 |
| Tor |
George R.R. Martin
1980
The Summary
"The ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, the ice dragon 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 Good
I enjoyed The Ice Dragon. It reminded me of a traditional fairy tale, full of mystery and magic - and, of course, dragons. Although it really does read as more of a children's novel, I enjoyed it fully. I finished it in a matter of minutes (literally over my lunch break), but I found that loved reading Martin's book.
Despite its small stature, The Ice Dragon includes all my favorite qualities in a book: detail, suspense, fantastical creatures, intriguing heroines, adventure and drama. For its size, it brimmed with creativity and life, having a fullness of depth that I really enjoyed.
The Bad
I don't have anything bad to say about the book. It was a short story, but I enjoyed it immensely. If anything, I might complain that it was too short - and I wished it had been a full-fledged novel.
The Ugly
The Ice Dragon is essentially a story about a little girl, an outcast in her village, who befriends an ice dragon - one of the most feared and despised creatures in this freezing realm - and she becomes something of a hero, but at a terrible cost. Tragedy is laced through the novel, death and destruction and loss becoming a permanent fixture in Adara's life.
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