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The Dragon, The Wolf & The Daughter Of The Sky
In a land ravaged by warlords and demons, a girl born from the tear of a dragon god is about to set the world on fire.
Raised by humans but haunted by divinity, Chiyoru is feared when her true nature awakens—and cast out from the only home she’s ever known.
Possessed by his past, Arataka, a mercenary forged into a weapon by greedy men, is trying to escape his fate. When he and Chiyoru meet, their paths entwine, and their shared origin threatens to unmake the world.
Watching from the edges is Ikarimaru, a wolf spirit bound to the world’s fragile balance. But that balance is breaking, and he must choose where he stands.
As gods wake and monsters rise, Chiyoru must decide: Will she run from what she is—or claim her destiny?
A mythic, dark fantasy for adults with mature themes, slow-burn romance, and psychological depth.
Raised by humans but haunted by divinity, Chiyoru is feared when her true nature awakens—and cast out from the only home she’s ever known.
Possessed by his past, Arataka, a mercenary forged into a weapon by greedy men, is trying to escape his fate. When he and Chiyoru meet, their paths entwine, and their shared origin threatens to unmake the world.
Watching from the edges is Ikarimaru, a wolf spirit bound to the world’s fragile balance. But that balance is breaking, and he must choose where he stands.
As gods wake and monsters rise, Chiyoru must decide: Will she run from what she is—or claim her destiny?
A mythic, dark fantasy for adults with mature themes, slow-burn romance, and psychological depth.
- GenresFantasy
641 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2026
6 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
E.K. Mandel
1 book4 followersElisa K. Mandel is a London-based writer shaped by a lifelong love of storytelling—through words, images, and anything she can build with her hands. With a background in fashion design, communications, and marketing, she brings a strong visual and emotional sensibility to her fiction.
Born and raised in Austria, she grew up surrounded by art, imagination, and leftover wood from her father’s carpentry workshop—which taught her many things, including that she is significantly better with fabric than with rigid materials.
When she’s not writing fantasy, she’s locked in a complicated relationship with her sewing machine, designing dresses and drafting patterns she shares on Etsy and YouTube as Thrills & Stitches.
The Dragon, The Wolf & The Daughter of the Sky is her debut fantasy novel. She is currently at work on a character-driven godpunk epic spanning multiple lives, shifting loyalties, and love stories that refuse to behave.
Born and raised in Austria, she grew up surrounded by art, imagination, and leftover wood from her father’s carpentry workshop—which taught her many things, including that she is significantly better with fabric than with rigid materials.
When she’s not writing fantasy, she’s locked in a complicated relationship with her sewing machine, designing dresses and drafting patterns she shares on Etsy and YouTube as Thrills & Stitches.
The Dragon, The Wolf & The Daughter of the Sky is her debut fantasy novel. She is currently at work on a character-driven godpunk epic spanning multiple lives, shifting loyalties, and love stories that refuse to behave.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 16, 2026
A girl drops from the sky in the shape of a golden tear, shed by the dragon god of renewal ???
Once I heard that I knew I was IN.
TDTW&TDOTS is a character driven dark mythical fantasy that deals with and explores some heavy topics that will, make you FEEL every emotion under the sun. There is a raging war, gods, spirits, mythical creatures, incredibly high stakes and relationships that will make you angry, happy, swoon, cry and jump in circles for.
It’s incredibly well written and the prose is beautiful as well as cheeky, witty and poignant all at the same time. I laughed, cried, rolled my eyes and had pretty much every emotional experience and expression one could have. Meaning, I didn’t feel bored even for a second. Every chapter ended exactly as it needed to, giving me enough to digest what I had just read, while leaving me wanting more.
When I was reading this I was actually super busy, so it took me a week to finish, but let me tell you, when I wasn’t reading, that was ALL I wanted to be doing. The characters were living rent free in my mind and I kept trying to figure things out or understand why this or that happened.
For the first time in a long time I was not able to predict a plot. Not in the way I’d normally be able to anyway. And I truly believe it’s because this story is so wonderfully its own, that reading meant surrendering and just figuring things out as I went. Which made reading even more fun.
PLUS the author believes you have braincells, so show don’t tell was utilized to near perfection. AND the surroundings feel so real that you can feel yourself in the world they are moving through. I don’t know if it’s the descriptions, the general vibe, the prose or a combination of it all, but I could imagine everything AND feel it, almost like there was music in my ears and smells filling my nostrils.
