Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Zilla: Fantasy takes us unexpected places—and never more so than in David Ly’s novel Not All Dragons. First of all, David, that is a stunning cover. But the important thing is what’s inside! Can you tell us about your story?

David: Not All Dragons is my interpretation on dragons and destiny. I hope this is done from a perspective that readers aren’t familiar with, exploring how an identity is shaped beneath story and prophecy. The story’s protagonist, Rhys, sets out on a dangerous journey with a mermaid named Delia to discover who he is, or was, and who he might become. When I established that he were to embark on this quest, the world opened up, allowing me to populate it with other magical creatures portrayed in unique ways with rich histories: witches who change between beast forms, Mernese who can shed their tails for legs, among other enigmatic creatures.

Zilla: What inspired you to write this book?

David: An obsession with dragons that hasn’t left since childhood! I wanted to write a story about the mythical beasts in a way that felt refreshing and unique to me, but maintain the air of awe, fear, and mystery that dragons have always had for me.

Zilla: Delving a bit deeper, what kicked off this story in particular as your take on the creatures?

David: In many ways, Not All Dragons sprung from a poem in my debut poetry book Mythical Man called “Boy.” The image of this boy hiding in the forest, covered in moths, stuck with me for years and I began asking myself the story of how this boy ended up in the image I saw.

Zilla: And overall? What drives you to write—from poetry to prose?

David: I think that I write to play, driven by imagination and my obsession with myths. Doing so, I feel like everything I write is in response to things I felt as a child.

Zilla: If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?

David: I would say to Rhys that he is safe and understood now, and that he can keep moving forward. to Delia, I’d thank her for being the friend Rhys needed. To Nico, I’d tell him that his regrets don’t define him.

Zilla: What’s your next writing project?

David: My next project is my third poetry collection called Ritual, Interrupted is currently in the editing phase. The book is a poetic grimoire that uses imagined worlds as tools for self-discovery, drawing on experiences with depressive disorder and anxiety. I hope this collection shows how vulnerability and imagination are acts of resistance, vital to a compassionate life.

Zilla: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

David: I’m mostly active on Instagram at @davidlywrites. Not All Dragons can be found here.