"A River of Golden Bones" by A.K. Mulford is a captivating and enchanting start to the Golden Court romantasy trilogy. This novel seamlessly weaves together elements of fantasy, romance, and adventure to create a compelling narrative that will leave readers eager for more.

The story revolves around twins Calla and Briar, who have lived their lives in hiding from a powerful sorceress. As Wolves with a hidden heritage, each twin has a distinct role to play in the fate of their kingdom. Calla's character is particularly intriguing as she navigates her dual identity and her connection with Prince Grae. When a new sleeping curse threatens their kingdom and their sister, Calla is forced to step out of the shadows and embrace her true self.

The world-building in the novel is rich and immersive, with Mulford introducing readers to a realm filled with magical creatures, treacherous kingdoms, and unexpected allies. The exploration of gender identity adds depth to Calla's character, and the themes of self-discovery and acceptance resonate throughout the story.

The romance between Calla and Prince Grae is a central element of the plot, adding a layer of emotional intensity to the narrative. Their connection is both heartwarming and complex, as they navigate their feelings while also dealing with the challenges of their world.

"A River of Golden Bones" is a tale of courage, resilience, and the transformative power of embracing one's true self. Mulford's writing is engaging and evocative, drawing readers into a world filled with magic, mystery, and intriguing characters. This book sets the stage for an epic journey of adventure and self-discovery, making it a must-read for fans of romantic fantasy. As the first book in the trilogy, it leaves readers excited to continue following Calla's journey as she navigates the complexities of her destiny and the world around her.

DNF | Unfortunately, I’m sending this book back to its little stay-cation in my kindle library after reading through the first chapter.

I was happily sold on what other early-reviewers called a fresh Sleeping Beauty retelling from a non-binary POV character until the first ten pages hit me with so many red-flags that I had to expedite this book straight into DNF-land.

Some misses from me: The romance between the two main characters (not a spoiler!) is feeling super insta-lovely and flat, the flashbacks and allusions to wolf pack dynamics are already making me uncomfortable—like, I don’t even want to think of the possibilities for what directions that might be developed in—, and the tone/language feels a bit on the younger side of the YA books I typically enjoy.

I honestly rarely ever DNF books, so if you think I’ve made a mistake with passing this one up, please please please (!) let me know! I love a good second-chance comeback read.

✨ Thank you to NetGalley and Harper/Avon for sending me an eArc in exchange for an honest review! ✨

A River of Golden Bones was a good read, a story of the Murriel twins, the last Gold Wolves who were in hiding after a sorceress attack. These lost princesses were due to start their lives with the Silver Wolf pack due to a marriage alliance. It follows Calla on her journey to get her revenge, set things to rights and explores her path with gender identity going from she to they. The gender identity topic grows and is the main forefront of the last half of the book. There is diversity through the characters, with a lot of human rights references. There is wolf/human racism, humans treated as lesser, sign language representation, sapphic pairing. This isn’t like any other book I’ve read, so I applaud the author for being creative and adding diversity to fantasy romance.

I really enjoyed how good this romantasy book was, I was hooked from the cover and enjoyed that the book was so well written. The characters had a strong feel in this world and worked as the introduction to the Golden Court series. I enjoyed how well A.K. Mulford wrote this and look forward to the sequel.

A River of Gold Bones is about Calla, the twin princess who wasn't supposed to be that now has to fight to save not only their sister but their throne from an evil sorceress. Along the way they have adventures that help them learn who they are.

This story started off very strong. I enjoyed the plot of the shadow twin having to go off to rescue the sister that fell under a curse. There was a lot of character development along the way which was sweet. I loved seeing how all the characters evolved. This book was cute and had amazing potential!

However I felt like as the story went on it became slow. At times I feel like we got away from the main plot line of the book. Anything Calla and Grae needed along the way seemed to fall right into their lap and made things too easy. There are spicy scenes. If it wasn't for those I would have rated this more of a YA book. You were also left with an ending that could have been a standalone book but still hinted towards what was going to happen.

This book did keep me interested enough that I do plan on reading the next book in the series to see where it goes from here!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

So there are many things I could say about this novel, let’s start off with wow. The spice build up. So good. The love for these people. ( I can’t even say characters) Calla, Briar, Grae. The moon goddess, she was definitely one to thank. I can’t wait for more in The Golden Court. Thanks to NetGalley, Avonbooks & Harpervoyage.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was a delightful found family story with great LGBTQ+ representation.

