Rumors had swirled for years that the last of the Gold Wolf line yet lived, that the Marriel princess named Briar had survived the fateful night of her birth . . . but no one whispered about another named Calla

A River of Golden Bones begins the trilogy about Aotreas, a land ruled by four Wolf Kingdoms. With a little bit of Sleeping Beauty inspiration, the story is told all from Calla, the secret twin sister of the Crimson Princess. Hidden in a small-town with a faery, backed by the power of their mother's dying wish, Calla has grown up learning to fight and protect her sister, who is betrothed to the Prince of the Silver Wolves, Grae. Calla and Grae were childhood friends until he had to leave for school and stopped writing her letters but he's back now that the sisters will be turning twenty and his marriage with the Crimson Princess is to take place. With the marriage, Grae's father says they'll help fight to take back the sister's Golden Wolf Kingdom from the evil sorceress Sawyn, who killed their parents and have been hiding from, and announce Calla's existence.

I was meant to pledge my loyalty to King Nero that night, but I ran. If Grae came with me, he’d be picking sides. I’d take away his family, his pack, and ultimately his life.

When the sisters get to Grae's kingdom, it becomes apparent that the king hasn't been fully honest and doesn't plan on helping them take back their kingdom but instead mine the gold on the boarder to enrich his own kingdom. The night of the wedding ceremony also throws all kinds of wrenches into everyone's plans when it's revealed that the Crimson Princess has a fated mate that is not the prince, along with Calla and Grae learning that they are fated mates. Wolves are a traditional society and messing with fated mates is frowned upon but while everything is in chaos, Sawyn makes an appearance and puts a sleeping curse on Calla's sister and takes the Crimson Princess' fated mate hostage. Calla wants to immediately go and fight Sawyn to free her sister but the king now wants to use Calla in her sister's place, leaving Grae in the middle and worried for Calla's safety. Concerned only for her sister, Calla runs away to travel to her home kingdom and fight Sawyn.

Before, my destiny had just been daydreams, and now, it was real and raw and vicious.

The vast amount of the story then becomes a road adventure where Calla joins up with a musical troop and learns that humans aren't everything wolves have made them out to be. Grae, along with two friends of his royal guard, meet up with them and Calla struggles with accepting to be his mate and how that fits into who and what she wants to be and get out of life. Some soldiers of Sawyn, Rooks, and Silver Wolf guards sent by Grae's father to bring them back, make appearances for some danger and battle scenes, while the push and pull Calla feels toward Grae has them working to develop their relationship, along with kissing for some romance. However, while the distant looming of Sawyn is always there, I would say this story is mainly about Calla and her struggling to learn how she wants to define herself.

Wolves clung to tradition and, for some reason, I’d thought those traditions would keep us safe. Yet as soon as I stepped outside of that world, I realized how hollow it all was. It wasn’t for safety. It was for power. And not my power.

With the help of the troop's leader, Ora, Calla gains some vocabulary and thought from humans, that the wolves' society didn't come equipped for her and Calla begins to gain knowledge, confidence, and strength in how she defines and views herself. This personal journey really felt like the main focus of the story and while the road adventure part helped flush out the worldbuilding for the continuing series, I did feel the middle of the story's pace dragged. The personal journey aspect did give this a little bit of YA vibes and I can see why some have tagged it as such but the romance that heats up hot in the latter second half (instead of open door bedroom you get open door wood scenes) would have me labeling this New Adult. There wasn't quite the adult intimacy in those scenes but straight to the raw; if you're looking for this would be awkward to read in public steam, they'd probably work but I like some deeper emotion in my romance. The aspect of the fated mates kind of took some of the journey of depth of emotion from these two and forced them to be together. Calla's constant misjudging of Grae's actions/emotions also started to strain and feel a bit forced to keep them apart.

“Who knows who we could have been,” Grae whispered, the candlelight dancing in his eyes. “But I’m grateful for who you’ve become.”

The last twenty percent has the group making it to Olmdere and the battle standoff with Sawyn. The ending does give a happily ever after for our main couple and their romance and since this author's previous series (The Five Crowns of Okrith) had each book showcasing a different romance couple but with a continued overarching world plot, I'm going to guess this is how this trilogy is going to go. There were two couples that seem like potential possibilities, two of Grae's wolf guards with humans from the troop. The fight to recapture Calla's kingdom may be over but to keep it seems to be the next battle as Grae's father and other wolf kingdoms might not like how Calla plans to rule with humans. If you're looking for more of a story about self-discovery than romance or fantasy but set in that world, this would be one to pick up.

“I think we’ve just started a war.”

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC for an honest review.

I went into this book blind and really enjoyed this unique shifter romance with fated mates and a twist of sleeping beauty retelling.

