Very much a romantasy! I didn't love how quickly it progressed. I felt like the first quarter of the book could have just been the whole story. No slow burn, not a lot of world building. There were a lot of mentioned creatures that had never been described. This has a lot of good feedback, so maybe I am judging it too quickly? Would be willing to try this again because maybe I am just not in the right mood.

4.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed the main character and being able to see them discover their gender identity and come into themselves on page. It was a very unique way of writing that i haven’t seen before and i really enjoyed Calla’s story. The love interest and plot were very enjoyable and kept the story moving. I enjoyed the tension and the spice.

If you've been on BookTok for more than 35 seconds, you've heard of AK Mulford. They're the author of the wildly popular HIGH MOUNTAIN COURT series that went viral on TikTok and led to a book deal with Harper Voyager...yeah, them! You've heard me gush about Ali and their books on multiple episodes of the podcast, and my praise and awe have only grown with their latest release: A RIVER OF GOLDEN BONES.

A RIVER OF GOLDEN BONES is the first in the GOLDEN COURT trilogy, which promises to be an action packed romantasy series with AK Mulford's signature writing style and diverse cast of characters. Just as in the HIGH MOUNTAIN COURT series, the GOLDEN COURT has already begun with characters of all sexualities, gender identities, races, and even species (helllloooo, wolf shifters!). Oh, and it's a loosely based SLEEPING BEAUTY retelling. 

You'll easily fall in love with Calla (she/they), the lead in A RIVER OF GOLDEN BONES. After their parents' tragic and untimely deaths, a fairy raises twins Briar and Calla in secret to honor their mother's dying wish, that they be protected until Briar's wedding day. Because of court politics and outdated practices, Briar (of the fallen Golden Wolves) has been betrothed to Grae, heir to the Silver Wolves, to unite their packs and strengthen the line of succession. Calla was a surprise no one expected, and, since their mother died during childbirth, very few even know that Calla exists. Once Briar is married and that alliance is formed, Calla can reveal herself as a Golden heir without threat to themself or Briar, who is poised and ready to play the royal role and do her pack duty in continuing the line and producing litters. Unfortunately for Calla, they've always been drawn to their best friend Grae, and the thought of Grae marrying Briar is devastating.

Did I mention there's an evil sorceress? On Briar's wedding day, disaster (and Sawyn) strikes and fated mates are revealed, casting every aspect of their perfectly laid plans into doubt. Briar is left under an indefinite sleeping curse and Calla must flee in order to save her sister--and so much more. On this journey-turned-heist, Calla must also face the boxes that society has placed them in, and how those boxes have never fit who Calla is. While Calla journeys to save their own world, they also go on a journey of self-reflection and discovery of their truest identity. Along the way, they meet the most incredible found family that will feel for so many readers like going home.

I'll never understand how AK Mulford writes such incredibly powerful stories that aren't difficult reads. We all know that sometimes, especially in fantasy books, the reader can feel so bogged down by the world-building and minute details that it can be difficult to see the big picture of the story--things can get confusing rapidly. That, to me, has never been the case with AK Mulford. They write in a way that is easy to follow while creating worlds you just fall into, as if you've always been there. Their worlds are as diverse as their characters (although I'll admit, every time Calla and crew passed a random character, I was hyper-focused on details about them searching for cameos from my HMC crew) and even though this is a fantasy setting, they put their characters through very real-life experiences that so many will relate to. They truly have a special gift for making people from so many life experiences feel welcome, seen, and accepted. (Note: of course there are life experiences, I'm sure, that haven't been visited by AK yet, because there are endless life experiences out there and, so far at the time of this review, only 5 published AK Mulford books. I generalize here, of course, but you can tell that AK puts in the work to make as many who may be or feel marginalized to see that they are represented in a book as possible, and I can only see that number of people growing as AK releases more books.)

I truly couldn't get enough of A RIVER OF GOLDEN BONES. Once again, AK Mulford does not disappoint in doing the most to ensure that people of all identities are seen and represented in an epic tale of adventure and romance.

A River of Golden Bones is the first book in the Golden Court trilogy, a romantic fantasy series about twins who are secretly werewolves and have to save their kingdom from a powerful sorceress. The book follows Calla, one of the twins, as she comes out of hiding to rescue her sister Briar from a sleeping curse that threatens to destroy their world. Along the way, she discovers new realms, new allies, and new feelings for Prince Grae, her childhood friend and Briar's betrothed.

I liked this book for its original and creative premise, its diverse and likable characters, and its fast-paced and adventurous plot. The author did a good job of creating a rich and immersive world of magic, monsters, and romance. The chemistry between Calla and Grae was sweet and believable, and I enjoyed their interactions throughout the story. The book also had some interesting themes of identity, family, loyalty, and courage.

