I really enjoyed the first book, A river of Golden Bones, so I was very excited to get the ARC of this one. However, it mainly followed Sadie and Navin and while I enjoyed this book, I had some issues. I liked how fiery Sadie was in A River of Golden Bones, but in this book she came across more annoying and frustrating. I also did not take to Navin so well, but overall this was a good story, well paced and I can't wait to continue the journey.

A book in a series that does not have that 2nd book syndrome!
This in my opinion was just as good as the 1st book, I really liked the multiple POV's! I have read quite a few of this author's books and this series is my favorite so far. The writing is detailed just enough, the characters are fun and engaging, and the story is exciting!

4/5 Stars

Quick Summary: Tensions are rising in the world of Aotreas. Follow Sadie, Navin, Calla and Grae as they work to help find allies for the Golden Court.

The second book of this shifters series picks up with Calla working towards stabilizing her kingdom while also being worried about rising tension between her court and Nero's (the Silver Wolves). Calla and crew come together and agree that they need allies on their side if they are to go to war with the silver wolves.

Sadie travels with Navin and Maez to go to Valta to look for allies. This journey is told from the POV of Sadie and works on her relationship with Navin which fell apart when he left Sadie to be with his brother. I found this POV a lot of fun to read and enjoyed it. The dynamic between Navin and Sadie was a slow burn, but you knew that they were going to get back together. I enjoyed how much she struggled with her feelings towards him only to recognize the inevitable!

Calla leads Grae and Briar to the Ice Wolves to see if they can get allies over there. Calla, in my opinion, is once again unbearable. She continues to struggle to take charge and then complains when things don't go her way. Honestly, I feel like her relationship with Grae was a little flat, Calla is probably the reason why I rated this a 4/5.

Overall I really enjoyed this installment, this book might have fallen a smidgen to middle book syndrome, but I was entertained by the plot twists!! I am so upset that I read this book before the next one is announced because I will be not so patiently waiting :).

Thank you to Netgally, A.K. Mulford, Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Please announce the next book soon :).

Five stars. A Sky of Emerald Stars (Book 2 of The Golden Court series) is a perfect read. Action packed, found family, fated mates, queer romance, gender exploration, wolf shifters, tension and spice- what more could you ask for?

"You deserve to be exactly who you are, unconditionally and without fear."

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

This series is just soooo good! I love how different it is from normal wolf-shifter books, and that it is turning typical tropes on their heads. Not only all of that, the representation in this book is just phenomenal. And the twist this time! I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it and all the potential. Argh I need more people to read this so we can discuss! Definitely a must read book! 4⭐️

2SLGBTQIA+ Fantasy Steamy Romance about a wolf-shifter who grapples with her new life and embarks on a deadly mission while the new Queen juggles pack politics and a brewing war.

4/5 stars: This is the second entry in Mulford's The Golden Court series which is a 2SLGBTQIA+ Fantasy Steamy Romance and follows a wolf-shifter who's grappling with her new life as a royal guard and embracing more human beliefs embarks on a secret mission with a musician she's inexplicably drawn to even after she learns his deadly secret. Meanwhile, the new Queen finds themselves juggling pack politics and a brewing war over Wolf and human interactions even as they plot to rescue their kidnapped friend with a determination to remain true to themselves. The two shifters soon learn their world's more than it seems and it will take everything they have to fight for peace. Mulford's world building and magic system is interesting and continues to unfold. Told in dual POV, Mulford's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Sadie and Calla are interesting protagonists, they're both dealing with big changes and I look forward to seeing how continue to tackle them. Additionally, I appreciate how Mulford includes diverse characters that span the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum. Oh and as there are two romantic pairings, there's plenty of hot and steamy OPS scenes. Mulford does touch on some very sensitive topics, so take care and check the CWs. This can't be read as a stand-alone, so be sure to pick up book one, A River of Golden Bones.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Wow! This book is Sadie’s book but has Calla’s pov also. It goes back and forth between their POVs. I loved this so we still get to know what Calla is doing and getting Sadie’s story with Navin. It picks up right after the first book ends. It has some spice in it also. It is definitely romantasy. I love the world! It has a map so you can see where the places are they are going. I love stories with maps! I like to follow the characters with it and their journeys.

This book has some adventures, betrayals, surprises, and crazy moments in it. I hope the next book comes soon!

A good follow up in the series. I love the discovery of the over arching storyline. The pov changes were well executed. The war games have begun and there’s no time for wallowing. I do feel like there should have been more connections between team A and B since mates can mind speak.

Could have done without the angsty what am I thing. There are clearly other life threatening issues needing attention. Other large logistics issues like entire populations needing homes and provisions. It would also have left more time to ponder and avoid walking into traps left and right. Maybe taken the time to set their own traps. Figuring out that their own house was full of turn coats.

While it is good to have a good self image and recognition of self. Sooo much could have been avoided.

My second A.K. Mulford book and I have to say I enjoyed it more than the first one. We had so much going on with a few twists and turns, I couldn’t put it down! The pace was spot on and I didn’t feel anything dragged on or was just skimmed over.

Calla is definitely an interesting character and considering she’s a wolf shifter, I knew it’d a goodf read! And not to mention the entire fated mates with Grae? I also enjoyed Sadie and Navin and how they had to work together when Ora was kidnapped. I loved the mystery around Navin and all the secrets - it was a great addition to the plot.

I feel as if book 2 had so many new components brought in that by book 3, everything will be tied together flawlessly. This book is for any fantasy reader, is LGBTQ friendly, contained enemies to lovers, found family, fated mates, etc. I’m looking forward to book 3 and can’t wait to see where it takes us on our next adventure. Anything wolf/human dynamic will always be on my TBR!

