the coldness in her blood and in her soul. When its summer she longs for winter, and when its winter she is happy. This is because with winter comes the ice dragon. He comes to visit her and is the only thing that can cure her loneliness; he is her only friend. When she eventually reaches seven years of age he allows her to ride him across the winter sky. He takes her further each year as she gets older. When summer eventually returns the dragon leaves. Adara waits the entire year for her ice dragon to return.
War approaches Adara’s little home, an invading nation with their own dragon riders are ravaging the landscape. Her uncle has his own dragon, and urges her to flee with him to safety. She refuses as she could not leave her dragon or her father who refuses to leave his home. The enemy dragons attack so she defends. She mounts her ice dragon and a fight between ice and fire begins. So, just a small parallel here, perhaps Martin used this as a stepping stone for his later novels. The writing of A Game of Thrones began with the scene with the Starks finding the direwolves, I think after that he included aspects from this story.
Wonderful illustrations, but not worth the money
The illustrations in this edition are fantastic. They really help to capture the essence of the story. The close up drawing of the ice dragon is a particular favourite of mine. Those being said though, many of them feel like mere page fillers. This edition is beautifully illustrated, but it is also packed out. Each time there is a new chapter there is a double page to tell you so. The publishers really did try to milk some money out of readers when they printed this. This would be better in an illustrated collection of all his fantasy short stories.
This edition is great overall, but it is expensive for what you get. The story only takes around thirty minutes to read, perhaps forty if you spend a few moment s admiring the artwork. Therefore, although the price tag may cover printing costs it does not cover reader value for money. I bought this edition because the short story was my favourite amongst Martin’s Dreamsongs. If you’ve not read any of his short stories then I don’t recommend this edition; I recommend just buying the short story collection I just mentioned. It is cheaper and contains this short story along with many others that are fantastic. If you, like me, love the Ice Dragon story then this edition is an expensive buy, but a nice addition to a George R.R Martin bookshelf.
Overall, this is a great short story that I do recommend to fans of A song of Ice and Fire. It’s a magical and enchanting tale, but one that is very sad. But, as I mentioned, if you don’t already love this then you’re better off delving into Dreamsongs.
An expensive four stars: five for the story, and three for the overpriced edition.
An unlikely friendship
Adara is a winter child; she has the coldness in her blood and in her soul. When its summer she longs for winter, and when its winter she is happy. This is because with winter comes the ice dragon. He comes to visit her and is the only thing that can cure her loneliness; he is her only friend. When she eventually reaches seven years of age he allows her to ride him across the winter sky. He takes her further each year as she gets older. When summer eventually returns the dragon leaves. Adara waits the entire year for her ice dragon to return.
War approaches Adara’s little home, an invading nation with their own dragon riders are ravaging the landscape. Her uncle has his own dragon, and urges her to flee with him to safety. She refuses as she could not leave her dragon or her father who refuses to leave his home. The enemy dragons attack so she defends. She mounts her ice dragon and a fight between ice and fire begins. So, just a small parallel here, perhaps Martin used this as a stepping stone for his later novels. The writing of A Game of Thrones began with the scene with the Starks finding the direwolves, I think after that he included aspects from this story.
Wonderful illustrations, but not worth the money
The illustrations in this edition are fantastic. They really help to capture the essence of the story. The close up drawing of the ice dragon is a particular favourite of mine. Those being said though, many of them feel like mere page fillers. This edition is beautifully illustrated, but it is also packed out. Each time there is a new chapter there is a double page to tell you so. The publishers really did try to milk some money out of readers when they printed this. This would be better in an illustrated collection of all his fantasy short stories.
This edition is great overall, but it is expensive for what you get. The story only takes around thirty minutes to read, perhaps forty if you spend a few moment s admiring the artwork. Therefore, although the price tag may cover printing costs it does not cover reader value for money. I bought this edition because the short story was my favourite amongst Martin’s Dreamsongs. If you’ve not read any of his short stories then I don’t recommend this edition; I recommend just buying the short story collection I just mentioned. It is cheaper and contains this short story along with many others that are fantastic. If you, like me, love the Ice Dragon story then this edition is an expensive buy, but a nice addition to a George R.R Martin bookshelf.
Overall, this is a great short story that I do recommend to fans of A song of Ice and Fire. It’s a magical and enchanting tale, but one that is very sad. But, as I mentioned, if you don’t already love this then you’re better off delving into Dreamsongs.
An expensive four stars: five for the story, and three for the overpriced edition.
December 26, 2011
Stop.....the.....presses! A thoughtful, intelligent children's book?...Yeppers, it's true...behold...
...The Ice Dragon.
That wascally wabbit, George R. R. Martin, has done it yet again! He's written an elegant, pulchritudinous children’s/YA novella that spins a captivating tale that has the added virtue of respecting the brain matter of its readers. Well done, Ser Martin, well done...
...okay, you've been dipped in glory and praisified...now get yon self back to thy scribing of the next SOIAF volume before thou ist given the slappeth of bitch by thou adoring but impatient fanatics.
I feel better now...
I call this a children's story but this is really located somewhere along on the murky, contentious border between YA and kiddy book. It's structured much like a children’s story but deals with subtle, more adulty themes as well as being infused with a number of Martinesque dark moments...Hey, it’s GRRM so what would you expect?
Call it a tweener, but a tweener that this adult (and I use that term VERY loosely) found well done and read-worthy with or without the offspring.
PLOT SUMMARY:
The main character is a clever little girl named Adara who lives on a small farm with her father, brothers and sisters after her mother died giving birth to her (I told you, it's GRRM, so just be happy she wasn't raped or tortured first). Adara is known as a “Winter’s Child” for she was so ice cold when she was born that she was almost blue and has remained this way all her life.
