George R.R. Martin to re-release The Ice Dragon, his Game Of Thrones children’s book

In news that may surprise readers who know George R.R. Martin mainly as a guy who creates, develops, then murders beloved characters, the author once wrote a book for children. Called The Ice Dragon, it’s set in the same world as his ongoing A Song Of Ice And Fire series. It was first published in 1980—years before Martin’s A Game Of Thrones hit the shelves—and tells the story of Adara, a child born during a long winter who loves the cold and is fascinated by the ice dragon, a creature everyone else in her village fears. Careful readers may note that the ice dragon has been mentioned in Martin’s A Dance With Dragons, as a tale Old Nan used to tell a young Jon Snow.

The new edition will feature fresh artwork—a preview of which is below—from fantasy artist Luis Royo. Tor Books plans to release The Ice Dragon on October 21. It’s hoped it will satiate the bottomless hunger of fans eager for stories set in Martin’s Westeros for a few hours, before they resume demanding The Winds Of Winter.

[via The Mary Sue, Tor]