Kling Klang Gloria

War On Taras #2

by Jenni Sauer

Princess Ziya Sadira has never felt comfortable in the role she was set to play

Before:
Zariya's life as a princess hasn't been easy but everything she's faced has always been characterized with one constant: Arian is there by her side. Her childhood best friend, her loyal guard, and as she gets older...maybe something more? Until that fateful day when he betrays her and she breaks his heart in retaliation

After:
Waking up from cryosleep seven years later, Ziya discovers that while she slept, her planet was overrun by foreign soldiers and utterly destroyed beyond recognition. As she travels across Taras with Thrush, a royal bodyguard tasked with keeping her safe—and who reminds her far too much of that childhood best friend—Ziya is forced to confront the pain and mistakes of her past as she struggles to be the queen Taras needs even as Taras is crumbling before her eyes

Maid Maleen and King Thrusbeard collide in this second-chance romance, post-apocalyptic road trip sequel to Rook Di Goo

488 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2023

About the author

Jenni Sauer writes fairy tale retellings for soft, angry hearts. She didn’t go to college, but she has a degree of mental health and has her masters in optimism from the school of life. Her proudest achievements include staying soft despite the trauma she’s lived through and holding on when life tried its hardest to take her out

If you’re looking for her, she’s probably bent over her laptop plotting treason—er, her latest story idea—or procrastinating on that by making another playlist or cute aesthetic. Or you can find her on Instagram @ivorypalaceprincess

Reviews

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riding the high of the accomplishment of a tool in her hand as she fixed something, the adrenaline rush of speeding away with Thrush as if they were partners in crime, icy slush in hand, wind in her hair. It was exhilarating, tantalizing, addictive. She never wanted it to end.

If you know me at all you probably know that Rook Di Goo is one of my favorite books of all time, so I have been very eagerly anticipating its sequel. The spin-offs have been wonderful, but I've missed my Aderyn crew 💕 (and I've been waiting a long time to properly meet ziya and thrush soooo)

I've said it before, I'll say it again: if I could become a character in any author's book, I'd want it to be Jenni Sauer. She would hold me so gently in her hands and give me tea and blankets and friendship and healing. That's really how this book feels - gentle. Ziya is going through it, and other books would make that worse, but Jenni cradles her through her pain and truly lets her begin to heal, and it's everything. (she does it with Thrush too but since we're in Ziya's head more often, hers is more obvious) This book is so much about the kindness and love of women, it's truly just a book about ✨girlhood✨ and I couldn't have loved it more.

the romance was also so incredibly soft and lovely (and the banter? top notch)
the silent SCREAM I let out at 68% because it was 2am and my family doesn't need to hear me losing my mind was a lot but it was iconic
I was just obsessed with this book in every way possible and I'm not surprised by that at all.

5 stars always. I already can't wait to read it again.



*****


*shoves my 79 kindle notes and 109 highlights under the rug*

I liked this normal amount.

(full review to come after I've finished wiping the tears from my face because of how much I loved it)

[Katie Hanna]

DNF due to the fake marriage trope (which caught me off guard, honestly, I didn't expect it here)

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been very vocal about my love for Jenni Sauer’s books. I’ve talked at lengths about her characters, plots, and vibes. She has been a huge influence in my own writing.
In this review, I want to talk about her storytelling and writing. While I know she’s a good writer, this book really made me appreciate how good of a storyteller she is. She crafts it so perfectly. A huge part of it is the characters, of course, but the writing itself is a very big core to this story. Jenni writes plots that fit her writing style so well and it makes her books so…consistently good.
I really don’t know how else to describe reading her books. She’s writing exactly what she was made to write and it really shows.
Read this book if only to see what a well-crafted story feels like. (Extra benefits will be sass and tension and two characters that spend a lot of time bickering when they should be falling in love)

[Ireen · Rating 5 out of 5]

ZIYA IS MY ANGRY POOKIE BEAR AND I LOVE HER 🧸😠💖

This book is one of my favorite reads this year, no cap!! The post apocalyptic road trip vibes were immaculate, and the moments between Ziya and Thrush were *SWOON*. And the girls supporting girls was strong in this one. I also adored that this was a retelling of King Thrushbeard. The references to the fairytale were so fun and worked amazingly with the story. The flashback scenes as the story progressed made the book such a page turner—I was so curious about what happened in Ziya’s past and all the events that culminated to Taras’s current state and why Ziya behaves the way she does. She and Thrush were absolutely adorable and we have a lot of cute/romantic moments, so I was very well-fed in that regard 🤣 And we get cameos from the Aderyn crew!!

