Hi ya’ll! I am so excited to do my first review of a children’s fantasy novel! I happened to see the author’s twitter post about the novel and immediately contacted her to offer to review the book. I love all things fantasy, and I am a proponent of children’s books which give kids a chance to experience the magic of the genre at an early age. That being said, I agreed to review the book and give it an HONEST review. I’m happy to say, the novel achieves a Mithril armor rating (five out of five stars, see my post ‘Don’t Attack a Sundae’ for my inspiration for my rating scale).

The Ice Dragon is wonderfully imaginative. It reminds me of the books I loved to read as a child. It has a touch of whimsey which reminded me what it was like, as a child, to believe in magic. The prose is elegant, while the voice of the characters is clear and emotional. Further, I think the book would appeal to children of all ages and backgrounds.

The story, of a boy who hates holidays, being raised by a single mom with a middle class job, is very heartwarming. On the other hand, the tale of Christmas magic and childhood adventure is fresh, exciting, and evocative. The ending is satisfying and leads the reader to envision the rest of the main characters lives making the book memorable, even for an adult reader. The description is on point, and the reader feels and sees, with the characters, as the Dragon and Swan come alive.

This book is in the same class as some of the great writer’s of fantasy literature, reminding of my own youth reading the Chronicles of Narnia. The story maintains it’s unique perspective into the mind of a childhood innocence and belief. I could easily see this children’s novel as an animated Christmas special or Hallmark original film.

I love the cover, especially the lettering which really grabs a child’s attention. The name

is appropriate but shares the same title with other works of fantasy making it show up much later in a book search if I don’t include the author’s

name. The novel was edited well, and it contained appropriate child-length chapters. The pace was excellent and would grab the intended audience’s attention.

All in all, this is a great children’s novel, and a smart way to introduce our children to fantasy at a young age!