I wanted to love but but it is just not for me - i ended up DNF-in about 35% in - just not the book for me

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. I really liked this one. I actually liked it better than the first one. Overall, it is a great sequel to the Golden Court series. A lot of spice, very suspenseful, and the buildup for the next book is amazing. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book.

A big thank you to NetGalley and AK Mulford for this eArc!

What a continuation to The Golden Court series! A Sky of Emerald Stars picks up where the previous book ended and adds an additional perspective to Calla: Sadie. Sadie, Calla, and the rest of the new Golden Court are trying to find a peaceful alternative to the war that is undoubtedly looming. However, to complicate matters even further, King Nero kidnaps Ora, making the need for peace much harder to achieve. The Golden Court splits up, Sadie, Maez, and Navin heading to Valta and Calla leading the rest of the group to Tiagos to try to get their rulers on their side and to uncover the secrets around them. More specifically, Sadie must face the person who appears to be hiding something major from them, Navin, as Calla struggles with their new responsibilities to their court and to themself.

I really enjoyed this book, the worldbuilding was clear and enticing, and the Wolf/Human dynamic only became more interesting. While all characters have grown since the first book, there were moments where both Calla and Sadie felt reduced to one characteristic or emotion. Nevertheless, the twists that Mulford introduces feel new and tie well into previously established plot points. As always, Mulford writes a spicy, constantly tempting romance that perfectly fits the story. I am very much so looking forward to the next installment, and would highly recommend this book!

4.5/5

I was so excited to go back to the world of The Golden Court! And unlike The Five Crowns of Okrinth, we stay with the main character of the first book and we get to see Calla be Queen. The characters and character relationships are so good in this one. A.K. Mulford is incredible at creating complex relationships with each and every character, and that is no different with Sadie.

I can't wait for the next and final installment of this great series! I wonder if we will get another POV in that book....

A Sky of Emerald Stars is the anticipated follow up to A River of Golden Bones. We get to continue the story of Calla and their court from the POV of Calla and fellow Wolf Sadie.

I liked the dual POV of this book. We get to see how all the pieces and people are aligning for the next book and it does leave you on the edge knowing a big war is coming.

Calla is really a great character and I really found their struggle to maintain their identity really authentic. Sadie is clearly working through some things of her own but she seems to really start grasping herself by the end.

This was such a great follow up and had a lot of great momentum to propel you forward in the story. I am really looking forward to how this story plays out and I really like the authenticity of the different characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for a review.

Loved this book! I read the first book and could t wait to read the next book! I loved the characters and the story!

What can I say? It really didn't work for me. I borrowed the first book so I could go into this one knowing what was going on, and I thought A River of Golden Bones was pretty good (lots of interesting self-discovery, romance, lore), but this one really lost the magic. If I were more into New Adult fantasy books, I could see this clicking more, but I don't see this crossing over the way similar books have.

I preferred the romance in this book to the romance in book one! I gave the first book 3 stars but book two was a solid four star read, and was set up perfectly for the third book in the trilogy, which I will definitely read after book two saved the series for me. I don't think the book stands on it's own, so readers probably do need to start with book 1 in order to appreciate the series. There was a great romance with some spice, some very cool magic, and lots of surprises and betrayals in this book that kept me reading and engaged the whole time!

I really wanted to love this book, but I just feel like it fell flat very quickly and didn't pick up speed. The premise was interesting but the execution was lacking.

This book!!!!!! I thought the first book was amazing and wasn't sure about this one being a dual POV with Calla and Sadie but oh my gosh I think I liked it even better!!! So many twists you don't see coming! The plot and writing are absolutely amazing and the spice is on point. So different from other fantasy series. This book sucks you in from the first chapter to the last. I love the diversity of the characters and the message of being true to yourself. I can't WAIT until the next book!!!!

I just absolutely had so much fun getting to go along on these characters journey. I was just swept away and I just absolutely can’t get enough of this series or its wonderful characters. This author just has away of drawing you in with her wonderful stories and you just can’t get enough of them. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for giving me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

So, after the first book, I thought I was prepared for how spicy this novel was going to be— I was wrong. If I thought the last book was spicy, good lord this one was a Carolina Reaper— and I, famously, have the spice tolerance of a piece of limp lettuce. There was a lot of eye rolling involved.

The spice level would have been fine if the plot had been interesting, but unfortunately, this was a classic second book in a trilogy— a lot of set up for the last book and not a lot of actual plot. What little plot there was just seemed like interludes between the sex scenes, like the characters themselves were annoyed with the fact that they had to do things besides have constant sex. It was a shame, because the plot was actually really interesting, and the book, like the previous one, was really well written! There was just WAY too much sex, and not enough story.

Thank you so much foe the opportunity to ARC read.
Things I liked: I liked the variety of characters, the plot twists were incredible, the world building was well done, I liked that this book was dual POV, it was nice to read another perspective with the first book being all from Calla's POV, the different types of magic was interesting and the relationship between characters was relatable.
Things I didn't like: I didn't like Calla, I actually had a hard time with all of the characters for whatever reason. The flow of the book was up and down making it hard to keep my interest at times.
Overall, this was a good continuation in the series and set up the premise for the third book nicely.
I rated this book 3 stars.

