Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins, for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really wanted to like this book because it has so many tropes that I love but I just couldn’t get into it. Calla and Grae’s relationship felt very insta-lovey and their backstory wasn’t really fleshed out all that well. I never felt the chemistry between them. Most of the characters lacked depth for me and I never connected with any of them. Around the halfway point, I started to skim.

I do really appreciate the non-binary representation and that character’s journey of self-discovery.

There were a lot of really unique qualities about this book that I really enjoyed. I do think overall that this series may not be for me, but I can absolutely see how a lot of people could have a lot of fun with this!

What it is:
- Wolf-shifter Romance
-Fated mates anddd childhood friends to lovers (not my fave combo, but it's definitely someone's cup of tea)
- This felt like a coming of age story in that the MC discovers a lot about herself throughout the book
- LGBTQ rep
- Lots of plot, a good amount of action

The ending seemed really... like fairytale-esque, so I'm really curious what direction the rest of the series is going to go.

The representation and inclusivity of this book was fantastic. I loved Callas self exploration and the absolute wonder that she felt upon discovering her true self. I also truly enjoyed the character development and storyline. I think with a bit more fine tuning, this will definitely be a 5⭐️ read. The beginning completely immersed and captivated me, painting such a vivid picture of excitement and adventure. Callas feelings were palpable and so well written. I also really enjoyed the way that Grae was portrayed and his devotion to Calla throughout the story. The “Easter eggs” were well placed and memorable enough to be easily recalled, but also did not completely give away the ending. I did feel that the pacing toward the end was off and I started to struggle with my mind wandering. I felt the plot was incredibly rushed from the time that Calla and Grae arrived in Olmdere and I would have loved a bit more nail biting. Each of the threats ended to quickly to be truly satisfying. The ending was alright, but upon finishing all I could think was, “that’s it?” I definitely was expecting a heart stopping revelation, or dare I say, even a cliffhanger? Overall I think this series has so much potential and I’m very excited to see where the story goes from here.

I just want to hug this book!!! I loved it so much for the comforting characters and the author's smooth storytelling. I am a huge fan of A.K. Mulford and this did not disappoint.

Calla is twin to the missing golden wolf princess, which, of course, makes Calla a missing princess too. They are the last of the golden wolves, wolf shifters, whose family were the monarchs of a kingdom. When Briar and Calla were born, an evil sorceress murdered their parents along with all the other golden wolves and took over their kingdom. Calla and Briar have been raised by a faerie who kept them safe until it was time for Briar to wed the prince of the silver wolves which also marked the time for both sisters to come out of hiding in secrecy. However, as per usual in any good book, things do not go as expected... at all.

Calla went through a journey in this story in more ways than one. There are so many meaningful and insightful quotes throughout this book that I definitely recommend a good highlighter or tabs for! Most meaningful to me is the author's incredibly kind and understanding way of expressing Calla's gender and the very real fears that go along with self-discovery. This not only made me feel seen but just so comforted by these characters (particularly Ora).

I definitely recommend this one!!

Out December 5, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

I’ve received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, feelings and opinions are my own.

In this book you will find: fated mates, LGTBQA+ characters/relationships, secret heir, best friends to lovers, caste system, on screen deaths, fairytale retelling, and shifter fun.

I’ve read the other series by this author, and generally thought they’ve gotten better book to book and for a first book in a series I really liked this one. It’s not the same shifter stories that I’m used to reading and I really like the use of the fairytales in this book.

The relationships were solid, it read like it was opened for future books, but not dragged out at all and you could stop at book one and be perfectly fine. I will be following along with this series as well.

4 stars
A River of Golden Bones is a LGBTQIA+ fantasy romance retelling, following the perspective of Calla. I loved the writing in this book, it read very quickly, even with the few slower parts in the story. The world in this book is very exciting, with magic and werewolves, which is one of my favorite supernatural's. There was a lot of politics in this book, which I found added a great element to the story, with a lot of backstabbing and leads to some great and shocking surprises.
Calla was a great character, she knew what she wanted, I loved her strength and differences, she really stepped up into a leadership role, and she was supported by a number of other characters in her life. The side characters I thought were unique, engaging and I think brought something special to the story as well. The spice was good, and the relationship development was ok, it felt a little fast at times.
There were quite a lot of things happening in this story so it was a little bit slow at times getting the readers information but there was still plenty of action, twist, and loved a number of touching heartfelt moments. Overall, I would really check out this new release, I think it is a great book, with a beautiful cover.
I received an advanced ebook, via netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