However, I also felt that this book had some flaws that prevented me from giving it a higher rating. Some of these flaws were:

- The writing style was sometimes inconsistent and confusing. For example, some parts were written in first person from Calla's perspective, while others were written in third person omniscient or alternating between different points of view. This made it hard to follow who was narrating what at times.
- The plot was sometimes too rushed or too predictable. For example, some parts felt like they were skipped over or glossed over without much explanation or development. Some parts also seemed like they were following a formulaic pattern that I had seen in other books before.
- The characters were sometimes underdeveloped or stereotypical. For example, some characters seemed like they had no personality or motivation beyond their roles in the story. Some characters also seemed like they fit into clichés or tropes that I had read before.

Overall, I think this is a good book for fans of fantasy romance who like their stories with magic, adventure, humor, and drama. It's not a perfect book by any means, but it's definitely worth reading if you're looking for a fun and exciting ride.

I was so excited for this book but for me it did not deliver. It's labeled as adult or NA but the characters in the writing felt way more YA. Don't get me wrong, I love YA but it just felt kind of juvenile with meh spice. I could not get lost in the story because the writing and imagery wasn't strong enough. I did really love seeing the main character figure out who they are and share that with loved ones.

Loved the Sleeping Beauty retelling but with wolves. Right from the start the relationship and longing between Calla and Grae was so delicious. They couldn't be together cause he was promised to another. But then something happened and she went on a adventure to save her
Loved the writing style and pacing. The found family was great when they were running and hiding from their enemies they found some good friends. The discussion of feminism and patriarchy and the good and bad ways to overcome. One wanted to help everyone and the other wanted to help herself.
The fated mates situation was interesting too since it didn't strictly stay within hetero unions.
Also the discussion in this fantasy world of nonbinary and not feeling they fit in the boxes.
Also Calla the fmc was small and attractive but not stunning so she was in her sister's shadow she was invisible but she was the one that should've been looking at.

A River of Golden Bones follows Calla, the secret second sister to the lost princess of the golden court. After of lifetime in the shadows, Calla has found themself in the spotlight with a quest to save their twin and the opportunity to change the world.

Read for:
- Fantasy romance
- Werewolves
- A quest
- Found family
- Travelling musicians
- Friends to lovers
- Fated Mates

I really loved seeing a genderqueer MC in a fantasy romance novel, as this isn't something we see much representation for within this genre. Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me beyond that representation. I did not get sucked into the plot, struggled with the MC's attitude, and found the romance to be full of forced conflict in order to draw out the romance to prevent it from falling prey to the instalove trope.

Overall, I do still recommend this novel. Despite my complaints, I can see this being a book that many people really love and connect to - it just wasn't the book for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I ate this book up!

I love how it had a found family, finding ones self outside of the limits that are placed by societal norms, and being comfortable with not fully fitting in and being yourself. I enjoyed that it taught that by learning about each other and understanding our stories we can still be friends or "family" and help each other out even if we don't fully agree on everything without being "preachy." I also enjoyed the spice, it wasn't overly done, and it made sense with the story.

I absolutely loved all the characters (except for Sawyn and King Nero) , but I wish we would've gotten to see other characters points of view or backgrounds more, but other than that, I can't wait for the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyage for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Final Rating: 4.5

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one because I hadn't heard much about it from early reviews, but I'm so pleased to say that I really enjoyed this one! This is a Sleeping Beauty retelling where wolf shifters are the rulers of this world and have very strict ideas on the roles that men and women should play. Our main character Calla feels very restricted by that, and once she's on her own away from her twin sister she/they (using the term within this world 'merem') goes through a period of self-discovery and acceptance.

The pacing did slow down quite a bit in the middle of the book, but I wasn't mad about it because that's where we really get to delve deeper into Calla as a character. And all the side characters were amazing, I especially enjoyed Ora and their travelling troupe, and how helpful and understanding they were to Calla. To have a fantasy romance that uses all the beloved fantasy tropes (fated mates, political intrigue, found family, slow burn romance, secret royalty, revenge quest, and some spicy scenes) but make it exceptionally queer in a way that was so accepting and heartfelt was an amazing thing to read.

My only critique and the reason this didn't earn a full 5 star rating is because the ending felt a little too easy and wrapped up neatly with a bow and was a little bit anticlimactic considering the journey the characters went on to get there. I would've loved to have spent more time before, during and after the encounter with Sawyn, but it just felt like it was there and over with before I was ready for it.

Overall, a great story and I'm now very excited to read more from this author!

I love how beautifully written this Romantasy book is. I especially AK Mulford's visual for describing how Calla embarks on their journey to self discovery as a gender fluid, non binary person. I also appreciated the soft cliffhanger and am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to review this book.

A lovely twist on the sleeping beauty fairy tale.