In addition to being physically cold, and here the true genius of Martin’s story pops up to say "hello," Adara is also emotionally distant and detached from her family and outwardly shows virtually no emotion. She's never cried and even when in physical pain, her reaction is muted and stoical. Martin uses this “fantasy” element of Adara’s physical temperature and the tie in to her emotional detachment as a roadmap for exploring Adara’s growth and change throughout the tale. While the prose is straight forward and child-friendly, there is a depth to the writing that is often lacking from stories aimed at a younger audience.
Brief pause so I can info dump:
Here is a less than subtle world-building/backstory exposition that's not really important to my review but is included for those, like me, who like a sense of the story setting.
The tale takes place in what seems to be a pretty standard medieval type locale with the only fantasy elements being Adara’s condition and the existence of dragons. The land that Adara lives in has been in a long, protracted war with a neighboring kingdom. Each army has their own core of trained dragons that act as air support for ground troops. Adara’s uncle is a captain of a regiment of dragon riders and is the means by which Adara and her family (and us as the reader) are made aware of events outside the farm.
... End of brief pause...
Back to the review.
So Adara’s favorite time of the year is, DUH, winter and this is the only time she feels truly content. One winter, she meets and befriends the titular Ice Dragon, an extremely rare breed that, unlike the fire-breathers, have never been tamed or interacted with humans. The Ice Dragons are considerable larger and more powerful than the more common fire-breathers but can only survive in the cold. Here is an excerpt from the book in which Martin does a great job of describing the Ice Dragon:
I thought this story was smart, engaging and deftly done. I think that older children can read this and enjoy it even if they don’t absorb the more subtle points of Martin’s narrative (which the grown ups will be happy are there). One of the better children stories of its type that I have read and one that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
4.0 stars.
...The Ice Dragon.
That wascally wabbit, George R. R. Martin, has done it yet again! He's written an elegant, pulchritudinous children’s/YA novella that spins a captivating tale that has the added virtue of respecting the brain matter of its readers. Well done, Ser Martin, well done...
...okay, you've been dipped in glory and praisified...now get yon self back to thy scribing of the next SOIAF volume before thou ist given the slappeth of bitch by thou adoring but impatient fanatics.
I feel better now...
I call this a children's story but this is really located somewhere along on the murky, contentious border between YA and kiddy book. It's structured much like a children’s story but deals with subtle, more adulty themes as well as being infused with a number of Martinesque dark moments...Hey, it’s GRRM so what would you expect?
Call it a tweener, but a tweener that this adult (and I use that term VERY loosely) found well done and read-worthy with or without the offspring.
PLOT SUMMARY:
The main character is a clever little girl named Adara who lives on a small farm with her father, brothers and sisters after her mother died giving birth to her (I told you, it's GRRM, so just be happy she wasn't raped or tortured first). Adara is known as a “Winter’s Child” for she was so ice cold when she was born that she was almost blue and has remained this way all her life.
In addition to being physically cold, and here the true genius of Martin’s story pops up to say "hello," Adara is also emotionally distant and detached from her family and outwardly shows virtually no emotion. She's never cried and even when in physical pain, her reaction is muted and stoical. Martin uses this “fantasy” element of Adara’s physical temperature and the tie in to her emotional detachment as a roadmap for exploring Adara’s growth and change throughout the tale. While the prose is straight forward and child-friendly, there is a depth to the writing that is often lacking from stories aimed at a younger audience.
Brief pause so I can info dump:
Here is a less than subtle world-building/backstory exposition that's not really important to my review but is included for those, like me, who like a sense of the story setting.
The tale takes place in what seems to be a pretty standard medieval type locale with the only fantasy elements being Adara’s condition and the existence of dragons. The land that Adara lives in has been in a long, protracted war with a neighboring kingdom. Each army has their own core of trained dragons that act as air support for ground troops. Adara’s uncle is a captain of a regiment of dragon riders and is the means by which Adara and her family (and us as the reader) are made aware of events outside the farm.
... End of brief pause...
Back to the review.
So Adara’s favorite time of the year is, DUH, winter and this is the only time she feels truly content. One winter, she meets and befriends the titular Ice Dragon, an extremely rare breed that, unlike the fire-breathers, have never been tamed or interacted with humans. The Ice Dragons are considerable larger and more powerful than the more common fire-breathers but can only survive in the cold. Here is an excerpt from the book in which Martin does a great job of describing the Ice Dragon:
The ice dragon was a crystalline white, that shade of white that is so hard and cold that it is almost blue. It was covered with hoarfrost, so when it moved its skin broke and crackled as the crust on the snow crackles beneath a man's boots, and flakes of rime fell off.So Adara and the Ice Dragon, these two creatures of winter, form a special relationship over several winters. That is, until the outside world in the form of the ongoing war changes circumstances forever and Adara is forced to make some very difficult and life-changing decisions.
Its eyes were clear and deep and icy. Its wings were vast and bat-like, colored all a faint translucent blue. Adara could see the clouds through them, and oftentimes the moon and stars, when the beast wheeled in frozen circles through the skies. Its teeth were icicles, a triple row of them, jagged spears of unequal length, white against its deep blue maw.
When the ice dragon beat its wings, the cold winds blew and the snow swirled and scurried and the world seemed to shrink and shiver. Sometimes when a door flew open in the cold of winter, driven by a sudden gust of wind, the householder would run to bolt it and say, "An ice dragon flies nearby."
And when the ice dragon opened its great mouth, and exhaled, it was not fire that came streaming out, the burning sulfurous stink of lesser dragons. The ice dragon breathed cold. Ice formed when it breathed. Warmth fled. Fires guttered and went out, shriven by the chill. Trees froze through to their slow secret souls, and their limbs turned brittle and cracked from their own weight. Animals turned blue and whimpered and died, their eyes bulging and their skin covered over with frost.
