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JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

February 23, 2015

The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin

February 23, 2015

In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire 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.

Despite being marketed and advertised as a children’s book, The Ice Dragon is not a children’s book. Sure, the main character is a young girl who needs to prove herself to her family and mature and find her identity, but this book does deal with loss and poverty and is quite dark for a children’s book. Although I do commend George R.R. Martin for addressing these adult-ish themes in a subtle way, so that it’s not blaringly obvious to a child reading it.

This story was actually published in 1980, but has since been re-jacketed (in hardcover) and re-illustrated by acclaimed artist Luis Royo. All of the illustrations are black and white sketches, which add to the moody, gloomy atmosphere of the book and the plot. However, the front cover has some slight colour, which I imagine would help it stand out in a bookstore.

From what I can tell, this book takes place in the same world as A Song of Ice and Fire, but several years earlier. The ice dragon is feared among all citizens, except for Adara, who befriends the dragon. Adara almost seems to be outcast from her family, because her mother died giving birth to her. She was born ice cold, and she has stayed that way – both physically and mentally – ever since.

Adara matures and changes through the book; however, this is done in a lyrically subtle way that you don’t often see in children’s literature. The prose is blunt, but it flows. And Adara’s personality is clear from her actions and not from the character description.

GRRM’s description is extremely vivid and detailed. You can imagine the characters and scenes so well. Here’s an excerpt from the book from when he’s 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.

GRRM often uses long sentences to enhance his description. It works well with characters, and it works well at the beginning of a story to help the reader imagine that character. Well, children aren’t really going to appreciate his stylistics, but any adults that read this will.

My Score: 9/10
Buy at BOOKTOPIA or BOOKWORLD

Leave a Comment · Labels: 9/10, Book Reviews, Children's Fiction Tagged: book reviews, childrens fiction, george rr martin, the ice dragon

September 5, 2014

Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin

September 5, 2014

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.

The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.

I started the first book in the Game of Thrones series last year, but I only made it about three quarters of the way through before I needed to sacrifice it for my uni work. When I picked it up again on the weekend, I realised that I couldn’t remember anything that happened and I’d need to start again.

Game of Thrones presents a bleak, melancholic setting in the Seven Kingdoms where being a ‘good’ character doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to stay alive. When you play the Game of Thrones, you either win or you die. A lot of people die. A lot. And George R.R. Martin’s writing style is direct, pace-y (not sure that’s a word), and invites the reader into the story. The book changes point of view between Eddard, Catelyn, Jon, Arya, Sansa, Tyrion, Bran, and Daenerys. Despite the vast number of POV’s, Martin has captured a different, unique voice for all of the characters and you don’t ever feel like there’s a cross over. Martin captures Tyrion’s quick wit and humour, but then uses Daenerys to illustrate naivety and fragility.

I do wonder what will happen with Bran, because after he ‘falls’ from the tower and becomes a cripple, his POV seems to set up what is going to happen to him later in the series. At least you know he’s going to live for a while, because after the shock death at the end of the novel, the reader will want to know that their favourite characters are actually going to make it through the Game of Thrones.

I applaud Martin on the world he’s built and the way in which he reveals information. When _____ (that line is intentional – I don’t want to give away the ending) dies at the end of the novel, Martin doesn’t bog the story down with revealing how each character found out about the death. Catelyn’s POV is set after she’s already found out, so the pace doesn’t slow down and the reader doesn’t have to relive ______’s death. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book in the series, A Clash of Kings, although I’ll wait until I have the time to read it, because if I pause even for a few days, I’ll have to start over again, and the book is too long for me to want to do that.

My Score: 9/10

Leave a Comment · Labels: 9/10, Adult Fiction, Book Reviews, Fantasy, Genre Tagged: book reviews, fantasy, game of thrones, george rr martin

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