4.5 stars

Book 2 continues to fall Calle and Sadie on their journey. This novel continues similarly to book 1. We get Dual POV and I thoroughly enjoyed Sadie's POV. I was happy to see the story develop further, and the political and relationship aspects captivate me as a reader. The book continues to have lots of action but still focused on the characters themselves. I'm excited to see where the next book will take us.

One of the worst things about reading ARCs in a series is that I will need to wait even longer to read the rest of the series than if I had read the story after publication. A Sky of Emerald Stars is a book that I was very, very excited to read, and there was very little in it that disappointed me. A. K. Mulford writes compelling fantasy novels and always manages to add in characters who have been under/unrepresented in books historically, and I appreciate seeing those stories play out. The magic system that is introduced in this book is unique, and not one that I've seen before, so I found it to be really compelling.
There were a few tropes that I, personally, don't always like, but overall this book was excellent and I would recommend it for anyone who wants to take a deep dive into a new fantasy world that starts with a fun take on several fairy tales, includes fates mates, and fun and unique magic.
I will be EAGERLY checking to see when the next book is finished, because I can't wait to continue with this story.

I read “A River Of Golden Bones in 24 hours! So I was so excited to read “A Sky of Emerald Stars” by A.K. Mulford. It is a captivating continuation of The Golden Court Series, brimming with intrigue, romance, and magic. As the genderfluid Queen Calla strives to balance the needs of humans and shifters amidst the looming threat of war, we are introduced to Sadie Rauxtide, a royal guard grappling with personal betrayals and political challenges. The plot thickens as Sadie must team up with Navin, a musician whose past actions left her heartbroken, to rescue the Queen’s mentor from a rival wolf king. Mulford masterfully intertwines complex character dynamics with a rich tapestry of politics and magic. The evolving relationship between Sadie and Navin is fraught with tension and passion, driven by misunderstandings and unspoken truths. Sadie’s stubbornness and Navin’s gentle resilience create a compelling contrast that deepens as they navigate their mission. The novel excels in world-building, expanding the universe with a new magic system and exploring diverse settings, from the Ice Wolf pack to human settlements. The political maneuvering and shifting alliances keep the reader engaged, promising an exciting progression in the series. With its well-developed characters, intricate plot, and lush world, “A Sky of Emerald Stars” is a must-read for fans of queer romantasy.

Pretty good read. This is a part of a series and I highly recommend reading the others first. There were some things I wasn’t the biggest fan of but it was a quick and entertaining read! I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC

A sky of emerald stars is another great read of the year. Golden court is an amazing must read series.AK MULFORD is one of the best authors I’ve read and I cant wait for more by her! Thanks to netgalley & publisher for the ARC. The spice 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 woah

Here is my Talent Show Entry. The link is to my Goodreads review of A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne.
Listen, I was really craving a romance-heavy, character driven story. Idk if this book was objectively good or just exactly what I wanted in the moment because it’s much spicier than I normally go for but I absolutely loved it. My heart SQUEEZED every time Orpheus was like “she cares if I die…” He’s def one of my top MMCs and Reia didn’t disappoint either.

A Sky of Emerald Stars by A.K. Mulford is another excellent queer shifter romantasy novel in The Golden Court Series. Calla, the genderfluid Queen of the Golden Court, is doing their best to build a place where the needs of humans and shifters are seen to equally, but an oncoming war is creeping on all sides. Meanwhile, Sadie Rauxtide is still adapting to her life as a new royal guard—that is she would be if she ever left the bar to show up at court. She cannot get over the image of the human she cared for, Navin, betraying her before he left to continue life as a traveling musician. But when he appears bloodied at the court with news that the Queen’s friend and mentor Ora was kidnapped by their rival wolf king, Sadie is forced to work with Navin to get Ora back. Calla’s group will go to the Ice Wolf pack to ask for aid and Sadie, Navin, and Maez have their own diplomatic mission. Moreover, Sadie hates Navin as much as she desires him and the secrets, he’s keeping do not help the matter. In a sequel filled with equal parts politics, magic, and love, Sadie and Navin will have to confront the secrets that separated them in the first place, if they want to save the Golden Court.
The genderfluid flag on the cover, representing Navin’s sexuality, looks gorgeous. Sadie and Navin have a tumultuous relationship that relies on the dissolution of miscommunication and revealing truths. Sadie is incredibly stubborn and that also applies to her attitude in her relationships. Navin has to learn to fully trust Sadie, and his inability to do so early on leads to further resentment. Sadie is also looking to trust that Navin can take care of himself. Because he is a kind human and a musician to boot, Sadie has to learn how to recognize his strength in order to trust him. The shifting power dynamics between the two brought out the best in both of them. They have the ideal stubborn warrior meets soft artist relationship because those surface-level guises hide Sadie and Navin’s complexities.
I will also say, the world opens a lot more in book 2. There is a new magic system introduced and more interaction with both the Ice Court and small human towns. The shifting political and martial allegiances kept me keyed into the larger plot at play. I am looking forward to see where it all develops in book 3.
If you like queer romantasy, mates, and anything else Mulford has written, I would highly recommend picking up A Sky of Emerald Stars set to release December 24, 2024.