The ice dragon breathed death into the world; death and quiet and cold.
I thought this story was smart, engaging and deftly done. I think that older children can read this and enjoy it even if they don’t absorb the more subtle points of Martin’s narrative (which the grown ups will be happy are there). One of the better children stories of its type that I have read and one that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
4.0 stars.
July 25, 2024
A couple of recommendations from a longtime pre-show fan of Martin and "A Song of Ice and Fire":
One, do not believe one word of the publicity claiming this is set in Westeros, the same world of ASOIAF and GOT. It's false, completely false. There are a few little details that would be reutilised and did germinate into some plot points in his more famous fantasy series, which only hardcore fans will likely detect, but they're not in the same world past, present, or future. The marketing is lying through its teeth, and anyone that has read the ASOIAF books will quickly realise there's no way this short story could take place in the same world without some serious mental gymnastics and lack of internal plot coherence.
Two, do not read this to children. Not small ones at least. This is for older children, from middle school upwards, if you insist. Martin cannot write anything cheerful if his life depended on it, which we fans accept merrily and joke about, and in this story there's enough of his trademark gore and violence, etc. Much, much watered-down, but still descriptive enough to raise an eyebrow. Read fairy tales to your little ones instead, or something that's less likely to be depressingly bittersweet, with an emphasis on the bitter.
If you're an inveterate ASOIAF/GOT fan, or just a Martin fan, go ahead and read this. You'll get interesting bits of insight into his earlier work and ideas. If not, then this may not be for you, whether you're young or no.
One, do not believe one word of the publicity claiming this is set in Westeros, the same world of ASOIAF and GOT. It's false, completely false. There are a few little details that would be reutilised and did germinate into some plot points in his more famous fantasy series, which only hardcore fans will likely detect, but they're not in the same world past, present, or future. The marketing is lying through its teeth, and anyone that has read the ASOIAF books will quickly realise there's no way this short story could take place in the same world without some serious mental gymnastics and lack of internal plot coherence.
Two, do not read this to children. Not small ones at least. This is for older children, from middle school upwards, if you insist. Martin cannot write anything cheerful if his life depended on it, which we fans accept merrily and joke about, and in this story there's enough of his trademark gore and violence, etc. Much, much watered-down, but still descriptive enough to raise an eyebrow. Read fairy tales to your little ones instead, or something that's less likely to be depressingly bittersweet, with an emphasis on the bitter.
If you're an inveterate ASOIAF/GOT fan, or just a Martin fan, go ahead and read this. You'll get interesting bits of insight into his earlier work and ideas. If not, then this may not be for you, whether you're young or no.
August 9, 2017
This story left me feeling pretty haunted, so please keep that in mind and maybe read the book yourself first, before giving this to your child. I do think this story packs a pretty big punch with a pretty impactful message, even though I think the message could be misconstrued.
For me, the message, or symbolism, was it is okay to be cold and alone, but sometimes it is worth it to take a risk to feel someone else's warmth, especially the love of your family. It's completely fine to deal with your pain and hurt on your own, but sometimes just feeling loved will heal the biggest of wounds.
This book stars Adara and is mostly about three years of her life. She is a "winter child", because she was born during the worst freeze in history. Snow, ice, and cold do not bother her in the slightest, and she kind of gave me an Elsa vibe because she also likes to make ice castles (smooth, GRRM, smooth). She lives with her older brother, her older sister, and her father. When she is four she comes in close contact with "her" ice dragon. Then, when she is five "her" ice dragon lets her go for a ride. During these two years of her life, Adara is very closed off and recluse. In my opinion, she is scared to accept love and doesn't know how to deal with her pain and guilt. Also, there is constant talk of a war with dragons. They hear about the new from their Uncle, Hal, who is a dragonrider for the king's army.
When Adara is seven, the dark dragons come. Her father refused to leave their home, because this is where his wife and his parents are buried. Three dark dragons come and begin to attack their village with their riders. Adara is then forced to choose the safe, lonely, cold life or choose to protect the warmth of her family's love.
Now, in my opinion, again, this book also has underlining ASOIAF symbolism, too! I mean, it's literally ice versus fire! This book is set before the Seven Kingdoms, but I wouldn't at all be surprised to see ice dragons in Westeros. (Especially with a title like The Winds of Winter!)
I also have to mention the absolutely gorgeous illustrations in this book. My eyes have never been blessed with Luis Royo's work before, but they very much appreciated what they saw in this story. I could look at this book for hours, it's so breathtaking. I also think the illustrations were a big reason this story resonated so much with me and, in turn, made me feel so haunted.
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For me, the message, or symbolism, was it is okay to be cold and alone, but sometimes it is worth it to take a risk to feel someone else's warmth, especially the love of your family. It's completely fine to deal with your pain and hurt on your own, but sometimes just feeling loved will heal the biggest of wounds.
This book stars Adara and is mostly about three years of her life. She is a "winter child", because she was born during the worst freeze in history. Snow, ice, and cold do not bother her in the slightest, and she kind of gave me an Elsa vibe because she also likes to make ice castles (smooth, GRRM, smooth). She lives with her older brother, her older sister, and her father. When she is four she comes in close contact with "her" ice dragon. Then, when she is five "her" ice dragon lets her go for a ride. During these two years of her life, Adara is very closed off and recluse. In my opinion, she is scared to accept love and doesn't know how to deal with her pain and guilt. Also, there is constant talk of a war with dragons. They hear about the new from their Uncle, Hal, who is a dragonrider for the king's army.
When Adara is seven, the dark dragons come. Her father refused to leave their home, because this is where his wife and his parents are buried. Three dark dragons come and begin to attack their village with their riders. Adara is then forced to choose the safe, lonely, cold life or choose to protect the warmth of her family's love.