The characters in this are so incredibly alive, that there wasn’t a single character I truly disliked, because at any given moment I was painfully aware of the nuance that accompanied their actions. Nothing in this story is portrayed to be black or white. It acknowledges all the grey in us and in the world too much to ever make that simple distinction, which is why the characters land so incredibly well. There is no clean cut right or wrong, there are only choices and consequences.
But if I had to pick a favorite character I would have to go with Sai, closely followed by Ikarimaru. If you know you know🤷🏽♀️
These characters and the story leave so much room for debate as we are not necessarily TOLD what to believe the good, righteous or wrong thing is. So If you like having long philosophical chats, this can easily used as endless talking material.
And EVERYONE has chemistry. EVERYONE. Which sounds insane but it’s true. And I don’t mean that in a romantic way.
Also the mothers in this? I can’t. Woman in general are portrayed so wonderfully. They are strong and fearlessly lead and protect those they love, while also being gentle, loving and vulnerable. In short full human beings not boxed into any particular shape or frame that would only confine them.
I don’t know, if you can tell but I could go on and on and on about how much I loved everything about this book and the time I had reading it BUT if I hat to put it more simply: This book is everything I have ever wanted from a “fantasy” book EVER. The writing, the pacing, the characters, every part of this story worked in tandem making it an entirely perfect read for me. I don’t usually do 6 stars but if I did THIS would get them.
I am still in utter disbelief that this book exists and that it’ll live inside of me forever and I am so stoked that this story didn’t just appear out of thin air but that the author, E.K. Mandel, is a real human being that exists and made all of this happen. Which means there will be more where this came from and I CAN’T WAIT.
And yes, I will be making this book my entire personality for the foreseeable future👀👀
Once I heard that I knew I was IN.
TDTW&TDOTS is a character driven dark mythical fantasy that deals with and explores some heavy topics that will, make you FEEL every emotion under the sun. There is a raging war, gods, spirits, mythical creatures, incredibly high stakes and relationships that will make you angry, happy, swoon, cry and jump in circles for.
It’s incredibly well written and the prose is beautiful as well as cheeky, witty and poignant all at the same time. I laughed, cried, rolled my eyes and had pretty much every emotional experience and expression one could have. Meaning, I didn’t feel bored even for a second. Every chapter ended exactly as it needed to, giving me enough to digest what I had just read, while leaving me wanting more.
When I was reading this I was actually super busy, so it took me a week to finish, but let me tell you, when I wasn’t reading, that was ALL I wanted to be doing. The characters were living rent free in my mind and I kept trying to figure things out or understand why this or that happened.
For the first time in a long time I was not able to predict a plot. Not in the way I’d normally be able to anyway. And I truly believe it’s because this story is so wonderfully its own, that reading meant surrendering and just figuring things out as I went. Which made reading even more fun.
PLUS the author believes you have braincells, so show don’t tell was utilized to near perfection. AND the surroundings feel so real that you can feel yourself in the world they are moving through. I don’t know if it’s the descriptions, the general vibe, the prose or a combination of it all, but I could imagine everything AND feel it, almost like there was music in my ears and smells filling my nostrils.
The characters in this are so incredibly alive, that there wasn’t a single character I truly disliked, because at any given moment I was painfully aware of the nuance that accompanied their actions. Nothing in this story is portrayed to be black or white. It acknowledges all the grey in us and in the world too much to ever make that simple distinction, which is why the characters land so incredibly well. There is no clean cut right or wrong, there are only choices and consequences.
But if I had to pick a favorite character I would have to go with Sai, closely followed by Ikarimaru. If you know you know🤷🏽♀️
These characters and the story leave so much room for debate as we are not necessarily TOLD what to believe the good, righteous or wrong thing is. So If you like having long philosophical chats, this can easily used as endless talking material.
And EVERYONE has chemistry. EVERYONE. Which sounds insane but it’s true. And I don’t mean that in a romantic way.
Also the mothers in this? I can’t. Woman in general are portrayed so wonderfully. They are strong and fearlessly lead and protect those they love, while also being gentle, loving and vulnerable. In short full human beings not boxed into any particular shape or frame that would only confine them.
I don’t know, if you can tell but I could go on and on and on about how much I loved everything about this book and the time I had reading it BUT if I hat to put it more simply: This book is everything I have ever wanted from a “fantasy” book EVER. The writing, the pacing, the characters, every part of this story worked in tandem making it an entirely perfect read for me. I don’t usually do 6 stars but if I did THIS would get them.
I am still in utter disbelief that this book exists and that it’ll live inside of me forever and I am so stoked that this story didn’t just appear out of thin air but that the author, E.K. Mandel, is a real human being that exists and made all of this happen. Which means there will be more where this came from and I CAN’T WAIT.