Spending their entire lives concealing themselves from both a powerful sorceress and oblivious humans, the twins Calla and Briar hide the fact that they are Wolves and keep themselves safe. Each twin has their own distinct purpose in life: Briar intends to wed the prince of a friendly pack in order to rescue the Golden Court, while Calla's objective is to remain concealed as her twin's shadow, acting as a contingency plan.
Except for her childhood friend and her sister's future husband, the extraordinarily attractive Prince Grae, no one truly knows Calla's identity. However, their meticulously crafted plans unravel when Calla and Briar depart from their hiding place for Briar's wedding. The malevolent sorceress returns, threatening the last heir of the Golden Court with a new sleeping curse. Calla must emerge from the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Determined to hide her true nature as a human and reject her inherent identity, Calla embarks on a journey across the realm, uncovering a previously unknown world. Free from the constraints of the rigid Wolf society, Calla starts to ponder: what could she become if she had the courage to try?

I can’t wait for the next book and see how much Calla grows to be the ruler she was meant to be with the help of her mate and new found family.

A.K Mulford is a master of their craft! I loved their other series and this was no exception. Everyone needs to read this book!

This book was interesting yet confusing at the beginning. It read like a YA for most of the book and I was expecting it to be different. My favorite part of this book by far was the LGBTQ+ rep. I don’t read a ton of fantasy but I don’t think I’ve read a lot of fantasy with a non-binary main character. The romance was insta-love and I wish there was more of a back story on their childhood. The werewolf aspect was interesting, but not don’t particularly well in several aspects. This one reads a lot like a coming-of-age novel for Calla and I enjoyed that but I just wanted more from this book overall.

A River of Golden Bones is such a fast paced and fun read! It has werewolves, hidden identities, and a Sleeping Beauty-esq curse.

The book starts by introducing us to the main character, Calla. We learn about her past friendship with Prince Grae, and that she might like him as more than a friend. However, Grae is betrothed to her twin sister, Briar.

The story moves very quickly, and we learn a ton about Calla and Briar’s history. Their family was murdered and their kingdom stolen by a sorceress, and Calla’s goal is to get it back.

I did not anticipate how quickly this story would unfold, or the twists and turns it would take.
There is a lot of politics and background stories spread throughout to keep the reader informed. The author did a great job creating this world and explaining it as the book progresses. There are many characters that come into play, and I am excited to see how the rest of the series goes.

I would recommend this if you enjoy fantasy romance!

✨arc review ✨

Um, yes. yes. and yes. I thought it was well written and also inclusive. And dated mates? Sold. I need more 🤓🖤

Thank you for the arc opportunity.

This is the first book I’ve ever read of A.K. Mulford, and needless to say I’m going to binge her other books. I devoured this book, easily one of my top 5 reads this year! I can’t wait to see what happens when the story continues. Watching Calla come into themselves and learning exactly how they are feeling is okay and no matter what they will be loved is such a heartwarming Moment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

Friends to lovers
Fated mates
hidden identity/secret princess
LGBTQ+
found family
Self discovery

One part made me cry just as bad as i did with KoA by SJM

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper voyager for an E- ARC in exchange for an honest review

I love A.K. Mulford and I have read and loved everything they have written, except for this story. There were a lot of things that were beautifully done--Calla's confession to Ora being one of them, but the vast majority of this book felt like a rough draft. The beginning was confusing and a straight info dump, and the middle felt like it had no real purpose. None of the characters felt flushed out and they were incredibly immature throughout the events of the story. I think with some more editing and restructuring, it could be a great story, but it's really not on the same level as A.K.'s other works.

DNF - Did not finish.

I wanted to love this book but for some reason could not get into the writing style - not a bad book, just not my cup of tea!

Pulling from Sleeping Beauty, this YA fantasy follows Calla and her twin sister, Briar, as they emerge from hidden on the eve of Briar’s arranged wedding.

For twenty years the sister have been in hiding from the evil witch who murdered their parents. Only Grae and his father, the King of the Silver Wolves, knows about them. As the wedding of Grae and Briar starts, the evil witch interrupts and puts a sleeping curse of Briar.

It’s up to Calla and Grae to fix it and restore the kingdom!

This book had all the young adult angst and complicated romance to go with it. You’ll be rooting for Calla and Grae the whole way!

Thank you to HarperCollins, A.K. Mulford, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

I wanted so badly to love this book. But it just left me wanting a little… I thought the storyline itself was good. I wouldn’t go as far as to say some parts were slow but for some reason I just couldn’t stay engaged. It took me two and a half weeks to read this one. Maybe that’s just as a result of life but it definitely didn’t suck me in in a way that made me have to keep reading.

