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The Lightning-Struck Heart
- Narrated by: Michael Lesley
- Length: 19 hrs and 49 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Once upon a time, in an alleyway in the slums of the City of Lockes, a young and somewhat lonely boy named Sam Haversford turns a group of teenage douchebags into stone completely by accident.
Of course, this catches the attention of a higher power, and Sam's pulled from the only world he knows to become an apprentice to the king's wizard, Morgan of Shadows.
When Sam's 14, he enters the Dark Woods and returns with Gary, the hornless gay unicorn, and a half-giant named Tiggy, earning the moniker Sam of Wilds.
At 15, Sam learns what love truly is when a new knight arrives at the castle - Knight Ryan Foxheart, the dreamiest dream to have ever been dreamed.
Naturally, it all goes to hell when Ryan dates the reprehensible Prince Justin, Sam can't control his magic, a sexually aggressive dragon kidnaps the prince, and the king sends them on an epic quest to save Ryan's boyfriend, all while Sam falls more in love with someone he can never have.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Geeky Mama
- 2020-03-25
So good!
First, and I cannot stress this enough Micheal Lesley is AMAZING! The Lightning-Struck Heart is already so great by itself but Micheal’s narration brings it to the next level. The voices, inflection, and emotions he puts into his work is everything! He IS Sam of Wilds, not to mention the way he seamlessly switches between characters never once wavering. He expertly brings Sam, Gary, Tiggy, Morgan, Ryan and every other character in the book to life. He is the perfect example of what a great narrator can do. Not to mention the fact that his ability to say half of the things that come out of these characters mouths without so much as hint of a laugh has got to be worthy of an award in and of itself. Even if I had a thousand takes there is no way I could manage it. Needless to say, I would absolutely recommend Micheal Lesley’s narration to any and everyone!
Now for the story. TJ Klue, how on earth do you come up with this stuff? Seriously, your mind must be so bloody interesting. I cannot count how many times this book had me in a fit of giggles. I may or may not have gotten quite a few looks for acting like a complete lunatic in public. Even my fiancé was asking “what’s the matter with you?” when I listened to it at home. But this book is more than funny, its genuinely enjoyable in a way that only a good book can be. Even if you removed every ounce of humor this series is still one I would want to read.
*** Full disclaimer this book DOES NOT take itself seriously. Like at all. Even when the characters are in the direst of situations, they are making jokes and screwing around. So if you are looking for something with serious drama and angst you might want to look for something else. Also there is A LOT of swearing and crude humor. The vast majority of jokes are sex related so if that’s not something you’re interested in or can handle this book may not be for you. (However, if after all that you think you might be willing to give it a try, all I can say is DO IT! I promise you won't be disappointed.) ***
Take this excerpt in which the minutes are read from a meeting of the Ryan Foxheart fan club for example. For context, Tina is the sixteen year old president of the club for which Sam dons a wig and beard to disguise himself as Mervin so he can attend.
“President Tina noted that Mervin looked more flushed then usual and wondered aloud if he had just gotten filatiated by a street whore in the back alley. Mervin responded that at least he would, and I quote “be getting some unlike Tina who couldn’t even find a street walker who would take her money.” President Tina then stated that she wouldn’t be surprised when Mervin came to the next meeting with mouth sores and an itching rash in the most private of places. Mervin replied that if that happened he would just come to her for a solution since she obviously knew so much about itching rashes in private places. President Tina called him a ridiculous cock hound and Marvin said that he had never hit a girl before but that there was always a first time. Dolores then handed out the blueberry muffins which Mervin said he was allergic to and President Tina tried to force feed him three of. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and then for the next four hours there was a discussion on Ryan Foxheart’s biceps.”
Sam has had "a heart boner" on Ryan Foxheart since the moment he first laid eyes on him but Ryan is engaged to Prince Justin who Sam "wants to protect but also punch in the face." The man who will one day be king and for whom Sam will serve as wizard. For now though, Sam is just an apprentice. One who lives in the castle with his best friends, "a hornless gay unicorn built out of rainbows and bitchiness," and "a half giant who wanted to smash everything."
Sam resigns himself to stay away from Ryan and tries to stay out of trouble. However, that all changes when Prince Justin is kidnapped by a frisky dragon who decides he wants to “hoard” him and the king sends the group on a quest to save his son.
While it is absolutely hilarious (I swear my stomach hurt from laughing on numerous occasions) this book isn’t just jokes. The characters are well rounded, lovable and messy in the best possible way. The plot is fully imagined and interesting and the romance between Ryan and Sam is frustratingly believable. I say frustrating because you will most definitely want to smack them both several times throughout the book but honestly who doesn't act like an awkward idiot around their crush? Then again I might just be projecting. Anyway... this isn't one of those romance novels where two people meet for the first time, jump into each others arms and are confessing their undying love by the end of the week. While those books have their place this is is more of a slow burn. A really slow burn in fact but the journey is an enjoyable one. There wasn't a single moment when I wasn't entertained. I am so happy I decided to get this book and I cannot say how glad I am that this is a series. These are characters are ones I don’t think I can get enough of.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Owen H.
- 2020-11-15
new favorite book of all time
if you love overly sexual humor (that's not cringy or gross), fantasy, or romance than this book is for you.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Erica Marx
- 2021-05-10
fucking hilarious
I genuinely have never laughed this much while reading before, and then almost cried later on. man's a fucking genius
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1 person found this helpful
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- Elizabeth
- 2020-09-17
absolutely hilarious
never in my life have I laughed so hard at a book. it's ridiculous, but also a genuinely good story, can't wait to listen to the rest of the series
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1 person found this helpful
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- Gary
- 2019-06-12
:)
Entertaining, frequent laughing outbursts, content might be objectionable to some, but I found it hilarious
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2018-04-10
Fantastic story and incredible narration!