As always, the way Jenni writes characters and their struggles is so masterful. I truly connected with Ziya, her wounded inner child and how angry she felt, how she always fought for justice even if her efforts were misplaced, and how unworthy she felt as a princess. Arian too. Their dynamic felt so real, both in friendship and fights.

And Ziya’s character arc was so powerfully done. I have so many kindle highlights that I’m mad I can’t share because the book isn’t out yet 😭

But seriously. Kling Klang Gloria was incredible and I’m so honored to have my art on the cover of a story I love so much 🥹🥹

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this may be Sauer's best book yet. Certainly, it is her most complex book yet. Kling Klang Gloria is a follow-up to Rook di Goo, meaning it is book two of the War on Taras series. It reads fine as a stand-alone, but you are going to enjoy the last section more if you have already read Rook di Goo. And, since that last section is my favorite part of the book, overall, I definitely do recommend you read the first book first.

Anyway, Kling Klang Gloria starts out as a Sleeping Beauty retelling of sorts, then morphs into a King Thrushbeard retelling. Princess Zariya wakes up from a cryogenic sleep and discovers her planet, Taras, has been overrun by their enemies. The palace where she grew up has been leveled and the capitol city razed. What's left of the Tarisian population is scavenging for survival and avoiding the occupying troops as much as they can. Zariya is welcomed back by the only remaining royal guard, Thrush, who has faithfully waited all these years for her to awaken. Together, they set off across the planet, looking for safety and purpose, basically.

Zariya loves to fix things with her hands and has a genius for mechanical things, but struggles to understand social expectations and emotional cues, which makes me assume she is meant to be somewhere on the autism spectrum. Maybe? Thrush starts out didactic and gruff, but mellows as he starts to trust Zariya and protect her because he wants to, not because it's his duty.

The two grow close and begin taking hesitant steps toward a romantic relationship, but this is more a coming-of-age story than a love story. Their romance is sweet and very slow-burn, and I liked it a lot.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally I write a review immediately after reading but for whatever reason I just wanted to hug this book close to my heart for a hot minute. I adore these characters. I adore this story.

Ziya is somehow the complete opposite of me while being an absolute relatable mood for the entire story. Even though I did want to give her a stern talking to at one point. However I never needed to because oh my golly the character growth!! Honestly her entire arc is so beautiful. She truly grows into herself, and I’m so excited to see where she ends up in book 3.

The post-apocalyptic roadtrip vibes were immaculate. Super fun while staying grounded (don’t ask me what that means, I’m not profound I’m just reviewing based on vibes and this was the perfect combo I felt). The banter between Thrush and Ziya was top tier, and THE LAKE SCENE!!! I SQUEALED!!! I also loved that we got to see some old friends too.

Anywho, if you read Rook Di Goo you’ll absolutely love this sequel. And if you haven’t read RDG yet what are you doing here?! Shoo! Go read that book!!

I received and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Payton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick disclaimer, I received a free eARC of Kling Klang Gloria for review purposes.

