thank you so much for the early copy of this book! i love a good shifter romance and a retelling of a popular story! this one was sleeping beauty coded and i really enjoyed it. i think the LGBTQ+ representation in the story was also positive point for me. excited for the rest of the series

I really enjoy a new kind of trope especially fantasy books. This is a werewolf shifter genre of book. the plot centres around a twin Calla and Briar (golden wolves). As their mother. the queen of the kingdom was pregnant with them, an evil sorceress cursed and killed their parents and forcibly took the throne. However, before the sorceress get to the twins, the queen asked a fairy to take care of the twins. Briar is bethroted to a prince (silver wolf) of a kingdom while Calla is being taken care of by the Fairy. and when they grew up, Briar was cursed by the same witched forcing her to a deep sleep and Calla has to step up to save her sister and their kingdom. At this point you can probably tell that it has the Sleeping Beauty trope to it. Though, I kinda hate how Calla wasnt fated to Prince Grae but rather to his cousin. The book also has that fated trope too.

Really wanted to love this one but ultimately had to mark it as DNF. Calla, the MC, spent most of the first parts of the book comparing herself to her sister, Briar (aka the Crimson Princess), and insisting that she wasn't jealous of Briar's looks/status/Briar marrying Calla's crush, the Crown Prince Grae, and being satisfied as the hidden sister and acting as Briar's personal guard. While there was obvious tension between Grae and Calla (being that they were closer when they were younger than Grae and Briar were), I couldn't really find myself rooting for them because of how off the energy was between them.

And while the plot did feel pretty generic (though the Sleeping Beauty spin was very interesting), I did appreciate the worldbuilding in this book and the different Wolf kingdoms and systems (albeit archaic) that were discussed. And as always, A.K. Mulford writes wonderfully queer and diverse characters. There's something so comforting being back in a world were being queer is common and celebrated and Mulford's books bring that kind of comfort to readers.

Well, I can say I was intrigued by this book when I first applied for the arc, but I was not expecting it to be as beautiful and touching as it was 🥹

It’s a fantasy story about shifter wolves, pack feuds, wolves vs humans, betrayal, hidden identities, self-discovery, self-acceptance, love, MAJOR LGBTQ rep (like only a few side characters were not LGBTQIA), found family, fated mates and the most beautiful representation of unconditional love 😭 all wrapped up in a loose sleeping beauty retelling!

I just loved it. It was unique, and refreshing. The representation and the journey of self acceptance that the MC went through was so beautiful and I really appreciated their journey.

I honestly have tried to write out a quick synopsis, but so much happens and there are so many layers to this story that I feel I can’t do it justice myself.

While the fantasy plot was great, I was so emotionally invested in the underlying relationships and unique dynamic of the characters. The found family aspect of it really tugged on my heartstrings. Each character played an important role in the story and it was so beautifully woven together. Equally as epic as it was heart felt and emotional. The ending had me in tears, both happy and sad.

Calla, the MC has never been given the space to find out who they truly are. They’ve spent their life being their sister’s shadow and protecting her at all costs, and that was their only priority. But when Calla’s twin is put under a sleeping spell, they feel called to escape their pack and go off on a journey to save their sister and make things right with their people again. Along their journey they meet some incredible people who create a safe space for Calla to dig deeper within themselves and accept who they truly are, where they truly fit in and figure out how to express themselves. It’s beautiful and heart wrenching, and I loved it 🥹

I can’t recommend this enough, if you’re looking for a unique fantasy read, with light sleeping beauty elements and LGBTQAI rep, please pick this up!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #HarperVoyager, and #AKMulford for an advanced copy of #ARiverOfGoldenBones for an honest review! This story releases on December 5, and I definitely advise you go pick up your copy if you want an inclusive story with romance, gender exploration, and werewolves! Here is a spoiler free review of this book.

This story follows twins Calla and Briar, raised as a warrior and a queen respectively. On the night of Briar’s wedding to Prince Grae, they are attacked by the same sorceress who murdered their parents and their pack on the night they were born. During this attack, Briar is cursed and her mate (plot twist: it isn’t Prince Grae) is taken to prevent a true loves kiss to break the curse. What ensues after that is a tale of Calla doing whatever it takes to get her sister back!

