Not All Dragons

by David Ly

What is it that you are, Rhys?

In a land of magic and myth, Rhys awakens on the shore of Lanilia with mysterious wounds on his back and no memory of his life before. Disoriented, he stumbles on the Mernese estuary protected by the mermaid Delia, who is quickly intrigued by this male who doesn’t smell like any Lanilian she’s ever met and who is unable to answer questions about himself. Determined to figure out his past, Rhys convinces Delia to help, and begins a dangerous journey to discover who he is, or was, and who he might become as they hunt for the truth beneath story and prophecy.

David Ly brings readers a fascinating and fresh take on dragons and destiny in this captivating debut novel.

Praise for Mythical Man

"Not All Dragons is an invitation into a wholly original magical world, a world of mermaids, monsters, witches and dragons. Ly’s prose is infused with a poet’s lyricism and a terrific storyteller’s gift for spinning a sparkling tale. An evocative debut novel, steeped in memory and myth, exploring all those parts of ourselves we try to reject, and all those parts of ourselves we try to reclaim."— Anuja Varghese, Governor General’s Literary Award–winning author of Chrysalis

"Lush world-building, gripping adventure and luminous imagery come together as one in Not All Dragons, David Ly’s dreamy fiction debut. Lovers of fantasy are sure to be irresistibly drawn in by this tale of dragons and witches, haunting myths and ancient magic, and Ly’s emotionally resonant characters are sure to linger in his readers' minds long after they turn the last page. Reminiscent of the works of Patricia McKillip, Charles de Lint and Indra Das, Not All Dragons is a beautiful addition to the lineage of emotionally powerful, poetic fantasy that leaves you wiser for having read it."— Kai Cheng Thom, author of Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir

“In David Ly’s debut novel, a fast-paced adventure and unforgettable characters unfold like dragon wings in striking, shining prose. Throughout, Ly reveals insightful truths about the role of story, memory and family in reclaiming self. In the end, the act of falling becomes a process of becoming.”— Tanya Boteju, author of Bruised and Messy Perfect

“Not All Dragons is a thrilling and evocative exploration of reclaiming one’s identity, memory, self and kin from acclaimed poet David Ly. The debut fantasy novel brims with lush world-building, epic adventure, powerful magic and rich mythological creatures, making it a compelling and unforgettable quest narrative. Danger is omnipresent and omnipotent in Ly’s feral universe; otherworldly enemies injure and maim, while allies help shape the perilous trajectory of the dual protagonists. Long after you read the last page, you will be awestruck by Ly’s multifaceted imagination.”— Lindsay Wong, Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies

“David Ly’s Not All Dragons is a contemporary saga that takes readers on adventurous explorations of family, belonging and self. Ly builds a world full of magic and wonder, weaving Vietnamese mythology and epic fantasy to bring to life the quest of an unforgettable protagonist as he journeys toward homecoming. Propulsive and gripping, this debut novel is endlessly readable.”— Vinh Nguyen, author of The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse

Genres: Canada, Fantasy

264 pages, Paperback

Published May 19, 2026

About the author

David Ly is the author of Mythical Man (Anstruther Books, 2020) and Dream of Me as Water (Anstruther Books, 2022), both short-listed for ReLit Poetry Awards, and the fantasy novel Not All Dragons (Poplar Press, 2026). He co-edited, with Daniel Zomparelli, Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2022).

David’s poems have appeared in publications such as Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, PRISM International, and The Ex-Puritan, where he won the inaugural Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence, as well as in the Pan MacMillan anthologies He, She, They, Us: Queer Poems (2024) and You’re Never Too Much: Poems for Every Emotion (2025). He is the Poetry Editor at This Magazine.

Reviews

[Not Sarah Connor Writes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you River Street Writing for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really loved the world that Ly created but just wish we went a little deeper with the lore. I wanted to spend more time knowing the characters so that I could care about them more. This is also another book with the amnesia trope, and while I understand it plot-wise I'm learning it's not one I enjoy reading about.