To start off this review, I just want to say I am a HUGE fan of the Evraft books. Each one has been a hit. And so, when I heard of Kling Klang Gloria, I was stoked. Everything I had heard about it before release made me all the more excited. Post-apocalyptic road-trip? Yes please! And let me tell you, it did Not disappoint! I am *still* squealing over every little thing about the book, and I must admit I took several screenshots of my favorite lines and scenes.
Kling Klang Gloria is set on Taras, a planet that has been razed by foreign soldiers, and follows Ziya who has just awoken to find her planet in such a disarray after having been in cryosleep for seven years, and Thrush who is the royal bodyguard tasked to survive to keep Ziya alive.
From the very first chapter I was hooked, the stage set with Ziya waking alone in a vault instead of the tower she had gone to sleep in. And her and Thrush’s first meeting was hilarious, immediately roping me into Thrush’s character. Right then and there I wanted to know more about his character and his story, and how it would interweave with Ziya’s path.
KKG is a Maid Maleen and King Thrushbeard retelling, and when I had begun my readthrough, I hadn’t read either of those fairytales. But, about partway through I read up on both tales simply because I wanted to see if they were headed in the right direction. While they were, I must say this book had one of my favorite aspects of retellings: You take twists and turns you don’t expect but it still comes to a satisfactory close.
I absolutely adore Sauer’s ability to weave description together to the point the story jumps off the page and I find myself fully immersed on Taras itself, as if I was also on the road trip with Ziya and Thrush, always having further to go. (Which is often how I felt late at night, just one more chapter, we still have further to go).
The “Before” chapters captured my heart from the very first one, and I think they were perfectly spaced apart. To me it never felt as though too much information was being dumped onto the reader, but a perfect amount to bring some clarity but also to keep me wanting more. It made me invested in *what* happened in those seven years that Ziya had slept, how Taras had changed so much. Sometimes I just wanted her to ask Thrush for an explanation even if I as the reader didn’t want it to be so simple of an answer. For the characters and the storyline, the way it unfolded was perfect. Slowly yet surely, one piece at a time until it all came together. Likewise, I was also very invested in what had happened to have placed Ziya in her 7 year sleep. As a reader, I was happy it wasn’t just flat-out told from the start, that the Before chapters slowly built it up for discovery and piecing together.
A continual factor in the Evraft books that I always love are the Evraft women. They’re what one could call “messy” and I love that so much, because I find myself relating to each one, finding pieces of myself scattered among them, feeling seen within their words and the emotions they go through throughout their arcs. (Which, by the way, Ziya’s arc was phenomenal!)And also, the friendships between women in this book was one of my favorite factors! Gotta love women supporting women.
Quote: “Her hair still smelled of Lylah’s oil, her braid tied with Caris’ hairband, her arm still covered in Besta’s design, her wrist entwined with the bracelets from Anara and the other girls. She had titanium in her nose, Nala had held her hand while she’d gotten it pierced, and she wore it for Anara and the other young women.”
I could honestly go on and on about Kling Klang Gloria, but I’ll wrap it up here with a few factors that might help you read this book if you aren’t convinced already.
>While it may not make or break a book, it has a pronunciation guide!! (I love every single author who helps me pronounce all the fun names)
>Fake marriage and who doesn’t love that
>Worldbuilding that made Taras feel all the more real, one of my favorite worldbuilding aspects had to be where Taras get their nose pierced to signify their womanhood, and how that carried through the storyline and what it meant to Ziya
>Honestly there were SO many laugh out loud parts, I absolutely love Thrush and Ziya’s dynamics. I could say nearly every Thrush and Ziya scene was my favorite scene, however I must mention the spider scene. Quote: “She might have titanium in her nose, might hold the strength of all the women who came before her in her veins, but spiders had no business being that big, no business having such thick, fuzzy legs.”
>We also get cameos of the Aderyn crew from Rook Di Goo!!

Anyways. Go read Kling Klang Gloria, you won’t regret it!!

More fave quotes:
“Like…they’d be friends or lovers or whatever they are, no matter what. No matter how they met, it would have happened and no matter where life takes them, their souls will always be connected.”
“That was the wrong thing for him to say, especially when he chose that exact moment to brush his hand against hers, his fingers a question, reaching to take her hand and yet not quite, leaving the choice to her.”

[Amelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

She had titanium in her nose, the strength of all the women who’d come before her. It coursed through her veins and made her stronger. She’d not wither, not under this.

If a single word can describe Kling Klang Gloria, it would be vibrant. For one thing, the cover is beautifully drawn and colored. For another, the story itself and the characters driving it are colorful in all the right ways. There’s action that’s engaging, and plenty of it, but it’s largely character driven, and it’s fantastic.

Ziya’s emotions (and emptiness and emotionless at other points in the novel) are achingly tangible and poignant. She’s a chameleon, terrified of people knowing the “real, uninteresting, flawed” her, and she’s learned to distrust love and companionship, to alternately give vent to her anger and snuff it out into pallid nothingness. She’s hurting and she’s fragile, yet she grows strong through her journey in that paradoxical way it often happens. (The thread of a titanium-augmented culture is so moving.)

Kling Klang Gloria is also a love story, but not in a “typical” way. Ziya’s journey illustrates the painful truth that love mixed with sinful, critical judgment is no love at all. Love is not something to be earned and lost. And when someone like Ziya believes that it is, because of past trauma, it creates anger and jadedness, bitterness and sorrow, all brands of pain often manifesting in the perceived need to lash out and push away.

The two love interests from her past, too, showcase two forms of “love,” one being false and the other being true (albeit very imperfect). Prince Jarrett affirms everything Ziya does, eggs her on, likes her only so far as he can use her. Arian, though, is genuine in his love, even though he’s in need of growth as all people are: he likes Zariya as a person, yet he also corrects her, giving her that form of tough, deeply needed love, because yes, he does truly love her. It’s a juxtaposition that’s realistic, well-rounded, and messy in the way that life often is, and it’s very well done.