This is the first book in The Golden Court series, where werewolves are in charge and after beating back the monsters and sorcerers, have split the land into four kingdoms. Two sisters, Briar and Calla, were born right as their mother and father died by an evil sorceress. Briar is the heir and betrothed to a prince of one of the four kingdoms. Calla stays in the shadows. But once Briar is put under a sleeping spell by the very same sorceress, Calla must come forward to save her sister and the kingdom.

I enjoyed this immensely. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

DNF @ 22%

While there is a lot of merit to A RIVER OF GOLDEN BONES, I struggled from chapter one with Calla and Grae's off-page history. It felt as if there was a prequel that I missed, and because of that, I didn't have any reason to become invested in their relationship. I wish that Mulford would have included flashbacks into their previous interactions rather than simply telling the reader how Calla was feeling about him in the present. I felt the same way about the Fated Mates trope. There wasn't any build up leading to this point, seemingly added for convenience or to check a box rather than demonstrating strong utilization.

That said, I absolutely loved the fairytale component and found Calla to be a compelling character. The nonbinary representation was unique for the genre, and I hope to see more of it in the future.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for generously providing me with the chance to delve into the advanced readers copy of "A River of Golden Bones" by A.K. Mulford. This novel offers a captivating twist on the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty, falling within the romantasy genre and centering around the profound theme of self-discovery.

While I appreciated the opportunity to explore this unique interpretation, I must share that my experience with the book was not one of absolute adoration. To be fair, it did provide moments of entertainment, yet it did not completely captivate me. I found some aspects of the plot to be a bit perplexing, and this hindered my overall engagement with the narrative.

Nonetheless, I am grateful for the chance to have encountered this work and recognize the creativity and effort put forth by the author. Personal preferences in literature can vary, and despite my own reservations, I acknowledge the merit of the storytelling and the imaginative approach taken in reimagining a classic fairy tale.

Twins hidden away from birth are the only hope to save their kingdom from an evil sorceress. But as they are finally allowed to leave the soon learn that all their training didn’t prepare them for what they are about to face.

Read if you like: fantasy, wolf shifters, Sleeping Beauty, capers, fun side characters, secrets upon secrets.

Calla and Briar were the only gold wolves saved from their kingdom the night an evil sorceress destroyed them all. Briar was raised to become a royal bride so they can forge an alliance with the silver wolves. Calla was a surprise, so she was also trained but her identity never revealed. As the wedding approaches Calla laments her role in life feeling like she’s will never be what anyone expects from her. As they learn more about the silver wolves and the fate of the gold wolves home Calla realizes that she might be the only one who can save her kingdom.

A River of Golden Bones has a lot of really interesting things happening but the execution falls short. I love the idea of a deconstructed Sleeping Beauty retelling and I couldn’t wait to see how it would play out. But the characters are all very shallow and one note. I found myself more frustrated than excited to see what would happen. None of the wolves are equipped for their quest and they would have failed utterly if they hadn’t met some nice humans along the way. The only reason I didn’t DNF were the humans and the Sleeping Beauty elements.

I adore a book with a full cast of diverse characters! And some of the side characters really shone in their ultra specific roles. However, the main character’s journey was less of a way to introduce non-binary characters and explore the internal struggle and more like the diary of a naïve teen. We would go from really sparse world building and random terms used with no context into multipage internal monologues that felt more appropriate for a mid-level YA book than an adult fantasy. And I love a strong female or NB character but not at the expense of making the male characters super shallow.

I wanted to love it, but it was too inconsistent for me to really get invested.

I love Calla's road to self expectance. This book let's my oldest be seen for who they are.

I love that this story is a sleeping beauty retelling but with shifters. I really like that the fated mate trope isn't the primary focus that overpowers the storyline.

I love that all Calls wants is to save their twin even though that might mean that they take the throne in her place.

I cannot for the next book!

An upward-leaning 3.5 stars because it gets a lot better as it goes, but it doesn't stand out much from others in the genre.
A new spin on the tale of Sleeping Beauty, we get the story of the twins born after she's awakened by true love's kiss (ignoring the way they were conceived in the original tale) with the added twist of them being wolf shapeshifters in a world full of magic.
The wolves are the ruling class over humans and have been in power so long that no one really questions the fact that all the riches and power are in the hands of wolves and the humans have to fend for themselves to survive. It's a nice added level of complexity to a story that would otherwise be too straightforward. Seeing Calla realize that all she'd thought about wolf society and the humans isn't as right as she thought once she starts getting to know humans is a great way to show her growth and give the character and quest a lot more depth.
I wasn't feeling it at first because Calla reads like a very generic heroine, as in she's beautiful and capable but thinks she's the total opposite. I'm sick and tired of that trope, so I wasn't looking forward to reading a story like that. But there is a logical reason for her being like that, and a big part of the story is her realizing that she is more than the shadow she'd convinced herself she was. The rest of the characters aren't particularly complex or developed either, but I forgive Mulford for focusing so much on Calla because it doesn't really affect the story.
Overall, it's an interesting twist on a classic with added magical elements and incredibly complex character dynamics and interactions. It's not something I'll about from rooftops, but I'm also not mad to have given it some reading time.


