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.

I have been a fan of AK Mulford since discovering High Mountain Court a couple years ago and she has once again proven why I continue to buy and read her books. River of Golden Bones is fantasy/wolf shifter/romance at its finest.

Calla and Briar have been in hiding since their birth 20 years ago and it is now time for Briar to claim her birthright and marry the Crown prince of an allied kingdom… or so they thought. Everything changes on the night of the wedding when the full moon and goddess change their fate. Calla has been the hidden twin and is to serve as her sisters’ protector once married. She’s also been in love with the prince since they were cubs and ran through the woods together but she has a duty and so does the prince and her sister. When her sister is put under a sleeping curse, she must go to her home kingdom to save those she loves but along the way she’s taken in by a traveling show. Honestly, the members of the show are the best. I loved every single one of them but Ora stole my heart.

Not only is this a book about finding out who you are and being true to that but also has fated mates, and found family, wolf shifters, and delicious foods. I will continue to recommend this book to all my fellow fantasy readers and will forever have Mulford as a one click author.

This book was absolutely phenomenal! It took traditional things form the Sleeping Beauty story and made them feel fresh while being mixed a unique and intriguing storyline. I really enjoyed the MC's exploration of gender and what it meant to them. The story flowed well and held my attention. Once I started reading, I didn't to put the book down! Another win for me from AK Mulford!

A River of Golden Bones

Epic as it is intimate. It's a warrior's journey to save their sister & kingdom, but also discover one's true self without the shadow of comparison or legacy. I loved the fairytale adventure from a quiet origin story, to a daring escape, harrowing fights to survive, found family to the rescue, and love that is chosen as well as magical.

You can look forward to reading:
Queer joy
Self-determination
Wolf shifters
Found family
Action / adventure
Explicit sexual content
Fairytale vibes

I'll now have to live in anticipation of the next two books as this is the first of a trilogy. Very excited!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC! This book is out today, don't miss it!!!

A Sleeping Beauty retelling but with Wolf Shifters... yes please!

Briar and Calla have been hidden away their whole lives following a curse and the untimely death of their parents, but a betrothal between Briar, a Gold Wolf, and Grae, a Silver Wolf, should make it safe for them to come out of hiding... but the same Sorcerer that cursed their parents has other plans

Calla has always trained to be Briars protector but after another sleeping curse hits, she needs to find her place all over again and realises this is can be so much more than she ever realised, especially with Grae and a ragtag band of human travellers by her side

I love AKs previous series, The High Mountain Court, so was so very excited for this new series as well, and it did not disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley, and Harper Collins/Harper Voyger for the chance to read and review this before release - out on 07 December so not long to wait now!

In “A River of Golden Bones” by A.K. Mulford, the novel brings us dynamic and authentic characters, in particular, Calla and an exploration of what it means to explore gender identity within the construct of a fantasy novel. The novel explores Calla’s exploration of gender but also identity and discovering the truth of who Calla is apart from her sister. 

I love both the dynamic with Grae, how Calla is a true partner to Grae and forces him to be stronger as Calla learns to be stronger. I found Calla’s struggle particularly evocative and resonating as Calla figures out identity. I love Calla’s voice and I love that nothing is straightforward or uncomplicated. 

I like the resolutions but I did find the ending a bit easy for the characters. Despite that, I still loved the story and the character exploration. The authentic characters and that neither Briar or Calla’s dreams are what either of them thought is especially compelling. If you like stories with gender exploration, this is the novel for you. Calla resonated profoundly with me and I hope with other readers as well.

I've been waiting for this one for a long time, and I'm happy to say that it was one of the most moving books I've read in quite a while. Calla's true identity has been hidden since birth, and she's spent her entire life protecting her twin sister Briar, so that she can marry their childhood friend Grae....the heir to another kingdom that will take the crown of Olmdere back from an evil sorceress.

When Briar and Calla arrive for the arranged marriage, it's like everything is great until it completely falls apart. With Briar in an enchanted sleep and her mate in the hands of the sorceress, Calla decides to rescue them both by going after her twin's mate. If she can just break the curse, then they can fight for the crown together.

Calla embarks on a journey of discovery, both within herself and of the world around her. Traveling with a group of mismatched humans in a musical troupe, Calla hides her true self, the Golden Wolf, and is discovered by both the troupe and none other than Grae himself! Through their journey to Olmdere they grow closer and realize what they could be to each other, Calla also realizes more about who she is now that she's out of Briar's shadow.

I really, really liked the way that gender fluidity was explained and addressed within Calla's story. I thought that the example of someone else who was completely comfortable with who they were, what they looked like and how they presented was a really powerful thing. The realization for Calla was such a relief, and the opportunity to come to terms with it before it's inevitably used as a weapon was crucial. Really, really beautifully done!

⭐️4/5 | 🌶️2.5/5 | Sleeping Beauty Retelling | Fated Mates | Found Family | Self-Discovery | Wolf Shifters | Friends to Lovers | Slow Burn

I loved how A.K. Mulford gave us a different spin on this Sleeping Beauty retelling that is unique and refreshing! The world building was very easy to get into that would keep you invested and engaged. A wolf lore with faes / elves; a story with a gender identity representation that is about self-discovery and a found family beautifully told through a series of characters that are well done with unique dynamics. The LGBTQ representation was done so tastefully with the gender exploration and expression that I know will be appreciated by many. This book had a very emotional pull on me, especially towards the end.

The characters are very likeable with their unique stories and intriguing personalities where Mulford was able to take the time to develop all that. Any reader would enjoy the romantic part of this book given the slow burn, tension, and angst. There were some pacing issues in some parts, however, manageable. Not much of a fan of inst-love, so there’s that and there could be more opportunities to expand on the character development. I was able to tell where the story was going, however, it didn’t deter me from finishing the book as the plot line was strong and engaging. With that being said, I will say this – some of the conflict I wish had more of an impact. It was almost as if it was brushed through that we didn’t get to feel and experience it as much in the beginning. It did get better as book went on which made the book end nicely.

I liked how the book opens up to the rest of the trilogy without leaving too much hanging. This is a strong start for an anticipated trilogy!

→2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

unfortunately i was a bit let down by this. I requested a copy of A River of Golden Bones as an arc bc i loved the idea of werewolves meets sleeping beauty retelling plus it had fated mates which is one of my favorite tropes, but there were several aspects of this book that fell flat for me. i thought the pacing was off from the start. there was a bit of action at the beginning that had me excited, then nothing for the entire middle, and it ended with one big fight scene at the end that had me saying, ".... hmp. guess that's it." i also wish the main romance had been explored more in the beginning bc despite them being friends first, we didn't see that take place before they were fated mates, so it all felt rushed and insta-lovey. because of this, the characters felt very one-dimensional and surface level.

some plot points i did enjoy was the exploration into gender and identity, and the side characters. i loved reading about a non-binary fmc and Calla's discovery into self-acceptance was so well written. i absolutely adored Ora's character and the role they played in Calla's journey, as well as the rest of the crew whose name I won't even attempt to re-spell. Navin was also one of my favorites and i hope his and (view spoiler) relationship can be resolved in the next book.

i don't believe i'll continue the series unfortunately unless someone wants to convince me otherwise. i do think that there is an audience for this book as i didn't think it was completely unredeemable. i think new romantasy readers will enjoy this because it's easily digestible for fans not used to a lot of world-building. overall, i'd recommend but only to certain readers.

thanks NetGalley for an e-arc!