Read the full review on my blog!

Also, I am more active on Storygraph now so if you want to see what I'm read right away, follow me there!

[yxebookdragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this poetic debut fantasy novel! I really liked this amazing world David has built full of dragons, witches, mermaids and other creatures that he has put his own creative spin on.

Rhys awaken on the shore of Lanilia with mysterious wounds and no memory of his life before. Disoriented, he stumbles into the mermaid Delia who is quickly intrigued by this man who is a complete mystery, but also feels familiar. Determined to figure out his past, Rhys and Delia begin a dangerous journey to discover who he is, and who he might become as they hunt for the truth beneath the story and prophecy.

The story is filled with adventure, self discovery and mystery! I thought he did a great job of creating a unique world with interesting and refreshing takes on characters we all know and love. He even had some new animals and magic that I thought was really creative.

The beginning of the book really hooked me, I was super excited to follow the journey of the main character. Unfortunately for me the pace really slowed halfway through. I wish there had been a bit more dialogue. There is a lot of describing and poetic language and I'm sure some love that but at times it took me out of the story.

I liked the ending and thought that was an interesting twist, I just which the pacing of the middle had been a bit better so the ending would have hit a bit more!

[Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book at a local book store in Vancouver, I was intrigued by the title, as I'm always in search of books with dragons in them.

I really liked the lore and world in which this book takes place. The continent the characters inhabit feels vibrant and lush but simultaneously under threat. The way the author described and added their own take onto different fantasy creatures was cool.

The poetic prose was nice, especially when the pace of a scene was calm, but it did feel a bit clunky or repetitive at some points. It worked really well when scenery was being described and helped give the world that vibrant feel.

As for the plot, I found this book to be pretty unique, because its starts out being set up like an adventure but you quickly realize Rhys isn't really cut out for that type of story (which is clearly intentional) this book is more of an emotional adventure than a physical one. It felt a lot more grounded in reality for me, because every conflict was small, took place between a small group of people, and had real consequences. My one issue with the plot is that the end didn't feel wholly satisfying to me, Rhys has his resolution, but I feel like him loosing his memory felt like it was for nothing at the end? Which is maybe intentional, because it's clear he made an emotional decision after suffering a huge loss and experienced regret over it. It just felt like the memory loss was just there to drive the story and intrigue rather then having a more meaningful part in the story, in contrast to the loss of his wings opening the door to conversations of belonging, being someone who doesn't really fit in, and eventually finding acceptance among your people.

I hope David Ly continues to write stories in this world because I did really enjoy this book and he left the door open for lots of stories to be expanded upon especially with the conflict between Lanilia and the unravelers being unresolved.

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The language was very descriptive and I enjoyed the imagery, however the story felt lacking in places. For instance, why did the unravellers help rhys after he knocked over their effigy? He’s clearly not one of them given that he speaks a different language and they have not been kind to any other Lanillian creature. Why did they not just kill him? Also, why was Rhys never given a weapon as they go on these dangerous journeys? As a whole he feels a little useless throughout the book, but a lot of it can be chalked up to the fact that he has no real means of helping. When he finally gets his hands on an axe he does something with it, but getting that axe was pure chance. Why were they sending him into these dangerous situations unarmed? The unravellers felt a little underdeveloped as a whole, I would’ve enjoyed to understand better their motivations and what exactly they want to go to the Otherworld for. They feel a little one dimensional as is.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just as wonderful, delightful, and enchanting as I’d hoped.

With truly original world-building and classic adventure elements — mermaids, witches, and perilous quests across dangerous lands — this story feels both timeless and refreshingly new. A magical journey full of heart, wonder, and imagination.

[Lisa Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great beginning. The world is very different, which I liked.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this debut fantasy novel from David Ly. The writing was beautiful and the world that was created was amazing. The cover is really really nice. Definitely want to get a post-release copy so it can be displayed showing it off!