The Lightning-Struck Heart

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.