A River of Golden Bones is a romantasy set in a world where werewolves are the top of the hierarchy, for better or for worse. It’s an adventure reminiscent of classic fairy tales, like Sleeping Beauty. And while some of the characters are fun and some of the adventure is exciting, it feels a little like every other fantasy adventure story out there. It’s not particularly remarkable, even if fun. The fated mates aspect lent to the romance but the werewolf aspect had a few moments that took away from it, occasionally making their attraction more about the magical bond than any real feelings. Especially in later chapters where the main character stopped questioning their feelings to give in to the magic. Until that point it felt like it had a good thing going, the main character questioning everything about herself as a person and as a wolf, but giving in with everything to the fated bond after a look from her mate and the plot line of her questioning felt shoved aside. It would have been an interesting character development moment to have her explore it a little more. Overall it was a fun read but not super memorable.

A River of Golden Bones
by A.K. Mulford
Pub Date: December 5, 2023
Harper Voyager/Avon
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From bestselling author and TikTok sensation A.K. Mulford comes the first riveting, enchanting book in the all-new Golden Court romantasy trilogy—A River of Golden Bones begins a journey of self-discovery, romance, and adventure for a young heir as she/they comes out of hiding to save her sister from a malicious, powerful sorceress and her dangerous sleeping curse.

A sleeping curse. A fallen court. A secret twin.
Mulford does a great job writing this book! I am a sucker for Wolf shifters so this hit the spot for me.
Must read!

Review: 4.25 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for a eARC in exchange for a honest review

I am a sucker for wolf shifter books and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. For a sleeping beauty retelling, and a romantasy book on fated mates, it hits all the vibes I was looking for in a good book aka the story building, the plot, the pacing and the ease of understanding, making it a refreshing read for New Adult fiction.

The story follows twins Calla and Briar who were borned into the royal wolf shifters family but their family underwent a tragedy when their parents were killed at birth by a sorceress who desired their kingdom. Calla’s identity was hidden as she was the surprised child that no one knows exist and always assume she would be in the shadow of her sister, Briar who was raised to be a Queen who is expected to have a marriage of alliance with a neighbouring kingdom to save her kingdom and birth heirs as woman are not meant to rule kingdoms.

Calla’s self growth and journey to find who she is and her self worth was amazing to read. I love how she finally stepped out of the shadows and embraced her true self. The queer and gender representation was normalized and wonderful to read. There was honestly never exactly a dull moment in the book and I find myself unable to put the book down.

Overall, this story satisfies my love for romantasy and I am compelled to read the next book in the series when it is out!

Read if you enjoy:
A hint of sleeping beauty retelling
Friends to lovers trope
Found family
Queer characters
Embracing and acceptance of oneself
Fated mates
Wolf shifters
Spicy scenes
Stabby main characters

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

A queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty with werewolves?!? Sign me up. This is a story of found family, self discovery, and hope. It is a story of righting the wrongs of the past and building a more inclusive, diverse future. The story not only includes a plethora of queer representation (both gender and sexuality), but there is also disability representation.

The characters are interesting and the plot keeps you engaged, but there was something in the writing that left something to be desired. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I feel like compared to other adult (non-YA) fantasy stories I read the writing style is a bit simplistic. If it wasn't for the spicy bits, this reads a bit more like YA.

This could've been a standalone story with a few changes but I am very excited to see where Calla, Grae, and company go in the next installment!

Prince Grae and Princess Briar are betrothed, but is Briar’s secret twin sister Calla destined for the shadows or for greatness?

I was hooked by the romantic tension between Calla and Grae from the start. The sisterhood between Calla and Briar was genuine and supportive.

Calla’s frustration with the gender roles of the wolf packs was easy to empathize with and I loved how determined Calla was to break the mold, embrace a new gender identity, and fight for what was right.

The world-building was good, the pace steady, the action tense, and the tender moments hit the mark.

The diverse characters brought their own skills to the fight and their genuine friendships made for an endearing read.

