A Sky of Emerald Stars is the follow-up to A River of Golden Bones. It follows two different main characters, Calla and Sadie, as they try to rescue their friend Ora and aid the Golden Court. Calla travels with her mate Grae and her sister Briar while Sadie travels with Maez (Briar's mate) and Navin.

I enjoyed this book more than the first one. This book had more action and plot twists. I was more into Sadie and Navin's plot line and liked their rocky relationship. The book definitely ended with lots of loose ends and I'm excited to see what the third book holds.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyage for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a captivating read for fans of high-stakes adventures, self-discovery, and romance, particularly those who appreciate LGBTQIA+ representation, fantasy worlds, and found family themes, as it weaves a rich tapestry of magic, politics, and love in a world on the brink of war.

The second book in the Golden Court series did not disappoint, combining political intrigue, wolf pack drama, and a forbidden romance that kept me on the edge of my seat.

As Calla works to maintain control of her court, she sends Sadie and Navin on a mission that ignites undeniable chemistry between them. Their forbidden relationship adds a layer of tension to the story. The world-building continues to impress, and the shifts in perspective, including Calla’s, provide a fresh dynamic. The vivid descriptions drew me into the story, making me feel like I was watching it unfold on screen.

If you’re a fan of forbidden romance, complex characters, and political intrigue, this series is a must-read. I’m excited for what’s next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing hooks me into a book faster than a baddie main character who refuses to break down her walls....until HIM. Like, yes, I’m a romance lover, SUE ME! 🫶

This amazing book is the second in the series, so if you’re into political war, self-discovery, and wolves (duh), you’re gonna LOVE THIS 🐺✨

This book goes deep into the political war between the wolf packs. While Calla is doing her best to keep her Golden Court problem-free, life has other plans. And let me tell you, she will DO ANYTHING to protect her people. So, obviously, Calla sends our baddie Sadie and Navin on a mission, and OMG, do things heat up. But let’s focus on Sadie and Navin because their love story? OMFG. 😍🔥

Sadie & Navin---aka a wolf and a human---are everything. Their type of relationship in this society is veeeery frown upon, a love like theirs could cause chaos. Yet, they’re thrown together to help Calla, and what happens? LOVE, OBVIOUSLY! 🫠 The slow burn, the banter, the tension and we cannot forget the UNSOLVED TENSION from book 1!!!! AGHHH, it was the reason I couldn’t put this book down! 💕

If forbidden love, badass characters, and a world full of wolves and political drama are your vibe, you need to read this ASAP. You’ll have the best time, I promise! 🐾✨

𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒊 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅:
- 𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊 𝒑𝒐𝒗 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
- 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
- 𝒘𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒔
- 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎

Tropes
🐺 political intrigue
🐺 enemies to lovers (ish)
🐺 "let me take care of you"
🐺 witty banter

I didn’t love this one as much as the first. I wish we could’ve read more from Calla or Grae’s perspective or even Briar’s. I did like diving into the song keepers lore but overall I feel that this book was just to set up the next one instead of being a good story on its own.

This series started as a cover read, but I'm so glad I've continued. This book has so many good twists and turns and overall is just an exciting journey. I cannot wait to continue!

The second book in the world of the Golden Court, this one focuses on Sadie, with some chapters from Calla's perspective (providing a glimpse into what is happening on the other front of this mission).

I loved the Galen Mora in the first book and now I get to see more of what makes it so unique and also Navin's secrets come to light as he journeys with Sadie and Maez.

Lots of interesting representations in this one, Navin's comes with a price that Sadie isn't sure she wants to pay, and you also get the reactions to Calla's merem status from other wolves.

Highly recommend.

I was impressed at how much I enjoyed this! I didn’t think I would like Sadie as much as I did but she turned out to be one of my favorites.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this. I also had the ALC and loved being able to go between listening and reading.
I really enjoyed book 2. It felt like there were a bit more stakes to this one and I can’t wait for book 3

I rated this one 3 stars. It was okay. I was lost and a bit bored at first, but it picked up and then it got better.

I have been anticipating this release ever since my book club read it a few months ago. We get new POVs and also follow the leads of the first book. I really like the world building in this series. It’s so vividly written that I was watching a movie in my mind while reading. The shifting in the book was exceptional. Just call me little fox 🦊

I recommend this and look forward to the next book!

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

This is a compelling sequel that delves into themes of identity, resilience, and love. Sadie Rauxtide’s journey as a royal guard brings emotional depth, especially as she confronts her feelings for Navin while on a mission to uncover secrets and secure allies. Queen Calla’s storyline adds complexity, highlighting struggles with diplomacy, prejudice, and self-discovery as they face challenges with the Taigos Court. The book is rich with twists, high-stakes action, and heartfelt moments, though it leans heavily on its character-driven narrative. While not as strong as the first book, it still captures the magic of the Golden Court and sets up an exciting finale. I can’t wait for the next installment!