It’s hard to summarize this tale without dropping some spoilers, but just know this is a wonderful Sleeping Beauty retelling! I love the gender exploration of Calla as she/they learns what makes her/them feel comfortable in her/their own skin.

If you love found family with an epic quest story, fated mates, and an overall queer inclusive story, this is the book for you! Plus, who doesn’t love werewolves? It’s about time they had the spotlight!

*Fated Mates
*Secret Princesses
*Non-binary/LGBTQIA+ representation
*Found Family
*Sleeping Beauty retelling

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.
To be honest, this one wasn't for me. I think the overall story was so incredible but the execution of it just fell flat for me - between the characters themselves being flat and the pacing issues. A River of Golden Bones follows Calla, a secret twin princess to a lost wolf kingdom. Calla is raised her/their whole life pretending to be their sister's, Briar, shadow - the sister who is the only known princess to their lost kingdom. Calla's push to save their kingdom comes when Briar falls under the same sleeping curse on the night both twins' fated mates were revealed. Calla leaves the kingdom to save their sister, meeting a traveling troupe of humans along the way, who helps them discover their gender identity, provide safe haven and, supports Calla in their quest for their throne.

The reason this one fell flat for me, is I felt the majority of the book was focused with Calla telling themself/the reader over and over again WHY they left. It was fully noted in the act of leaving, being reminded every other paragraph that they left and why was frustrating. The allusion to the gender dysphoria Calla felt on their journey didn't feel fully fleshed out until they had a discussion with another nonbinary character about how they felt about their body and came out. In the beginning of the book, the impression Calla left was more portrayed with an "I'm not like other girls" mentality, but without knowing their gender identity journey until over halfway through the book, it didn't come across that way. Calla's fated mate, Grae, also fell flat for me - his character arc didn't really progress. He revealed some past trauma and that was the most you really see him as a character - feel like you know who he is and why he makes the decisions he does, other than that it's all focusing on Calla, their quest, and fighting. And that's just the main two characters in the book. I was honestly more invested in two side characters - Sadie and Navin. Their story was so cute through the passing glances we got. The big bad in the story also was continually referenced but never really felt like a "threat."

With all that said - I do understand the reason things were written the way they were - Calla didn't want to leave Grae really - the constant reminders of why they left, was more for them than the reader. They weren't ready to face their gender identity yet, so it was largely ignored by Calla and their inner monologue while on the quest for saving their lost kingdom - until they met the other character that allowed them to start thinking about it in the fringe of their thoughts. The villain also didn't really feel like a threat because Calla didn't know the why behind the villain's actions - so their focus was more on saving their sister than defeating the villain, until they're ready to step-up and claim their birthright.

I think you will like this book if you love the tropes listed above: fated mates, secret princesses, LGBTQIA+ representation and a gender identity journey, found family, and a Sleeping Beauty retelling. This series has a great potential in future books - where the characters themselves will feel more tangible and real and 3-dimensional.

So much love for this book! Not normally interested in wolf shifter stories but this one has a mix of other fantasy to keep it interesting. Sleeping beauty curses, faeries, wolves v. humans, and the wolf politics all worked well together to create a story that flows well. I also like that gender expression / identity is a main point. It didn’t feel forced and it added to the story instead of feeling put in as an afterthought. The romance was also well written and teased the spice between the MC and love interest before finally making it happen. It’s a bit predictable but that didn't take away from the enjoyment I got from reading it.
It sets up the next book without too much of a cliff hanger so the story does feel mostly complete already. Overall, I highly recommend. And thank you NetGalley for early access to this story.

A compelling new romantasy trilogy that has wolf shifters, friends to lovers, fated mates and a Sleeping Beauty retelling!
I really enjoyed this book. The world building is fantastic. Calla is strong willed and determined to fight for her people and get her twin sister back. I enjoyed their self discovery through the story. Prince Grae is swoon worthy. I love the relationships in this book. The romance and the friendships.
This is a must read for fans of Romance and Fantasy. I can’t wait to see where this trilogy goes.

