Product Details
The Ice Dragon

The Ice Dragon
By George R.R. Martin

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Product Description

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.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #97852 in Books
  • Published on: 2007-10-02
  • Released on: 2007-10-02
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Mass Market Paperback
  • 112 pages

Features

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 3–5—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. Give it to readers who are not quite ready for Emily Rodda's "Deltora Quest" series (Scholastic) or to fantasy fans who want a quick but meaty read.—Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
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Review

Praise for The Ice Dragon:

 

The New York Times Bestseller

 

“Martin’s charming tale is filled with passion and power…a touching adventure with all the taut storytelling skill one would expect from this award-winning author.”—January Magazine

 

“Martin goes beyond the expected to bring us an extraordinary children’s tale. A must-buy for all Martin fans, this is a good book for anyone…who loves winter and dragons.”—SFRevu

About the Author

George R.R. Martin, author of the acclaimed, internationally best-selling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, has been a full time writer for over 25 years. He has won multiple science fiction awards, including 4 Hugos, 2 Nebulas, the Bram Stoker, the Locus Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Daedelus, the Balrog, and the Daikon (Japanese Hugo). 

Customer Reviews

The Ice Dragon5
I got this book on Sept. 26th, 2006, in Dubuque, Iowa. George Martin was on a book signing for the release of this book, and due to this, the bookstore he was at was selling it early.

Let's start this review off with the obvious. The Ice Dragon is not another book in A Song of Ice and Fire. It's set in a different world, with none of the same characters, and has none of the adult content that those books do. In fact, this book is exactly what Martin said it would be from when he announced that it was being published separately: a children's book. Also, Martin didn't take much time off ASOIAF at all to write this book - in fact, it's been published in an anthology work (Dragons of Light) in 1980. All that has been changed is an editing to remove some of the more graphic content, and illustrations have been done.

Nonetheless, even though this is a children's book that most people who are used to Martin's work will read in about half an hour, the book is quite good. The story is touching, and is not afraid to hide kids from the realities of what can happen in life. There is symbolism a-plenty within this book, and a lot of different concepts to think about, especially for a young reader.

Parents, if you are considering getting this book for your children, I'd just like to say this: make sure you read it with your child. They'll want you there to explain a lot of what happens in the book. Martin, as usual, doesn't pull any punches with the emotional impact of the character's fate, and while I appreciate him not trying to hide the world from kids, some of the concepts may be difficult for them to grasp or easily misinterpreted.

Furthermore, the artwork within the book is stunning. Yvonne Gilbert really outdid herself with the drawings - either they serve as a perfect visual representation of the scene or they continue to reinforce the idea behind the scene.

All in all, The Ice Dragon is an excellent book, and is one I will be keeping on my shelf for many years to come.

This is truly a "song" of ice and fire5
How interesting that Martin's short story, written in 1980, bears minor resemblances to his grand work of today.

While reading this, I had an image of Farmer Giles of Ham, by Tolkien, and wondered if a smart publisher would dig that up and sell it as a children's story. I would personally be very interested to see how well that book would do in today's environment. The Tolkien family, I'm sure, could always use the extra money. (That, of course, was a joke.)

This is a lovely story, and, as another reviewer pointed out, exactly what you would expect from Martin after toning down one of his short stories or novellas for younger readers.

In a world that seems mostly inhabited by "fire" dragons, the "ice" dragon in this story stands out starkly (pun intended for readers of ASoIaF). It appears to be a creature unsuited for its distinctive qualities, only capable of appearing and thriving in winter, and making land barren wherever it lands. Even its very distant cousins, the ice lizards, find themselves uniquely suited for ice and snow, any hint of warmth that touches them is like poison.

Adara, the seven-year-old main character of the story bears striking resemblances to both the dragon and the ice lizards. This isn't a straightforward story - there is a strong symbolic statement that runs quietly from the beginning of the story until the end.

It's truly a gorgeous tale from one of the most decorated writers in fantasy.

A Great Story...5
The Ice Dragon is a great little story. It was written long before the seven kingdoms had even been contemplated by Mr. Martin. His skills were clearly honed even then... This is the tale of a young girl with ice water coursing through her veins. She has no love, except that which she has for the cold winter. For that is when the ice dragon comes. A creature so cold that no human can touch it without their warm flesh melting its icy scales. No one but young Adara. The ice dragon remained her only friend - the only one who would visit her. Until one day when the helms of the intruders crested the horizon.

Adara must chose between the cold life that she loves, and the warmth which is coupled with uncertainty.

Buy this book for your daughter, and then after she is done with it, read it for yourself.

Relic113