I enjoyed this twist on Sleeping Beauty. A great read with a satisfying ending. I’m looking forward to future books in series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Found family, being true to yourself, friends to lovers, character diversity, queer representation... This book has it all! I really enjoyed this twist on Sleeping Beauty (but with wolves!) and I can't wait to see what Mulford has planned next. There were twists and turns to keep me interested, some steamy romance that didn't feel out of place or forced just to have it, and the thrill of the chase. Plus, the book wraps up so nicely that while I WANT another one now, I could believe that this is a standalone if it didn't say it was part one of a series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and A.K. Mulford for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Long time A.K. Fan! The world building in this series is amazing. Love the diverse representation of characters. 10/10 recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

I was a little disappointed because I was really looking forward to this book. While the characters were well written and the story moved at a good pace, I just felt as if there was something lacking from it. Maybe the book just isn’t for me or my taste but left it not having interest in reading the next one.

I would say if you are fans of Arya Stark than this is an MC for you.

I have been following Mulford on TT since she started on her publishing journey and it has been so amazing watching her grow over the last year.

This was my first work I read by her and I have to say that it was even better than expected. First off, the cover is absolutely gorgeous and is totally worth the "Cover buy" title in your collection.

Twin sisters, Briar and Calla, fit the typical "pretty one, average one" persona and are born a few minutes apart but on different days which I found fascinating.

There is some werewolf action, high fantasy galore with a beautiful written world and interesting political dynamic. Overall, I got both Arya Stark and Mulan vibes from the leading character and I was definitely ready for more by the time I reached the end.

This story is a sleeping beauty retelling but with werwolves. I was extremely intrigued by this concept and believe me, it did not let me down. This follows Calla who needs to save her twin sister. Briar, from an eternal sleep, while also protecting their kingdom from a cruel and evil sorceress. The romance in this book was very very spicy, but I absolutely adored it. I also really appreciated the queer representation in this book. And to say I was shocked by the ending was an understatement. I loved the reveal of the villain's true identity, I did not see that coming. Overall this fairytale retelling was super enjoyable and I definitely recommend it!

Thank you A.K. Mulford, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the ARC.

A River of Golden Bones is the story of wolf twins Briar and Calla and their journey to claim their destiny and save their kingdom.

There was a lot to like about "A River of Golden Bones". The book was full of unique characters. Calla's exploration of her identity and self discovery was beautiful and poignant. The author did a great job contrasting the way Calla sees and talks about her/them self in the beginning of the book with other characters observations. Calla comes such a long way in this book- from barely allowing questioning thoughts about identity to figuring out and vocalizing what they've discovered about themselves.

I loved all the side characters we meet along the way and I'm looking forward to learning more of their stories.

I was a bit ambivalent about this book romance wise. Friends to lovers is a hard trope to pull off and while I liked Grae and Calla together it also felt like we missed out on a lot of their relationship development.

The book packs in A LOT of plot wise and I thought the ending and battle with Sawyn was rushed. This book felt very YA in some ways. Sawyn was a bit of a cartoon villain - her plan to humiliate Calla by outing her to Grae was truly wild.

Overall it was an entertaining read and I would likely continue the series. Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was a fantastic romantasy story giving serious Sleeping Beauty vibes. I really enjoyed the MC and the character growth experienced throughout the story. Not to mention, the MMC was 🥵, definitely new book boyfriend material! The cast of characters was incredible and I can’t wait to get to know more of them in book 2!

Read if you’d love …
- wolf shifters 🐺
- secret royal vibes
- slow burn, spicy romance
- found family
- a great exploration of gender roles and identity

This is legit my favorite read since finishing the TOG series over the summer, in fact I immediately checked if book 2 was available soon as soon as I finished 😂 I definitely recommend for your winter TBR!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Catch this one on shelves December 5th!

Thank you to the tagged publisher, author and @netgalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think a good start to the series, but did fall just the tiniest bit flat for me. The sleeping beauty element, was really what initially inspired me to request this as an arc. A hidden sister, who ultimately has to step into the light. I’m sold. But overall I felt the pacing was a bit slow in some areas, and I couldn’t get to the story. And some felt a bit predictable. However I read so much fantasy, that’s it’s often hard to surprise myself. The characters bring non-binary was a lovely touch, and I enjoyed seeing that representation. Overall, I feel that this series can definitely grow to get even better in the next book.

This was my first A.K Mulford novel and with will NOT be my last.

I have always loved wolf shifter stories, but the market for a quality written romantasy involving wolf shifters is slim, but this one... this one hits.

The story follows Calla (and her twin) in a quest to reclaim their birthright but along the way she finds out some hard truths, love and a found family in the least expected places. I could not put this down once I picked it up and I am once again lamenting that I picked up an ARC and have to wait extra-long for the sequel.