This was such a fun read I loved it so much I couldn't put it down and was completely hooked from the first page

A River of Golden Bones, the first book in the Golden Court romantasy trilogy, offers the promise of an enchanting journey of self-discovery, romance and adventure. Unfortunately, the novel falls short of its potential, which had me feeling underwhelmed and like this book was ultimately a big missed opportunity.

One of the biggest drawbacks is the author’s repetitive descriptions and an overall “tell, not show” writing style. Due to this, I had a hard time forming a deep connection with the characters and become invested in the unfolding storyline.

Also, the author’s use of repetitive adjectives really hit on a big pet peeve of mine. Every time “dimpling cheeks” or “mirthful voice” was mentioned, I inwardly groaned.

While this was a very promising romantasy novel premise, I ultimately feel like the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be picking up the second installment in this series, but I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read this e-ARC and provide feedback! Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley.

Sadly I found this book to just be okay. The idea was really solid and it had some great potential but it fell a little short of my expectations. That being said this is only the first in the series so things definitely have room to grow.

I devoured this book! A retelling of Sleeping Beauty in an entirely different way: with wolves and traveling musicians.

Calla has always felt like an outsider. Her sister, Briar, is the Crimson Princess and betrothed to marry their lifelong friend, Graer. Not many know Calla is also a lost Princess to a kingdom filled with gold and Calla likes to keep it that way. Until the evil sorceress who killed their parents attacks Briar on her wedding day, Calla must break out of the shadows and claim her own destiny.

While some parts are repetitive, the story is fast-paced and engaging. I couldn’t put this book down and will enjoy continuing the series. Calla was a wonderful character to root for as they discovered themselves and their importance in the world.

Fated mates, friends to lovers, fantasy, war, and, most importantly, self-discovery, A River of Golden Bones is a fantastic addition to the 2023 Romantasy genre.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A sleeping beauty retelling with werewolves you say? Say less.

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford is a fantasy novel set in a world where werewolves are basically in charge. Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom…and from the humans who don’t know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in life: Briar’s is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla’s purpose is to remain a secret, her twin’s shadow . . . the backup plan. No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend—and sister’s betrothed—the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar’s wedding, all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court. Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is, Calla embarks on a quest across the realm, discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society, Calla begins to wonder: who could she be if she dared to try?

I previously read Mulford's The High Mountain Court series, and wasn't the biggest fan. But I really like this one. I blame it on the whole fated mates aspect. I also really enjoyed the whole deviation from gender norms and the general exploration of such. Though I could have done without some of the spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

A River of Golden Bone is the first book in The Golden Court series by A. K. Mulford and I am so ready for book two.

There are only positives to say about this fantastic book.

The paranormal fantasy world is perfection, as are the characters and plot.

The spicy romance, action and fantasy world were amazing.

Highly recommend. Five stars.

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford is a fantastic read! I devoured it in one day and enjoyed every minute of it.
This book really has it all. It’s got adventure, romance, friendships, magic, and great world building.
The plot was epic and the world-building was phenomenal. Vivid and so descriptive Mulford painted the picture of a stunning scenery, and amazing interactions. Mulford's writing style is a delight - easy to follow I could picture everything so clearly.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Will be covered in November Wrapup and 24 hr reading vlog
Imgur link goes to instagram graphic scheduled for November 30th

I’ve been dipping my toes in and out of ‘Romantasy’ books. This is not the worst of those but it wasn’t the best! AK Mulford has a lot of potential and she’s likely going to be an author I watch moving forward. The story starts as a lot of books in this genre start with the love triangle of a two twins and man caught in the middle. But the story quickly turns.

This is a world I found really fascinating, and ultimately that’s what kept me going. The world is ruled by families of werewolves who protect and watch over each kingdom. Humanity, with it’s varied cultures and lives live with and in some cases simply beneath the werewolves. Hints at this conflict and imbalance of power setup what I think may be explored in the next books, which will be very interesting. In addition this is a mostly queer-normative society but also with some strangely traditional views on gender duties, we shall say. This conflict felt shoehorned in for the sake of conflict, but could be explored in an interesting way in the future.