I loved that the story had wolf shifters, as that’s a little different than what’s trending in fantasy right now. I loved the idea of a non-binary lead who doesn’t fit typical beauty standards. I loved that there was so much LGBT inclusivity. I wish the character development had been more organic. It just felt a little forced as did most of the romantic relationships. I feel like this book did a lot of telling rather than showing. So like telling us that characters felt a certain way instead of showing us how or why. And some of the dialogue felt odd and unnatural.

I don’t think this book was bad it was just a little hard for me. It did definitely pick up at the end in the last 100 or so pages. If you’re looking for a fantasy book with inclusivity I would say give it a try for sure I just think maybe it wasn’t for me.

A River of Golden Bones is the exciting first installment of A.K. Mulford’s new series. Calla and Briar are twin wolf shifters who have lived their entire lives in hiding due to a curse that claimed their parent’s lives. Calla was raised to be Briar’s shadow and the back-up princess. When their plans are overturned by another evil curse, Calla has to take her sister’s place. Adventure ensues, with lots of found family, gender exploration, and fantastical battles.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very satisfying from a fantasy world-building side and also in terms of romance. A.K. Mulford’s writing is very descriptive and makes you feel as if you’re traveling with the group as they adventure to find a cure for the curse. Calla finds new friends and found family along the way, especially as she reckons with taking on a role that was never supposed to be hers.

Calla and Grae have a slow burn romance filled with sizzling tension. I love a good “who did this to you?” moment! Mulford succeeds in always making me shriek with delight at least once per book. One of my favorite parts was Calla’s exploration of her gender and sexuality. There is excellent LGBTQ+ rep, especially bi and non-binary rep. The romance is very inclusive and Calla’s partner Grae is very supportive of her exploration of her identity. Mulford’s writing is an adventurous escape and I will definitely pick up the next book in the series to see what happens next.

Thank you so much to A.K. Mulford, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

5/5 stars! I might be slightly biased because I have loved everything AK Mulford has written, but I was blown away by this book. She really stepped it up in this story and I adored the queer representation. This felt more mature than some of her other stories and I ATE IT UP! Can't wait to see what's next. I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

i picked it up because of the title and cover, and i will say that the imagery doesn't disappoint. i love the cast of characters and the traveling musician/found family part!! i will say like, at the last 1/3 of the book our buds grae & calla are way too horny for me. like this did not need to be included in the book. other than that, i thought it was pretty awesome for its diverse cast and the overall vibes!

This is an amazing twist to the classic tale of sleeping beauty. It took me a little bit to get into but oh once I was into it I couldn't put it down! The twists and turns kept me reading and the fated mate's love story is to die for. I mean who does love a childhood friend turned to a lover!

Calla is the secret twin sister to Briar, who is destined to take back Olmdar's throne. But an evil sorceress puts a sleeping curse on Briar. Calla is left with no choice but to break away from the pack and save her sister no matter the cost. Along the way, she accepts the love of her mate, finds a new family, discovers who she is, and is determined to take back what is rightfully hers.

was ready to not really like this book, I really had to push through the first 10 chapters. Everything was so syrupy and covered in tropes. However, once the curse is introduced, the story really picked up for me. As Calla is racing to save her sister, she's also separating herself from the identity she spent her whole life crafting for herself. Not only does she discover how she fits within the gender spectrum, but she also tackles her own biases against humans.

The Wolves in this universe were supposed to be protectors. They ruled the four kingdoms, protecting lesser, weaker humans from monsters. The more Calla sees of the kingdoms, the more she realizes that maybe the Wolves have become monsters and that forced segregation is not the key. For a romance fantasy book, I thought the author really did a good job describing gender and gender fluidity, as well as what it's like to have your worldview challenged. The empire of the Wolves is almost like a cult, and as Calla experiences the real world, she realizes that maybe holding the pack above everything else is not the best way to live.

The main storyline is fairly predictable. Calla goes on a quest, Prince Grae follows her, there is love and sex and magic, oh my. The real shining point and heart of the story is the found family storyline with the traveling musical troupe. That is where Calla and Grae really start to figure out the kind of rulers they want to be.

Overall, this was a good start, and I would read the next in this series. The first 10% was rough, and I still don't love fated mates as a trope (it's never actually rare and the second it's brought up, you know the main characters are fated), but overall this story set good bones for a future tale.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

I absolutely devoured this. Life and work kept getting in the way and I needed it all right then!! Loved it

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford is the first book in the Golden Court series that is a retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty.

Calla and Briar are twins from a royal wolf-shifter family who have been in hiding since birth to avoid the evil sorceress who murdered their family and destroyed their kingdom. Calla especially has been hidden from most people as her sister's shadow which helps keep her safe but also makes her non-existent.  A long-awaited plan comes together with Briar betrothed to Prince Grae in order to unite their kingdoms and reclaim the throne.  He is also Calla's long-time close friend and one of the few who knows her real identity.

