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.