The Ice Dragon

In The Ice Dragon, George R. R. Martin weaves a heartwarming and powerful story with a distinctive fairytale feel about it. Adara, born in the winter and also with an unnatural chill about her, feels distanced from her family and the others in the village by her coldness and her fondness for a certain Ice Dragon that returns each winter to visit her. Despite its appearances, which calm and delight young Adara, a war is brewing in the far reaches of the kingdom. Not only are Adara’s family members forced to make horrible sacrifices and decisions—but also the girl herself is forced to choose between two very important things. I think it’s interesting because it shows the effects of war from the point of view of a young child—Adara is only seven for the majority of the story. It gets inside of her mind in a very believable way. This is a story of values, friendship, the ties of family and finding your place. I love the book for personal reasons as well—I love winter and snow and I also have a soft spot for reptiles of all sorts, so I can relate to Adara in that way. Even when explaining fictional creatures, such as the ice lizards, Martin captures something about the animals’ real-life counterparts that adds to the wonder of the description. This is an awesome book, everyone who’s a fan of animals, dragons or just fantasy in general should read it!!