Happy thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the interesting read!

I found myself immersed in a captivating fantasy. The story skillfully intertwines a sleeping curse, a fallen court, and the intriguing dynamic between secret twins Calla and Briar, who navigate a world of Wolves and sorcery as the sorceress returns with a dangerous sleeping curse, Calla, previously hidden, steps into the forefront to save her sister and kingdom. The story unfolds with a delightful mix of adventure, romance, and self-discovery, offering a unique twist on werewolf fantasy. Mulford's vivid world-building, well-developed characters, and compelling plot make this novel a standout in the genre, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next installment in The Golden Court series.

I was attracted to A River of Golden Bones because of the fairy tale elements to the story - the sleeping curse, a princess named Briar, you know, the usual. Once I got into it though, I realized that there was so much more to love about the book. It’s one of those books that just sucks you in and makes you want to keep reading into the night.

Please note, for this review I am going to use she/they pronouns for Calla, as that is how they end the book and the description of the book uses she/they, though I don’t believe it is ever explicitly stated.

A River of Golden Bones is a romance novel, and thus has a happy ending, but I would characterize it as mostly the story of Calla’s journey. They start the book having spent their entire life sheltered in a tiny little village, not having been exposed to much of the outside world, and through her experiences over the course of the story, she learns so much about the world that she had not been aware of, and grows as a person. At times, the introspection was repetitive, but overall it felt realistic to their character and arc, especially as the first 20 years of their life was spent so isolated. Calla’s growth also includes her shifting relationship with Grae, and how they go from not trusting Grae to trusting him after he shares more of his history as well. And of course they have to get to know each other physically as well! There’s definitely more than a bit of spice in this book, though it comes later in the book as Calla and Grae’s relationship builds slowly.

Not only was there Calla’s internal growth, but so much happened around them as well. She takes a long trip in an enchanted wagon and meets humans whom she begins to become very close to. In Calla’s world, wolves are at the top - the rulers, and then humans live on the margins. Calla comes to think about the fairness of this and the rigidity of the wolf society that she was meant to be part of. She gets to see so much of the world around her as she ventures out on her rescue mission. The world is an interesting one, and the world building was fairly well done, though I wish there had been a little more about the actual physical world - sometimes monsters were just dropped in with no warning or explanation.

I think my only issue would be how the ending of the book wrapped up. It felt more than a little rushed at the end. I think part of that is because I expected this to be the beginning of a series, and for the relationship or plot to continue over to the next book (as it is advertised as a series called The Golden Court). For the majority of the book, the pacing seemed to indicate that the story would continue in a second book, because it felt like there was SO MUCH more that could happen - Calla had to fight the sorceress, Calla and Grae had to fight back against his father, they needed to rescue Briar, etc., but then all of a sudden the events of the book happened in a way that tied up a bunch of the loose ends at once, so there wasn’t a cliffhanger or a plot that seemed like it could continue. As a result the ending felt a little squished.

All in all, A River of Golden Bones is an enjoyable addition to the “romantasy” genre, and I would definitely recommend it to those who like fantasy romance books and who want a book with a good internal, as well as external, journey.


Content notes: Brief mentions of spousal/child abuse, violence and deaths of characters

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford is an enchanting start to a new fantasy series. The author caught me from the first hint that this would be a shifters focused series and then I feel in love with the exploration of the relationships between the characters both romantic and otherwise. This Story hit the craving spot that the liars crown series by Abigail Owen gave rise to in me for a shadow sister bearing the weight of the plot.

3.5/5

I really enjoyed this story, particularly for the gender exploration. In many ways, I feel the same as Calla, our main character, and it was very affirming to read. It’s a story of discovery, adventure, love, and deprogramming—the last of which I think is a critical theme to explore in today’s climate.

That being said, the book also had a lot of tropes that I typically don’t enjoy, like miscommunication. While there are ~reasons~ for the miscommunication—good ones, even—I feel like it still didn’t need to be there. Remove it, and a lot of the story beats could have remained unaltered imo. And it’s especially frustrating when the characters finally get a chance to talk, but then they don’t TALK. While there’s resolution, and it certainly improves, the beginning (maybe even the first half) was really frustrating for me. However, that’s just how I feel.

Past that, I generally enjoyed the romance and the story. The writing was fine, and the themes were direct, and I had a fun time. The human characters were my favorite part. I loved them and their magical [redacted].

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.