When the evil sorceress is alerted, she comes back on the night of Briar's wedding to cause more havoc by putting Briar to sleep so she is not a threat to take the throne.  Although she is unaware that Briar has a twin sister who is also a threat which allows Calla to secretly go on a journey to find a way to save her sister and reclaim their kingdom.  During this adventure, she meets a musical troupe along the way and learns that family doesn't always come from blood, but it can also be found as well as learning more about her own identity.. This tale has magic, action, wolf shifters, and spice.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, so I was blind to how their writing was or the expectations in the story.  I am extremely picky when it comes to choosing books to read but this one stood out to me which is why I inquired about interest in the ARC.  It does have a little bit of a sleeping beauty element to it, but of course, it’s more than that. It has fated mates, messy politics, and LGBTQ+ representation.

I am not a fan of instant love in books.  Yes, it's fantasy and magical but I like to see a bit of flirting and growth that builds into a relationship which didn't happen with the love interests.  Perhaps in the other books, there will be more growth that will make up for that. It's just nice to see the hints of a spark with a growing relationship and a bit of a slow burn leading to love.  It was a bit predictable but that didn't make me dislike the story.  Overall a really fun start to this trilogy and I look forward to seeing how this story unfolds. 


Thank you to NetGalley for granting me a free eARC of this book in return for an honest review.
This book is expected to come out in December 2023 and I think those who love Fantasy romance will enjoy this story.

“The River of Golden Bones: Book One of the Golden Court.” by A.K. Mulford. Harper Voyager. 400 pages. December 5th 2023. $28.99.
If you are a fan of fairytale retellings, this is one with a wonderful twist. It’s the tale of Sleeping Beauty if she had a sister… and if they were shifters. Calla and Briar are Twins born of tragic circumstances – they have been hiding from the moment they were born from a powerful sorceress who wants them dead. They’ve also been hiding from humans who have no idea they are wolves… or royals. Briar is engaged to marry the prince of their allies, and Calla is the secret backup plan – a secret twin no one knows exists. Except, Prince Grae, her sister’s betrothed, and their only childhood friend. When the time comes for Balla and Briar to come out of hiding, and for Briar to get married, everything falls apart. The sorceress comes back – putting Briar to sleep with a curse, cutting off the Golden Court. Calla has to journey to their kingdom to save her, but can she face what that means? Can she handle a quest across the realm, discovering a world, and herself, that she has never known?
A.K. Mulford has done it again. From all your favorite tropes, like fated mates, friends to lovers, and found family, Mulford has written a story that can make us all smile. As always, we also have a lot of LGBTQ+ representation, from bisexuality, to non-binary, and more, Mulford is able to create a fantasy world with love of all kinds – and people of all shapes and sizes. The magic/shifter system is one that intrigued me, and I cannot wait to see it play out more in the second book.
The Wolves have created a court system, which I found quite interesting. Instead of just packs with land boundaries, they have defined kingdoms, and court nobles. It is reminiscent of Mulford’s fae books (which you should read), and yet still holds true to so many of the wolf shifter rules we have seen before. The world building was done little by little, and it never felt like a giant info dump, or that we were lost along the way without some vital clue.
It is spicy, with some wonderful scenes written into it. If that is not your jam, I understand. The characters romance works really well, and I enjoyed getting to see them grow as people, and together. Calla discovers a lot about themselves throughout the book, and the character growth was great.
The cast of characters was fun. For not having any friends besides her sister, Calla manages to find her group of people. They are unique, each with different skills, and a magical wagon that can help carry them across the different lands as they play and sing for others. They all also play a vital role in the story, which is something I always love. No one gets abandoned if they are truly a part of the story, or a friend, etc.
A River of Golden Bones is the first in a series. I am greatly looking forward to the next one. It doesn’t matter what A.K. Mulford writes – she is a master of weaving various plots together, and taking us from story to story, in enchanting new worlds. I appreciate more than I can say her inclusive in her representation of characters, and cultures.
A.K. Mulford became a TikTok sensation with the Okrith series, which she originally self-published. She is a bestselling author of fantasy, who gave up rehabilitating monkeys for writing novels (much to Booktok’s delight). She/they writes diverse stories giving representation to many of the LGBTQ+ world, full of fantasy and love. She lives in Australia with her husband and two kids. You can find her on TikTok at @akmulfordauthor and on Instagram at @akmulford. If you love her books, you can also get the Okrith Novellas FREE at www.akmulford.com/newsletter by signing up!


When I got it: https://www.tiktok.com/@fallonwilloughby/video/7257988680235748651?q=riverofgoldenbones%20fallonwilloughby&t=1697066125509

What a wild ride this book was, I had so much fun reading it! Based on folk tales and mythology, this queer coming of age novel will bring you on a great journey!