Review: A Destiny of Dragons by TJ Klune

Title: A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania: Book Two)

Author: TJ Klune

Length: 400 Pages

Category: Fantasy, High Fantasy

At a Glance: IT’S HERE! And it’s 400 pages of AWESOME!!!!

Reviewed By: Cassie

Blurb: 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.

Review: There is just something special about Sam and co.—their shenanigans, their sass, their mis-adventures, their love for each other—it’s all so much fun. The Lightning-Struck Heart was a treat, and now the series (Tales from Verania) is set up to be the gift that keeps on giving in A Destiny of Dragons. Best of all, it’s got some length to it, which I always find super exciting. Thank you, TJ Klune!

So, all the things we loved about TLSH are alive and well in A Destiny of Dragons. The writing is hilarious and irreverent. It feels like both a send up of and an homage to the fantasy genre. I loved it, and frequently found myself cackling crazily while making my way through the story. The characters continue to be awesome, with deepening relationship dynamics for all—so clearly, some wrenches have to be thrown in there. The resulting tension sets off cascades of snark in all directions that are truly a joy to behold. And the glorious drama all plays out against Sam’s struggle with his destiny. The team, as a whole, is getting mobilized to address said destiny with Sam, and they strike out on the beginnings of the resultant Epic Quest™.

So obviously, there are going to be more books after this one (eeeeeeeee!), and like any first book in a trilogy, there’s a lot of groundwork getting laid here. What’s Sam’s destiny? How does that work? What’s a cornerstone? How does THAT work? Who the heck is this man of shadows, what the heck does he even want? But don’t be concerned that all these questions lead to an overabundance of navel-gazing or exposition. TJ Klune keeps the pace rolling and the sarcasm on tap. And while there’s plenty of road left to travel in the following books, there is a satisfactory ending to A Destiny of Dragons, so the reader doesn’t end up feeling like everything’s still in the air after the final page.

Also, A++ on all the new characters (one in particular, but NO SPOILERS).

All told, A Destiny of Dragons is the perfect summer read. It’s got action! Adventure! Romance! Danger! Hilarity! Snark! I could keep throwing things at you like a second-rate movie announcer, but really you just need to go get this book. It’s perfect to read now, then revisit in a couple months when we get the delicious, delicious audio.

You can buy A Destiny of Dragons here:
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