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.

4.5☆
I will always read this author's books. I loved this new world and new characters.

This is a sleeping beauty retelling with wolves and fated mates. I love Calle so much with her strength and courage. The conversation and relationship between the main characters is perfect, but also with the side characters, too.

This new world is captivating and exciting. I can wait to see what happens further in book 2!

It was a fun read there was some loops that led the story to get a tad confusing but a strong plot read.

This is a Sleeping Beauty retelling as it involves a sleeping curse and a evil sorceress who casts it and I know, there are a lot, like millions of retellings out there but this one has a lot of good potential for many reasons. Already starting off with a beautiful cover and a unique element which includes shapeshfting werewolves. I do want to mention this is heavy romance, romantasy the 2023 bookish buzzword of the year it seems. It involves self discovery, and lots and lots of monsters. I liked it!

Calla and Briar have been hidden away their entire lives - one training to be a soldier (Calla) and one to be the queen of the Silver pack (Briar). The twins are the last heirs of the Golden wolf pack, and their homeland has been isolated and controlled by the evil sorceress Sawyn, the same person who killed the Golden royals. When things go awry on what is supposed to be Briar's wedding day, Calla embarks on a journey to save Briar and starts to discover who she wants to be.

I very much enjoyed this Sleeping Beauty retelling with a twist. The characters were different from a lot of other romantasy books that have come out lately - shifters instead of fae is a nice change. I'm excited to see where this series goes.

This is a fantastic fast-paced, fated mates fantasy romance that takes us on a journey of queer identity and self discovery. I loved this take on the Sleeping Beauty story with the addition of wolf shifters. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters and cannot wait to read more from this world!

With a sleeping curse, shapeshifters and kingdoms of tensions and politics, A River of Golden Bones is an utter win all around. If you've been looking for a queer adult fantasy to sink your teeth into, this is the one! I loved the ways A River of Golden Bones examines our identity versus the collective. And what happens when our collective, when our pack, alienates us, when we don't agree with it. It's about the distanec between the story, happy endings, the immortalize refrains, and reality.

A magnificent portrayal of a non-binary MAIN CHARACTER! The story is worth it for the discussions on gender alone, but the world created is a close-second. While the pacing of the plot felt off at times and made it difficult to push through, but it always came back strong.

In A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford, Calla has always been the hidden twin, while their twin, Briar, has been the once destined for greatness. When the siblings travel for Briar’s wedding, their plan goes awry and Briar is cursed by an evil sorceress. Now, it is up to Calla to save their sister and claim their birthright, all while discovering who they truly are inside.

What I liked: I found this book to be a very easy read with enough action and romance to keep me interested. If you love werewolf books, you will definitely love this one. I found the characters, especially Calla and Ora, to be well written. The author also addresses topics revolving the gender spectrum. What was nice to see in this book is someone being given the language to identify themselves.

To keep in mind: While I appreciated the author’s focus on Calla’s identity, it somewhat felt like it came out of left field.. I wish we could have had a little more lead-up to help with the flow of the story and to tie it more to her identity in relation to her sister.

Rating: 3.5⭐️ This book gets bonus points because I was engaged with the story and even enjoyed it. I hope that we get more character development in the next book to help with creating deeper emotional attachments to this world. The pacing overall was well-done and it did not feel like it dragged. Will I be reading the next book? Most likely.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A River Of Golden Bones (ARC)
A.K. Mulford
3.5⭐️

Pub Date: 12/5/2023

This is the first time I'm reading a full wolf/ fated mates novel. I've only encountered them in short fanfictions before. So reading this felt like that in the beginning. But I was pleasantly surprised since the plot got deeper and it wasn't just low stakes and all romance/smut kind of book. I actually appreciated that there's heavy conflict and a full on war although it seems like it got too easy at the end. The build up and journey were definitely better than the ending. The self awareness and awakening of the FMC is good too. This sets it apart from regular damsel in distress weak female wolves I've read before. Minimal spice on this one. Although I expect the spice to ramp up on the sequel. Oh yes. This is the first one in this series!

There are aspects of this book that present as a twisted version or retelling of sleeping beauty. I think that was a nice touch. I do find myself skimming some in the middle, yes, because there are slow parts, but I do admit that I wanted to know what happens next. It wasn't as exciting as I expected it to be. However, it's interesting enough to want to pick up the book at the end of the day and read it.

I was very excited to dive into this new fantasy world by AK Mulford, I adored it, and I can't wait for more of it.

This is the first in a new series set in a realm where wolf packs rule over kingdoms primarily inhabited by humans. Calla is a Gold Wolf princess-in-exile, raised in secret after the murder of their parents along with her slightly-older twin Briar. Briar, despite being gay, is expected to marry their childhood friend, the Silver Wolf Prince Grae and reclaim their throne.

Fate has other plans.

When Briar is cursed by the same sorceress that killed their parents, Calla learns that she and her sister are interchangeable in the eyes of Grae's father, who plans to use them to take over their ancestral kingdom. Calla must rely on a peculiar bunch of human allies to save her sister and her kingdom from the sorceress's clutches

So far, this may sound like a classic fairy tale romance, and it is. It's got some of the best tropes: fated mates, friends to lovers, only one bed, and it does found family better than just about any book I've ever read.

But what makes this book so important is Calla's journey of self discovery.

The rigid roles of girls and women (esp in a patriarchal wolf pack) never sat comfortably with her. It doesn't feel totally wrong, but never quite right until she meets a nonbinary human who helps her/them dig down and understand themself as a gender fluid person

Her journey is so relatable, and that kind of exploration of gender still isn't common, so it was refreshing to see her play around with it

🥰🥰 And that's not even getting into what a fucking catch Grae is. Truly nontoxic masculinity at its finest 🥰🥰

So huge thanks to AK Mulford, Netgalley, and Harper Collins for this advance review copy!

I can't wait to read what happens to Calla, Grae, and their newfound family next.