Thank you Harper Voyager and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

As far as being a continuation of the first book, I liked this one much more. The introduction of Sadie’s POV was a welcome, refreshing, addition to the story. I hope that in the future we are able to see move POVs of the other characters. Calla’s story was interesting, but it definitely took a back seat to Sadie’s for me.

Also, just want to say that the amount of times Briar is useless is frustrating to me,

The overall themes about identity and being true to yourself come through in this book as well as the first. It is just another perspective of it.

It's a great book. I enjoyed the storyline. I got to better understand the characters of Sadie and Navin while still watching Calla grow into her own. I can't wait for the third book.


Thank you to NetGalley, HarperVoyager/Avon Books, and A.K. Mulford for the advanced reader e-book of A Sky of Emerald Stars!

The second novel in the Golden Court series definitely is a great continuation of the first book. Solid 4 out of 5 for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

We join Calla and her court several months after the end of Book 1 but this time the POV is split between Calla and Sadie, one of the Silver wolves in her court. There is lot of political intrigue and machinations as the different factions pick sides in the Silver vs Gold pack war. You've got Calla continuing to embrace her authentic self with Grae as her loving male wife and Sadie discovering long lost secrets of the world. There is a bit of a disconnect between the dual POVs, and in some ways it feels like two separate stories mashed together. But the world building you get through Sadie's story was super cool!

My one main critique is that the LGBTQIA characters continue to be in the background and at times feels like they are just included as tokens. HOWEVER I have hope that Book 3 will FINALLY give us Maez and Briar as the main focus.

Going to not so patiently wait for Book 3!!!!

Okay so...I was definitely a little critical of book 1 (it was just okay) but I'm here to tell you that IT DID NOT carry over because A Sky of Emerald Stars was FANTASTIC!
ASOES is a continuation of A River of Golden Bones and is told in dual POV...but not in the way that you'd normally think. Our first POV is Calla, our queen, and takes us on her journey to secure allies and retrieve her dear friend in anticipation of the war ahead. I loved seeing her and Grae work together and love their cutie relationship. Calla is such a cool representation of gender fluidity and staying true to yourself. #vibes
The second POV is Sadie - a wolf shifter in Calla's court who is sent on a mission to unveil Navin's secret that he is keeping from their court. I didn't expect to love Sadie so much, but by now I should know that I will always die hard for a bada** FMC! She was fierce, loyal, and even soft when she needed to be. Gish I hope the next book continues in her POV - but also I need to be inside Maez's head too!
There were twists, turns, and some spice to keep things interesting. There was such a difference in the prose compared to the first book - this book flowed so seamlessly and was such a good time. I enjoyed every single second!

Yes! So happy to see Golden Court back together (kind of) and really enjoyed the next installment of their adventure. I love angst, and this book had plenty of it. Talk about down bad! I screamed out loud a few times because of the twists, which I thought really helped the pacing.

The themes about identity and how one adapts/grows into it over time is such a true reflection for so many people and you observe different characters experiencing it in different ways. So well done, I can't wait for the next book.

4 ⭐️ Second installment in the Golden Court Trilogy did not disappoint. The story progresses through the eyes of Calla and Sadie this time. We get to learn all about the traveling musicians from book one with lots of twists and turns I didn’t see coming.

While I did enjoy Calla’s chapters more, I understand the importance in the world building in Sadie’s chapters as well. I’m hoping for more Calla and Grae in Book 3 because those two were my favorite. The LQBTQIA+ representation really makes the series stand out from the crowd.

I love a good cliffhanger so I was a little bummed this book didn’t have one but nevertheless I’ll still be anxiously awaiting book 3. Please tell me there will be more dragons 🤞🏻

“If they can’t handle the brilliance with which you burn, Calla, then let them all catch fire. I’d rather be standing on top of their ashes than miss the brightness of your flame.”

*Insert screaming noises here* Is book 3 out yet?!

This was just as captivating as the first! I'm not going to lie, I had to put the book down a few times because the plot and/or the characters made me so mad, but in a good way! The emotional rollercoaster I went on while reading this was insane! I wish I had kept track of the amount of times I said, out loud, things like: "wtf," "you're joking," or "stfu." I knew it was going to end on a cliffhanger, but that didn't stop me from holding out hope that it might have ended differently.

I can, and will, binge anything they write! Additionally, I am on a mission to convince every reader I know to pick up this series- not only is it that good, but I need people to talk to about all of the things this book made me feel!

This book picks up where book 1 left off. There’s more mystery as we follow Sadie and the humans who definitely have more going on than what it seemed in the first book. I love the storytelling in these books and the character growth.