A Destiny of Dragons (Tales from Verania, #2)

by T.J. Klune

[stacey_is_sassy]

The writing and the acting together, makes magic…

I thought about reading A Destiny of Dragons when it was originally published. T.J. Klune is a brilliant writer. His stories come to life and you see each character, the world they live in and the lives they lead. I know I could have read with my own little eyes and experienced that wonder and been completely satisfied. However, I knew that if I added in Michael Lesley and his fantastic voice-acting…well, I would be treated to a masterpiece. One without the other is good, together it’s MAGIC.

Honestly, I don’t read a lot of MM romance. There’s just something about T.J. Klune’s style and the Tales From Verania series that sucks me in. The humour is OTT, crass and completely camp. I’m part horrified, part in awe of his ability to buck social niceties. He riddles his stories with sexual connotations, innovations and associations, adds in a few butt jokes and scares you with thoughts of dragons and unicorns “getting it on”. I found it almost freeing that the characters were able to talk so openly about their sexual experiences and feelings. Sure, Garry and Kevin take everything to the next level, but you come to appreciate it for its comedic value. There’s no room to be offended or prudish because you’re too busy busting a gut laughing.

This is the second story in the series and we are once again brought along on Sam, the King’s Wizard APPRENTICE (I can hear Garry adding the “APPRENTICE” with his usual sarcasm and derision), journey to save the world. Sexy Ryan the Knight, Garry the hornless unicorn, Tiggy the giant and Kevin the Dragon are back to help Sam in his quest. Morgan and Randall are still around, sighing and harrumphing at Sam and his motley crew. Justin is still sulking after Ryan stood him up at the altar. The King is still a kind ruler, and Sam’s parents are as loving and supportive as ever. We also get to meet some new characters that will put a smile on your face or bring a tick to your eye. I loved and hated them exactly as I was meant to. They all came alive for me.

The story sucked me in from start to finish. I hated that real life kept interrupting my listening time and I squeezed in as much ear-bud time as I could at every opportunity. My heart was pumping, my smile stayed plastered and my mind was whirling through it all. Was the gypsy lying, can Sam trust Morgan and Randall again, will Ryan’s fate lie in jeopardy. I was NEVER bored.

Special mention really must go to Michael Lesley. HE HAS MAD SKILLS!! If you could give the equivalent of an Academy Award to an audio, Mr Lesley would get a Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Every character has its own original, slightly quirky and completely lovable voice. I tell you, MAD SKILLS!!

If you can buck social niceties for a few hours and don’t mind a little crude, crass and completely camp humour, I highly recommend the Tales From Verania audio series. T.J. Klune writes magic and Michael Lesley performs the heck out of it. BLOODY BRILLIANT!!