Not All Dragons: David Ly’s debut novel weaves together myth and self-identity

“I like to play with identity a lot in my work,” Ly said, “and it’s a theme that shows up a lot in different ways. The whole idea of shifting forms is really evocative to me.”

It’s clear that Ly is telling a story where change is not only okay, but a large part of being alive.

Not All Dragons is a breathtaking adventure from the sea to the sky. It’s also a reflection on grief, identity, and self-acceptance. The more Rhys learns about himself, the more lost he feels. Dragon or not, growing up often feels like this—the turmoil of reconciling the decisions you made in the past, and the weight of the truth when making decisions for the future.

Ly alludes to all these processes in Rhys’ journey. He also hopes that readers can draw their own conclusions.

“I like endings that aren’t totally a complete resolved type of thing,” Ly said. “I don’t think it’s that simple.”

What is an ending? Where does a journey end? Not All Dragons must come to an end, as all novels do. Rhys’ story, however, continues beyond the pages.

“Things happen, but things need to keep happening,” Ly said. “But there was some kind of comfort in that. Things don’t always pan out how we expect them but there’s a sliver of comfort in how it does pan out.”