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.

I internally cheered so much when a DRAGON appears!!
The dual pov were at times, a lot to take in but did add more plot to the story. It took me far too long to realize Calla's first chapters were less interesting to me because Sadie's kept ending with cliffhangers.
Sadie's reaction to Navin talking about gender and how they identify seemed so realistic to anyone first discovering the whole world doesn't just conform to 2 genders.

I loved book 0ne and book 2 was just as AMAZING!! One of my fa favorite reads of the year. I love how they incorporate the characters stories while keeping us a trans in the world building. Both of the main characters chemistry was off the charts, and I love the fact that one of the main character is working through, trying to find her purpose again while also trying to battle feelings to get someone who she felt betrayed her.. I feel like this series is also Greystar and I cannot wait to read the next book.

Calla has reclaimed their homeland of Olmdere and pledges to set a new standard that humans and wolves are all welcome within the Golden Court. Yet war is brewing as the Silver Court is loathe to let a new power rise beyond its control.

I can't stress how much A Sky of Emerald Stars needs to be on your TBR right now. The correlations to current world affairs is eerie but hopeful. Wolf shifter gender queer warrior queen, Calla, fighting back against fascists is exactly what I needed right now.

And Sadie steps into her main character energy. The stabby soldier wolf shifter is on a forced proximity road trip in magical wagon to rally neighboring kingdoms to aid the Golden Court. Magical creatures and toxic family and the land itself are treacherous, but add on navigating a diplomacy mission with your ex also.

A.K. Mulford delivers on both my epic and intimate fantasy needs. I love the world building, new magics, and characters that nestle down into my heart. I'm so looking forward now to the finale of this trilogy. I need my faves to be happy alright!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager / Avon Books for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5

I did like how it went back and forth between Sadie and Calla but I will say I looked forward more to the Sadie chapters they were more interesting to me. Some parts were so good and shocking especially with a betrayal but other things fell flat. I would still recommend this for people looking for a quick easy romantasy.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I had just finished the first book and was able to pick up book 2 immediately. I liked the world building and the characters were likable.

This book picks up where A River of Golden Bones left off, and is a dual POV between Calla and Sadie.

I generally enjoyed this book, but it didn't really feel like the story progressed. I don't feel like we got anywhere at all plot wise, and that Sadie's the only character who had any growth. Calla was....fine, but those chapters felt like filler to me. Which full disclosure, I didn't care for Calla in the first book, so I'm not really surprised that carried through in this one.

This definitely feels like a YA fantasy book written in the style of adult romance--it's incredibly simple and easy to follow which makes the book easy to pick up and put down. But it also really left me wishing for depth of any sort--there's minimal world building, there's not a ton of conflict that doesn't get resolved within a page or two, and everyone just felt a little....flat.

I still love the queer rep, and I think this is a good read if you're a fan of wolf shifters! I just don't think I'm the particular target audience for this series, unfortunately.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review A Sky of Emerald Stars. This was a great addition to the series, i loved the world building and the love story between Sadie and Navin. I can’t wait to dive into AK Mulford’s next book!

I didn’t realize this was book two until I started reading it, so I ended up having to read book one first to get up to speed 😅

It had enough world building to make it effective but enough activity that I didn’t feel like it was 100% exposition. It’s a huge learning journey for Sadie and Navin which I loved watching it progress.

I did have to put it down several times over the course of a month as it was a little slow at first, but it got better.

I see the potential for this to be a hit with other readers, I think it's a me and the writing style that A.K. Mulford has that doesn’t quite mesh with me. I didn’t dislike anything in general, everything was just middle of the road fine.

The continuous world building and character development in this book is phenomenon! The plot of this book keeps readers captivated.