I did have a hard time getting invested in the budding romance between Ziya and Thrush because, while I really have a soft spot for romance between a grumpy and/or hardened soldier and an equally difficult girl, I just had a hard time feeling that Thrush truly valued Ziya. Some of the references grew a little too suggestive for my taste as well, and I also had a hard time staying immersed in the prose because there were a lot of run-on sentences/comma splices that jarred me a bit.

Overall, though, Kling Klang Gloria is such a raw, impactful story of love, of duty, of sacrifice, of resiliency. I enjoyed it immensely.

🪶 content: During their journey, Ziya and Thrush have to pretend to be married. Therefore, they often have to sleep next to each other. (Nothing happens besides sleep.) , Ziya’s nervous because she thinks he’d feel entitled to certain privileges reserved for marriage. (He says he’d never, ever think that.) Ziya and Thrush swim together in their underwear at one point. In a flashback, Arian comes into Zariya’s room, thereby “violating the boundaries of propriety” (again, nothing untoward happens or is implied to be desired). Several vague mentions of marital intimacy. Mentions of women wearing crop tops and other such things that leave little to the imagination. A man backhands a woman. Other instances of violence and hand-to-hand combat, as well as mentions of what’s basically genocide. A couple uses of p*ssed. 🪶

[Cassandra Hamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn’t love this quite as much as Rook Di Goo, it’s still a beautiful, important story about a traumatized girl learning to heal. I loved the emphasis on the connection and community that women share.

[Ella J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 3.5 stars

I'm always down for another book in the Evraft Universe, so I was excited to read "Kling Klang Gloria".
This ended up being an interesting road trip story. We get to see lots of Taras and learn more about its culture. The author made this world and its people feel so real!

Warning, the rest of my review if full of SPOILERS!!!!!

Speaking of Taras' people, in this book we follow Ziya, the princess of Taras, and her best friend, Arian.
Ziya isn't exactly likeable. She has major anger issues and is impulsive to a fault. As more about Ziya's background was revealed, I understood why she is the way she is. Thankfully, by the end of the story she owns up to her mistakes and embraces the changes she knows she needs to make. I'm excited to see her take back her planet for her people in the next book, as it's hinted that she will do that :)
As for Arian (aka Thrush), I liked him, but wish I knew him better. We are seeing him through the lens of Ziya, who doesn't know him as well as she thinks she does, so maybe that's why I don't feel like I know him that well. I do hope that we will see more of him in the next book!

There is one aspect of this book that I had a really hard time with and that is Thrush's secret identity. It was hard for me to suspend my belief. How could Ziya not recognize the man she grew up with and was in love with, even if his appearance had slightly changed in the 7 years she had last seen him? I do understand why he kept his identity a secret, but I don't understand how he kept up the rouse for so long.

Suspension of disbelief aside, I did enjoy my read overall. I liked getting to know more about Taras, as well the the Aderyn Crew cameos. I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series holds!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
As soon as I learned that a sequel to Rook di Goo was coming out I was SO excited, and Kling Klang Gloria did not disappoint! It was so interesting to visit Taras and I loved how while there was certainly a focus on all of the destruction that had happened, the wider focus was on the humanity that had managed to thrive in spite of the devastation. I also loved how Ziya's character arc was about coming to terms with her insecurities and her identity as both a princess and a person, coming to terms with her past and her present -- it really resonated with me, as well as made for a compelling character. The road trip aspect was another thing that I really enjoyed, as it allowed for the reader to get a glimpse into more of the planet than if the characters stayed in one place. I'm so glad to see that this is not the end of the story, and I can't wait for what the next book has in store!
Also, the Aderyn crew cameo was everything and I missed reading about them so much! It was especially cool to see them from an outsider's perspective, and to see their found family dynamics that shine true even from someone who has never met them before!
Needless to say, if you haven't read this book yet, I very highly recommend doing so!

[Amelia E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know how to write this review. I, Amelia Elizabeth Clawford, have been rendered speechless (I say, using far too many words for someone who is allegedly speechless).

This book hurts in a good way. Does that make sense? Idk. Idc.

I keep trying to mentally explain so I can type it but NOOOO the words are NOT THEREEEE

Let’s go with the easy bits first. The allusions to happenings that make you curious, but don’t tell you everything. The flashbacks that eventually reveal things. Brilliantly done.

