**Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!**

3.75/5, rounded up.

- fated mates
- childhood friends to lovers
- wolf shifters
- found family
- LGBTQ+ representation (non-binary MC)

Mulford presents an intriguing story with a solid writing style. The side characters are rich and add to the story--it's easy to see how the MC could create a court. There's threads of Sleeping Beauty woven throughout and the social and magic systems are easy to understand. Calla's personal journey pays off and it's nice to see that represented on the page. I'm interested to see what they decide to call themself once they are installed as ruler.

The weakest link in this romantasy is the very insta-love between the fated mates. Because most of the relationship developed off-page, it feels disingenuous to see Grae declaring his undying love so quickly. And as a result, the on=page spice just falls flat (and my Gods, how many times can we see coitus interruptus in one book?). Speaking of Grae ... he's handsome and that's it? Of all the characters, I can't really picture his personality. It's giving Ken to Calla's Barbie. Grae's job is Prince. And he's very good at Prince. But I want to see what Grae can be on his own.

I appreciate that the main plot of this book resolved within its pages, given that we know that it is the first of the series to come. Thank you for not leaving me on a cliff-hanger for the next three years! I do want to see what Calla becomes, but I'm grateful for the resolution.

Recommended read, especially if you are a romantasy (ACOTAR, FBAA, Fourth Wing, etc.) fan.

A twist on Sleeping Beauty, Fated mates, & Queer representation.... I'm in. Some parts of the plot felt predictable, but I read a ton of fantasy romance, so it's hard to shock me these days. I likes the main characters. I actually wanted more of their friendship in the beginning because it's just so damn cute. This book is NA for spicy scenes, but I think the overall themes and violence is pretty tame. The cover is beautiful.

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP. This book is everything I never knew I needed. The queer representation in this book is so, so needed in the world of wolves. The accepted of true selves by the mating pairs in this book had me squealing. Humans and wolves learning to trust each other and work together again brought me so much joy. The found family elements of this and breaking of tradition and pack law to forge a better future all set up for a beautiful series to unfold. The plot twist at the end of the villain’s true identity was wonderful; I loved the little clues that lead us there if we were paying attention. Will recommend to everyone I know who loves fantasy.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. A River of Golden Bones was absolutely BREATHTAKING. I loved every minute & every page of this book, and I'm on my knees desperate for book two. It's quite a unique story line, as I feel like most courtly series don't follow wolves at all, and I loved that it was a breath of fresh air amongst the high population of books focusing on paranormal royalty. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

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

What a ride with this book! I enjoyed myself so much. An epic retelling of Sleeping Beauty but with more action, spice, and love. Following the story of twins Calla and Briar, the last of the Gold Wolves line after their parents were murdered. Briar, who is destined to marry the prince, Grae, to merge the kingdoms into one, It's for the good of the pack. But when Briar gets tranced into a sleeping spell by a sorceress, Calla must now leave the comfort of the shadows and embark on an adventure to save the only member left in her pack.

With sword fighting, self-discovery, unexpected alliances, and some love along the way, you're in for a great time!
I loved the inclusiveness and the bravery of almost every character, and yes, I cried at the end. I cannot wait for the next book and the next adventure.

4.5 stars for me!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and or the author for giving me a chance to read this book.

Rating 4.5 ⭐

It gave me a Sleeping Beauty retelling but with wolves and I loved it.

Loved the interactions between the characters especially Grae & Briar, also Grae & Calla & lastly Briar & Calla.

I enjoyed this story. A magical twist on a favorite classic retelling of sleeping beauty. The story started out so strong. We have two wolf shifter twin sisters with their faery god-mother. One is betrothed to a wolf shifter price from another wolf kingdom. From the gate you could tell there was something between Grea and Calla so I was curious to see how him marrying her sister would play out.
What's a shifter romance without Fated mates?
I wish we would have gotten more behind the scenes of Calla and Grae actually falling in love and growing up together. All of a sudden we were just in their relationship with no build up.
I LOVED how inclusive and diverse this book was. I haven't read anything like it.
After the beginning the story did seem to slow and I really had to push through to finish.
Overall it was an enjoyable read I just wish I might have been a little more fast paced.

Thank you HarperCollins Publishers for allowing me to read this e-arc!

Overall rating: 3 stars

Ok, I pleasantly enjoyed this! The main character Calla is non-binary and one of the last Gold Wolves along with her sister Briar after the death of their parents. On the day of her sister is meant to be wed to Grae, Calla’s childhood crush, Briar is put under a sleeping spell and Calla embarks on an adventure to save her.

I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation especially because there aren’t many books in a fantasy setting with a non-binary main character. The writing was pretty good though the middle felt a little boring. The romance between Calla and Grae definitely felt insta-lovey, especially because we never got to really see how their romance developed but it was ok overall. Reading about werewolves definitely took me back to my days on 2014 Wattpad but this interpretation didn’t feel cringey or over-specialized.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Summary of plot:
Calla and Briar are the last Golden Wolves alive. Their kingdom has been taken over by a sorcerer named Sawyn, who killed their parents. As the first born, Briar is set to marry Grae, a Silver Wolf prince in another kingdom. Calla is her shadow. But on the day of the wedding, Briar is put into a sleeping spell cast by Sawyn, and the only way to save her is by finding Briar’s mate for a true love’s kiss. So Calla set on an adventure with Grae and his wolves go find her, and to kill Sawyn and take back her kingdom.

Thoughts on the book:
🟢 LGBTQ+ characters, Calla is non-binary
🟢 Address real life social issues, such as discrimination
🟢 Interesting and easy to follow fantasy world
🟢 Involves wolves and mate bonds, but isn’t erotica (which is like 99% of all wolf-related books)
🔺 Romantic relationships felt a little insta-lovey, especially with the main character
🔺 The ending was a little rushed and the middle was slow

Overall, a pretty decent read!

Would I recommend this book? Sure!