I loved the book and Michael Lesley brings it to life with his amazing voices!
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- Zonefreek
- 2018-03-05
Wasn' t what I expected.
The book was full of foul language, as well as lewd and suggestive stories.
I thought I was buying a fantasy book of dragon lore...I got stereotype gay characters spewing profanity and lewdness. Not for me.
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- Jeanine
- 2024-01-12
Insert monologue here.
Gay Unicorns, Sexually Aggressive Dragons, Mr. Perfect Knight Deliciousface and a Powerful Twink Wizard.
6/5, this book is hands-down THE funniest shit I have ever read. A story for the gayest of gays. The writing? Brilliant. The narrator? Brilliant. Smash that credit button...and as always, happy listening. ❤️
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- LucasjGillard
- 2022-11-29
As the character says in the first minutes
This is soooo stupid! Honey it’s a book for a five year old who still thinks gay means sassy it’s so cringe
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- Brandi
- 2022-06-17
Oh my GODS.
The Lightning-Struck Heat by TJ Klune is unlike ANYTHING I have ever read before.
I’m… not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
This novel follows a VERY lively cast of (extremely lovable) characters as they embark on quest after quest. Sam, an apprentice to the king’s wizard who holds unimaginable power; Tiggy, a kind-hearted half-giant who would do anything for those he loves; and Gary, a hornless gay unicorn who speaks in sass and rainbows.
This trio of best friends are the core of this novel, but there are a few characters that deserve an honourable mention. There’s Ryan, a very handsome knight that Sam just so happens to have a crush on, and there’s Justin, the prince, next in line to the throne, and… Ryan’s boyfriend.
That’s all well and good until a sexually aggressive dragon kidnaps the prince, and the king sends Sam, Tiggy, Gary AND Ryan on a quest to save him.
And what a quest it is.
As I’ve said, The Lightning-Struck Heart was different from anything I’ve ever read before. Before I begin, an honourable mention HAS to go out to Michael Lesley, who narrates these audiobooks. I am SO thankful that I decided to listen to this book instead of reading it traditionally, because there is absolutely no way I would have ever finished it if I had tried to pick up a dead tree copy and physically read this.
Simply put, this book is ridiculous. There’s no other way for me to say it, I don’t think. It’s silly and ridiculous and it doesn’t take itself seriously, ever, not even when it maybe should. It is essentially one joke after another. And don’t get me wrong; the jokes ARE funny. In fact, this book is hilarious. Multiple points had me laughing out loud no matter what I was doing or where I was. I snorted at least three times a chapter. I truly, genuinely, enjoyed my listening experience — but I also believe that is LARGELY because I listened to it, and that’s all the kudos to Lesley for being such a talented narrator.
I gave this novel three stars because it is VERY unlikely I would ever read this book again. I would ALMOST call this novel a comedy, and while I didn’t know that going into it, It was certainly funny. It was well-paced, well-written, and well-thought-out, but it's simply not a story I feel like I’d want to consume again.
Now, that’s largely a personal preference, and it’s because I hate pinning. Like, I hate it. It’s the bane of all romance novels to me. Specifically, situations where one character (usually the main character) is helplessly in love with someone who (to literally everyone else in the world) is very obviously in love with them back. However, neither of them ever realize that the other is legitimately interested, especially the main character.
And this book has a lot of pining. Then it has even more longing. The pining and the longing were just… they were almost more than I was capable of handling the first time around, let alone a second time. It just wasn’t for me, which is totally okay! I know that’s a trope a lot of people like, but I personally found it exhausting in this novel.
Additionally, there were a few comments and jokes made that made it clear this novel was published in 2015. I am very interested to see how things change throughout the series, as I know the final book was published this year.
Now, I do want to end this on a positive note. Again, I DID enjoy listening to this book (and I am continuing to enjoy the rest of the series), so I want to highlight some of the things I specifically loved.
Firstly, I would like to take my designated <em>Klune is fantastic at narrative voices</em> moment and just gush over Sam.
As a main character, Sam is incredible. He is lively and loving and he cares so, so deeply, even if he often hides his hurt behind a mask of humour. It was a lot of fun to read a character like this, one who was amped up on (largely) false bravado that somehow wasn’t false at all? He’s a series of contradictions that I don’t understand even after listening to him for nigh twenty-hours.
But while I might not understand him, I DO love him.
I also absolutely adore the queer found family that exists in this novel. Klune is a wizard in his own right when it comes to crafting this type of heart-warming found family, and he does it time and time again in his work. The Lighting-Struck Heart has one of the most amazing casts I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, and I love all of them.
Even Justin with his prickly heart, though that took a LARGE portion of the book to get to.
(Also, the KILF!!! The K I L F!!!)
The Lighting-Struck Heat puts a very interesting twist on magic, and I really enjoyed the magical system Klune created for this novel. This, along with Sam’s level of power, made for an exceptionally interesting read. Any time the novel got a little bit more serious during an action scene, I was on the edge of my seat listening, riveted to hear the way Klune skilfully crafted his world.
In all, I didn’t give this novel a three-star rating because it wasn’t good. No, The Lighting-Struck Heart is an INCREDIBLE piece of fiction that is exceptionally written. It is silly — often to an extreme that can take some getting used to — action-packed, and ripe with emotion.
Unfortunately, this novel heavily features a theme I’m not a huge fan of, which made certain parts difficult to get through; that, coupled with the way it doesn’t take itself seriously, means I would only recommend this novel (and series) to people looking for a light-hearted read filled with A LOT of sex jokes.
Now, if that sounds like a good time? You HAVE to check out this book.
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