And yes, I will be making this book my entire personality for the foreseeable future👀👀
March 4, 2026
This was my first time reading a “proper” fantasy novel, having intentionally avoided anything with wizards and dragons before, so I do think that created some barriers for me at times.
I really liked the characters — the variety and their personalities. You’re even able to develop understanding and empathy for Arataka, and I was actually more moved by the end of his story than Ikarimaru’s.
One thing I couldn’t quite shake was the sense that Ikarimaru felt a little like a father figure — finding Chiyoru in the forest in a child form and then later becoming the love interest. I’m sure age differences don’t matter much between immortal dragons and wolves, but it definitely stayed on my mind, so I don’t think I was fully invested in their love story.
The book tackled a lot of complex themes that I won’t attempt to list here. However family was a key theme, and it illustrated how much our environment and the people around us shape how we interpret and navigate the world. Ultimately, that was the making of one character and the downfall of another.
The scene setting and descriptions were incredibly detailed. Although you can’t pinpoint a specific country or location (which I later discovered was intentional), I had a very clear image of the key settings and felt like I was following them on their journey — the forest where we first find Chiyoru, Ariko’s home, the shimmering rice fields, Kitsune Forest, and the dramatic coastline where one of the final scenes takes place. I was completely transported to this beautiful, mysterious world.
The changing seasons echoed the emotional highs and lows of the story and subtly signposted what we were heading into next.
The writing felt soaring and cinematic, and the accompanying playlist (a soundtrack, really) was such a great idea. No matter where I was reading, when I pressed play it seemed to align with the scenes unfolding. It really captured the dark, mysterious sense of anticipation that built throughout, as well as the more tender and dramatic moments.
At times I was confused about the threat and their mission (probably my fantasy-related barriers again), but I still enjoyed being along for the ride and immersing myself in their rich world.
I really liked the characters — the variety and their personalities. You’re even able to develop understanding and empathy for Arataka, and I was actually more moved by the end of his story than Ikarimaru’s.
One thing I couldn’t quite shake was the sense that Ikarimaru felt a little like a father figure — finding Chiyoru in the forest in a child form and then later becoming the love interest. I’m sure age differences don’t matter much between immortal dragons and wolves, but it definitely stayed on my mind, so I don’t think I was fully invested in their love story.
The book tackled a lot of complex themes that I won’t attempt to list here. However family was a key theme, and it illustrated how much our environment and the people around us shape how we interpret and navigate the world. Ultimately, that was the making of one character and the downfall of another.
The scene setting and descriptions were incredibly detailed. Although you can’t pinpoint a specific country or location (which I later discovered was intentional), I had a very clear image of the key settings and felt like I was following them on their journey — the forest where we first find Chiyoru, Ariko’s home, the shimmering rice fields, Kitsune Forest, and the dramatic coastline where one of the final scenes takes place. I was completely transported to this beautiful, mysterious world.
The changing seasons echoed the emotional highs and lows of the story and subtly signposted what we were heading into next.
The writing felt soaring and cinematic, and the accompanying playlist (a soundtrack, really) was such a great idea. No matter where I was reading, when I pressed play it seemed to align with the scenes unfolding. It really captured the dark, mysterious sense of anticipation that built throughout, as well as the more tender and dramatic moments.
At times I was confused about the threat and their mission (probably my fantasy-related barriers again), but I still enjoyed being along for the ride and immersing myself in their rich world.
Review of advance copy received from Author
How to describe such a book. I fear there are no words to express how much this story shook me to my core.
This story is unlike any I have ever read. From the idea to the culture and history, this story immerses you into a world that is brimming with life.
A standalone story that actually made me cry that it is now over, I envy those who get to read it for the first time.
The characters were so easily loved that when misfortune found them, you couldn’t help but cry for them. Even the “villain” of the story isn’t one I could come to really hate for the way he is depicted makes you realise that sometimes we are shaped by not only our own choices but by others. The way we are shaped in our formative years can tilt the balance between good and bad — even then nothing is ever black and white.
That’s what I love about this story, there are reasons for everything and there is growth.
The ending leaves you with a sense of peace yet utter despair, I could barely read it with how my eyes were filling with tears,
Beyond the story itself, the writing is lyrical and immersive. It’s beautiful while being utterly devastating. The author has done a fantastic job at giving vivid descriptions that make you truly see the world she has clearly created with love and attention.
I’m so excited to see this author’s future work because she has ruined me with this story in the best possible way.
This story is unlike any I have ever read. From the idea to the culture and history, this story immerses you into a world that is brimming with life.
A standalone story that actually made me cry that it is now over, I envy those who get to read it for the first time.