The romance. A+
Made me temporarily forget that I’m “not a romance person.” THIS is how you write romance oh my goodness goshness

I love Thrush. I love devoted bodyguard characters so like no surprise there LOL but also just like. He is relatable at times ngl.

I’m also obsessed with the themes and messages. This is where I run out of ability to explain, possibly. This crosses over with me not being able to explain how much I love Ziya. um. Yeah I will just say that I love Ziya as a character and as the protagonist and as the narrator, flaws and all, and I saw myself in her more than I expected. THAT IS ALL, OTHER THAN TO SAY I NEED TO GET ME SOME MORE JENNI SAUER BOOKS BC BOTH OF THE ONES I’VE READ FEEL LIKE A HUG AND THE FEELING THAT COMES AFTER A GOOD CRY

[Emma Couette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic sci-fi fairytale retelling by one of my favourite author. This book is gorgeous inside and out. It's a Maid Maleen and King Thrushbeard retelling set in the Everaft galaxy and is the direct sequel to Rook Di Goo. I can't speak on how well the fairytale was portrayed for this one, as I'm not familiar with the original, but this book was fantastic from start to finish.

I love the road trip vibes of the book. In the first half, I was kind of waiting for more of a plot to form but when I realized that it was more about the journey the two characters were taking emotionally than what they were doing or where they were going, I was quite content with that.

I also enjoyed the flashbacks (which isn't typical for me) because they were short and tied in really well with what Zariya was experiencing in the present timeline.

The best part of this book, and all of Jenni's books tbh, is how well I could feel the emotions and connect with the characters. I laughed with them, I felt their anxiety and anger, and I felt their pain. They became real people to me almost immediately.

If you haven't read a book by Jenni yet, what are you doing with your life??

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great sequel to Rook Di Goo! I didn’t know what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The flashbacks were just as interesting as the current timeline, and I love getting to see more of Taras and learning more about the war and how everything got started. Ziya is a great character, she’s complex and I love seeing her become more aware of her flaws but also willing to change and grow as a person. Thrush is also such a steady character, I love his personality, he’s strong and caring, protective and supportive. He is a great match for Ziya! This was also a fun book to read in the winter since Taras is so hot, total opposite of what the weather is like right now haha!
Definitely recommend, especially if you enjoyed Rook Di Goo. Some of the other characters do show up too, which is always fun 😌

[Arisha (Free Palestine 🇵🇸) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jenni Sauer so much, I want nothing but good for her. Her books are always so sweet while also dealing with real issues. So far, Kling Klang Gloria is probably her best work. I loved Ziya’s and Thrush’s character development, and I can’t wait to see them in book 3. I loved the message surrounding colonialism and anger and how to Channel that anger towards good. I loved how Taras was so desi coded and how it was used to show girlhood.

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent sci fi adventure with romance

Although hope isn't dead on Taras, Gloria is a grim book. The worldbuilding is great, Ziya is likeable and relatable, and the story is enthralling. The unexpected assistance in a dire situation was a wonderful surprise. There is graphic violence. I'm looking forward to book 3 and will read Sauer's linked stories in the meantime.

[J. Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING!!!! The cover art alone is incredibly gorgeous, and the contents of the book are equally amazing!! Ziya and Thrush have such a great relationship, and I LOVED how it grew and changed through the book! The flashbacks were such a cool way of showing us Ziya's past, too!! I'm a sucker for a good flashback

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Jenni Sauer book never disappoints! It took me a few chapters to get into it, but once I did I had a hard time putting it down! A wonderful sequel to “Rook Di Goo”, I can’t wait for the next one!

[Kelly Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenni writes some of the sweetest romances and also some of the most realistically messy character arcs. Kling Klang Gloria hits the mark on both those things. It's also a fun post-apocalyptic road trip romp with girls supporting girls and "Before" chapters that gradually reveal secrets from the past. This book is a fantastic combination of fun, adorable, twisty, mysterious, and complex. The world builds seamlessly on what we know from the rest of the Evraft books, and the pacing is just right, with all the secrets unfolding at just the right time. But my favorite part is Ziya's character arc. She is wounded, angry, and justice-driven, and she doesn't always handle things well, but her heart is good, and she learns. Plus the romance is just adorable.


I received a free ARC in return for an honest review.

[Matt & AmyLaura Duraski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, love, loved this one! From the nose ring lore to the jungle swimming hole, this is my favorite King Thrushbeard retelling. I’m here for everything Evraft galaxy!