Now, in my opinion, again, this book also has underlining ASOIAF symbolism, too! I mean, it's literally ice versus fire! This book is set before the Seven Kingdoms, but I wouldn't at all be surprised to see ice dragons in Westeros. (Especially with a title like The Winds of Winter!)
I also have to mention the absolutely gorgeous illustrations in this book. My eyes have never been blessed with Luis Royo's work before, but they very much appreciated what they saw in this story. I could look at this book for hours, it's so breathtaking. I also think the illustrations were a big reason this story resonated so much with me and, in turn, made me feel so haunted.
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November 27, 2020
ولكنني لستُ من مُحبي فصل الشتاء ببرودة أجواءه ورماديتها العابسة ، فمن أين راودتني الرغبة لقراءة تنين الجليد ..؟!!
كما أنه استقبلني بصفعة جليدية باردة لم اتمكن حتى من رفع ذراعي لأحتمي به ، لا بأس..فثمة شيء دفعني لمواصلة القراءة ، لقد كان هنالك دفء ينبعث من الصقيع...
أجل...لا تسألني كيف ؟ هكذا كان الأمر وعليه أحببت " تنين الجليد" وصديقته الصغيرة "آدارا"...💕
كما أنه استقبلني بصفعة جليدية باردة لم اتمكن حتى من رفع ذراعي لأحتمي به ، لا بأس..فثمة شيء دفعني لمواصلة القراءة ، لقد كان هنالك دفء ينبعث من الصقيع...
أجل...لا تسألني كيف ؟ هكذا كان الأمر وعليه أحببت " تنين الجليد" وصديقته الصغيرة "آدارا"...💕
November 12, 2019
نوفيللا قصيرة ولطيفة، ممالك وحروب وفتاة تروّض التنين الأكثر نُدرة، نعم إنها عوالم "جورج ر. ر. مارتن" من جديد.
September 1, 2017
Because it's Game of Thrones Season...It's Winter Season..
And Because it was the season finale..
And, Summer Child, It has an Ice Dragon
And Because it was the season finale..
And, Summer Child, It has an Ice Dragon
February 22, 2022
All George, all the time...
With the cool impersonality of a folktale winter, The Ice Dragon is the tale of Adara, a child born during a freeze so stark that the cold sank deep into the womb she was born of.
As is Martin's trademark, the short is beautifully melancholic with some victories but no actual happy ending. It is well put together, though I am not positive which audience I'd recommend it for.
Spoilers, maybe
I liked this well enough when I read it 15 years ago, but I was less impressed this time around. I really like George, and can't ever deny his skill, and there is something scrumptious in the darkness of this Grimm-ish tale, but my take-aways from this reading went something like this:
-Children are selfishly ungrateful and cold little turds
-Parents will blame their emotional distance on their work and their own children
-Well-intentioned Uncles can still be creepy to their nieces
-Everyone is fricking terrible to animals
-Nobody can have a happy ending without giving up what defines them
Overall this is nicely put together, and I wouldn't discourage anyone from picking it up. I think I might just be overdosing on GRRM's pessimism a little bit.
For the skill of the presentation, I'd probably call this a four star read, but my overall enjoyment places it closer to three. It is worth noting that my two buddies, who were reading this for the first time, ranked this a bit higher than I did.
With the cool impersonality of a folktale winter, The Ice Dragon is the tale of Adara, a child born during a freeze so stark that the cold sank deep into the womb she was born of.
As is Martin's trademark, the short is beautifully melancholic with some victories but no actual happy ending. It is well put together, though I am not positive which audience I'd recommend it for.
Spoilers, maybe
I liked this well enough when I read it 15 years ago, but I was less impressed this time around. I really like George, and can't ever deny his skill, and there is something scrumptious in the darkness of this Grimm-ish tale, but my take-aways from this reading went something like this:
-Children are selfishly ungrateful and cold little turds
-Parents will blame their emotional distance on their work and their own children
-Well-intentioned Uncles can still be creepy to their nieces
-Everyone is fricking terrible to animals
-Nobody can have a happy ending without giving up what defines them
Overall this is nicely put together, and I wouldn't discourage anyone from picking it up. I think I might just be overdosing on GRRM's pessimism a little bit.
For the skill of the presentation, I'd probably call this a four star read, but my overall enjoyment places it closer to three. It is worth noting that my two buddies, who were reading this for the first time, ranked this a bit higher than I did.
December 19, 2018
I nice child friendly story, with great illustrations. I am a not the target audience for this book, but it a great book to introduce young readers to the word of fantasy and dragons without the gore factor.
Adara is not like other children, born on the coldest day of the coldest winter she is known as the winter child. Not just because of her birthday date but her cold emotional state that even segregates her from her own family. She has one friend the Legondary Ice Dragon, the most untameable of all dragon types. a tale of friendship and sacrifice. If I read this when I was 9 or 10 I would have given it 5 stars and become an instant fan.
Adara is not like other children, born on the coldest day of the coldest winter she is known as the winter child. Not just because of her birthday date but her cold emotional state that even segregates her from her own family. She has one friend the Legondary Ice Dragon, the most untameable of all dragon types. a tale of friendship and sacrifice. If I read this when I was 9 or 10 I would have given it 5 stars and become an instant fan.
March 14, 2021
This ones is more of a children's tale set in the same universe as Game of Thrones, but it doesn't have the same characters and I think it's a different time period.
It's wonderfully written, the illustrations are beautiful and perfect for capturing the overall feel of it.
It's pretty intense at parts and there's references to war but there's no blood or gore in the illustrations.
There's descriptions of heads getting split open with axes, and the smell of bloated green dead bodies..
So maybe more for the older kids or adults who enjoy this type of fantasy and obviously the GoT fans!
It's wonderfully written, the illustrations are beautiful and perfect for capturing the overall feel of it.
It's pretty intense at parts and there's references to war but there's no blood or gore in the illustrations.