The characters were so easily loved that when misfortune found them, you couldn’t help but cry for them. Even the “villain” of the story isn’t one I could come to really hate for the way he is depicted makes you realise that sometimes we are shaped by not only our own choices but by others. The way we are shaped in our formative years can tilt the balance between good and bad — even then nothing is ever black and white.
That’s what I love about this story, there are reasons for everything and there is growth.
The ending leaves you with a sense of peace yet utter despair, I could barely read it with how my eyes were filling with tears,
Beyond the story itself, the writing is lyrical and immersive. It’s beautiful while being utterly devastating. The author has done a fantastic job at giving vivid descriptions that make you truly see the world she has clearly created with love and attention.
I’m so excited to see this author’s future work because she has ruined me with this story in the best possible way.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was very much unlike any other I have read. The writing is beautiful and whimsical, transporting us to a very unique world of gods, spirits and warlords. The story is complex and feels larger than the book, like it is an ancient tale (in the good sense). I LOVED the second part of the book, all of the side characters so beautifully written, and especially the women *chef's kiss*. What I was a bit sceptic about: the pacing of the story was quite slow at first, and for a good first half of the book I had trouble identifying or rooting for the main characters (I found Arataka straight on insufferable and unhealthy, like Red Flag walking, and Chiyoru was quite naïve, deer-eyed, a bit bland for my taste). I had trouble finding any interest in their relationship and found it very frustrating. I had to hang on for DEAR LIFE until the middle of the book where everything started to click together and the story expanded and from there it was amazing. The found family, the romance: perfection.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Sure. Absolutely. Just be warned that it starts slow and a bit frustrating, and then gets better and better until the end, where I cried my eyes out for all of the ten last chapters. So, although the beginning was not it for me, it was very well worth it for reaching the BEAUTIFUL second part of the story. Such a rollercoaster of a book. Crazy and beautiful. Thank you author 🫶
Would I recommend it to a friend? Sure. Absolutely. Just be warned that it starts slow and a bit frustrating, and then gets better and better until the end, where I cried my eyes out for all of the ten last chapters. So, although the beginning was not it for me, it was very well worth it for reaching the BEAUTIFUL second part of the story. Such a rollercoaster of a book. Crazy and beautiful. Thank you author 🫶
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This read was fresh and unpredictable. I enjoyed how we are immediately transported to a place of myths and how quickly I was immersed in the story with little hand holding. We get to experience the main character Chiyoru’s childhood and growing up, which is a feature of stories that I love, and which is a strong and necessary part of this one.
I was taken on both a physical and emotional journey with Chiyoru, a protagonist many of us loner/outsider types will identify with. The characters that are a part of her journey feel very real, some lovely, others less so, with beautiful relationships linking them. I found myself surprised with the turning of the plot with each chapter, due to the good balance between action and tension. Despite the good pace I could also easily and clearly visualise the people and places, and I reiterate how immersive this felt. And it all comes together in the end.
I would recommend this to lovers of folklore and fantasy, you’ll find this a poignant and unusual read.
I was taken on both a physical and emotional journey with Chiyoru, a protagonist many of us loner/outsider types will identify with. The characters that are a part of her journey feel very real, some lovely, others less so, with beautiful relationships linking them. I found myself surprised with the turning of the plot with each chapter, due to the good balance between action and tension. Despite the good pace I could also easily and clearly visualise the people and places, and I reiterate how immersive this felt. And it all comes together in the end.
I would recommend this to lovers of folklore and fantasy, you’ll find this a poignant and unusual read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I really liked the story and how Chiyoru's values, her kindness and even her hesitation to act at times are very human but essential to how her growth into her own powers happen.
The story reflects a lot on how our environment can shape how we see the world and ourselves and how living from a place of fear can stop us from reaching our goals or make us harder than we need to be.
It took me a few chapters to fully immerse myself in the story but after that it was a great read. The story takes A LOT of turns and the narrative is very dynamic, very emotional but also funny at times. My husband asked me multiple times why I was crying in the final chapters lol.
You grow to love the main characters even with their flaws and the side characters are equally fabulous!
Overall I really like it and would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy books.
The story reflects a lot on how our environment can shape how we see the world and ourselves and how living from a place of fear can stop us from reaching our goals or make us harder than we need to be.
It took me a few chapters to fully immerse myself in the story but after that it was a great read. The story takes A LOT of turns and the narrative is very dynamic, very emotional but also funny at times. My husband asked me multiple times why I was crying in the final chapters lol.
You grow to love the main characters even with their flaws and the side characters are equally fabulous!
Overall I really like it and would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy books.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews