This was a surprising young adult read that I enjoyed diving into. Honestly, I kind of felt like I was missing a whole book's worth of background, but it eventually all started to make sense, but Mulford really drops you into the middle of the day and middle of the action, left to wander around a little bit to figure out what is happening.

I enjoyed the character development, and while I wish there was a little bit more spent on the sister's relationship growing, I totally understand this is a story around our heroine and her soul mate, plus coming to terms with her relationship with herself and her identity. I was a little confused that gender identity/discovery was part of the back-flap blurb, since I didn't really feel like it played into the story's throughline, other than "she doesn't like wearing dresses" and similar nods in the same vein. Maybe I was looking for more dramatic discoveries than might eek themselves into a YA fantasy romance. /shrug

5/5 fantasy world-building with human/wolf transformations
3/5 familial relationship-building
3/5 personal discovery storylines
4/5 character building

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager for the advanced reader copy (ARC) via NetGalley! Always game for reading a new fantasy adventure!

You know those books that make you forget you're even reading and something snaps you back to reality and you remember youre reading and not watchinga brilliant movie or something? This was one of those books for me!

It's 2 am, I couldn't put it down, I loved every second. The found family, fated mates, the plot twists, and the freedom to be as you are touched my heart. ❤️ excited to see what's in store for the next book! I loved Calla's fierceness, and loyalty to those she loves. I instantly liked Grae and his protectiveness, and you can't forgot all the amazing side characters as well, that built this story to be something even better!

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and anyone else involved for allowing me to arc read! Review is also posted on Barnes and Noble and Books a Million, links have not came through at this time for me to share.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5716855593

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/442586208?source=link_share

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishing and the author for allowing me to have an e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

I had never heard of this author before now and clearly - I have been wrong to never look at one of their books before now because DAMN. I humbly offer this author my hand in marriage if she could give me the rest of this series now.

As stated before to everyone who know me, I hate romance in books. I'm incredibly picky with what I want to see in a romance and very rarely do I actually read books that focus on romance as a whole. That being said, I supported this book's romance from page one. I do agree that it does feel a bit like insta-love at some points - especially at the beginning. BUT I was pulled into it and fully supported Calla and Grae. Their relationship seemed so very believable. The small bickerings that happened but always uniting together and talking about ever

I think what mostly drew me into this book was the fact that I myself feel the same way Calla does. I saw my emotions, my crisis, my heartbreak, my really everything in Calla. Their crisis and acceptance made me feel like I was being embraced by a warm hug. The casual nonbinary representation with Ora too (who owns my heart). It felt like everyone, regardless of gender identity could be accepted and loved. Inclusion should come natural like this.

I felt loved in this book. If this book has a million fans, I'm one of them. If this book has one fan, it's me. If this book has no fans, then I'm dead. This is a new favorite.

This was a good romantasy book. I enjoyed the fact that this was different from the usual fae/ vampire romantasy's that are very popular. This has wolf shifters, and it was refreshing to read. This book follows the main character Calla who was born into a royal family, but her parents were killed, and their kingdom was taken over by a sorceress. Calla has a twin sister who has been promised to be a queen, while Calla has trained to be a protector and is hidden as no one knows that she's royal.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and descriptions in this, It wasn't hard to understand what was happening. The pacing was also good for the most part, and I was invested and wanted to know what was happening. The middle pacing was a little slow but still flowed well with the story. The characters were really well done, I loved the queer and gender representation and how normalized it is in this world. The romance was spicy, and I don't see a lot of friends-to-lovers trope in fantasy romance, so I liked that aspect. The plot was one of my favorite things, so much, action, political intrigue, adventure, romance, and overall compelling story. The book ended well, and I'm waiting to see what comes next.

Read for:
- Fated mates
- Queer characters
- Wolf shifters
- Political intrigue
- Sleeping beauty retelling
- Strong main character
- Spicy scenes 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager for this arc for an honest review. I'll post my reviews on my blog and social media page closer to the release date.

Beautiful world building by this author.It was amazing to see it emerge and still stay interesting.
Loved the fairy tale angle and the fact that it wasn’t the biggest part of the book.lots of romance and fights and a strong main character.
This was an easy, fun read.Perfect for fantasy lovers.
Thankyou Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC

First I want to thank HarperCollins publisher and A.K. Mulford for the opportunity to read this E-ARC.
I immediately wanted to read this book just from the cover, the description really pulled me in then once I dove into reading the book I had trouble putting it down.
The representation of LGBTQ in this book was done very well, I loved the immediate acceptance from Callas mate Grae as well! I quickly related to the main character Calla feeling like they dont fit in anywhere, I love when the characters are relatable! I definitely got some sleeping beauty vibes from this book but it was a very loose retelling.

The adventure we were taken on in this book was top notch. I really enjoyed the Galen den' Mora the idea was very unique and the authors description of it really helped me picture it.

I give this book 4 stars. I loved it but I'm really burnt out on short curvy main characters and tall huge male main characters.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, A. K. Mulford, Avon & Harper Voyager for this eARC!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

A River of Golden Bones brings us on an incredible journey with Calla and Briar, twins born to a royal family before their parents were killed and their kingdom taken by an evil sorceress.

One is destined to marry into royalty and live the life of a queen.
The other is a secret. Destined to stay in the shadows forever... or are they?

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞."

A River of Golden Bones is for you if you enjoy:

⚔️ Sleeping Beauty retelling
⚔️ Fated Mates
⚔️ Wolf Shifters
⚔️ Gender Discovery
⚔️ LGBTQIA+ Relationships

This book fully exceeded any and all expectations I had. The world building, the descriptions of both characters and locations allow the reader to fully immerse themselves in this book. A River of Golden Bones is a monster-filled, action packed journey of self discovery and gender exploration. The fantasy genre has too little representation of trans characters and queer couples, I am so glad this book will be releasing to take the literary world by storm.

I am not-so-patiently awaiting the next step in Calla and Briars story and anything else that A. K. Mulford has in store!

I thought this was younger YA but it's not...

The best part of this book was Calla's discovery of herself and who she wanted to be. Her relationship with Ora was lovely bc her relationship with Grae had more of tell don't show element to it. And I think SJM has really ruined the word mate for me forever.

Good representation, quick enough read and a generally likeable group of main characters. The villain twist was interesting; but like all super villains her motivation was skewed.

And hopefully they see this before it goes to print: the expression is 'couldn't care less' not 'could care less' and since it's uttered more than once, I hope it gets fixed!

**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!