There's descriptions of heads getting split open with axes, and the smell of bloated green dead bodies..
So maybe more for the older kids or adults who enjoy this type of fantasy and obviously the GoT fans!
March 4, 2021
This was a gorgeous little book. Luis Royo is my favorite artist, so I knew I had to get my hands on this collaboration sooner than later. And it’s about a dragon. Sold. The story itself was good. A little darker than the typical “girl and her dragon” tale, which I liked. It was perhaps just a bit too dark for kids (but would be just fine for teens). The illustrations completely enhanced the text and I’m sure that alone raised my rating by at least a star. Overall, I’m thrilled to add this gem to my collection.
March 13, 2020
"أحبَّت آدارا الشتاء أكثر من سائر الفصول، فحين يحلُّ البرد على العالم يأتي تنين الجليد."
ولأنني أحب الشتاء، وقعت في حب الصغيرة آدارا، طفلة الشتاء، المغرمة بالشتاء...
آدارا هي طفلة الشتاء، وتنين الجليد سرها وصديقها الوحيد، وبناء قلاعها الشتوية البيضاء هي متعتها الوحيدة.
وما دام البرد والثلج وتنين الجليد يأتون في موعدهم المحدد فهي سعيدة.
رأت آدارا تنين الجليد في السماء ألف مرة، وفي شتاء عيد مولدها الرابع رأته على الأرض، ولمسته لأول مرة.
وفي شتاء عيد مولدها الخامس ركبت التنين لأول مرة.
ومع صديقها تنين الجليد ستعيش آدارا مغامرة لإنقاذ مَن تحبهم، من خطر تنانين النار، في عالم من السحر والخيال.
آدارا الجميلة، أتمنى أن يأتيكِ الربيع بدفئه دائمًا بعد كل شتاء، وأن يظل قلبك الجميل دافئًا بقرب مَن تحبين، وأن تنعم يداكِ بالدفء إلى الأبد...❤
12.03.2020
ولأنني أحب الشتاء، وقعت في حب الصغيرة آدارا، طفلة الشتاء، المغرمة بالشتاء...
آدارا هي طفلة الشتاء، وتنين الجليد سرها وصديقها الوحيد، وبناء قلاعها الشتوية البيضاء هي متعتها الوحيدة.
وما دام البرد والثلج وتنين الجليد يأتون في موعدهم المحدد فهي سعيدة.
رأت آدارا تنين الجليد في السماء ألف مرة، وفي شتاء عيد مولدها الرابع رأته على الأرض، ولمسته لأول مرة.
وفي شتاء عيد مولدها الخامس ركبت التنين لأول مرة.
ومع صديقها تنين الجليد ستعيش آدارا مغامرة لإنقاذ مَن تحبهم، من خطر تنانين النار، في عالم من السحر والخيال.
آدارا الجميلة، أتمنى أن يأتيكِ الربيع بدفئه دائمًا بعد كل شتاء، وأن يظل قلبك الجميل دافئًا بقرب مَن تحبين، وأن تنعم يداكِ بالدفء إلى الأبد...❤
12.03.2020
February 28, 2024
لطيفة وخفيفة أعادتني لحكايات الأطفال🌬️ .❄️🍃
٦ مايو ٢٠٢٠📚❤️
٦ مايو ٢٠٢٠📚❤️
August 5, 2018
"The ice dragon breathed death into the world; death and quiet and cold".
Primero que todo, a los que dicen que el dragón de hielo de la serie de TV de Game of Thrones es imposible... ¿han leído el título de este libro? Okay, dejando eso de lado...
¡ADORÉ ESTA HISTORIA! Sí, es bastante infantil y con tintes de cuento de hadas, pero con dragones y muertes y guerra y una niña súper valiente. Me gustó muchísimo cómo las ilustraciones se iban entrelazando con una historia que era al mismo tiempo inocente y oscura. Sólo George R. R. Martin podría escribir algo así.
Primero que todo, a los que dicen que el dragón de hielo de la serie de TV de Game of Thrones es imposible... ¿han leído el título de este libro? Okay, dejando eso de lado...
¡ADORÉ ESTA HISTORIA! Sí, es bastante infantil y con tintes de cuento de hadas, pero con dragones y muertes y guerra y una niña súper valiente. Me gustó muchísimo cómo las ilustraciones se iban entrelazando con una historia que era al mismo tiempo inocente y oscura. Sólo George R. R. Martin podría escribir algo así.
July 3, 2020
قصة قصيرة لجورج مارتن كتبها في بدايات ثمانينيات القرن الماضي
نرى فيها بذور أفكار عوالم أغنية الجليد والنار المليئة بسحر الشتاء وغموض التنانين
May 25, 2020
A short, quick kids story. 4 of 10 stars
November 8, 2019
العجوز لورا التي ظلَّت على قيد الحياة سنينًا لا تُحصى تحكي الحكايات لأحفادها وأحفاد أحفادها، الشمال بجليده وثلوجه وصقيعه وبرده، تنانين الجليد النادرة، مخلوقات الشتاء العجيبة، أرض الشتاء الدائم، تنانين النار المدمرة، وآدارا طفلة الشتاء في مواجهتها.
أشياء مألوفة لقارئي "أغنية الجليد والنار"، ورغم أن هذه القصة لا علاقة لها بذلك العالم وليست جزءًا منه، فمن المثير حقًّا قراءة البذور الأولى التي زرعها مارتن هنا وتبلورت لاحقًا في مخيِّلته ليخرج منها عمله الأشهر والأضخم.
قصَّة أطفال خفيفة لا تخلو من المتعة والإثارة والحض على الخيال، استمتعت بترجمتها كما استمتعت بقراءتها.