The story itself also had some interesting twists in turns. Part of this was a Sleeping Beauty retelling, part of this was a journey of self discovery. Each time the story setup a trope I was ready to roll my eyes at, it managed to twist it in a way I found interesting and I did enjoy!

The characters are the major flaw of this one for me. They are fairly simple, one note and with little to endear them. Each felt like a good representation of the type of character they were meant to be but with little else. That was the biggest problem I had, and the reason for the three star rating. Additionally I feel… unsure about big conflict at the end in which our villain threw the main character’s gender identity in their face and attempted to use it to divide their relationship up. I didn’t care for that personally.

A mixed bag, and one I think I will remember. I’ll keep my eye on AK Mulford in the future, and if you enjoy Fantasy Romance I think this might be one a lot of people will enjoy!

3 out of 5 golden wolves

If you are looking for a supernatural Sleeping Beauty retelling with shape-shifting Wolves, fated mates, and LGBTQ+ representation, A River of Golden Bones fits the bill!

This new NA fantasy romance by A.K. Mulford follows twins Briar and Calla, the last Gold Wolves of their pack, and their harrowing quest to take back their rightful place on the throne. Along the way to defeat the evil sorceress, one twin is met with a childhood love interest, a roaming musical troupe, and a chance to reimagine their own desires and discover their purpose. This story is full of heart-warming moments, steamy tension, and decent dialog about gender identity and realizing your true self.

While the author does a great job of creating a “quirky yet lovable” cast of characters, I think this book suffers from too many tropes flooding the plot. Between ‘found family,’ ‘fated mates,’ ‘friends to lovers,’ ‘secret identity,’ ‘secret/lost heir,’ etc, the story sometimes feels indecisive and flimsy especially towards the latter half of the book.

Overall, A River of Golden Bones was fast-paced and easy to digest, and I might recommend this it to new fantasy readers especially those who value a hearty effort of diversity and inclusiveness in the character depictions.
Release date: December 5, 2023

A special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this eArc in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the advanced reader copy!

This was my first A.K. Mulford book and it didn’t disappoint. Perfect for fans of Romantasy, wolf shifters, fated mates and fairytale retellings! A wonderful journey of gender exploration and finding one’s self. I loved Mulford’s writing style and will be diving into more of their books!

This was my first A.K. Mulford book and I ended up really loving it. I was a little skeptical in the beginning because I thought we were going to get slapped with an insta-love but Calla & Grae’s love story really surprised me.

Can I also just say that this book absolutely scratched the wolf shifter itch from when I used to binge similar fanfics in high school 😂

Two things absolutely made this book a 5 star read for me.

1. I absolutely adored the traveling music troupe in this book. It’s phenomenally written and the author makes it impossible to not fall in love with every member of that group (especially Ora 😭 - they were my favorite character) There are so many aspects of these scenes that made my heart ache with an overwhelming amount of wholesomeness.

2. The way the author portrays gender fluidity and the MC’s discovery of one’s self and the acceptance from important characters around them was incredible and I loved reading it. I think it’s so important when authors incorporate these topics into the fantasy genre and I want to see this more and more. A.K. Mulford did a fantastic job.

The story feels really unique and I was not really able to predict what happens next (which of course adds to the appeal)

I would recommend this book to any and all lovers of fantasy romance, found family, who did this to you, faded mates, queer love, and perfectly placed spice.

I look forward to reading more books by A.k. Mulford in the future.

A loose Sleeping Beauty retelling but with wolves. I didn’t know I needed this story in my life but I am so happy I got the chance to read it! Calla is such an amazing character and Grae is so lovable. The other side characters really made all my found family dreams come true. The story was quick moving which I really enjoyed. The plot itself hooked me right away and I had to force myself to read slowly to really savor it. The ending itself was completely worth the read. I am hoping to get my hands on the second when it’s released to know how the story continues!