A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania 2) by TJ Klune at BOATK Books
Genre Gay / Fantasy / Elves/Fairies/Sidhe / Gods/Godesses / High Fantasy / Magic / Mythological Creatures / Royalty/Nobility / Wizards & Witches / Erotic Romance / Action/Adventure
Reviewed by Christy Duke on 14-January-2020
Once upon a time, the wizard's apprentice, Sam of Wilds, got his happily ever after in the arms of his cornerstone, Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart. A year has passed, and while Sam's been captured five or six more times since then, things are pretty great. His parents are happy, Gary and Tiggy still eat sass for breakfast, Randall is somehow alive despite being older than the gods, the King rules with a gentle hand, Kevin the dragon is as gross as ever, Morgan sighs a lot, Ryan continues to be dashing and immaculate, and Sam is close to convincing Prince Justin they will be best friends forever. Life is good.
Until it's not.
Because Vadoma, the leader of the gypsy clan and Sam's grandmother, has come to the City of Lockes with a dire prophecy written in the stars: a man of shadows is rising and will consume the world unless Sam faces his destiny and gathers the five dragons of Verania at his side.
And she brings along her second-in-command, a man named Ruv. Ruv, who Vadoma says is Sam's true cornerstone.
First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, June 2017.
I have just one thing to say.
I LOVE SAM OF WILDS.
Unfortunately, I don't think I can get away with that being the sum total of my review. Darn it. TJ Klune makes it really hard to write a decent review. (Pun intended.) Trust me, I've been trying for years.
"A strange woman broke into the castle and bad-touched me and I had a vision about a white dragon in the middle of the Dark Woods and then Ryan domestically violenced me back to reality and now we think there's an assassin trying to murder all of our faces."
It was rather quiet after this pronouncement."
The one thing Sam hates is mention of his destiny, no matter that he has no clue what it is. He just wants to live in Verania with his friends, his cornerstone, Ryan, and be the King's Wizard. Unfortunately, Sam's power is immense, the strongest seen in centuries, and when his gypsy grandmother turns up and shows him his destiny, he isn't exactly thrilled. There are many who don't believe he can handle it, that he isn't ready yet. But the darkness is coming, and Sam is going to have to pull up his big boy undies and face his destiny.
I thought 'A Lightning-Struck Heart' was full of heroic adventures, seriously comedic moments, heartfelt times, and just plain zaniness - sorry Gary, I couldn't think of a better word - but this second novel takes all of that, multiplies it by a thousand, AND throws in legends, destinies, a gnarly grandmother who irritates Sam, some of the hardest decisions he has ever had to make, guilt, betrayal, and super fabulous dragons. There's a whopping amount of revelations and emotions running rampant through this novel. And dragons. Did I mention them? Super fab dragons.
"You would risk everything?"
"For them? For him?" I didn't even have to think about it. "Yes. Because they would do the same for me. We are better together than we ever will be apart. We are bound to each other. And nothing, nothing, will change that. Not you. Not the Dark. Not anything."
Holy. Crap. This is beyond anything I could have even begun to imagine. Knowing what I know, and the direction that lies ahead, means it's going to be a very long wait until book three is released. For Sam, Ryan, Gary, Tiggy, Kevin, Zero, Morgan, and Randall's epic journey (á la Lord of the Rings, albeit funnier and with gay sex), is only just beginning. I know the identity of the dark man now, and so does Sam, and every move from here on out, every choice, has the weight of the world resting on him. Oh, TJ, you are a genius with a tale.
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.
Format ebook and print
Length Novel, 394 pages
Publication Date 12-November-2019
Price $5.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback
Buy Link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081G1R4BG
Stress and the Modern Dad (Mannies Incorporated 8) by Sean Michael
Can a new dad and a community center program director find common ground and fall in love?
Rain and Whiskey (Stormy Weather 1) by BA Tortuga
Galen Frost buys a house and a bait shop in a small Florida town to get away from his life as a semipro football player.
Night of the Living Manny by Julia Talbot
He has many jobs. Hero is just one of them.
Romancing the Rough Diamond (Romancing The... 4) by Clare London
Where trust is the most precious jewel of all.
Unnatural Allies by Edward Kendrick
Vampires and werewolves are natural enemies. Therefore, Andre has no regrets about killing Raúl...