أشياء مألوفة لقارئي "أغنية الجليد والنار"، ورغم أن هذه القصة لا علاقة لها بذلك العالم وليست جزءًا منه، فمن المثير حقًّا قراءة البذور الأولى التي زرعها مارتن هنا وتبلورت لاحقًا في مخيِّلته ليخرج منها عمله الأشهر والأضخم.
قصَّة أطفال خفيفة لا تخلو من المتعة والإثارة والحض على الخيال، استمتعت بترجمتها كما استمتعت بقراءتها.
February 10, 2012
I always have high expectations when reading George R.R. Martin. He really did it to himself, have you read A Game of Thrones? So going into The Ice Dragon, GRRM's children's tale, I still had nothing but the highest and happiest of attitudes until I was completely disappointed...in nothing at all. :D
Okay, I've learned from the cases I've been reading in law school that in order to have a successful argument, all you have to do is act like you're going to decide one way, but then go the exact opposite. Did it work? (No, I'm not simplifying it at all, why would you say that?)
The plot is simple, yet extremely subtle as we've come to expect from Martin. Adara is a winter child who's not only physically cold, but distant from her family as well. She was not only born in winter, but was the reason for her mother's death and her father has had a difficult time with that.
Adara loves the winter and counts the days until it comes back. She stays out longer than anyone else and can even hold the ice lizards for long periods of time without hurting them like other children end up doing.
Soon the eponymous Ice Dragon enters the picture, visiting Adara at times during the winter, even letting her ride. You see, ice dragons are not only rare, but it is known that ice dragons never let anyone ride them. Other, smaller dragons are used by people, especially for war as we see in this story.
Without going into too much more detail, the land is filled with war and it is creeping toward Adara and her family, but her father belongs with the land as is important for many in the medieval-type society.
While we follow Adara closely, the land and the environment were probably my favorite part of the story. It's filled with hard-working farmers and dragons are commonplace. I would really love to read more of this world Martin's created, possibly outside of a children's tale.
But on that note, I would read more children's tales as well at this caliber. Although, I don't quite know if I'd categorize The Ice Dragon as a children's tale. About 99% was for children, but there was a section about split-heads and relatively gruesome scenes for children.
In the end, I highly enjoyed The Ice Dragon and would recommend it, especially at this time of year...or maybe not, GRRM does such a good job with atmosphere I was actually colder while reading it. Maybe wait till summer. Then again, you're probably hot enough. And you wonder how I get all the ladies. :)
4 out of 5 Stars (Loved it)
Note on the eBook: This is an illustrated novel and I can't say they're done justice on the Kindle Touch at least (or anything with eInk). Mostly you can see them fine, but there are still quite a few that are hard to make out and all of them are at least somewhat difficult to view.
Okay, I've learned from the cases I've been reading in law school that in order to have a successful argument, all you have to do is act like you're going to decide one way, but then go the exact opposite. Did it work? (No, I'm not simplifying it at all, why would you say that?)
The plot is simple, yet extremely subtle as we've come to expect from Martin. Adara is a winter child who's not only physically cold, but distant from her family as well. She was not only born in winter, but was the reason for her mother's death and her father has had a difficult time with that.
Adara loves the winter and counts the days until it comes back. She stays out longer than anyone else and can even hold the ice lizards for long periods of time without hurting them like other children end up doing.
Soon the eponymous Ice Dragon enters the picture, visiting Adara at times during the winter, even letting her ride. You see, ice dragons are not only rare, but it is known that ice dragons never let anyone ride them. Other, smaller dragons are used by people, especially for war as we see in this story.
Without going into too much more detail, the land is filled with war and it is creeping toward Adara and her family, but her father belongs with the land as is important for many in the medieval-type society.
While we follow Adara closely, the land and the environment were probably my favorite part of the story. It's filled with hard-working farmers and dragons are commonplace. I would really love to read more of this world Martin's created, possibly outside of a children's tale.
But on that note, I would read more children's tales as well at this caliber. Although, I don't quite know if I'd categorize The Ice Dragon as a children's tale. About 99% was for children, but there was a section about split-heads and relatively gruesome scenes for children.
In the end, I highly enjoyed The Ice Dragon and would recommend it, especially at this time of year...or maybe not, GRRM does such a good job with atmosphere I was actually colder while reading it. Maybe wait till summer. Then again, you're probably hot enough. And you wonder how I get all the ladies. :)
4 out of 5 Stars (Loved it)
Note on the eBook: This is an illustrated novel and I can't say they're done justice on the Kindle Touch at least (or anything with eInk). Mostly you can see them fine, but there are still quite a few that are hard to make out and all of them are at least somewhat difficult to view.
January 2, 2021
[4.5/5 stars] This was a gorgeous little book. Luis Royo is my favorite artist, so I knew I had to get my hands on this collaboration sooner than later. And it’s about a dragon. Sold. The story itself was good. A little darker than the typical “girl and her dragon” tale, which I liked. It was perhaps just a bit too dark for kids, but teens would have no issue with it. The illustrations completely enhanced the text and I’m sure that alone raised my rating by at least a star. Overall, I’m thrilled to add this gem to my collection.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like (I’m being cheeky here by listing books I’ve read with Royo’s cover art – some of my favorite images!):
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like (I’m being cheeky here by listing books I’ve read with Royo’s cover art – some of my favorite images!):
June 28, 2023
Que historia preciosa
El dragón de Hielo es una historia corta de George Martin ambientada dentro del universo de canción del fuego.
Adara es una niña de invierno y nunca fue comprendida ni por su padre, ni por sus hermanos por eso busca refugio en el dragón de Hielo, quien pasa a buscarla en cada cumpleaños.
Es una historia muy bonita, conmovedora. Me gustó ver Westeros desde el punto de vista de una familia granjera, me gustó la narración desde los ojos de una pequeña niña y disfruté de leerlo en su idioma original.