Things I especially enjoyed:
-Calla exploring their identity
- the world-building

There was a end-of-book twist that I think more could be done to hide. I'd also love to see more of the development of relationship between Calla and Briar as well as with their love interest

Calla and Briar are twin Wolf shifters who have spent their entire lives hiding from an evil sorceress who destroyed their family and their kingdom, the Golden Court. Briar is destined to marry Calla’s childhood best friend, Prince Grae of the Silver Court. Calla was raised to be Briar’s secret shadow, but all of that changes when the sorceress reemerges at Prince Grae and Briar’s wedding and puts a sleeping curse on Briar.

Calla embarks on an adventurous journey across the realm, discovering a world she never knew and learning who she truly is.

A River of Golden Bones is full of adventure, romance, monsters, and magic. The writing and world building were beautifully done. I enjoyed the characters, especially Calla’s journey of self-discovery.

5 Stars!

A nonstop roller coaster of adventure and fantasy!

If you are are into fantasy stories with a twist of fairytales, I highly recommend this story!
We have fated mates, royal politics, wolf shifters and self discovery.

An evil sorceress cast a sleeping spell on Briar (our sleeping beauty) who is the rightful heir to the Golden Throne. The only person who cares about this is her twin Calla. Shifting the sleeping beauty aspects so her bad ass sister comes to save the day and rescues her! POV storyline from Calla. Hidden away for years!!

You have the power houses of the Wolf Shifters who are in control of everything, humans included. I enjoyed seeing the development of their structure and struggles as well.

Self discovery, they look deep within to find out who they truly are, what they want in life, and where they want to be.

10/10, highly recommend!!

This fantasy romance follows a wolf shifter named Calla. She has a twin sister named Briar who was “destined” for greatest, but Calla was known as her shadow and protector. No one truly knew her identity besides a few including Grae. 🫠

I loved that this story only followed wolf shifters and humans rather than a large variety of fae. The world building was absolutely perfect compared to other books that have too much or not enough. The little twists and turns of the story kept me on my toes. The side characters of the stories were a big part of the plot/storyline, which I LOVE in books.

Tropes:
Fated Mates
Childhood friends to lovers
Slow burn
Touch her and die
One bed

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved this!! Finally, a fantasy with something other than Fae and Vampires!!! This has everything… actions, adventure, romance, angst, and oh the spice!!!!

The character development and world building done was spot on and the pace made this story captivating!!

I can’t wait for book 2!!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this arc!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Voyager for the opportunity to read and review an ARC copy of A River of Golden Bones.

A River of Golden Bones was a fantasy romance following Calla the twin sister of the Briar, the last recognized heir and Gold Wolf of Olmdere. Years ago their parents were killed and the twins were raised in secret until their 20th birthday. Calla has always been trained to protect her sister and keep her identity hidden. Briar is set to marry the Prince of Damrienne, Grae, who Calla had had a crush on for years. When they are set to marry, the sorceress who killed their parents, shows up and curses Briar with a sleeping spell and takes her true love captive. Calla goes on a journey to get back her sister's true love and break the spell. Along the way Calla learns who she is when she is not in the role of twin sister and protector.

This story was an action packed romance full of fated mates, hidden identities, wolf shifters, and LGBTQ rep. The world building was interesting with a clear divide between the wolf packs who rule and the humans. Calla was a strong willed character who goes on an incredible journey of finding out who she is when she is not a hidden twin sister or protector. Calla's journey of self discovery was my one of my favorite parts of the story.

The romance between Calla and Grae was sweet and steamy. As Calla grows into herself she lets herself get swept up by Grae who has been her friemd for years. Their chemistry is fantastic and a great driver. The story had so many vibrant side characters as well including a group of human musicians who befriend them.

A River of Golden Bones was another enjoyable read by AK Mulford.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an arc.

I enjoyed this one! The world building and backstory was woven in perfectly. I loved the character growth of Calla. Great romance/fantasy. Can’t wait to read more of the series.

Hey there, lovely readers!

I just had to give a huge shoutout to Netgalley and the fantastic A.K. Mulford for whisking me away into this enchanting world via their ARC. 📚✨

Let me just say, if you ever had a soft spot for Twilight and found yourself cheering for Taylor, hold onto your hats! This book is like your love song for TEAM WOLF that will make your heart howl with delight. 🐺❤️

Now, I'll admit, I've never really ventured into the world of wolf culture before, but oh boy, am I thrilled I took the leap! This book ticked off so many of my "must-haves" that I'm confidently giving it a twinkly 5-star rating.

Calling all fellow lovers of fated mates, brace yourselves! We're talking about a main character who's lived in the shadows, dancing through a journey of self-discovery that will leave you cheering. And wait for it... there's a dash of fate and a sprinkle of dystopian vibes that add that extra layer of thrill!