I felt like this was a strong follower to book 1. The action continued at about the same pace, maybe faster or slower in some spots. We got to see additional character development for Briar, Calla and Grae, while also following a new set of main characters.

The slow burn was there and there was also a good amount of spice towards the end.

I think it’s a great set up for a future book and I’m looking forward to seeing where this series progresses to.

A.K Mulford's romantasy novels, especially, are instant buys/reads for me. I love the way their novels are inherently political in a nuanced way that's tasteful and digestible (not forced and in your face). I think this is mainly because it comes from a genuine place and source, which is important to me as a reader. I implore anyone who still believes reading isn't political in 2024 to read one of A.K's fantasy novels. The way that queer identity is weaved in the story is so beautiful and captivating.

I really enjoyed Sadie/Navin's story and how it blended with Calla's continued journey and navigating their "queen-dom" and what that means for them. I can't wait to see what comes next!

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the physical galley & eARC! 💚

First and foremost, A. K. Mulford is an author I instantly buy from because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every book in their catalog. “A Sky of Emerald Stars” is the second installment in the Golden Court series and picks up right where the first book, “A River of Golden Bones,” left off. Calla and their court are on a mission to mend their kingdom’s wounds inflicted by the malevolent sorceress Sawyn, all while preparing for the looming war with a formidable rival Wolf king.

This book deviated slightly from the typical romantasy genre, introducing dual point-of-views. The first POV belonged to Calla, while the second belonged to Sadie, one of the royal guards. While Calla was in Taigos, attempting to forge an alliance, Sadie found themselves in a completely different part of the world, accompanied by Maez (another royal guard) and Navin (a traveling musician whom Sadie had grown close to in the first book).

Honestly, Sadie and Navin’s relationship felt a bit rushed and lacked a solid foundation for me to fully embrace. To be fair, I finished this book faster than usual due to my tardiness for my book club meeting, so I may have missed some subtle nuances that would have enhanced their relationship.

On the positive side, I thoroughly enjoyed the intriguing mystery surrounding Navin and the secrets he kept. In fact, my favorite parts of the first and second books revolved around learning about Galen den’ Mora, a magically protected wagon (more accurately, a giant RV pulled by oxen) that transports the group of musicians across the land. This wagon is brimming with unique characters and I’m delighted that we received more insights into its lore during this book.

“A Sky of Emerald Stars” was a captivating blend of tension, mystery, political intrigue, and just the right amount of spice. Mulford continues to be an author I eagerly anticipate their next release.

A fantastic follow up to book 1, I really enjoyed that we saw two different characters this time around and this book feels like it is setting up for future books and I am excited to see where this story goes. 4.5/5

This sequel is a heartfelt continuation, rich in world-building and emotional depth. Much of the story follows Sadie, Navin, and Maez as they work to forge alliances for the Golden Court, while Calla, Grae, and Briar race to rescue Ora. The tension between Sadie and Navin intensifies as Navin’s closely guarded secrets are revealed, adding complexity to their dynamic.

Calla’s journey as the Golden Court's Queen is particularly striking, with her identity as Merem offering a nuanced exploration of gender fluidity. Her leadership struggles, combined with the support of her mate Graemon and sister Briar, bring warmth and strength to the story. Meanwhile, the tension escalates with the Silver Wolves’ brutal actions and the political intrigue. The book introduces new magic and surprising twists that keep the pages turning, especially in the last quarter, which is packed with action and emotional payoffs.

Though this book occasionally felt more like a bridge to future installments, it sets up plenty of exciting possibilities. The pacing could have been tighter in places, but the emotional resonance and thematic richness kept me invested. I also loved that the main focus was on a different couple, Sadie and Navin, while also keeping up with the main characters, Calla and Grae, from book one.

Overall, A Sky of Emerald Stars is an engaging addition to this series. I’m eager to see how the story unfolds in the next book.

This book was fun! It took me a little longer than I would have liked to get into the book, but for those who love a good slow burn, this is definitely the book for you! The book was cute, and I genuinely enjoyed reading it! I highly recommend this book as a followup to book 1! 4/5 for me!

I enjoyed book 1 a lot and thought book 2 would give me the same vibes, mostly bc of the world building and just being a fan of slow burn romance. But it took awhile for me to be completely engaged. It didn’t pick up until maybe halfway? I liked it enough to be interested in continuing with book 3.

The sequel has much to offer as it follows in to the golden court. You have a slow burn romance and even though the spice in the book doesn’t happen until later I loved that it didn’t take over the story. Had this read in one night!!!!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

This is more of a 3.75 read for me. The first 75% was slow and I’m not exactly sure how much I enjoyed the addition of Sadie and Navin as main characters. I didn’t really like Navin from book one but oh well. He eventually became a little bit more likable but still not my favorite. Also, I love spice just as much as the next but the timing and frequency of those encounter didn’t flow well with the story. I think I would have enjoyed more of a connection being built between them then some much sex.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC!

I found this one a little harder to get into than the first, simply because I had to track who was who again lol

I loved, LOVED Sadie and Navin tho! And the ending left me looking forward to the next book

4.5 rounded up. I received this arc from NetGalley.

I devoured the first book. I loved the queer representation and Calla's journey of figuring out who she was amongst the bigger issues in the storyline.

Book two is seen from Calla and Sadie's POVs while they embark on separate journeys to help the Golden Court. This reads a little slower than the first and I personally got a little tired of Calla in a couple of places but I enjoyed Sadie's journey.

This book introduces more characters, more queer relationships and more settings. It's really building up to book three which should be amazing.