Las ilustraciones están preciosas y... TIENE DRAGONES.
Súper disfrutable y recomedado, George sabe muy bien cómo contar historias y llegar al lector 🤍
Yo leyendo The ice dragon: 🥺🥰😍🤭🤗
El dragón de Hielo es una historia corta de George Martin ambientada dentro del universo de canción del fuego.
Adara es una niña de invierno y nunca fue comprendida ni por su padre, ni por sus hermanos por eso busca refugio en el dragón de Hielo, quien pasa a buscarla en cada cumpleaños.
Es una historia muy bonita, conmovedora. Me gustó ver Westeros desde el punto de vista de una familia granjera, me gustó la narración desde los ojos de una pequeña niña y disfruté de leerlo en su idioma original.
Las ilustraciones están preciosas y... TIENE DRAGONES.
Súper disfrutable y recomedado, George sabe muy bien cómo contar historias y llegar al lector 🤍
Yo leyendo The ice dragon: 🥺🥰😍🤭🤗
October 28, 2024
لقد أحسست بصفعة جليدية باردة و أنا أقرأ هذه القصة حتى شعرت و كأنني غيرت مقعدي إلى أراضي الشمال حيث تعيش «آدارا» و تنينها الجليدي
أعشق فصل الشتاء لا لأنني أستطيع رؤية تنين الجليد ذلك المخلوق الأسطوري .... .
بل لشمسه الخجولة و برودته اللطيفة المنشعة أنتظر قدومه على أحر من الجمر أشعر أنه صديق الجميع يضفي سكوناً و هدوءاً و أجواء مريحة للنفس البشرية
أما «آدارا» فكانت تعشق قدومه لأنه ميزها عن الكل
لكن ميزها بماذا...?!!
كانت برودة أطرافها تمكّنها من لمس السحالي الجليدية دون أن تذوب..
كان بإمكانها أن ترى تنين الجليد..
أن تلمسه و هي في سن الرابعة
ليس كذلك فقط بل استطاعت أيضاً
أن تقوده و تسافر به إلى مسافات بعيدة و هي في سن السادسة..
و عندما اقتربت الحرب من قريتها
أرادت «آدارا» الهروب إلى بلاد الثلج البعيدة بصحبة تنينها الجليدي
لكنها لم تستطع..
دفاعاً عن أبيها و أخوتها....
تخلت عن رغبتها في الهروب
فقدت تنينها الذي تحبه للأبد و تنتظر الشتاء لأجله .
صحيح أنها فقدت صفات تميزها و أشياء تحبها
إلا أن الدفء عاد إليها و ملئ حياتها
و منذ ذلك اليوم لم تستطع أن تلمس السحالي الجليدية أو أن ترى تنين الجليد لكنها استطاعت أن تحتضن أبيها و بشدة
العائلة فعلاً تستحق الكثير ................تستحق أن نضحي من أجلها
January 18, 2016
Another short story that I didn't enjoy that much. Nothing new, it's probably all on me again.
This middle grade novel tells a story about Adara and her struggles, or at least, the struggles of people around her. Every winter, the ice dragon comes to the place she lives in. Lucky for her, winter is the time of her birthday. She looks forward to every visit that the ice dragon does, but everyone around her hates the dragon. It brings harsh winter effects and hinders the crops to grow. In actuality, the dragon is a curse for everyone.
One thing that I can really commend on is the artwork. This edition is illustrated and even the text is color blue. It's vivid and engaging, but unfortunately the plot didn't amaze me.
3/5 stars. Not the best thing I've read from Martin, but it seems like a short prequel to the Song of Ice and Fire series.
This middle grade novel tells a story about Adara and her struggles, or at least, the struggles of people around her. Every winter, the ice dragon comes to the place she lives in. Lucky for her, winter is the time of her birthday. She looks forward to every visit that the ice dragon does, but everyone around her hates the dragon. It brings harsh winter effects and hinders the crops to grow. In actuality, the dragon is a curse for everyone.
One thing that I can really commend on is the artwork. This edition is illustrated and even the text is color blue. It's vivid and engaging, but unfortunately the plot didn't amaze me.
3/5 stars. Not the best thing I've read from Martin, but it seems like a short prequel to the Song of Ice and Fire series.
April 27, 2023
كيف لمن كتب سلسلة صراع العروش التي شاهدت تفاصيلها الدموية المُرعبة في المُسلسل المقتبس أن يكتب حكاية بهذا اللطف والهدوء؟ ناهيك عن أنه على الرغم من أنها قصة لطيفة يُمكن أن تحكيها للأطفال، ولكن هناك قدر ظلامي لا بأس به، وسودواية تُذكرك بأي عالم أنت فيه، وأي كاتب تقرأ له.
فـ"تنين الجليد" هي حكاية دافئة، ذات أجواء شتوية مُحببة للنفس، عن الطفلة أدارا وتنين الجليد، الذي ينفث برداً وصقيعاً؛ على عكس بني جنسه، وتنشأ بينهما علاقة ترابط من نوعاً ما، تنتهي نهاية حزينة، ولكنها تعد بنهاية سعيدة في إتجاهاً آخر.
قصة قصيرة لم تتعدى الستون صفحة، ولكنها دافئة، وستبرد قلبك قليلاً، وكم نحتاج لأن تبرد قلوبنا ولو قليلاً!
February 3, 2020
Loved how fairytale-esque this was however the ending made me sad and I wasn't expecting it.
November 19, 2024
I already knew that Mr. Martin could write damn well. Not always in the most accurate way and often lacking closeness to the characters, but still engaging and allowing the reader to delve deeper into the fantasy worlds he builds so excellently. He is world-renowned because of A Game of Thrones and its sequels, but also widely criticized because of the huge amount of time it requires him to finish his next book. Yes, I understand the frustration readers have with his slow working pace. But I still want The Winds of Winter to be the best sequel to the five previous books in the Song of Ice and Fire series as it could be, and this is why I will respect the fact that GRRM seems to need what feels like thirty years for finishing three pages. So, what can be more suited to fill the gaps between his books than some sweet little short stories?