But that's not all, this book isn't just about romance – oh no. Get ready for a whirlwind of emotions as you're taken on a healing journey, a rollercoaster of suspense, heart-pounding action, and drama that had me flipping pages so fast!!! From the get-go I was *hooked*. 🎣💫

I've officially become a fan of The Golden Court since it's a Book One. If this is truly just the beginning, well, I can't even begin to imagine the whirlwind of enchantment that awaits in the future.

So, hats off to A.K. Mulford for giving us this delightful tale. My bookish heart is beyond excited for the books that may lie ahead. Keep those pages turning and keep the wolfish magic coming!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

On the night they were born an evil sorceress killed their parents and took over their kingdom forcing Briar and Calla to go into hiding. Twenty years later they exit their hiding, each with their own purpose. For Briar it is to marry a prince from an ally pack with hopes of forming an ally that will help take back their kingdom. Calla on the other hand was raised to be a shadow for their sister. Both a body guard and a backup plan that no one but the prince and King know about.
When the sorceress returns it is up to Calla to fight for their kingdom, their family and their friends. Journeying through wolf kingdoms, fighting monsters, finding love, and discovering who they are now that Calla is out of the shadows.
I really enjoyed this read! It has been awhile since I’ve read a story about werewolves and it was a fun aspect of this story.
This book really thrives in a couple places. One was in the found family that was formed as the story progressed. I am a sucker for found family and I really loved all of the side characters we gathered. The second place was seeing Calla’s self discovering as they went on this journey. Along with the journey to the kingdom Calla also goes on an exploration of gender identity. Some of the interactions and conversations between Calla and Ora were some of my favorite moments.
The aspects that kept my rating a bit lowered was the pace of certain parts of this book. Both the beginning and end felt like they happened too fast to the point where some of the end felt like the characters were just making bad decisions and having this just work out for them.
Overall this was a fun read and a series I will definitely continue.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this arc in return for my honest review!

The world needs more books like this!!!

It was empowering in the best way possible. The representation 👏🏼👏🏼

I cannot wait to read more of Callas story!

"A River of Golden Bones" by A.K. Mulford begins with captivating worldbuilding but loses some momentum towards the end. It employs familiar tropes like fated mates, childhood friends turned lovers, and a slow-burning romance that pays off satisfyingly. Drawing inspiration from Sleeping Beauty, the tale introduces unique elements, although the story's strong suit lies in its side characters, who shine with vibrant personalities and depth, enriching the narrative.

Noteworthy is the LGBTQ+ representation, particularly the inclusion of a non-binary main character in a fantasy setting. The plot evokes nostalgia for the werewolf book era of 2008-2012, but Mulford's execution keeps the story fresh, contemporary, and engaging. "A River of Golden Bones" is a commendable journey, despite a slightly uneven ending.

Thank you to Harper Voyager US and Avon Books, Net gallery for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a lovely surprise. I received an ARC copy from NetGalley. I chose this book based on the cover and description. From the first chapter, I was hooked. I love how the world builds throughout the story, adding more complexity and depth. Calla is a fierce main character, and her journey of discovery and figuring out who she is and how to express that to others is so inspiring and sweet. I always love a good found family trope. They all come together for each other and to create a better world by breaking traditions that hold people and wolves back. This novel also has shifting wolves and elements of Sleeping Beauty.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of Calla and her sister Briar, the last 2 golden wolves left. Her sister is the chosen one, met to marry the handsome prince and they will take back their ill fated kingdom. The sorceress that left them orphans comes back on the night of her sister's wedding and Calla must step up and step out of the shadows she has always been more comfortable living in.

I liked the story enough to give it 3 stars and will probably read the next book, but elements in the story felt too easy at times. Calla and Grae would be talking about how they needed to do something for several pages and then conveniently it quite literally landed at their feet. It also felt that Calla's plot armor was WAY too thick. Without giving any spoilers, I'm looking at you Veilla's final appearance. That felt entirely too contrived and just wasn't a satisfying ending for me.

The pacing was off for the entire book, dragging in certain parts and the ending was extremely rushed. Then when they finally got to the spicy, it felt weirdly inappropriate at times. Like you're quite literally running for your lives and trying to rescue a kingdom and you have time to stop here and now?! I get wanting to have the spice, but it didn't feel right one scene.

I do love the inclusiveness in the book especially in this world and the world we currently live in. This was an easy and enjoyable read, I got through it in 2 days and 2 sittings. Like I said I will most likely be picking up the next book in the series.

I read about 100 pages before giving up on this title, it just didn't capture my interest. It had many good things going for it though - wearwolves, a medieval setting, forbidden attraction, but there was a general lack of action.