# The Lightning-Struck Heart

By TJ Klune · Tales from Verania, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/the-lightning-struck-heart-e38723aa/

Sam is apprenticed to the king’s wizard and hopelessly attracted to Knight Ryan Foxheart. Ryan already has a boyfriend: Prince Justin. When a dragon abducts Justin, Sam must help Ryan rescue him, accompanied by Gary, a hornless gay unicorn, and Tiggy, a half-giant.

## What makes it funny?

The magical world has its own version of a bad phone call. A wizard struggles to use a communication crystal, and another participant gets out of the conversation by pretending to be going through a tunnel. Metaphors and Moonlight singles out this collision of magic and everyday excuses.

### The comedy at work

Klune gives royalty, wizards and villains modern slang and a readiness to trade jokes. Sam brings his own embarrassing romantic enthusiasm, including membership in a Ryan Foxheart fan club. The rescue quest leaves room for conversations that are more interested in teasing than heroic dignity.

### Try this if…

For readers who enjoy a male-male romance carried along by a close friendship group and deliberately silly dialogue. The affectionate family relationships matter alongside the innuendo, and the fantasy setting makes room for conspicuously modern jokes.

### Good to know

The jokes include strong language and sexual material. A sexually aggressive dragon is part of the rescue plot. Michael Lesley’s unabridged narration runs just under twenty hours.

## What to expect

- Genre: Adventure · Fantasy · Romance
- On the shelf: Quest · Romantasy
- Kind of humor: Absurdism · Banter
- The atmosphere: Irreverent · Warmhearted
- Story ingredients: Found family
- Format: Novel
- Length: 718 pages (ebook)
- Audiobook: 19 hr 49 min
- Published: 2015

## A few distinguishing details

- A wizard helps rescue his crush’s boyfriend
- A hornless unicorn and half-giant join the quest

## Sources & further reading

- Book information: [Apple Books audiobook](https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/the-lightning-struck-heart-unabridged/id1067009310)
- Book information: [Apple Books ebook](https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-lightning-struck-heart/id1487857470)
- Review: [Metaphors and Moonlight review](https://metaphorsandmoonlight.com/book-review-the-lightning-struck-heart-by-tj-klune)
- Author commentary: [Author](https://www.tjklunebooks.com/the-lightning-struck-heart)