At only 7,700 words, George R.R. Martin narrates the story of a young little girl called Adara, an extraordinary girl who was born in winter and has remained cold on her body as well as in her heart ever since. She loathes summer and longs for winter, for snow and cold ... and a reunion with the most beloved thing in her life. Not only is Adara physically cold, but also emotionally distant and unsociable towards her family, yet the only living creature she seems to be able to warm up to turns out to be an ice dragon. In a world torn apart by war and destruction, Adara seeks peace and solace in the presence of 'her' ice dragon, but the arrival of war at her family's home will prove to be an obstacle too huge to overcome for a small girl like her.
Entering the story, I fully expected to find interesting dynamics between the main character and the ice dragon. The latter one, however, remained rather soulless in comparison to the dragons GRRM invented for his fantasy world set in Westeros. (It has been argued that "The Ice Dragon" is set in Westeros as well, but apart from slight indications, nothing within the text manifests this theory - and one shall bear in mind that this story has been written many years before "A Game of Thrones".) Adara is the only character we are allowed to grow attached to, while her family is characterized only casually and without giving further attention to them. This may either be a result of the story being restricted to a small scale, or rather of Adara's emotional coldness - which also causes the destructive war to be left unexplained throughout the course of the story.
Even before starting the ASoIaF series, GRRM was able to restrict his stories to the eyes of their protagonists, so we did not see anything which Adara didn't see. I quite like this concept in contrast to the more Shakespearian dramatic irony, where the reader knows more than the characters, since it allows us to grow more attached to the protagonist. However, something was amiss for the duration of the story, and it mostly lacked some more vital dynamics between the two main players (Adara and the Ice Dragon). George R.R. Martin's writing style is enthralling as ever, though, and leaves only few details to be missed. Even if only for the beautiful illustrations, this short story can definitely be recommended for fans of the Song of Ice and Fire series who cannot get enough of Martin's writing.
At only 7,700 words, George R.R. Martin narrates the story of a young little girl called Adara, an extraordinary girl who was born in winter and has remained cold on her body as well as in her heart ever since. She loathes summer and longs for winter, for snow and cold ... and a reunion with the most beloved thing in her life. Not only is Adara physically cold, but also emotionally distant and unsociable towards her family, yet the only living creature she seems to be able to warm up to turns out to be an ice dragon. In a world torn apart by war and destruction, Adara seeks peace and solace in the presence of 'her' ice dragon, but the arrival of war at her family's home will prove to be an obstacle too huge to overcome for a small girl like her.
Entering the story, I fully expected to find interesting dynamics between the main character and the ice dragon. The latter one, however, remained rather soulless in comparison to the dragons GRRM invented for his fantasy world set in Westeros. (It has been argued that "The Ice Dragon" is set in Westeros as well, but apart from slight indications, nothing within the text manifests this theory - and one shall bear in mind that this story has been written many years before "A Game of Thrones".) Adara is the only character we are allowed to grow attached to, while her family is characterized only casually and without giving further attention to them. This may either be a result of the story being restricted to a small scale, or rather of Adara's emotional coldness - which also causes the destructive war to be left unexplained throughout the course of the story.
Even before starting the ASoIaF series, GRRM was able to restrict his stories to the eyes of their protagonists, so we did not see anything which Adara didn't see. I quite like this concept in contrast to the more Shakespearian dramatic irony, where the reader knows more than the characters, since it allows us to grow more attached to the protagonist. However, something was amiss for the duration of the story, and it mostly lacked some more vital dynamics between the two main players (Adara and the Ice Dragon). George R.R. Martin's writing style is enthralling as ever, though, and leaves only few details to be missed. Even if only for the beautiful illustrations, this short story can definitely be recommended for fans of the Song of Ice and Fire series who cannot get enough of Martin's writing.
February 3, 2021
Beautiful illustrations, but this lacked a lot of substance for me. A girl made of winter, an ice dragon and a looming enemy seem to form a great base for an interesting story, but we just don't see enough of these characters to understand them or gain a connection to them. Also, even though it's set in the 'world of games of thrones' there's no real context. It's clearly set in a time when dragons are common features of battle, but I have no concept of time or place (although I'm sure it's alluding to the North). I just left feeling a little lack lustre. I expect a lot more from Martin's writing.
Nice enough, but give me more.
Nice enough, but give me more.
July 11, 2016
Μια καλογραμμένη μικρή ιστορία που σε ταξιδεύει στον κόσμο του Τραγουδιού της Φωτιάς και του Πάγου.Ένα μαγευτικό παραμύθι,αλλά και πολύ λυπηρό ταυτόχρονα,με μηνύματα και συμβολισμούς.Για μένα,το κυριότερο μήνυμα της ιστορίας,ήταν ότι δεν πειράζει να ζεις μέσα στο κρύο και μόνος,αλλά μερικές φορές αξίζει τον κόπο να πάρεις το ρίσκο και να αισθάνθεις τη ζεστασιά κάποιου άλλου,ειδικά την αγάπη της οικογένειάς σου.Θαυμάζω πολύ το σύνολο της δουλειάς του Luis Royo,αλλά εκτίμησα ιδιαίτερα αυτό που είδα σε αυτό το βιβλίο.Η εικονογράφηση είναι φανταστική,πραγματικά σε βοηθάει να συλλάβεις την ουσία της ιστορίας.Δεν ήταν κατ 'ανάγκην κάτι εξαιρετικό,αλλά αλλά το απόλαυσα και θα το πρότεινα σε όλους τους οπαδούς του Μάρτιν.
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